Oak tree help
Hi! One of our trees was identified as an oak by Joe Smith at the county ext office a couple of years ago. It needs some fertilizer and maybe something else to help it get healthy again. I’m uploading pictures of the leaves and tree bark base for some help. Thanks in advance!
Boone County Kentucky
1 Response
Hello,
I did get a chance to look at your tree photos There looks like there is probably multiple issues going on with your swamp white oak
First I see there is damage (contorted blackened leaf margins) is due to the fungal disease anthracnose which is a result of the cool wet weather we have been seeing the last few springs in our area.
This fungal disease rarely outright kills a healthy mature tree but may weaken it if continually repeated year after year. Spraying the tree as growth first emerges in the spring with a fungicide like Chlorothalonil or liquid copper can help in prevention but won’t totally cure a tree if the infection has already appeared. If the tree is too large for you to spray yourself you may need to consult an ISA arborist for treatment.
Also an additional issue I am seeing is an oak shothole leafminer. This small fly-like insect can cause unsightly damage to many species of oak but rarely effects the overall health of the tree.
