Denver Tree Problems in July – Powdery Mildew, Fire Blight and Canker

Denver Tree Service Oak Leaf Blister — Oak Leaf Blister

Denver Tree Service Powdery Mildew — Powdery Mildew damage on Left, healthy on right

In the Denver metro area, the higher than normal humidity from the past two months combined with the ample amount of spring growth has resulted in high insect and disease levels. Leaf spot diseases, powdery mildew, fire blight, and cytospora canker have shown up all over town. As the weather conditions turn hot and dry, these diseases and their impact on plant health will become increasingly evident.

Distorted and wilted leaf tissue is fairly easy to identify. The less noticeable signs of various diseases can include gummosis oozing from bark crevices, small lesions on twig tissue, and desiccation of branch or twig tissue. Diseases that affect plants have a variety of treatment strategies, and we suggest you consult your Arborist to determine the correct treatment path for you.

Denver Tree Service Japanese Beetles — Treatments for Japanese beetles vary and include both “natural” and synthetic pesticide treatments. Japanese beetles are very difficult to control and their hosts include a huge variety of species.

The explosion of insect activity in May and June has been evident in the populations of mites, aphids, leaf hoppers, various scales, and most recently, Japanese beetles. We anticipate a very heavy population of Japanese beetles this season. The adult emergence was approximately 10 days earlier than last season, and our gardens will host these hungry pests through the early part of September.

Treatments for chronic pests like aphids, mites, and leaf hoppers are made through our IPM (Integrated Pest Management) visits. These visits include a property inspection of the ornamental trees and shrubs, as well as the appropriate treatments to reduce population levels. Let’s get your plant health care plan in place. Give us a call.

Mountain High Tree offers a full range of tree care services in the Denver area, including: Insect & Disease Control, Soil Injections for Insects, Natural Control Options. Call us at 303.232.0666 or send us an estimate request below if you would like to talk to us about your trees: