Bur oaks are massive, noble-looking oak trees with distinctive rugged grayish bark that makes the tree a visually interesting addition to any large property or yard. The bur oak can live for hundreds of years with proper upkeep and some luck. The proper upkeep includes monitoring the tree for signs of tree diseases that can threaten the life of the tree – or just pose some serious cosmetic concerns.
Here are a few of the tree diseases that can strike a bur oak tree – and how a tree care service can help you manage the problem.
Bur Oak Blight
Bur oak blight is a fungal disease that causes the leaves of the tree to take on a darkened, red-brown color along the veins. Sections of the leaf will start to drop away until eventually the entire leaf falls off the tree. Darkened lesions can also form on the leaves alongside the veining and symptoms will initially appear in the summer months.
Severely affected trees will likely die and require a tree removal service to keep other bur oak trees in the area safe. The severity will increase over several years before the tree dies. There is no known treatment for bur oak blight but some strains of bur oak trees have a better natural resistance and might be able to fight off the disease completely and return to health.
If you suspect a bur oak blight infection, call in a tree care service for testing of both the disease and the type of your bur oak. The service will be able to determine the likelihood that your tree can fight off this disease.
Bacterial Leaf Scorch
Leaf scorch disease gets the name from the fact that the leaves will start to take on a reddish then browned color around the edges as if the leaf had been singed around the edges. The leaves will continue to darken until the leaf wilts and falls from the tree.
While bacterial leaf scorch can look like a simple cosmetic problem, this is another disease that can potentially kill your bur oak tree. There is no real treatment other than calling in a tree trimming service to clear away affected leaves and to monitor the tree's ongoing health. An otherwise healthy tree might be able to fight off the leaf scorch on its own.
Powdery Mildew
Powdery mildew is simply a cosmetic issue. The fungal disease creates thick, gray fuzz on the surface of the leaves that resembles mildew. The mildew can drop off the leaves onto surrounding plantings, the ground, or sidewalks. If the fuzz covers enough of the leaf surface, the leaf will wilt and die off.
The tree will fight off the mildew infection on its own though fungicides can accelerate the process. You can also call in a tree care service to remove affected leaves to keep the mildew from getting on other plantings and structures.
Contact a tree service, like All Around Landscape & Tree Service, for more help.
Share27 June 2016
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