Every tree service company in the Tri-State region has a short list of particular tree diseases and conditions to check for each time we inspect a client’s yard. These diseases can vary over time, but some are persistent throughout the years in the Cincinnati area. Sometimes, one specific infection or infestation spreads like wildfire — it could be due to that season’s humidity, insect habitation patterns, wind currents, storm patterns, drought, or early or late freezes or thaws.
Here are the five most common tree diseases or conditions that we look for these days when we take care of your trees and garden:
1. Cedar Apple Rust
We find this mainly on crabapple and apple trees, though it can happen with red cedar trees too. The leaves develop yellow spots, which eventually turn orange. Cedar Apple Rust is a fungus.
2. Apple Scab
This, too, is a nasty fungus, and it also hits crabapple and apple trees. Apple Scab leaves different colored spots on the tops and bottoms of leaves and fruit of affected trees. The tops of the leaves will have green or yellow spots, while the bottoms will carry dark spots. The fruit itself will have reddish-brown looking rot on it, which somewhat resembles the type of scab you might get if you skin your knee or elbow.
3. Thousand Cankers
Walnut trees are susceptible to this disease, which is carried by Walnut Twig Beetles. The beetles burrow into the bark and leave behind a fungus, which attacks the tree’s circulatory system, and often causes yellowing and wilting leaves much earlier in the year than is typical (often in summer). Thousand Cankers Disease can be fatal to infected trees.
4. Powdery Mildew
Powdery Mildew disease is so dangerous, in part, because so many different trees and plants can catch it. Unlike many other arboreal diseases that only impact one or two types of trees, this one is more like the common cold, in that it spreads widely and easily and doesn’t usually cause major damage. When your trees or shrubs have been affected by Powdery Mildew, tiny white-or-grey fungal spores can overtake the leaves, making it look like the leaf is covered in sugar or salt.
5. Needlecast Diseases
These types of diseases hit coniferous trees — Douglas firs, spruces, pines, etc. The new needles on these trees can carry a fungus, and it turns sections of each new green needle to a black or dark brown shade. These diseases cause evergreen trees to lose their needles prematurely, and can affect their health and growth over time.
Whether you suspect your trees have been subject to one of these common Cincinnati-area tree conditions, or you are just looking out for the long-term health of your trees, we’re happy to take a look at them and share our professional arboreal opinion with you. Call us here at Tree Images for our input on how we can help your trees stay healthy this year and every year. We’re happy to be your Cincinnati tree service company!
