3 Tree Diseases That Target Fir Trees – And How To Prevent Damage
Posted on: 16 November 2015
Fir trees have become a staple in holiday decorations but look as attractive in your yard as lit up inside the home. The distinctive green needs give a fir tree a voluminous look that can quickly fall aside if a tree disease takes hold. Keep your fir looking full and healthy with regular maintenance and checking for symptoms of tree diseases. Call in a tree services company for assistance when necessary.
Needle Cast Disease
Fungi can cause needle cast disease to take hold in your fir tree. The needle cast will cause the tree's luscious green needles to whither, brown, and shed into your yard. Unusual colored fruit-like structures will often grown on the tree as the needles continue to shed. Your full fir can soon start to look paltry. If left untreated, the needle cast can prevent your tree from ever growing back its needles to prior fullness.
Treat needle cast disease by asking a tree trimming company to remove and dispose of any infected areas. Apply a topical fungicide approved for needle cast to prevent the infection from coming back.
Needle Blight Disease
Needle blight is another fungal disease that can cause a fir's needles to fall off prematurely, which means blight can resemble needle cast to an untrained eye. You should ask for a professional diagnosis if uncertain because needle blight is more likely to kill your tree than needle cast.
There are a couple of telltale differences. Blight will change the needles to more of a reddish color before shedding and there won't be the fruit structures associated with needle cast.
If your tree is only showing initial signs of blight, have a tree trimming service remove affected areas of needles and apply a topical fungicide to prevent it from coming back. More intense infections might require branches to be cut away to prevent the spread and proliferation of the disease.
Canker Disease
Canker disease on trees causes wound-like openings on the surface of branches that have already suffered some type of damage. The cankers are red around the edges, possibly black in the center, and can seep a sap-like material.
Ask a tree trimming service to remove any infected areas as the sores appear. If the canker is left untreated and starts to spread into the trunk of the tree, you might have to call in a tree removal services company (such as Hodgson's Expert Tree Service) to completely remove the diseased tree to save your other trees from infection.
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