What is wrong with my oak tree?

Lakesrider · 07-17-2011, 05:38 PM

I have a large oak in my front yard. It has lost about a 1/3 of it's leaves in the last few weeks. Am I losing the tree?
This is what the leaves look like, that I picked up off the lawn.

winnipiseogee · 07-17-2011, 06:32 PM

Not that I am an arborist by any stretch but I had a similar problem with a couple of my maples and it was something called anthracnose. They good news is that will ugly for a year the tree doesnt die.

UNH has a great program where for $15 they will diagnose the problem and give you suggestions as needed.

check out
http://extension.unh.edu/Agric/AGPDTS/PlantH.htm

Good Luck!

Lakesrider · 07-18-2011, 07:13 AM

Thanks. I lost some leaves last year as well, but not as bad as this year.

TOAD · 07-18-2011, 08:59 AM

Sure looks like anthracnose to me.

A few years ago I had to take down a stately old sycamore tree in our front yard. I was a beautiful tree and I hated to lose it. I looked into getting it treated which was going to involve spraying the entire tree...top to bottom twice and then wrapping the entire tree for a period after the spraying. The tree was easily 55' high and would have required a cherry picker and special spraying equipment because of the proximity of the house. The cost was prohibitive and carried no guarantee of success.

The tree would leaf out and drop it's leaves at least 2 sometimes 3 times a year. The fallen leaves also had a very unpleasant odor which was hard to describe.

I just got tired of cleaning up leaves all the time in the middle of the summer and this tree dropped a lot of huge leaves.

I still look at some pictures of the house with that tree in front and feel a little remorse. I loved the looks of that tree and the shade it provided.

It won't kill your tree but it will let the tree provide a mess for you.

ArborTech · 07-19-2011, 08:57 PM

This does look like what the others have described. I have seen this on many trees in the past few years. Unfortunately it is usually expensive and involved to treat this. The other key thing to consider to is that the tree will become more stressed and weakend, making it more easily damaged during the winters (and our winters can be tough on healthy trees).

Check out this site:
http://www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/fi...st/fidl-ae.htm

Lakesrider · 07-20-2011, 07:34 AM

So should I get this tree taken down and do you think it will spread to the other trees in my yard. I have two more right next to this infected one.
I came home yesterday and thought that I would need to rake my yard, there were that many leaves on the ground.
Well if I cut it down I'll have less damage to my vehicles from falling acorns....

ArborTech · 07-20-2011, 08:21 PM

The best way to prevent the spread would be to rake up and dispose of all fallen leaves and debris. They reccomend burning whatever you can, but in some instances that cannot be done.

07-17-2011, 05:38 PM	#1
Lakesrider Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 2,129 Thanks: 380 Thanked 1,016 Times in 345 Posts	What is wrong with my oak tree? I have a large oak in my front yard. It has lost about a 1/3 of it's leaves in the last few weeks. Am I losing the tree? This is what the leaves look like, that I picked up off the lawn.

07-18-2011, 08:59 AM	#4
TOAD Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Soon to be Moultonboro Posts: 258 Thanks: 1 Thanked 81 Times in 34 Posts	Sure looks like anthracnose to me. A few years ago I had to take down a stately old sycamore tree in our front yard. I was a beautiful tree and I hated to lose it. I looked into getting it treated which was going to involve spraying the entire tree...top to bottom twice and then wrapping the entire tree for a period after the spraying. The tree was easily 55' high and would have required a cherry picker and special spraying equipment because of the proximity of the house. The cost was prohibitive and carried no guarantee of success. The tree would leaf out and drop it's leaves at least 2 sometimes 3 times a year. The fallen leaves also had a very unpleasant odor which was hard to describe. I just got tired of cleaning up leaves all the time in the middle of the summer and this tree dropped a lot of huge leaves. I still look at some pictures of the house with that tree in front and feel a little remorse. I loved the looks of that tree and the shade it provided. It won't kill your tree but it will let the tree provide a mess for you. __________________ "Government is not reason, it is not eloquence, it is force; like fire, a troublesome servant and a fearful master. Never for a moment should it be left to irresponsible action.....Unknown....but attributed to George Washington

07-20-2011, 08:21 PM	#7
ArborTech Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Gilmanton, NH Posts: 53 Thanks: 8 Thanked 35 Times in 11 Posts	Prevention The best way to prevent the spread would be to rake up and dispose of all fallen leaves and debris. They reccomend burning whatever you can, but in some instances that cannot be done.

07-17-2011, 06:32 PM	#2
winnipiseogee Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 297 Thanks: 67 Thanked 152 Times in 79 Posts	Not that I am an arborist by any stretch but I had a similar problem with a couple of my maples and it was something called anthracnose. They good news is that will ugly for a year the tree doesnt die. UNH has a great program where for $15 they will diagnose the problem and give you suggestions as needed. check out http://extension.unh.edu/Agric/AGPDTS/PlantH.htm Good Luck!

07-18-2011, 07:13 AM	#3
Lakesrider Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 2,129 Thanks: 380 Thanked 1,016 Times in 345 Posts	Thanks. I lost some leaves last year as well, but not as bad as this year.

07-19-2011, 08:57 PM	#5
ArborTech Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Gilmanton, NH Posts: 53 Thanks: 8 Thanked 35 Times in 11 Posts	This does look like what the others have described. I have seen this on many trees in the past few years. Unfortunately it is usually expensive and involved to treat this. The other key thing to consider to is that the tree will become more stressed and weakend, making it more easily damaged during the winters (and our winters can be tough on healthy trees). Check out this site: http://www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/fi...st/fidl-ae.htm

07-20-2011, 07:34 AM	#6
Lakesrider Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 2,129 Thanks: 380 Thanked 1,016 Times in 345 Posts	So should I get this tree taken down and do you think it will spread to the other trees in my yard. I have two more right next to this infected one. I came home yesterday and thought that I would need to rake my yard, there were that many leaves on the ground. Well if I cut it down I'll have less damage to my vehicles from falling acorns....