Sudden Oak Death in Southern Maryland

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Sudden Oak Death is a disease spread by plant pathogens that wreak havoc on trees. To learn more about Sudden Oak Death in Southern Maryland, click here. In the United States, sudden oak death has affected over one million trees in the last decade alone. The last thing you want is for your trees to suffer in this way, so getting ahead of this potential blight is the best course of action. This article will help you understand what this tree disease is and where it comes from. By the end, you should understand how to recognize it and deal with it when it appears. So, read on for more information.

What is Sudden Oak Death?

This disease is a plant condition caused by the Phytophthora Ramorum fungus. It is often found in the wild, where it spreads fast. Although, it also sometimes occurs where the wild and urban areas meet. It infects plants by feeding on the roots and will travel up the tree into the main trunk, where it can do the most damage. The damage can be severe enough to cause many of the smaller roots to slough off the tree when it moves in the wind. Although by this time, the roots have received enough damage that they are not providing many benefits to the tree anyway.

Where is Sudden Oak Death Found?

Sudden Oak Death, and its associated fungus, occur all over the United States. This is especially true in southeastern territories such as Southern Maryland or Virginia. On a more local scale, the fungus that causes sudden oak death thrives in heavy clay soil. If it has deactivated, its spores also activate in saturated or over-watered soil. So, be careful around either of these locations.

Signs

As the sudden oak death fungus attacks a tree’s roots, you can expect the tree to begin to lose access to nutrients from the soil. The leaves and shoots of the plant will start to thin out, and branches will start to die off. In advanced cases of sudden oak death, the bottom of the tree’s trunk will show girdling as the fungus reaches past the roots.

How to Treat

The number one way to remove the sudden oak death fungus is through the use of fungicides. Your options include spraying the bark of the tree or injecting the chemical into the trunk itself. If you have concerns about the fungus returning, we would recommend repeating the treatment every year or two. This will ensure that the tree is not affected long-term.

Hiring a Professional

You should now have a much better idea of how sudden oak death might affect you and how you can both recognize and deal with it. Still, you might want someone to do the hard work for you, especially if you are not confident in using fungicides. If you have any questions about what we can provide to help your plants, you only need to send us a message. We are ready to answer any query you have and guide you on the right track. So, have a chat with us today.

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