4 Common Tree and Plant Diseases and How to Manage Them

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forest of trees

Maintaining a healthy landscape or lush green garden is a lot of work. You need to be spot on with the daily routine. Other than fertilizing and watering, you should also check the overall condition of your plants. Keep in mind that some disease can affect other trees and plants.

This is why you need to address them as soon as possible. For better results, look for a professional tree disease treatment service in Utah County. Here are some of the common tree diseases and how to prevent them:

Anthracnose

Anthracnose is one of the most common plants and tree disease. This happens due to fungi attacks on leaves, twigs, flowers, and fruits. The symptoms may vary depending on the host species or pathogen.

For instance, Sycamore anthracnose may cause leaf defoliation, which may result in twig or stem blighting. On the other hand, Dogwood anthracnose can easily kill the plant stems and tree branches.

Treatment:

To treat sycamores, start with applying fungicides on affected areas. Experts recommend doing this two weeks before the bud break. Another option is to use injectable fungicides.

Go for products with thiabendazole. For dogwood, it is best to go for propiconazole fungicide. In addition, make sure to sanitize the affected areas regularly.

Apple Scab

woman picking an apple from a tree

This condition usually happens during early season affecting crabapples. If you see any scab-like lesions form on the leaves of your plants or shrubs, it is best to proceed to treatment right away as they may cause premature defoliation.

Treatment:

It’s a common misconception for most homeowners that apple scab is not really a disease, and the treatment is just for aesthetics. Apple scabs can actually ruin the entire plant and crops.

Start applying fungicides with fenarimol from the beginning of the bud break. Observe for any decaying leaves and stems, and cut them to prevent spreading.

Cedar Rusts

This is another problem you may encounter when growing a garden or maintaining a lawn. They are common in rosaceous plants like hawthorn and crabapple. Just like apple scabs, symptoms and pathogens are more visible than others. Junipers or the alternate host usually aggravate cedar rusts.

Orange or rusty colored leaf spots usually appear in the spring. They spread easily on hawthorn and crabapples. Take note that cedar rusts can develop or cause dieback, as well. You may also notice the appearance of spores on juniper branches.

Treatment:

For cedar rusts, you can apply fungicides on the deciduous hosts on early bud break or when orange spores start to develop on junipers. Triadimefon is the most effective active ingredient for this disease. Pruning on rust galls is also advisable.

Diplodia Tip Blight

This condition is quite common in Austrian and other pine trees. Usually, they will start at the base of the tree and progresses upwards. You may also notice needling or candling in infected areas. The most common symptoms for diplodia are dead shoots and black fruiting structures.

Treatment:

Thorough sanitation is the first step for this plant or tree disease. This includes pruning and trimming. Once you have pruned out the affected areas, apply fungicides at bud swell. The best active ingredient for this is the thiophanate-methyl.


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