Bartlett Tree Experts: Tree Diseases FAQs

Tree diseases can cause superficial and deadly damage to your landscape plants. Get answers to common questions about tree diseases in this section.

Tree Diseases FAQs (89)

What should be done about tall evergreens that are infected with orange gelatinous globs?
I have four scrub oaks on my front lawn. A few years ago we had a drought here in Colorado and many of the roots of these trees came to the surface. They are now beginning to take over a beautiful lawn. Cutting them back doesn't help as they only grow back through the grass and with so many it's almost impossible to keep up. Is there any method I can use to kill the roots at the surface of the lawn without killing the entire tree? Any help is greatly appreciated.
I have a question about a 75-80 year old ginkgo tree that is located at my father’s insurance office. About 1 1/2 months ago, electricians were trenching for underground utilities about 4-5 feet from this tree and cut about 4-5 large roots. Some of these were 6-7 inches in diameter. We are concerned that this may kill the tree. So far we haven't noticed any stress on the tree. Is there anything we can do to help the tree? Do you think this will cause the tree to die?
Are black tar spots on maple leaves harmful to the maple tree?
We have a tree in our backyard that was planted ten years ago and has a diameter of 8". Our dog has chewed on the tree and left a number of marks in the bark. In one place, he chewed through the bark. Do I need to treat those areas and/or wrap the trunk?
I am having two neighboring maple trees, about 40 feet tall, removed to make way for a septic leach field. It is an optional removal. They will not be able to be excised once the delicate piping etc. will be put in. Will I have more standing water on the ground now that the trees and roots are not there to use excess water? The trees are about 20 feet from the house.
I have two 5' emerald cedars which I bought to complete a hedge. I planted them in a temporary spot in the garden and one of the trees looks like it is dying from the inside out. It is turning brown in places. I have put it back into a pot with good drainage and good soil. Is there anything else I can do to help it come back to life?
I have an old redwood tree that is over 100' tall. I was going to put a planter at the base of the tree. My neighbor told me that if I put the planter at the base of this tree I will probably kill it. The planter was going to be three blocks high and I was going to put dirt from the blocks to the trunk of the tree. Is my neighbor right?
What kind of injection or injections should I use for a live oak that's 200 to 300 years old?
If I plant a tree where a stump has been grinded out, does that raise the possibility of honey fungus killing off my newly planted tree?
Ihave about six mature redwoods in my yard in northern California. When we bought this home about six years ago, we had your company come out and do some trimming for us. Given that the trees are mature, located in northern California, and in a residential neighborhood (within 15 feet of structures), do the trees need to be trimmed with any regularity to prevent damage to either the trees or structures in the event of storms, etc.?
I am ready to remove the tree suckers from my live oaks in the backyard. But I wanted to know how high up should I remove them off the tree and can all of them be removed?
I have a tree in my front yard that is probably at least twenty years old, but it's not a tall tree (I'm not sure of the species). Anyway, it has a large branch that is turning black and also there is a lot of green flaky material that is starting to cover a lot of the branches and a lot of branches seem to die off every year.
I have a large back yard and would like to plant a fast-growing tree that will provide shade and look nice. I have been doing some research and like the look of the Tulip tree, but read that it can leave a mess when the flowers drop and that it sometimes leaves a black sap. Do you have any suggestions?
I have two Autumn Blaze Maples that are not looking too well the last two summers. One has a ton of leaves at the top and some big leaves towards the bottom, but the middle looks terrible. The other one has very few leaves at the top and there are several branches that need to be pruned. Are these trees are salvageable?
I have a large maple tree in my small backyard with lots of exposed surface roots. We want to install a patio and do some landscaping, which will require some grading and removal of dirt. Is it safe to cut out some of the roots? The tree is beautiful and provides a lot of shade. I don't want to loose the tree or cause it damage.
At what time of year should healthy, mature Japanese Maples be pruned?
My Queen palm tree died. I had it removed recently and was wondering when can I replant
I planted a paulonia twig about a year ago and it has grown to about 7'. Suddenly, the large leaves started showing holes from some insects eating them, as well as large brown areas on the edges of the leaves. I sprayed the with Specticide Immunox, but am not sure that helped. Most of the leaves have fallen off. What could be the problem and what can I do about it?
It looks like my giant sequoia is dying! It’s about 25 years old and 40 feet tall. It looks like 80% of the healthy thick dark bark is missing, leaving a bright tan sort of fuzzy wood. What is left looks like it’s dry rotting. I don’t see any insects. I’d love to find a way to treat it if possible. Might you be able to diagnose this severe bark loss?
What should be done about a Yoshino Cherry with Shot Hole Disease?
