Guidelines and recommendations for pruning practices pertaining to oak wilt prevention have changed several times since the early ’80’s. The original suggestion was Continue reading Tree Pruning & Oak Wilt Prevention: TFS/ISAT Official Recommendation
Category: Oak wilt
Google Earth Fun
This post really isn’t all that useful from a tree point of view. But, this blog is my playground, and so here is the most recent thing I’ve been playing with: Google Earth API. I got my hands on a file that shows all the “potential” oak wilt sites in Texas based on some questionable aerial imagery diagnosis. Continue reading Google Earth Fun
Treatment and Control Options for Oak Wilt
Oak wilt is a devastating tree disease and very expensive to combat. There has not been any real improvement in the treatment and control options since the first product was released on the market back in the mid 90’s. For chemical treatment you have two injection techniques for administering the fungicide and for large scale control measures, trenching is the best option. The Texas Forest Service (TFS) publishes a brochure for managing oak wilt.
The History of Oak Wilt
This article is mostly a summary of a report published by Jennifer Juzwik, Thomas C. Harrington, William L MacDonald and David N Appel titled “The Origin of Ceratocystis fagacearum, the Oak Wilt Fungus.” 
David Appel is the head of Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Texas A&M University, College Station. He is considered by many as the go-to for oak wilt in the state of Texas. And, there is strong argument that central Texas is the oak wilt capital of the world. The epidemic is at it’s worst here in our own back yard. You can see the document in its entirety here. Let’s get started…
Continue reading The History of Oak Wilt
Ideal Time to Prune Trees & the Oak Wilt Pruning Season
Today a customer asked me this question, “We will want the trimming done, but don’t have a date yet. It depends on the progress with the construction. What are the ideal dates for trimming?”
What are the ideal dates for trimming?”
Continue reading Ideal Time to Prune Trees & the Oak Wilt Pruning Season
Planting New Trees In Oak Wilt Sensitive Areas
Oak wilt is a serious problem in central Texas. It kills neighborhoods worth of trees at a time. Implementing control programs is crucial, but implementing programs to plant replacement trees is arguably more important. But, what kind of trees should be planted?
Continue reading Planting New Trees In Oak Wilt Sensitive Areas
Identifying Oak Wilt: the Challenges and the Solution
A lot of what I have to say here is aimed at the challenges of diagnosing oak wilt. But, be patient, at the end I’ll tell you the best way to get the answer you need. According to research, diagnosis is the main factor that causes problems with management plans (Appel 1994). Let me tell you, my experiences out in the field completely backs up this research. It may seem obvious to you that diagnosis is important, and why would that be causing such a big problem with oak wilt strategies? There are a few interesting points on this subject I’d like to spell out for you.
Continue reading Identifying Oak Wilt: the Challenges and the Solution
Is my tree sick?
This may seem like a simple question, but it is not. Here’s the “X” factor that makes it hard to know if your tree is sick: trees have energy reserves. This means that when something afflicts your tree, the tree is going to fight a good battle without you ever knowing it. But, there are some subtle signs to look for. Here are the secrets you need to know.
Continue reading Is my tree sick?