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Aspen tree disease #138957

Asked July 07, 2013, 12:07 PM EDT

We are having trouble with 2 aspen trees in our yard. We live in the foothills at about 7500 feet on a northeast facing slope. The conditions appear to be ideal for aspen because we have a number of other healthy aspen trees that are flourishing on our property. The problem with the 2 trees I'm inquiring about is that they both develop browning of the edges of the leaves in June/July. I've attached a picture of what the leaves look like now. The browning spreads over the leaves turning the whole leaf brown and dry by the end of August never allowing the leaves to turn yellow in fall like the other aspen trees. In addition to the browning, the brown areas have dark brown/black spots that are yellow in the center. I've also noticed that these 2 trees are the only trees that don't send out suckers from their roots. They are medium/large fairly well established trees, approximately 10 years old. Do you have any suggestions for what we can do to improve the health and appearance of these trees? Thank you.

Jefferson County Colorado

Expert Response

The problem that you photographed is leaf scorch.  This is a very typical pattern on aspen leaves.  The dark spots are probably non-pathogenic fungi that are decomposing the leaves as they die.
Leaf scorch is caused by water leaving the plant faster than it can be replaced. Many causes exist for this problem.  Please see this fact sheet for details of the causes and some actions you can take.
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/garden/02911.html

It's not likely you will need to winter water in your particular location, but it is beneficial when there are periods of open, dry weather particularly in November and December.

There may be a planting, siting or genetic issue that causes this particular couple of plants to have the problem, while the others don't. 
An Ask Extension Expert Replied July 08, 2013, 11:35 AM EDT

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