How do I know when a tree is sick?

Trees are just like us. They need nutrients, water and sun to grow strong and robust, and if they don’t get the proper care or get infected by pathogens, they will get sick. Unfortunately, if your tree gets too sick, you might have to opt for tree removal services instead. Our Alamo tree service is here to help you figure out if your tree is sick and exactly what you can do about it.

How Do Trees Get Sick?

Trees are alive, and like any living creature, they are susceptible to injuries and illnesses. Usually, these factors are the culprits making your tree sick:

  • Insects and pests
  • Bacteria
  • Fungi
  • Environmental stress
  • Viruses
  • Human activity

Look Out For These Symptoms 

A sick tree can be nursed back to health, but a dead tree is at risk of falling. As soon as you notice unusual symptoms in a tree, it’s time to take action. A few telltale signs of injury or infection in a tree are:

Wilting Leaves 

A tree’s leaves are it’s way of collecting critical sunlight, so when they wilt, your tree isn’t getting as much nutrition as it should. There are many reasons why a tree’s leaves might wilt, so if you’re not sure, it’s best to consult an arborist. 

Cankers 

Cankers are spots of dead bark on your tree. Similar to a human canker sore, a canker occurs when bacteria and fungi infect an open wound in a tree. These aggressive plant pathogens quickly colonize the wounded tissue. Remove cankers by pruning the infected area off of the tree. 

Powdery Substance On Leaves

Unfortunately that white stuff on your tree’s leaves isn’t powdered sugar: it’s powdery mildew, a common airborne fungus that attacks all sorts of landscape plants. The dusty-looking spores will eventually cause the tree’s leaves to turn yellow and drop early. On the leaves that survive, tiny round orangey-black balls will form within white fungal mats. 

Poor Structure

Trees are healthiest when they grow straight up. Severe storms, high winds, or just uneven pruning are usually the cause of a leaning tree. To prevent the tree from falling, correct the lean by attaching the tree to upright stakes and give it a good symmetrical pruning.

Spotty, Brown Leaves

Leaf spot diseases weaken trees by interrupting photosynthesis – this puts undue stress on the tree and makes it susceptible to other pests and illnesses. These brown or black blotchy spots are usually due to fungi or bacteria, and the best way to prevent them is to prevent overwatering and excessive moisture. 

Decay

Sometimes when a tree wound gets infected, it becomes so overcome by pathogens that it cannot close the wound. In cases like these, the disease can begin to eat away at the tree and compromise its internal structure, putting at risk of falling or dropping branches. 

Prevent Tree Illness: Hire an Experienced Arborist! 

If you are looking for the top Alamo tree service, look no further. At Sexy Trees, our wide range of services and care will keep your trees healthy and beautiful for decades to come. We believe in supporting our communities of trees through evidence-based techniques that you can depend on. Give us a call at 925-233-6877 for an estimate, or email us at [email protected] anytime with questions!