Oak wilt is one of the most destructive tree diseases in the United States and currently affects 76 counties in Texas, according to Texas A&M.
Oak wilt is an infectious disease caused by a fungus that invades and disables the water-conducting system in susceptible trees. It largely affects live oaks and red oaks, both of which are prevalent in Dreamhill Estates and are, in fact, the pride of our neighborhood. The photo above shoes the healthy live oak canopy in Dreamhill Estates. The photo below show the devastated live oaks in a county infested with oak wilt.
Calvin Finch will spend the second half of his gardening presentation on March 2 focusing on:
- oak wilt prevention, including pruning
- best times to prune
- painting tree wounds
- the do’s and don’ts of buying firewood, as
infected firewood has been found to bring the
disease into areas it has not been before.
The key point, as Calvin will explain, is that you need to do more than improve the environment for the trees in terms of prevention and treatment. Disciplined painting of pruning and other
tree wounds is vital no matter the season, and if the disease starts, it takes cooperative community action to apply the fungicide and do the trenching required to separate infected root systems and stop the spread of the disease.
Click Here to join us for the Oak Wilt Class