London Planetrees in trouble

[SouthSoundTree]

strip mall island trees having a lot of trouble.

Wondering about anthracnose.

Read to apply a fungicide and fertilize, but don't know what type of either, or if they are too far gone. I read that a second "crop" of leaves can grow after the first is dropped.

Seems that one has been replaced already with another plane tree.

These trees are obviously in too small of a patch of soil for longterm survival, however, commercial sites are a frequently more difficult to remove and replace. Wrong tree for the location.

Additionally, believe it or not, planted too deeply. Some future SGRs are present.

During a brief phone call, the owner wanted a consult on what's wrong, and what can be done.

Any help appreciated.

 

[OTGBOSTON]

We had a wet spring and fungal diseases are rampant, especially anthracnose on sycamores. I hate sycamores/london planes because they all seem to get anthracnose...even if they are 'resistant' or the environmental factors are exactly perfect.

They will put out a second flush of growth, and the ones in your pics actually look good. Aside from a spray program sanitation is key get the fallen leaves cleaned up. The spores of anthracnose live in the soil most of the time and need to be mechanically transported to the leaves.

 

[Old Monkey]

Ours here have gotten hit hard for there second year in a row and look pretty bad. They're really hardy and will be back to normal soon despite a flush of kinky dead twigs.

 

[sotc]

Very tough trees, not nessassarly "in trouble", our mall wont spend the money on spraying them. I have good luck with agrifos and pentrabark. Cheap products, have a month or month and a half life span, spray on the bottom 5-6' of trunk. Most folks get one spring application, real bad trees (major dead wood sticking out of the canopy) get spring and fall. As Greg mentioned, wet spring, we are looking at 3 spring applications to keep under control. Are you an applicator?

 

[stehansen]

They're doing fine down here. No anthracnose here in the sycamores or the modesto ash trees, we had quite a few spring rains too, for us anyway.

 

[SouthSoundTree]

Super wet spring here. Its probably over. Summer should be here in a month or two (haha).

No, Willie, not an applicator. Will probably recommend a spray service here in Olympia.

Thanks all.

Any additional info/ anecdotes are good learning info.

 

[treelooker]

Does city ordinance allow reduction? The species responds well to pollarding, but with those trees raised so hard already, a light reduction/thinning may be the most they can handle now but maybe heavier in winter. assuming the mall does not have budget for annual de-sprouting to maintain pollards--unless that becomes a marketing draw--rename it the Pollard Mall!

definitely clear those trunk flares.

 

[SkwerI]

IMO you can't cut a tree to health. Pollarding is best done on otherwise healthy trees, cutting all the green leaves off an already struggling tree can kill it.

 

[OTGBOSTON]

I've got to disagree with you there Brian. Balancing root growth and canopy growth can be beneficial.

 

[sotc]

As much as it seems counter intuitive, the topped and pollarded sycamore in our area look much healthier than than untreated ones. Every year you remove the infected wood.....

 

[NickfromWI]

I've got to disagree with you there Brian. Balancing root growth and canopy growth can be beneficial.

You got some articles I can read about it? I disagree with your statement and find it counter intuitive, but there could be something to it and it worth looking into.

love
nick

 

[treelooker]

If the imbalance is very bad then OTG has point. We all know that the more buds the better, unless the buds are not functioning well. Water movement is more key than hormone movement imo. The general arbo rule not to prune definitely has exceptions, informed by horticulture.

see ASHS for info nick. same principle really as restoration pruning on older or damaged trees.