TruGreen Rapid City » Common Tree Concerns

Cytospora Canker

trugreenrc — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 20:25:00 +0000

What is it? Cytospora Canker is a tree disease that occurs most commonly in stressed spruce and other conifers causing disfigurment. It is caused by a fungus, initially infecting trees through wounds or dead branches.

Symptoms: Cytospora canker kills branches, particularly lower ones, which will destroy the overall beauty of the tree.

Recommended Treatment: It is best to remove the dead and dying branches as soon as possible, sterilizing with denatured alcohol or a 10% solution of bleach and between each cut. Sterilizing the instruments will help prevent the spreading of disease. Although a fungicide application will not be effective in controlling this disease, we do recommend having trees fertilized in the spring and fall for overall health and vigor.

It is also helpful to avoid mechanical injury to lower limbs of the trees, and continue with proper water practices.

Apple Scab

trugreenrc — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 20:23:19 +0000

What is it? Apple Scab is a fungal disease that can result in severe leaf and fruit spotting on apples and crabapples.

Why is this a problem? Infected trees will start to show brown spots on their leaves in mid to late Spring. If left untreated, the spotting on leaves and fruit will become more severe until the leaves turn yellow and drop off prematurely.

Recommended Treatment: A TruGreen program limits the damage caused by this disease. Complete control is extremely difficult, especially if not caught early enough. Keeping the plant pruned properly will increase air circulation and reduce humidity, which promotes apple scab. Also, rake crabapple leaves in the fall.

Fireblight

trugreenrc — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 20:21:50 +0000

What is it? Fireblight is a bacterial disease that can affect many trees and shrubs, including Crabapples, Hawthornes, Pear, Photinia, Mountain Ash, and Firethorn. This bacteria is spread by insects and splashing rain during spring blossom time.

Symptoms: The leaves of the tree generally will appear to have a reddish- brown discoloring and be curled up.

Recommended Treatment: Although there is no preventative measure or available treatment for the fireblight itself. TruGreen can offer an insect and disease spray can help prevent the spreading via insects in the tree.

It is best the prune out the infected areas, sterlizing with denatured alcohol or a 10% solution of bleach after each cut as soon as possible. If fireblight goes untreated, it can move into the limbs, branches, and occasionally an entire tree could be killed by this disease.

We also recommend using proper watering practices, along with keeping your overall healthy trees by fertilizing in the spring and fall.

Spider Mites

trugreenrc — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 20:19:09 +0000

What are they? Spider mites are tiny pests that feed on may plants by sucking juices from leaves and buds.

Symptoms: Often times, the foilage will be yellowing, especially in evergreens. They can also produce a speckeled, salt and pepper appearance on leaves, along with a distortion to leaves and flowers. Spider mites are very tiny, making it difficult to see them. Although, webbing can occur but in most cases the damage itself is what’s noticed.

Recommended Treatment: A good tree/shrub program is ideal in limiting the damage spider mites can cause. This would include the spring and fall fertilization for overall health and vigor of the tree; along with two insect and disease applications.