Top 5 Tree Diseases In San Antonio

If you have an issue with trees on your San Antonio property, some things are much more likely to be at blame than others. While there are a range of issues that can affect trees, some tree diseases are more common than others. You will still want to contact an arborist to determine if it is a disease that is making your tree sick or some other factor, such as drought or lack of proper nutrients. That being said, it helps to be familiar with the top tree diseases in San Antonio so you know when to call the arborist in the first place.

Bacterial Leaf Scorch

This tree disease tends to take place during the summer months, which is when the trees are under stress due to water and heat. You can tell that your San Antonio trees have bacterial leaf scorch if there is a yellow halo separating the scorched tissue from the green areas of the leaves. Those without proper arborist training will commonly misdiagnose bacterial leaf scorch as oak wilt when it occurs in red oaks.

Fire Blight

You may also notice fire blight affecting the trees on your San Antonio property. This is the most common bacterial infection for oak trees in the area, making it one of the top tree diseases, and it typically makes your tree look as if it is charred. An arborist may diagnose fire blight by checking the tree’s growth. Affected leaves will typically turn brown or black in spring if they have been affected by the bacterium that causes fire blight. In the case of fruit trees, the fruit will be smaller than it typically is and seem unhealthy. In later stages, the fruit may leak bacterial ooze.

Hypoxylon Cankers

In the case of severely stressed tres, hypoxylon cankers are fairly common in central Texas, another of the top tree diseases. They can occur on hardwood trees, including oak and will show up as dead lesions. As your tree continues to decline, the hypoxylon will kill the wood immediately underneath the dead bark. This makes the bark slough and exposes sore mats. You can prevent this type of fungal infection by eliminating stress on the trees.

Oak Wilt

Oak wilt may be the top tree diseases you will find in San Antonio and there have been multiple times where this disease spread like wildfire through the area’s trees. The infection begins when beetles that feed on the sap pick up sores on infected red oaks. They will then carry these to the fresh wounds on the other oaks. As soon as one oak on your property is infected, the disease can easily spread via root connections. Unfortunately, every single type of oak tree is at risk but there are several oak wilt resistant oaks.

Root Rot

Root rot is one of the top tree diseases in San Antonio that is caused by fungus. This fungus will kill the root tissues, woody trunk tissues, and fine feeder roots. Root rot is particularly common in trees that have been over-watered, so be careful when caring for the trees on your property. Trees have a higher risk if they have experienced previous wounding. Contact San Antonio Tree Surgeons if you have any questions.