Maple Wilt

Verticillium Wilt, often called Maple wilt, is a very common disease that attacks a large number of trees. It is caused by a soil-inhabiting fungus called Verticillium. The disease fungus can be spread by many methods including from plant-to-plant, through the soil, groundwater and often by infected pruning equipment that has not been properly sanitized. The disease normally enters the tree through the soil, but can also be introduced into a tree through a wound. Once in the tree, the fungus begins to spread throughout the tree’s vascular system. As the fungus level increases, the tree’s vascular system becomes blocked preventing the tree from adequately moving water and nutrients throughout the tree.

The first signs that a tree has a Verticillium Wilt infection is the yellowing and then browning of leaves at the ends of some branches. Initially the yellowing and browning of the leaves is spotty throughout the tree and does not follow a uniform pattern. As the fungus begins to block the vascular system, the browning of leaves becomes more acute and more wide-spread. New leaves generally are either non-existent, undersized or yellowed.

As the disease spreads, the infected tree may slowly die branch by branch over several seasons. The symptoms and severity of Verticillium wilt are much more harsh during droughts when the tree’s vascular system is already stressed.

There is no chemical control for Verticillium Wilt, but there are several steps that can be taken to help control the spread of the disease, as well as to enhance a tree’s ability to control or even contain the disease. These include pruning, fertilizing and watering.

Prune and remove all dead wood. The pruning should be a few inches below the diseased area, so as to remove as many of the fungal concentrations as possible. When pruning do not remove branches that have recently wilted as they may reflush again in a few weeks or the following spring. When pruning be sure to properly sanitize the pruning tools after each cut.

Give the tree a very good fertilization with a slow release nitrogen blend. Apply the TreeHelp Annual Care Kit, as this treatment contains an appropriate fertilizer, as well as a mycorrhizal treatment and biostimulant to assist the tree in taking up and metabolizing moisture and nutrients.

It is important to give a tree suffering from verticillium wilt a deep root watering at least twice or three times a week. The objective of a deep root watering is to ensure that the water penetrates deep into the soil, to a depth of at least 24 to 36 inches so that the entire root zone is hydrated. The easiest way to give a large tree a deep root watering is to place either a sprinkler or a soaker hose over the tree's drip line and let it run for about 2 hours, ensuring lots of water penetrates the soil. A deep root watering is much better than frequent shallow waterings, which do not get moisture to the lower roots. During periods of extreme drought you may also want to consider spraying the soil around the tree's root zone with Hydretain Root Zone Moisture Manager. Hydretain is a unique and advanced product specifically designed to assist a tree in dealing with drought stress. It works like a natural magnet to hold water near the tree's root zone and keep the root zone hydrated during periods of drought stress.

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TreeHelp Annual Care Kit

SKU: TRKIT-ACA BRAND: TreeHelp

Regular price: $33.95
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Description

TreeHelp developed easy-to-use Annual Care Kits to help homeowners maintain healthy and vibrant trees.

TreeHelp Annual Care Kits provide health supplements that are specific and appropriate to the type of tree that you care for. The supplements are designed to promote root-development which will have a lasting effect on the long-term health of your trees. Root development is vital for a tree because it gives the tree a reserve of strength and vitality that will help it survive through periods of drought, nutrient deficiency, insect infestation or disease. Too many fertilizers and other soil additives on the market focus on immediate impact - like "candy for trees". Our soil treatments, on the other hand, provide nutrients and organic elements that will help your tree today and for many years to come.

Some of our more popular kits include:

Palm
Contains 5 Complete Fertilizer spikes with high amounts of Manganese, Magnesium and Potassium, crucial to palm tree health.

Citrus
Contains specialized citrus fertilizer spikes loaded with micronutrients to improve tree health and fruit production

Birch
Birch trees are vulnerable to devastating insects such as Bronze Birch Borer. ?ÿThe Birch Kit is designed to promote stronger growth that helps make your tree less susceptible.

Customized kits are also available for over 90 other types of trees.

Having the right composition of minerals and organic material is extremely important in maintaining tree health. As a result, all of our kits are "custom-built" with specially selected components to suit a particular tree type. For example, the mycorrhizal fungi that benefits an oak tree will have no effect on a maple. And the fertilizer recommended for use on a pine would not be ideal for an elm. With our custom care kits, you can be certain you are applying the right treatments to your trees.

Step 1: Mycorrhizal Fungi

Mycorrhizal fungi is a relatively new soil treatment for trees. Co-existing with trees and plants in nature for hundreds of millions of years, these beneficial fungi provide a "safety net" for the tree in times of stress. By colonizing the roots and extending themselves further into the soil, the fungi enable the tree to take in more nutrients and moisture. The result is a healthier, more robust tree better capable of withstanding the many stressful conditions that exist in an urban environment and to better metabolize nutrients.

Because trees are often transplanted into non-native soils, and because urban soils have often been damaged by pollution and compaction, it is essential to re-introduce mycorrhizal fungi to the soil. Our custom care kits match the correct type of mycorrhizal fungi with specific types of trees.

Step 2: Fertilizer

Fertilizer will always be an important component of a comprehensive tree care program. But it must be done properly. Nutrient balances are difficult to achieve and improper fertilization can have drastically poor effects on trees. All too often, trees are fertilized with Nitrogen-rich, quick-release fertilizers. Not only does this have the potential of 'burning' the soil around the roots, it can also promote structurally weak growth that can attract insects and disease. Our fertilizers, on the other hand, slowly release a carefully measured balance of nutrients into the soil for a constant feeding that provides more long-lasting benefit to your tree.

The fertilizers that are included in our custom care kits have been specially selected to provide maximum benefit to a particular type of tree. The formulations are often very different from species to species and target different biological structures. The result will be a healthier, more vital tree.

Step 3: Biostimulant

TreeHelp Bistimulant is a dry, water-soluble green-up powder that is watered on tree roots as a root drench. BioSurge provides benefits to all types of trees, shrubs, and other garden plants. It is designed to increase the microbial activity in the soil around the root zone and encourage root and lateral bud development, improve the efficiency of a plant’s respiratory and photosynthetic systems and delay the aging process in plant tissue. The unique composition of ingredients includes beneficial bacteria, as well as humic acids extracts, soluble sea kelp, yucca plant extracts, amino acids and vitamins.