Just like humans, our green friends are also vulnerable to diseases. However, they are not able to show any signs of illness or complain when they are sick like we can. So, it is up to us to check up on the trees in our garden and backyard; tend to them if they are sick.
We may be quick to identify the sick trees but treating them the right way is a different conversation altogether. To take care of your trees the proper way, you should be aware of the factors making them ill and how you can treat them the correct way. If you have an ailing tree in your backyard visit this website to get the best Sick Tree Treatment.
Why Do Trees Get Sick?
All living beings, including ourselves, are susceptible to viruses and bacterias; trees are no different. Moreover, if the soil and weed the trees depend on are not good enough, things can become worse. Fungi is one of the primary reasons that can make your trees sick. The damage that insects, mites, and rodents cause to the leaves also makes them sick but they usually do recover from such injuries.
Apart from the above hazards, there are fertilizers and chemicals. They are supposed to nurture plants but if not used in optimal quantities can cause serious damage. The same goes for water; too much or too little can be harmful. It is important to remember that sunlight can also make trees fall sick. If trees are exposed to too strong sun rays, they are bound to get damaged.
Some of the common signs and symptoms that indicate maybe your trees need help will be discussed in this article. You will also get to learn how they can be taken care of.
How Do I Understand If My Tree Is Sick?
The primary way to learn if a tree is ill is to take a closer look. Inspecting the leaves and branches should be the first. If you are looking at a healthy tree, it must have green leaves and buds. Otherwise, if you find none, move on to inspect the branches by twisting them. If they break easily, it is an indicator that the tree is ailing and needs immediate treatment.
We often find dark spots and lesions on tree leaves. They are usually due to fungal attacks which in severe cases can even spread towards twigs and stems. It is one of the most common fungal diseases that trees suffer from. The disease is termed Anthracnose.
Factors that can help identify whether your tree is suffering from Anthracnose-
- Distorted and curled leaves
- Brown blotches on young green leaves
- Signs of infection on young twigs
- Leaves falling during Spring
Anthracnose is likely to attack trees during cool and wet conditions. So, planting saplings in places where they might get a favorable amount of water and sunlight is vital.
Discoloration of leaves during spring and summer is a prime indicator that the plants are not receiving the proper quantity of water. As discussed earlier, this can make your plant ill. So how can you find out where you are going wrong?
Most of the time we either overwater or underwater our plants. To make sure it is not the case, dig 6 to 8 inches into the soil near the tree. If the soil is moist and cool, your tree is receiving the proper amount of water. However, if the soil is sandy, your tree is probably thirsty.
What Should You Do To Treat Your Sick Tree?
Trees are no less than babies who need to be nurtured and taken care of. Trees fall ill by succumbing to insects and pests mostly because they are under stress. This stress originates mostly because of the environment- excessive water, fertilizer, chemicals, and the like.
The best way to treat your sick tree is to try to keep them healthy and boost their immunity so that they can resist pests.
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Removing any excess soil from above the Root Ball-
Often people plant their trees too low while they are deep in their containers. This results in the accumulation of eroded soil on top of roots and flares. The fill or eroded soil, in turn, reduces oxygen availability and causes girdling/circling roots.
Heavy mulch settling on the flares or trunk can rot the roots as well. In such a situation, it becomes necessary to remove the soil from root flares. This should be done using an Air Knife or Air Spade. At home, you can use a stiff brush, water, and a Shop-Vac. But you must be very careful while cleaning the excess soil. A Japanese hand tool called Hori Hori is also very helpful in this process.
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Aerating the Root Zone Properly-
You should try to punch holes using a tuning fork throughout the root zone. It is better to avoid tilling or plowing the soil to keep the feeder roots from getting destroyed. This process becomes necessary when the soil around the roots is too damaged.
The holes you punch in should be around 6 to 8 inches deep. It is ideal to start along the trunk and go beyond the drip line. You can use 3% hydrogen peroxide and mix it with 50/50 water at about 1 gallon per 1000 square feet to do liquid aeration at home.
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Trimming the exposed roots with your hands-
People tend to use their lawnmowers to trim exposed roots of their trees and plants. This can pose a lot of harm to trees and cause long-term damage. To eliminate any such threat, experts advise hand-trim roots instead. Hand-trimming ensures that trees get encouraged to grow new roots. You can also get rid of roots that may compromise your tree’s health by pruning the roots.
To proceed, first, you need to make sure the soil around the tree is moist and damp. Moist soil makes it easy to loosen the soil’s top layer. You can slice it off using a hand trowel. Then carefully, trim the end of the roots but make sure they are clean cuts. Trim only those roots that require pruning.
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Using Organic Amendments for Your Trees-
It is always better to use organic amendments for your trees and their roots. This always ensures sustainable gardening if you use locally available manure or home-grown compost.
It is really easy to make compost at home. You generally require; leaves, grass clippings, dry leaves, eggshells, and kitchen scraps. After you are done making the compost, you can apply it as the first layer of about an inch. Make sure to put a layer of two to three inches consisting of native tree trimmings. Remember not to mulch too much on the root flares.
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Do Not Forget to Water Your Trees Properly-
Making sure to water your trees to an optimum level is very important. Mostly, during a drought or summer, it is vital to water your trees. People should be mindful of the type and age of the trees while spraying them with water.
You must remember, young plants require more water than old ones. You must water young plants with at least five gallons of water in a week. Whereas, old trees can survive without a month of watering given that you deep water them.
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Treating Wounded Tree Tissue-
To minimize sap loss and to aid the wound, you can use natural tree sealers containing aloe vera gel and collagen. Otherwise, the most commonly used tree sealers are the “Pruning Paints”. They are usually petroleum-based products some might even have asphalt. Do visit this website to get the best Sick Tree Treatment.
Things To Be Avoided to Keep Your Trees Healthy
When trees are in distress, Mother Nature is really quick to act by sending her rescue crew in the forms of pathogens. It is us who tend to increase stress for our green friends by not being mindful of what they need.
The following are a few things you need to put a check on if you feel your trees are falling sick!
- Putting a stop to toxic chemicals and nitrogen-loaded fertilizers- They destroy the structure and chemistry of the soil. Useful microbes and good insects die once the soil gets contaminated with these unbalanced synthetic chemicals.
- Over Mulching- By applying too much mulch to the root zone, you may be probably harming them. Like mentioned earlier, roots fail to receive enough oxygen and turn dysfunctional.
Summing Up
Trees are the most beautiful gifts of nature. They provide us with so much that we can never be grateful enough. Not to forget, they are one of the most resilient beings but that does not ensure that they will not be vulnerable at times. They too will fall ill. Just like they provide us with medicines when we fall sick, it is our responsibility to take care of them. Protect our green friends who make this world a little more beautiful! Visit this Website to get the best Sick Tree Treatment.
