Knowledgebase

Have not heard from you about my tree disease #764554

Asked July 29, 2021, 9:52 AM EDT

I recently submitted pictures with the question, What is causing my elm tree to shed leaves

Delta County Michigan

Expert Response

Sorry Carol, I checked our queue for this year and this question is the first one we have received from you. Your original question must not have gotten into the queue for some reason.

Please add 2 pictures of the problem here by clicking on “choose them” below the response box.
1- A picture of the whole tree so we can see any discoloration or pattern in the crown, damage on the branch or trunk.

2- A picture of 6-7 fallen leaves on a plain piece of paper, some turned so the are face down, so we can see the fronts and the backs of the leaves.

Also, tell us about how long the tree has been there.
Other information, such as construction or digging that has been done near the tree, any chemicals applied around the lawn or sprayed nearby, etc?

Finally, are the leaves falling one at a time, or are they in little groups still attached to a twig?


This kind of info will help me  assist you.  I will watch for your update here. Thank you.

Hi, Thanks for answering. The tree started early summer losing some leaves. From the pictures you will see that the tree is very tall and sits in the corner of our property. Another elm on another person property is showing the same signs while an elm near our house seems fine. The tree lost leaves by branch and has gradually lost almost all it leaves. as the tree is quite tall I have a hard time finding leaves and the pictures I sent first had one leaf that was a recent fall, now  I can find only very brown leaves. I will attach the pictures. Thank you



On Thursday, July 29, 2021, 11:32:43 AM EDT, Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:


The Question Asker Replied July 31, 2021, 1:31 PM EDT

Hello Carol,

Thank you for the pictures. This does appear to be an elm tree. Unfortunately if this has happened in one or two seasons it is likely dutch elm disease( DED) has killed the tree.

However, the only way to diagnose DED is through an arborist visit, or sending branch samples of a specific size to a lab. Since the tree is so tall with no lower branches, pruning off the necessary branches to send to the lab is too difficult.

Diagnosing other diseases or pests would require a certified arborist visit, too.

There are ways to protect the elm tree that is still near your house from DED, and the neighbor’s elm tree if it is not yet severely affected.

I recommend you hire a certified arborist, a professional who has taken training in care, diseases, pests and passed certification tests. He/she will come on site and give a complete diagnosis and a plant care plan for your trees, including an assessment of the dead tree. . Find certified arborists by zip code here—-

www.treesaregood.org

These references describe how dutch elm disease is managed:

https://www.canr.msu.edu/resources/dutch_elm_disease

https://extension.umn.edu/plant-diseases/dutch-elm-disease

If you plan to replace the tree there are American elm hybrids that have been bred to resist dutch elm disease, and would be well worth planting.

https://extension.umn.edu/trees-and-shrubs/dutch-elm-disease-resistant-elm-trees

I’m sorry this isn’t better news.

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