While turf diseases are akin to the common cold – irritating, but not severely damaging in the long term – tree and ornamental diseases may be another story. Trees – with their air-purifying, sound-blocking and energy-saving properties – are valuable assets to both residential and commercial properties. Losing them to disease may cost clients in the long run.
Cross-training lawn technicians to identify potential tree and ornamental diseases can position a firm as a property management partner, not just another service provider. Often, university extension offices and chemical manufacturers offer educational training sessions on diseases of regional concern, says Nate Dodds, president of J.J. Mauget, a manufacturer of tree microinjection products. “The recommendation is to learn about the major fungal diseases that are expected in your area and look out for them.
“There are regional diseases that always seem to take the headlines,” he says citing Oak Wilt in the East, Sudden Oak Death on the West Coast and Dutch Elm disease, which first appeared in the Pacific Northwest. Other common diseases include anthracnose diseases and apple scab.
The thing to remember with many of the fungal tree diseases is that they’re “opportunistic,” Dodds says. “Fungus grows in moist environments, so generally keeping the area dry – not overwatering – is one of the No. 1 measures to take.”
Proper pruning and fertilization, too, allow trees to maintain their health and ability to resist disease, he says. In some cases, tree care professionals may make preventive systemic fungicides treatments that can slow the rate of infection.