Cytospora Canker is a fungal infection that attacks trees in a stressed state or trees that have been wounded in some way, especially through root damage. Apple, ash, aspen, birch, cottonwood, elm, maple, peach, spruce, willow, cherry and honeylocust trees can all be infected by this canker. This fungal infection works by girdling the trees eating away at the bark and xylem tissue which will inevitably kill the rest of the branch or stem downstream. Similar to fire blight treatment, helping the tree through whatever stress or injury it is facing is vital to keeping the tree alive. This is done by proper watering, pruning regularly, and avoiding tree damage that will give the canker a foothold in the bark or inner tissue. During an infection or potential infection, Holistic Tree highly recommends a trunk injection of an “immune booster” product that works incredibly well. After our product is injected, the tree’s immune system will ramp up to fight the infection and try to contain it. Immune support for the tree alongside of correcting the other cultural factors working against the tree are the best ways to help your tree through a potential life-threatning illness like cytospora canker.

Holitstic Tree is ready to help with all your Plant Health Care needs. Give us a call or send us an email and we will be ready to help restore health to your trees!

Fire Blight is a bacterial infection that most often affects fruit and ornamental trees such as Apple, Pear, Crabapple, Serviceberry, and Quince among others. The bacteria spends the winter housed in infected branches and the cankerous lesions on the tree. When temperatures allow (65 degrees and above) the bacteria becomes active and works its way into the bark creating a bacterial ooze that attracts many different types of insects including bees, aphids, ants, and beetles. These insects are often responsible for transferring the bacteria from one tree to another or spreading the bacteria in the already infected tree. Fire blight is most easily introduced into the tree through the blossoms which are visited by many bees in the spring. Fireblight attacks to cambium tissue on the infected branches causing dark brown or black necrosis on the infected branches. Wherever the fire blight enters the tree, the living tissue downstream will die. Leaves, fruit and the whole branch will wither and die back. Pruning the dead tissue is extremely necessary to prevent the spread of fire blight. Trunk injections of anti-bacterial products can help prevent fire blight or keep the tree from infection altogether! Treatments must be administered one per year.

Chlorosis is caused by a deficiency of iron and manganese in trees. Yellow leaves (or needles in coniferous trees) during leaf maturity is the main characteristic symptom of chlorosis. Trees that are chlorotic have a difficult time producing chlorophyll due to the lack of iron and manganese in the soil. Either by way of tree injection or fertilization, Holistic Tree can get your chlorotic trees glowing green and healthy in a short amount of time. The products to treat chlorosis are non-toxic but must be dosed very carefully to avoid iron toxicity. Treatments last up to two years!

Pine Wilt Disease is fatal to the trees it infects. Mainly targeting Austrian, Scots and Mugo pines, pine wilt disease is caused by a parasitic nematode (very small parasitic worm) which is transmitted by the Pine Sawyer Beetle and planted in the tree during feeding activity and/or egg-laying activity. High summer temperatures allow the nematodes to grow and develop in the sawyer beetles, and in turn, the host trees. A tree infected with PWN exhibits browning needles in the top crown of the tree and quickly spreads in a “browning-spiral” down the tree. The brown needles are distinguished from the reddish/yellowish needles exhibited from the infestations of mountain pine beetle. PWN is very fast-acting and can take a healthy tree down in as little as three weeks! Prevention of PWN is the name of the game to keep these pests out of your trees.

One of the most destructive pests in history, Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) was introduced from Asia and has devastated ash trees across the nation. EAB is distinct from many other tree pests in the sense that they attack sick trees AND HEALTHY TREES without distinction!

Emerald Ash Borers emerge from host trees in May and June. They leave very distinct “D” shaped holes in the tree that they emerge from. The new generation of EAB looks for a new host tree. The adult borers will generally begin feeding on the leaves of the new host tree and begin mating and laying eggs in the protected crevices of the bark and branch crotches in the crown of the tree. They lay small eggs one at a time, generally on the southern sides of the tree. As those eggs hatch, the larva of EAB bores its way into the tree and begins feeding on the cambium layer of the tree (directly under the bark).   Any tree with a compromised cambium will die! The infestation of EAB in ash trees is very difficult to detect in the beginning stages, but as the pest increases in population, the diagnosis is much more visible.

The key to keeping your trees safe starts with PREVENTION! EAB treatments are most effective as a preventative measure…PERIOD. If caught in the early stages of infestation, EAB can be treated, but it must be diagnosed and treated immediately. Trees that are experiencing 30% or more dieback from EAB are most-likely dead and don’t know it yet.

