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Common Tree Diseases in PA

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You’ve made a major investment in your trees, so you want to make sure they live to grow old and flourish. They are a vital part of your landscape and serve to add beauty and curb appeal to your home.

To ensure they remain healthy and strong, you need to understand the common tree disease in PA and how to protect your trees from becoming sick or dangerous. At Horhut tree Experts, your number one Pittsburgh Tree Company, we’ve put together a guide on the most common tree diseases in PA.

Cedar Apple Rust

Cedar apple rust is a fungal disease. This typically occurs on apple and crabapple trees. It can also spread to various red cedars and junipers. This disease presents as pale yellow spots that form on leaves which will eventually turn orange. These orange spots may also appear on the fruit of the tree, as well as small black fungal bodies appearing within the spots. This disease can cause premature fruit drop and premature leaf drop.

Apple Scab

Much like cedar apple rust, apple scab is a fungal disease. This disease can attack both wild and cultivated crabapple and apple trees. Apple scab will first appear on the leaves that surround the flower buds. As it spreads, the lesions on the leaves will become more noticeable. The lesions appear as dull yellow, olive-green, or brown spots.

The fruit and leaves can also become affected and will eventually cause them to drop.

Verticillium Wilt

Verticillium Wilt is a fungal disease that is common in deciduous trees. In the early stages, it causes heavy seed production, smaller than normal leaves, and causes the margin leaves to brown.

This disease will often cause the leaves on one side to wilt, and the bark under the wilting branches will have discolored streaks.

Anthracnose

Anthracnose is a group of fungal stem and leaf diseases that can infect deciduous trees common in Pittsburgh such as:

  • Dogwood
  • Oak
  • Sycamore
  • Ash
  • Maple
  • And more

This will appear with small dead spots on the leaves, premature defoliation, dying buds, browning in along the leaf veins, and twig death. You will typically see the most severe symptoms in the lower and inner branches and leaves.

Thousands Cankers Disease

Thousand Cankers Disease is caused by Walnut Twig Beetles that carry fungus and tunnel underneath the bark of walnut trees, creating small cankers. As they repeatedly attack the tree, the tree will continue to grow cankers. This will lead to disruption of the tree’s water and nutrients which will lead to dieback of branches, which will eventually kill the tree.

Fire Blight

Fire Blight can attack up to 75 different species of plants within the rose family. Typically you will see it occur on flowering pear trees. When it comes to fruit trees, this disease will attack fruit, blossoms, limbs, shoots, and the tree trunk.

If a blossom is infected, it will wilt and turn dark brown rapidly, as will the leaves. You may also notice cankers on the tree’s limbs.

Powdery Mildew

Powdery Mildew is known for the powdery white substance it leaves on the surface of the tree’s leaves. This is caused by millions of fungal spores that will decline a tree’s life, causing leaf yellowing, browning, premature drop, and distortion. Keep an eye on young trees planted in the heavy shade as they can be the most impacted. It can also affect a variety of other plants.

How Can I Cure These Tree Diseases?

The best way to handle any of these seven tree diseases is to work with your Pittsburgh tree company can provide you with the exact recommendation on how to handle the tree disease you are dealing with. The experts at Horhut Tree Service can perform a proper tree disease identification to ensure that we execute the best treatment to save your trees.

In addition to treating your tree professionally, we will also work with you to help identify what may have caused the disease. We will make recommendations for how to care for your tree to prevent future issues, such as recommendations regarding irrigation, mulching, or pruning.

Think Your Tree Has a Disease? Call Horhut Tree Experts Today!

Jaime Horhut