Knowledgebase
Something dripping fro elm tree killing the grass #846420
Asked August 19, 2023, 4:59 PM EDT
Hello,
we have a Chines Elm tree that is dripping something that is causing the grass to die. Earlier in the summer it was slimy and more orange colored. I tried to capture the orange in my photo.
What is it, and what can we do to stop the grass from dying?
Thanks,
Josie
Denver County Colorado
Expert Response
Hi Josie,
Thank you sending the photo showing grass dying under something dripping from your Chinese Elm tree. There are a myriad of free online gardening resources available to the public and based upon research from University horticulture programs. One that comes out of the University of Iowa discusses “bacterial wetwood” - also called slime flux - and it sounds like that might be your culprit. To read more about this condition please read this article written by a plant pathologist: https://www.extension.iastate.edu/news/2007/jun/070801.htm#:~:text=Wondered%20why%20your%20favorite%20elm,on%20other%20trees%20as%20well.
Here in Colorado, good tree care includes winter watering. https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/yard-garden/fall-and-winter-watering-7-211/
This article informs us that “dry air, low precipitation, little soil moisture, and fluctuating temperatures are characteristics of fall and winter (here in CO) and that often there is little or no snow cover to provide soil moisture from October through March. Trees under these conditions may be damaged if they do not receive supplemental water.”
A professor from Colorado State University, W. R. Jacobi, wrote a Fact sheet on bacterial wetwood that you can find and read here: https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/yard-garden/bacterial-wetwood-2-910/
Dr.Jacobi concludes “No effective methods exist to eliminate wetwood disease. Preventing damage and stress to a tree’s roots and stem is the best way to avoid a serious wetwood problem. Drought conditions increase wetwood impact on the tree and can lead to cambial death. Thus, it is important that the tree receives adequate water, especially during spring and summer months.” The article even shows of photo of grass dying at the base of an infected tree, similar to your photo. Maybe you can reach out to the author at CSU and see if he has any thoughts about what can be done for your grass. According to the online CSU directory his phone#:<personal data hidden> and his email is <personal data hidden>
