Plant Health Alerts – Decay in Trees
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Fungi infest trees and create decay making them more likely to fail.
Wood Rotting Fungi Weaken Trees
Physical wounding such as construction damage and mower damage, a lack of water and nutrient and improper planting all conspire to stress landscape trees. Stressed plants attract pests such as insects and fungi. Stressed pest infested trees can become weak and fail.
Take a look at any tree that may have blown over recently. Often the tree seems to flop out of the ground without a structural root intact. Why? Decay related to wood rotting fungi.
Wood Rotting Fungi
Fungi are the decomposers of the outdoor environment. Generally they rot dead plants and animals, breaking them down and returning their nutrients to the soil. For the most part fungi provide and important ecological service.
However, some fungi are plant pests. In the case of trees, there are fungi that infest their inner wood. The wood inside a tree is usually wrapped in protective bark. Sometimes the bark gets damaged and fungi can enter trees and rot inner wood. Rotted trees are weaker than healthy trees and become a liability.
Protect Trees From Damage
Urban and suburban trees often are planted improperly, get antlered by deer, hit by cars, have their soil compacted by heavy equipment and lawn mowers, roots get damaged by ditch diggers and generally suffer all manner of human-induced indignities. These injuries allow wood rotting fungi to enter trees and consume wood. Eventually you end up with a tree with a canopy full of dead limbs and a weakened trunk.
A reasonable person could determine this tree has serious issues.
Call An Arborist
If you see fungal growths on your tree, if your tree seems to be declining or if it is dropping limbs call an arborist. A professional arborist can determine if your tree needs to be removed. It is a small investment to make to protect your property from damage.