Knowledgebase
Black spotting on new planted chinquapin oaks #753085
Asked May 31, 2021, 2:28 PM EDT
Oakland County Michigan
Expert Response
Hello,
Yes, I think this looks like leaf-blister, which is a fungal infection. It rarely impacts the health of the tree, but can look unsightly. Because the tree is so small, I would recommend treatment next spring before bud-break. For this year, the only thing you can do is make sure that any leaves that fall are picked up and bagged to prevent more spores to remain around the tree. The following article discusses this disease and treatment options.
http://plantclinic.cornell.edu/factsheets/oakleafblister.pdf
Don't forget that oaks are vulnerable to oak wilt, and should never be pruned during the growing season. Wounds that occur during this time should be sealed ASAP with a pruning sealer or paint.
I hope this is helpful. Thank you for planting an oak tree- they are important to our ecosystem!
Ruth
Sent from my iPad
On May 31, 2021, at 3:25 PM, Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote: