Healthy trees are happy trees! If you notice your tree looking a little sad, it may be sick.
Diseases cause trees to be sick which causes damage and can hinder their healthy growth. If left untreated, like every other living thing, sick trees can even die. Here we discuss how to care for sick or diseased trees.
Signs your tree may be sick
- Lots of bugs, grubs and caterpillars
- Ripped and jagged leaf edges
- Loss of leaves
- Discoloured leaves
- Blistering or blotchy leaves
- Cracks and stains on the bark
How to care for sick or diseased trees
Prune regularly
Pruning stimulates new growth and also means you’ll spot the early signs of any diseases. Pruning encourages air circulation around the tree and reduces the chance of any fungal infections occurring. It’s important to prune trees correctly, over pruning or incorrectly pruning can do more harm than good!
Inspect regularly
Inspect all leaves, branches and the number of grubs in your tree. Like when pruning, inspecting your tree for signs of illness regularly will mean you can nip any problems in the bud.
Spraying
Fungicide, pesticide…there are many different treatment sprays for sick, diseased or pest infected trees. Ask an expert in your local nursery for advice on what sort of spray you need for your sick tree.
No matter how young or old your tree is, they are all susceptible to diseases and can get sick if not well looked after.
If you are inexperienced in pruning trees or suspect your trees may be sick and don’t know how you bring them back to health; contact a professional, such Australian Tree Services. Even if your trees appear healthy, having them pruned regularly by a professional will ensure pests or diseases are spotted early!
