Willows are wide, majestic trees with dripping green leaves and sturdy, visible root structures. A willow can add a great deal of visual interest to any yard with the proper care and attention. Though beautiful, willows are also susceptible to tree diseases that can tarnish that beauty.
Here are a few of the common diseases that strike willow trees – and how to prevent damage.
Crown Gall
The bacterium-brought disease crown gall can cause knobby tumors to grow on your willow tree's bark. Younger, smaller trees can become so overgrown with galls that the tree dies of malnutrition. Mature willow trees are less vulnerable to serious damage from the galls but the presence of the galls can open the tree up to other invaders.
A young tree overrun with the gall will need to be removed by a tree removal company, which can completely and properly dispose of the infected tree so the disease doesn't spread to other trees in your yard. Mature trees showing signs of galls can be trimmed to remove affected areas then coated with an antibacterial gardening agent.
Willow Scab
Willow scab causes greenish-brown scab-like growths to form on the leaves of your tree, which can cause the leaves to wither and drop prematurely. If left untreated, the disease can cause the newly growing leaves and branches to be smaller and frailer than usual.
You can treat the scab by removing and disposing of infected leaves as soon as possible. Keep monitoring the tree's progress because the presence of willow scab also makes it easier for other tree diseases to take hold in your tree.
Black Canker
Black canker is one of the common tree diseases that presents concurrently with willow scab. The fungal canker disease causes open sores to form on the tree's bark. These sores are rounded and reddened in color, though the interior bark can turn black as the disease progresses. The wound can also start to ooze a sap-like material.
Treat black canker by having a tree pruning service trim off affected areas as soon as possible. Allowing the canker to spread can infect the trunk and cost the life of your tree. If the cankers keep returning even with pruning, your tree might have a strain that isn't possible to kill. Ask a tree removal company to completely remove the tree and its stump so that no other trees in your yard become infected.
For professional tree care service, contact a company such as Kansas City Tree Care, LLC.
Share12 November 2015
After we moved into our house, we knew that something had to be done about our trees. The branches looked off-kilter, and we could tell that someone had pruned them incorrectly at one time or another. Unfortunately, we weren't really sure how to repair the damage. A family friend talked with us about hiring a professional tree trimmer, and so we called them the next day. The difference that they made was astounding. They removed dead branches, trimmed up the shape, and let more sunlight through. My blog is all about improving the look of your trees by hiring a professional.