EAB prevention is administered as a trunk injection right before the borers are most active. Treatments usually begin in April and go through June. Contact Holistic Tree to get your EAB prevention scheduled right away!Treatments last for 2 years!

IPS Beetles are a group of bark beetles that affect spruce and pine trees alike. IPS Beetles are not really aggressive pests like their counterparts, Pine Beetles, but they can cause their fair-share of damage in the correct conditions. IPS Beetles mainly attack trees in distress that are already suffering from other factors such as drought stress or root destruction. IPS Beetle adults tunnels into spruce or pine trees leaving behind a trail or pile of sawdust. The adult beetles lay their eggs inside the “chambers” they excavated into the tree. After the eggs hatch, the larva begin tunneling, etching their way through the sapwood of the tree. Trees can survive IPS Beetle attacks, but there can be several generations of IPS Beetles each year. If each of these generations attack a tree, it most-certainly can be fatal. Promoting tree vigor (both fertilization and moisture management) are keys in preventing IPS Beetle infestations. Trunk injections are highly advised in order to prevent infestations and buy trees time to become healthy if they are already suffering. The same treatments that would be applied for IPS Beetles also cover your trees from more aggressive pests like the Pine Beetle, so inoculate all your pine and spruce trees at one time to cover the full spectrum of possible pests. Treatments last 2 years! Amazing! (Fertilization and moisture management should be performed yearly).

HELPFUL T(IPS)…get it?!:  IPS Beetles can also be attracted to an area from the smell of freshly-cut pinewood, so store firewood away from your desirable trees, and remove any pruned branches as soon as possible. 

Mountain Pine Beetle is not relegated to the mountains and can be found in your backyard, eating your pine tree. Like many of the pests Holistic Tree targets, they attack trees that are suffering in some way, typically due to drought stress, root damage, old-age, or disease. When MPB bores into your pine tree, they can leave behind the sawdust trails or piles, much like the IPS Beetles. One characteristic of MPB is the formation of “Pitch Tubes” on the outside of the bark, where the tree resin bubbles out of the bored holes into a “popcorn” mass on the bark. An infected tree will often show yellowing or reddish needles at the crown of the tree where the infestation starts. The Mountain Pine Beetle leaves its former host tree (which is now dead) to find a new host. THe adults bore into the tree and lay their eggs in the bored chambers. Those eggs hatch into larva and overwinter in the tree and begin feeding in the spring. There is no gentle way to say thos, but once your tree is infested, that tree is not going to make it. Prevention, prevention, prevention…can we say it any other way?!

Holistic tree will trunk-inject your pine trees with a preventative product that will last two years! Fertilization and moisture retention are necessary services to keep your tree less-appetizing to the Mountain Pine Beetle pest.

Learn more at Colorado State University Extension about the Mountain Pine Beetle

Spider mites are a nuisance pest that have been known to cause injury, and sometimes death to many plants, shrubs, gardens, and trees. Spider Mites are members of the arachnid family and notable for the formations of their protective web structures. Although they are almost microscopic, spider mites can colonize on plants and cause a tremendous amount of damage by bruising the plant cells and feeding on the sap. Proper irrigation is very important in eliminating the damage of this pest. In severe cases of Spider Mites where significant damage is occurring, Holistic Tree is ready to help with some insecticide products that can wipe out the pest and get your tree or shrub back on its feet. Using trunk injection, we can encapsulate the product inside the tree to prevent contact with helpful species of insects, such as pollinators, that we want to protect in the process. Treatment lasts one year in the plant.

For gardens affected by spider mites, ask us about our organic, all-natural spray for gardens. Derived from essential oils and OMRI certified, we can protect your garden crop from many pests and diseases including Spider Mites.

HELPFUL TIP: Alongside of watering the roots, if Spider Mites are seen on your plants, hosing the plants down with a jet-stream of water can dislodge the bugs and often kill their eggs. In the case of severe infestations, however, let the professionals help!

Aphids are a major nuisance pest in the tree, shrub and garden world. With over 350 species of aphid, there are few plants and trees that are not on the menu. Most often, aphids will not kill their host plants on their own, however, they can cause significant damage and nuisance problems such as leaf curling, sticky honeydew (which attracts wasps), and sooty mold growing on concrete or fences under the infested tree. There are a few natural predators of aphids that include lady beetles, flower fly larvae, and parasitic wasps. The presence of these bugs often can help in diagnosing aphids since aphids are very small. As always, in severe cases of aphid attacks, Holistic Tree has an arsenal of products that can protect your trees and shrubs. If your garden plants are in danger, we have organic, OMRI certified products that are safe for human consumption…but not so safe for those pesky aphids!

**Reference Spider Mites** Aphids have many similarities to Spider Mites