We can all agree that Lubbock, Texas has the luxury of a hot season almost year-round. That means we get to enjoy the outdoors a little more often than the rest of the United States. And with the outdoors comes nature. But nature doesn’t always bring us beautiful things like flowers, plants, and trees. Sometimes with those things, it brings diseases like Oak Wilt and Fire Blight – two tree diseases that have taken Texas by storm and are putting your Oak trees and Pear trees at risk for infection.
Follow along with us as we learn about these two diseases, how to identify them, how to prevent them, and what to do if you find yourself looking at an infected tree.
Oak Wilt Tree Disease
This is unfortunately an extremely common tree disease in the United States. It is derived from a fungus called Bretziella fagacearum – which means the way in which water is absorbed by trees is disrupted by this fungus, no longer allowing it to be properly hydrated no matter how much you water it. This disease has killed more than one million trees in the United States. If one of your trees is infected with Oak Wilt, you will start to notice the leaves turning orange or brown long before they are supposed to change color. This early turning of the leaves means your tree is infected with veinal necrosis, which is what is making the color change happen so quickly.
You can prevent Oak Wilt in a few ways. One of them is to avoid pruning your trees between February and July because that is the time frame when the fungus is most active and we would like to avoid weakening the trees during this time. If you find yourself with a tree that is already infected, it is time to treat it with fungicide immediately in hopes of saving the tree.
Fire Blight Disease (Pear)
Sadly, this disease targets the pear fruit tree – meaning if your pear tree is infected with it, it may be rendered useless as a source of fruit for the year. The technical name for Fire Blight Disease is Erwinia amylovora. Symptoms of this Fire Blight Disease can appear on:
- Buds
- Shoots
- Stems
- Mature Stems
- Branches
So, unfortunately, there isn’t just one place you will have to check. When these symptoms occur, you should look for:
- Water soaking that stays on the petals
- Peduncle
- Ovary
After noticing, you will start to see the vein of the leaves turn black and die quickly thereafter. If you find your pear trees struggling with Fire Blight Disease, you will have to cut off what is already infected, in fear that it will infect the rest of the tree or nearby trees. To actively prevent Fire Blight to your pear trees, implementing easy and achievable cultural practices regularly should do the trick.
Professional Help
Even if you can identify these issues, sometimes it is quite a bigger feat to tackle and manage the issue on your own. Consider professional tree disease help from the Ashton Walden team.
Protect Your Trees From Disease This Season
Here at Ashton Walden, we have a certified arborist that brings knowledge and experience to your trees and shrubs. Having this resource allows our company to better protect your trees when it comes to preventing and fighting off diseases.
At Ashton Walden, we service the following cities:
Contact us below: