Does your tree have oak wilt?

Spring cleanup is a great time to check plants and trees for damage that happened over the winter. It’s also the perfect time to look for signs of diseases, like oak wilt. Robert Spartz, district manager for the Davey Tree Expert Company in Eldridge explains this danger to oak trees has been in the area for years.

“It’s a disease that gets within the tree,” said Spartz. “It’s actually mostly transmitted by boring insects and can also be transmitted through root grafting through common trees if they’re the same type. If they get infected with oak wilt, the root systems from that tree can spread to another red oak that’s next to it and pass it on that way. It is it’s a vascular system clogger; in layman’s terms, it’s very easy for all the vessels in the tree to get clogged up. That doesn’t allow for water and nutrients to be transported up into the tree or to certain parts of the tree.”

That’s not the only problem facing oaks in the area. “We are dealing with a lot of issues with oak trees right now, a lot of borer activity even though it’s not the same borer that’s transmitting oak wilt. We’re starting to see a severe decline with white and burr oak trees as well.” White oak trees don’t seem to be affected by oak wilt as much as red and pin oaks, he said.

For more of Robert's information, click here.

For more information, contact the Quad Cities Davey office.