A tenant attached a bird feeder to our Norway maple with two to five nails. Should I remove them immediately? How should I treat the nail holes? Or is it better to leave it alone? The tree is in otherwise good health and is at least 30 years old. I was planning on having some pruning done this fall.
I live in a townhouse complex and share a small front lawn with my neighbour. The lawn is probably 20 x 20 and has a single mature tree in the middle. The trunk is about two feet across. It has green flat leaves that are shaped somewhat like a candle flame - broad at the base, tapering to a point. My neighbour has recently started parking his car on his half of the shared lawn within about five feet of the trunk of this tree. The car must regularly pass within three feet of the trunk to get to the spot he parks. Will this activity damage the root structure of our tree and threaten its health? The tree is about 30 feet tall with a canopy about 20 feet in diameter.
We have three apple, one pear, and one peach tree that are about 12 years old. We have never sprayed them, nor have we pruned them correctly. As a result, our yield is pretty bad. I doubt I can afford your services, but would like to know about spraying and pruning costs.
We recently had our maple tree pruned. It now has spots all over the leaves. Can you tell me what is causing this and what treatment options there are?
Can slime flux or wetwood kill a tree?
There is a twin trunk which has been pruned properly over the years but recently has started to lean towards the house. I took out a dead twin two years ago, some 60 plus feet tall. How do I gauge it's health? The roots were severely damaged years ago.
How badly can trees be damaged by a lawn mower?
What's the best way to control aphids on my lime tree?
Over the past few years my apple tree has stopped producing a good crop of apples. The few apples that are produced go brown and rotten on the trees.
How should fire blight in an ornamental pear tree be managed?
Can you please advise a safe distance to plant a willow tree from electric transformers and sewage lines?
I have a large oak tree in my back yard. The previous homeowners had a wooden octagonal bench built around the base of the tree and filled in with soil that is about two feet high. Several years have passed, the oak has grown, and the bench has become dilapidated and must be removed or replaced. If we remove it, along with the soil around it which has surrounded the tree for many years, will there be irreparable damage to the tree/bark? Should we remove the bench, but leave the soil in place? I would like to get an expert opinion on this.
Our Juniper hedge is 12' tall and 6' wide. Can it be cut down to 5' tall and still survive?
How do I take care of an hibiscus tree?
Last year a large Bartlett tree in my backyard was knocked down in a storm. I had it cut down to ground level and hauled away by a tree service. Since then, several saplings have emerged from the trunk. Some are about 10 feet tall. I would like to know what I should do to help one or more of the saplings grow and flourish. Should I cut/prune all but the tallest, healthiest one?
Is there a best time of the year to trim/prune a couple of ~20-year-old Live Oak trees in the Clear Lake area? I have two trees that have not been professionally pruned in the 15 years that they have been planted in our yard. We now have multiple, low-hanging branches going nowhere, areas in the middle that probably need to be thinned, and a small section at the top that was damaged by a hurricane. The trees have thrived, but because they are low to the ground and dense, we are having trouble keeping the grass alive around the trees.
How do I save an old, borer-ridden Apricot tree?
We have an elm tree that is leaning, with a sizable mound behind it where the roots must be pushing up. Is there any way to straighten it back up?
A Colorado Blue Spruce is suffering from some type of blight. Can the problem be determined and treated during the winter?
Is it possible to graft spruce to the top of where my neighbor topped two spruce trees? I would like to hire someone to do that so they will continue to grow taller. Otherwise, I will have to cut them down and start all over again. Also, is it possible to transplant a tall (20 or 30 foot) spruce tree?
When and how should I prune my Hydrangea tree?
The leaves on my magnolia are starting to go yellow yet the surrounding trees look fine. What could cause this?
Are Hawthorn berries poisonous?
I planted six young trees in early March. Despite watering them regularly they have all started to wilt and the leaves are starting to turn yellow.
When is the best time to plant trees?
Is Arborbiotic injected into the root collar or trunk flair? I understand that Arborbiotic injections may not completely control fire blight on a Callery 'Redspire' pear (Pyrus calleryana) even with a fertilisation programme using Forti Phite plus calcium and the tree will need to be injected every year. I also understand the branches that are infected with fire blight will need to be pruned six inches back from the infection and pruning tools sterilized after each pruning cut.
I want to spray Neem oil on my large magnolia tree which has a large amount of scale. How do I recognize the crawlers when they hatch? Are you seeing the crawlers hatched in central NY now ? Reference says late August to September. Thank you, Sue 9-10-18
I grow my own fruit and vegetables and am concerned about food contamination from fertilizing my trees and shrubs. Should I be worried?
