Tip of the Month:
Fungi

Many clients have been noticing the presence of various “leaf spot fungi” on several of their landscape trees. This time of year we see the end result of many leaf infections that started back in the spring. Some of the most frequently infected trees are the Aspen, Cottonwoods, Crabapples, Apples and Pears. Leaf Spot fungi includes a huge number of species that ultimately infect and damage leaf tissue. Though mostly superficial in the damage they do, they can cause unneeded stress during a season when the hot and dry conditions are stressful enough for our trees. A thorough cleanup in the fall of the infected leaf tissue helps a great deal to keep new infections from starting in the spring. Some infection is inevitable, but there are also fungicide applications that are available to help provide a line of defense during periods of infection in the spring and summer.