Is anything more impressive than a mature tree in full bloom? You may have several of these in your back garden and be proud to host them as they beautify your property and help absorb some unwanted carbon. However, are you keeping a close eye on each of these trees throughout the year? As you may be aware, several nasty diseases can quite easily spread and, in the worst-case scenario, could lead to deformation and death. What are some of the biggest threats, and what should you be looking out for?

Oak Wilt

If you have some oak trees in your back garden, you need to guard against a soil-borne fungus that causes "oak wilt." It spreads very quickly and can easily overwhelm a mature tree, spreading to nearby trees through the root system.

What to Watch for

You can readily recognise this disease as the leaves will take on an orange/brown colour. This will often happen in the middle of the prime growing season, and the leaves will begin to wilt

Taking Action

If you come across oak wilt, you can save the others by isolating the particular tree. Dig a protective trench around it and cut the roots out, so the disease cannot spread.

Cyprus Canker

The leading cause of tree death in Australia is probably cypress canker. Unlike oak wilt, this is very difficult to control and is often airborne, spreading rapidly from similarly infected trees in the neighbourhood.

What to Watch for

Here, be on the lookout for an unusual growth on lower branches that can take on a reddish-brown consistency. These so-called cankers will cause a particular branch to die very quickly and immediately decompose, releasing spores into the air to spread to the next tree.

Immediate Attention

As soon as you see one of those cankers, remove the branch and any nearby infected area. You must act quickly to save that particular tree and any other ones in the immediate vicinity.

In the Worst Case

Sadly, cypress canker kills more of these majestic trees each season, and if you cannot arrest its spread, you will need to remove the tree entirely.

Over to the Experts

Of course, this is not a job for the amateur, and you must bring in tree removal experts. They'll work as quickly as possible in the circumstances and remove the remnants to try and avoid any further problems.

Reach out to a tree removal company for more information.