My neighbor has a tree planted very near to our property line. The tree is completely in their yard, but the roots from it are running across my yard and really tearing up my lawn. My question is, if I were to dig up the roots that are on my property and the tree eventually dies, would I be held responsible for having to cut it down and potentially replacing it?
We have a row of hemlocks, and around the base of one of them lately there's a ring of sawdust. I've seen an ant or two in it, and our pile of firewood is close by, making me suspect an ant or termite eaten load that we had there last summer. But the ring is very neatly around the (so far) healthy hemlock. If this is ants or termites, can it be treated?
Over the past few years I have noticed my autumn flowering cherries have started to look worse each year. The leaves are full of holes and the small twigs are all dead. Do you know what could be causing this and is there any cure?
I have a nine-year old leland cypress. It is planted about four feet from a lake and gets good sun. A few months ago, portions of the tree branches began to turn a rust color and die. It appears to be spreading throughout the tree. I took a sample and pictures to the St. John’s Agricultural Center and was told that leland cypress trees begin to die at about eight years old. Upon some internet research, I did not find any info that confirmed that. I did find that there were two cankers that can affect the tree. I also noted that there is no known cure or control for them. An arborist told me that it should be sprayed with horticultural oil. I don’t know if I should have the tree removed or if there is some way to save it. Can you help me?
I have several bougain villea vines that are planted, and they were exposed to several mild freezes (29 to 30 degrees F) for three to four hours in Huston, Texas. The vine is six feet tall and has many sweeping limbs. How should I prune for best results?
I have a large live oak and a large limb fell off. It is late July. What is the proper way to take care of this to prevent oak wilt?
I have a pine tree within a few feet of my house. It is now taller than my house. I like the shade it provides, but want to know if the roots are harming the foundation of my house and if I should cut the tree down.
This is the first time we have planted a fig tree. It has about 13 figs on it and I wondered how do I know when to pick them? Also, what do I do to keep the tree from frost in winter?
I have a Tulip poplar tree in my front yard that is approximately 6 to 7 inches in diameter. Every year it drops dead limbs and has a few that I prune out. Is the tree dying out? Do I need to water it? Also, should I use fertiliser on it?
This is the first summer that my semi-dwarf peach tree has had fruit. They are the size of marbles and are on the ground. I was told that the birds are pulling them off. Is this possible?
A neighbor insists we remove the branches of our white oak that overhang his property. (Roughly 20% of the crown.) Our neighborhood has lost oaks to oak wilt disease in recent years. How (& when) should we proceed so as to best protect the tree? Is there any way to inoculate the tree before we do the surgery?
I have two trees that have mistletoe, one in my front yard and one in my back yard. Are these problematic to the rest of the trees in my yard?
The impact of the drought in Texas has affected a 35' maple tree in my front yard. It is slowly trying to leaf out, one here and one there. What can I do to save this outstanding shade tree?
We have a very large Oak tree that is rotting from the inside out. Much of the lower trunk has been compromised and I fear for the stability of the tree. The tree, from a distance, looks healthy as it's branches are full of leaves and there is no other evidence of disease or decline. It is surrounded by condominiums and were it to fall, would most assuredly do significant damage. We very much want to save the tree as long as we can and hope that it can be made well and stabilized or reinforced.
My neighbors are cutting down their large Bradford Pear trees for fear of tree failure. They say that these trees have a 30 year life expectancy and they have been planted approximately 36 years ago. I do not agree and would hate to lose this beautiful tree. Am I wrong to let ours live?
This year some black walnut trees started coming up naturally on my property and I decided that I want to keep some of them. Is it too early in the tree's life to trim away the lower branches, or should I wait another year? Also, I live in Wisconsin and wonder what month is ideal for trimming them?
When limbs have been trimmed from a tree, do you have to paint the tree where the limb was taken from?
I recently bought a 8' spring serviceberry. While bringing it home, the leading branch broke 6" from the top. Is the tree considered 'topped' now that the leader has broken? The leader only broke about half way. Should I cut it off completely?
I have a mature oak tree that had a double trunk. Yesterday I had one of the trunks removed by a professional tree remover. The cut left an 18" diameter stump that has not been treated with fungicide or tar. I want to keep the remaining trunk as healthy as possible. Should I do anything to the stump to protect it from fungus or disease?
Bartlett treated two Maple trees in my front yard for Phytophthora Canker. The treatment was a spray treatment on what surface area that could easily be reached. Later that day we had a rain shower (less than two hours after the spray was applied) and the next day we had a big rain. Was the treatment washed away with the rain?
Bamboo! How can I get rid of it?
I planted some peach trees this spring. They came in pots with a pretty good root ball. They have new growth and small fruit, but I am noticing many yellow leaves. Is this normal or do I have a problem? Also, what is the best fertiliser for fruit trees?
