5 Tree & Shrub Diseases to Be Aware of in Mansfield, OH

Here in Mansfield, OH, there are several tree and shrub diseases that you should be aware of to ensure your plants stay healthy. Apple scab, needle cast, powdery mildew, cedar apple rust, and thousand cankers disease are five common diseases that can affect your trees and shrubs. Apple scab is a fungal disease that causes dark, scabby lesions on leaves and fruit. Needle cast is a fungal disease that causes needles to turn brown and fall off. Powdery mildew is a fungal disease that causes a white, powdery coating on leaves and stems. Cedar apple rust is a fungal disease that causes orange spots on leaves and fruit. Thousand cankers disease is a fungal disease that causes cankers on the bark of trees.

1. Apple Scab

Apple scab is a common fungal disease that affects apple trees and other fruit-bearing trees in Mansfield, OH. This disease is characterized by dark, scabby lesions on leaves, fruit, and twigs. Once trees are infected, it causes spots across the leaves that gradually merge. Then, the fungus overwinters and produces spores in the spring, infecting new parts of the tree or those around it. Apple scab thrives in cool, wet conditions and can spread rapidly if left untreated.

2. Needle Cast

Needle cast is another common plant disease to be aware of in Mansfield, OH. This fungal disease affects coniferous trees, such as pine and spruce. This disease causes needles to turn yellow or brown and eventually fall off the tree. Common in wet, humid conditions, it becomes active in the spring and into early summer, infecting inner needles and causing them to turn brown. Then, by late summer, the discolored needles fall off, causing your trees to thin out. In severe cases, it can inhibit their growth and eventually lead to branch dieback.

3. Powdery Mildew

Powdery mildew is a fungal disease that affects a wide range of trees and shrubs. This disease is characterized by a white, powdery coating on leaves, stems, and flowers. Powdery mildew thrives in warm, humid conditions and can spread rapidly if left untreated. While primarily an aesthetic concern, it can damage your trees and shrubs over time, causing leaves to distort and fall off prematurely.

4. Cedar Apple Rust

Another tree and shrub disease to be aware of is cedar apple rust. Cedar apple rust is a fungal disease that affects Juniper trees before migrating to apple or crabapple trees. It impacts Junipers by causing brown, abnormal growth known as galls on the branches, eventually leading to orange, horn-like growth. On crabapple and apple tree species, initial symptoms are orange spots on the leaves, fruit, and twigs. Over time, these spots can turn into lesions and lead to distorted fruit. If left untreated, cedar apple rust can severely damage your plants and sometimes lead to their demise.

5. Thousand Cankers Disease

The last plant disease to look out for in Mansfield, OH, is thousand cankers disease. This fungal disease affects black walnut trees and is characterized by small, sunken cankers on the bark of the tree. It also causes yellowing leaves that eventually fall off, resulting in branch dieback. Thousand cankers disease poses a serious threat to the health of your trees, leading to their death if left untreated.

Give us a call today to schedule our tree and shrub disease control service.

At Free Spray Lawn Care, we understand the importance of keeping your trees and shrubs healthy and disease-free. That's why we offer a tree and shrub disease control service that includes as-needed curative treatments to eliminate diseases from your plants, including apple scab, needle cast, powdery mildew, cedar apple rust, and thousand cankers disease.

Our tree and shrub disease control service is offered to residential and commercial property owners in Mansfield, OH, and other nearby cities, such as Wooster and Strongsville. Give us a call today at 419-529-5296 to schedule!