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Medicine for Tree Disease
Name: Allen G.
Status: student
Age: 12
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: 9/30/2003
Question:
HI,
What medicine would stop a disease in trees? I have tried to research this and I cannot
find any information on this.
Replies:
There are many different kinds of plant diseases that occur in different species of trees.
The following might be helpful for starters:
http://www.dfr.state.nc.us/health/health_disease.htm
Diseased branches are usually pruned away. Sometimes diseased trees need to be removed so as
not to infect neighboring trees. With plant disease, pathologists usually look for the cause
and try to prevent the disease from occurring at the start. For example, if a particular
species is susceptible to disease when waterlogged, then actions are taken to prevent
waterlogging of the soil, or not to plant that species of tree under such possible
conditions.
Sometimes a tree might appear to be diseased, but might be symptomatic of nutrient
deficiencies such as a nitrogen or potassium deficiency in which cases, fertilizers
can be applied in proper amounts and form to address the problem. There is no "miracle"
medicine to treat disease in trees. For more info, you can try to search www.google.com
Anthony Brach, Ph.D
This totally depends upon the species of tree, and the disease. This may have to be determined
by a specialist. For free advice, many cities have departments that maintain trees on city
streets and in parks. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has extension offices in most every
county in the U.S. They may be able to diagnose the problem and recommend treatment. Some
large nurseries have staff who are knowledgeable about the problem and may be able to help.
In all cases, after phone contact, bring in a small branch so that they can see what the
problem is.
Vince Calder
Tree diseases are many and complex, caused by many different things. As with people or animals,
there are different treatments for different problems. Fungi cause many tree diseases, and
some of those may be treated with different types of fungicides. Good tree care is more
prevention than cure - once a problem is well established in a tree it may be too late
to treat. A textbook on forest pathology, which will probably be much more detailed and
complicated than what you want, will give you an idea of how complex the problems can
be.
J. Elliott
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Update: June 2012
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