Oak Tree Care
Protecting Texas Oaks from Disease and Decline
Oak Tree Care in Texas
Oak trees require special care in Texas. Many Oaks face health problems due to stress and weather.
ArborTrue provides specialized oak tree care throughout Texas, offering systemic trunk injections that effectively stop the spread of oak wilt, as well as advanced disease diagnosis services with rapid lab results. Our team gives preventive recommendations, such as avoiding pruning during high-risk months, and also offers consultations for Rapid Oak Decline to help property owners manage stress-related decline in Post Oaks.
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Oak Wilt
Oak Wilt is a devastating pathogen that has been found from Mexico to Michigan. Formerly known as Ceratocystis fagacearum, it has now been renamed as Bretziella fagacearum. Most Oaks are able to contract the disease, and once infected, they stand no chance of survival most of the time. Some White Oak species can survive an attack because of the special tylose cells that clog the vascular tissue called xylem. It's not foolproof by any means, but it does seem to isolate the disease and keep it from spreading around the tree.
Fortunately, Oak Wilt can be stopped from spreading into your property. Systemic trunk injections work near 100% of the time. Considering that a 20" diameter Live Oak is worth over $40,000, you may want to consider protecting your investment.
In Live Oaks, the disease mostly spreads through root grafts in the soil. At ArborTrue, we utilize molecular detection methods, such as qPCR, which detects DNA and provides rapid, accurate results often within 48 hours. Red Oaks have the least resistance and can contract the disease from airborne spores—so do not prune them from January 1st to June 15th.
Rapid Oak Decline
Post Oaks across Texas have been declining at an alarming rate. Some experts believe that the Post Oak may even go extinct due to climate change. If your Post Oak is starting to develop spots, it may already be too late. It is currently believed that the problem dates back to the drought of 2011 as the "primary stress event," with other secondary issues popping up along the way, such as beetle attacks, fungal infections, and root rot pathogens.
The Post Oak (Quercus stellata) is normally a very tough tree, resistant to root rot, disease, and pests. However, the rapid environmental swings and violent weather changes are proving to be too much. If you have a Post Oak on your property, you may still have options. Contact an ArborTrue Arborist today to find out.
Rapid Decline of Post Oaks in Texas
Publication by Sheila McBride and David N. Appel from Texas A&M AgriLife Extension.
Read the full publicationDid you know?
- The Post Oaks were named such by early settlers who used the rot-resistant tree for gate posts and door posts. In the often humid environment where they grow, rot would be a problem for a pioneer.
- Post Oaks get so incredibly hard when they die that a climber must sharpen his/her spikes before climbing, or they won't even stick into the tree trunk.
- Post Oak wood is the best for smoking meats, especially pork. If a tree is cut while green, aged for two months before splitting, and then used, it will impart a distinct flavor of Worcestershire sauce.
- Post Oak is a White Oak species. It has amazing abilities to resist infection and often hybridizes with other White Oak trees, including the Bur Oak.