Fungi Isn't Fun Guy

The lowest form of humor is a play on words and as you can tell I'm not afraid to pander to the lowest common denominator. Titling blog posts can be a tough task so when I get to pepper in a little humor, no matter how low brow, well let's just say I'll take the liberty. However, fungi, whether on toenails or trees is no laughing matter. While we'll need to refer you to your local podiatrist for the former, the latter is one of our specialties.

While the weather in the great Inland Empire remains schyzophrenic year to year, the tree fungus problem in the area varies only slightly depending on conditions. This year the conditions were perfect. A very long, cool, wet spring and really hot temperatures coming on basically overnight. The problem with this is the trees don't have time to adjust and they take in as much moisture as they can find when it gets this hot to protect themselves from drought. In turn we generally don't keep watering the root system to prevent this, and with excess water in the tree and excess heat outside the conditions end up being perfect for fungus.

Some of the fungi our techs are seeing out there: Shot Hole Fungus in any fruit bearing tree that has pits instead of seeds. But also in ornamental plums that are in many of our customer's landscapes. It starts by looking like a few brown spots in the middle of the leaf and then eventually the spot dries up and falls out. It ends up looking like it was shot with a "BB" gun. One way you can typically identify between Shot Hole and insect damage is that Shot Hole will/can start in the middle of the leaf whereas insects typically start from the outside & work their way in. Powdery Mildew affects many of our hardwood trees such as maple, alder, birch, and hazelnut, but it also causes problems on roses and other ornamental plants. It tends to look like a white powdery substance on the leaf of the plant. Dogwood Anthracnose infection begins in the leaves, causing them to brown and dry up. Over time, infection of twigs and shoots may kill branches, usually beginning with those low on the tree and moving upward. Infected trees can die within one to three years. Treatments in the spring help prevent and control anthracnose infections.  Flowering Apples and Crabapples are susceptible to a fungus disease called Apple Scab. The results of this disease are yellow and brown leaves in the spring, and defoliation by early summer. There are literally dozens of other fungi that could damage your trees. Check out our Turf and Tree Tip page for more info.

One great way to help prevent these diseases is to water your trees and shrubs regularly, and NO, watering them along with the lawn is not enough. Typically a regular hose around the drip line of the tree is your best bet. One hour once a week should really help. However, if you already have what looks to be a fungus be sure to contact us for a fungicide treatment. You can request an estimate online or call us at 1-800-LAWNCARE.