| xas, we have a green luxury that most of us | | | | plastic for six months before the wood can be |
| take for granted. Whether in our front yards, | | | | dried. The edges of the plastic should be buried in |
| neighborhoods, or local park, oak trees are | | | | the ground as well. |
| considered to be majestic and beautiful trees that | | | | Fungicide Treatment (Injecting. Every two to |
| provide a lot of shade and greenery to our | | | | three years, you can inject your oak trees with |
| otherwise dull scenes. Especially in central Texas, | | | | an effective fungicide treatment such as Alamo |
| besides the beauty of rolling hills, we have great | | | | fungicide, which is designed specifically to fight oak |
| oak trees to complement the entire scenery. | | | | wilt. Applying the fungicide will not completely stop |
| However, oak wilt is threatening that beautiful | | | | oak wilt from spreading through the tree's root |
| scenery quite rapidly. Oak wilt, also known as | | | | system, but can be effective toward saving |
| "sudden oak death," is one of the most | | | | individual trees. |
| threatening tree diseases in Texas and continues | | | | Trim your trees at appropriate times. To avoid |
| to kill off live oak and red oak trees - including | | | | nitidulid beetles, plan your trimming or tree |
| shumard oaks, Spanish oaks and blackjack oaks - | | | | shearing around the beetles' off season. Although |
| spreading from one to the next. This disease is | | | | the season for nitidulid beetles varies across the |
| caused by a fungus called Ceratocystis | | | | United States, most of them come in droves |
| fagacearum which takes over a tree's water | | | | from February to June in Texas. That makes |
| conducting system, thus causing the tree to die | | | | January the best time to trim your oak trees, so |
| quickly. Oak wilt kills off a tree only to move on | | | | take advantage of the new year and trim those |
| to another, spreading through the trees' root | | | | oak trees now! |
| systems. Nitidulid beetles, which are attracted to | | | | Paint it. Red Painting the wounds of an oak after |
| fresh wood, can also spread the disease by | | | | you've trimmed it will close the wound off to any |
| coming into contact with a tree's fresh wounds | | | | potential infection from nitidulid beetles who are |
| (from pruning or storm damage, for example) and | | | | attracted to the fungal mats on these open |
| moving onto to another tree. Sap-feeding beetles | | | | surfaces and will stop the beetle from carrying |
| consume the tree sap on fungal mats that | | | | fungal spores with it from tree to tree. In some |
| develop on infected oak trees. Nitidulid beetles | | | | areas, a homeowner can get fined heavily for not |
| then unwittingly transfer fungus spores, which | | | | painting the wounds of a tree that has just been |
| become attached to them, to a healthy tree | | | | trimmed. |
| where the spores are allowed to germinate and | | | | Avoid using the same tools you used to work on |
| infect with oak wilt. | | | | any infected trees. Using these tools can help |
| What are some of the things you can do if oak | | | | spread the infection to an otherwise healthy tree |
| wilt is destroying your oak trees? | | | | that you may be just trimming or pruning. If you |
| Trenching can be an effective and natural way to | | | | need to use the same tools, a safe bet would be |
| thwart the oak wilt. Building trenches at least 100 | | | | to sterilize them before using them on the new |
| feet away from an infected tree can curb the | | | | tree. |
| spread of oak wilt from the roots of the trees. | | | | Firewood needs to be chosen wisely! By |
| This is not a guaranteed method of preventing | | | | unknowingly moving firewood from infected oak |
| oak wilt, but it is a safe way to temporarily | | | | trees to new locations, healthy oak trees can |
| protect other trees from becoming infected. | | | | become infected from the exposed fungal mats |
| Cutting grass. During the fall and winter, lawn | | | | on the firewood. Make sure the firewood you are |
| experts recommend cutting your grass a little | | | | transporting did not come from an infected tree. |
| higher than usual in order to maintain a deeper | | | | Diversification is key. Oak wilt is a terrible tree |
| root system, which contributes to a healthier lawn. | | | | disease that is not going to go away anytime |
| Before you mow your lawn next time, raise the | | | | soon. The goal for tree sustainability is to think |
| deck height of your mower to a height of at | | | | long-term and do what is best for your yard and |
| least two inches for warm season grasses and | | | | or neighborhood. Live oak and red oak trees are |
| about three to four inches for cool-season | | | | not the only type of oak trees you can plant in |
| grasses. In the more densely shaded areas of | | | | your yard. Take advantage of the different types |
| your lawn, you should allow the grass to reach an | | | | of trees that can be cultivated and planted that |
| even taller height. | | | | are not susceptible to oak wilt. Even if you |
| Get rid of infected trees. Trees that have been | | | | wanted to only cultivate oak trees, building and |
| infected with oak wilt and have already died from | | | | development ordinances do not allow the planting |
| the infection should be destroyed immediately to | | | | of any oak susceptible to oak wilt. However, |
| avoid spreading infection via the tree's root | | | | many options exist in planting oak wilt resistant |
| systems. Dead trees can be cut down and the | | | | types of trees. |
| wood can be either burned or covered up in | | | | |