Oak Wilt in Trees: How to Identify, Prevent, and Treat It
The arborists at Pro Arbor Tree Care Professionals have diagnosed Oak Wilt on an alarming amount of Northern Virginia’s Oak trees. This is a fungal disease that has devastating effects on Oak trees of all varieties and ages. In Red Oaks and Pin Oaks the disease progresses quite quickly, usually killing the tree within the first season of infection. In White Oaks it tends to take longer to kill the tree, but will kill it if left untreated.
Perhaps the worst thing about Wilt is how contagious it is. If left standing after death, the tree will develop spore masses that are spread to neighboring trees by insects. The disease can also be passed to other trees through grafted root masses.
Oak Wilt is evident first in the leaves of the infected tree. The leaves will have blotches of brown that seem to spread out from the central vein. Usually leaves will drop from the tree with some green left on them. If caught early enough, trees can sometimes be saved with injectable treatments. Consult an arborist for advice on this.
In order to prevent the spread of Oak Wilt, we should not make pruning cuts to Oak trees early in the growing season. The open wounds are entry points for the disease if the pruning is done early in the season. Late season or winter pruning allows the wounds to seal off before insects begin to spread the spores.
Trees that die from Oak Wilt should be removed immediately, because the first year after death is when the tree will host the most fungus growth and spread the disease the most. Obviously, debris should be removed from the property to prevent the spread to healthy trees.
If you suspect that your Oak trees have been affected, contact an arborist immediately to develop a plan to control the situation.
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