I purchased two redbud trees late last summer and planted and watered them regularly. As of today, they only have little shoots coming out of the bottom two feet or so. I am wondering if they will have any new growth up on top where we should have leaves by this time. There are no buds or any sign of life there.
I would like some info on this "bug." My weeping cherry was eaten by this and my blueberries. I sprayed them with Monterey insect spray. I would like to know where these came from and how to prevent them in the future. We have had blueberries for 40 years and never had a problem with any bug.
I have an Oxblood Japanese Maple tree that loves it's location. I planted it about four years ago as a three-foot tree and it is now well over 15 feet tall! How much can I trim it without 'hurting' it? It is rather close to the house and I need it trimmed to see out the window it is now hiding.
I have had alot of problems with my neighbor over the years, and now its to the point where I'm having a survey done, and then putting up a fence. I have planted flowers by my trees before and never had any luck. My neighbor told me that the trees in my yard give off poison. The trees in question are Chinese elm trees. I think he is poisoning them because my other neighbors always see him in my yard when I'm not home.
Our huge Sycamore, as well as others in the neighborhood, started to leaf, then we got hit with some really cold weather and the buds appear to have died. There are now only some sparse leaves on our tree. Will this recover or is the tree doomed?
Do you have a solution to eliminate fruit growth on a specific tree? I would just like leaves with no blossoms or fruit. The birds and animals are making a disaster of my car, sidewalk, windows, and street.
There is a naturally occurring hole in our mature pecan tree. The hole is roughly 18 inches long and nine inches wide. Does this hole likely make the tree susceptible to falling?
We have a Holly which has grown into a very large tree (about 25 feet). Despite having a healthy berry crop this winter, it started to lose a huge number of leaves. This has resulted in huge bare spots where you can see straight through the tree. I know this is an exotic species but it was here when we moved to the house and it is an important privacy tree for us. Is there anything we can do? Thank you, Krista De Groot
Can I cut the top of a small two-foot fir tree to make it fill out?
I am looking for information on transplanting fir trees. I recently transplanted 25 fir trees, all six to seven ft. tall. What can I do to protect these trees, to keep them from freezing and to keep them alive through the winter? Should they be mulched and with what? Should they be fertilised? I built a well around each tree to hold a small reservoir of water and I watered them twice a week. The trees all look very well. They are not wilting, have not yellowed or lost needles. The soil I removed from the holes was not very good, consisting of loam, silt, clay and some shale. I removed all of the debris and treated the soil with tree and shrub potting mix, peat moss and organic compost from cow manure. I planted them in holes measuring 36"x36"x12". The balls measured approx. 30'x30"x8'. Any advice you can give me will be very much appreciated. Thank you for your consideration in this regard.
I have a larger ornamental pear tree that has lost leaves at the end of branches. This is present over the entire tree. Is there any thing I can do? Should we prune the "dead" ends of branches, etc.?
I want to plant some trees that would be around three feet from the sidewalk. Our garden is quite small, so we would like a tree no larger than 10 to 15 feet. Also, I have concerns about the roots tearing up the sidewalk. Do you have any tips on some good tree choices? I have been researching some deep-rooted trees, but all are too large for our space.
A workman accidentally got a small amount of black primer on the top of our mature green maple bush. Will this paint adversely affect the bush? Can I trim the paint covered area off? Should I wait until winter for the leaves to drop off?
Is it damaging to trees to prune while temperatures are below freezing?
I have several tall arborvitae (15-20 ft) used as a "natural barrier" between our house and a neighbor's. Winter snowfall has bent several sections of them considerably. Can they be cabled together to realign them? There is very little room to cable to the ground. If I do nothing, will they "straighten" naturally?
I dug a boxwood from an old residential lot before clearing at the end of February. I built a box and filled it with oil dry. The boxwood trunk is near 5" OD. It is watered every morning. The foliage has been reduced to about 70% and the remaining leaves look to be browning a bit. Should I build a plastic tent around the tree? Should I add something to the substrate? Is there anything I can do to keep this tree alive?
I have a fruitless mulberry shading my backyard that is probably 25+ years old. It's still in good health (Bartlett has checked it out for me), but I know that mulberry's don't live long. I love my shade garden, and would like to get another tree established so that when the mulberry begins to die, I'll have another shade tree coming along. Is it possible to under plant the mulberry with a young oak?
We planed the tree in the fall, following instruction from the grower, but there are several branches towards the bottom of the tree showing signs of browning. Is there anything we can do. We have had a very wet winter and spring so I'm worried the water is not draining well. Could this be the problem?