A tree's woody structural strength and stability is underestimated often. Mushroom bodies is one indication of weakened strength.
Q. Is it a good practice to prune trees and shrubs in the fall?
A. Pruning trees and shrubs in the fall is not a good landscape practice . In mid to late fall, trees and shrubs enter the dormancy phase to overcome the cold winter. Typically any wound closure during the tree's early dormancy phase is very slow and can aggravate the wounded area by causing the bark to split and desiccate. Avoid pruning trees and shrubs in the fall. For most tree species, late winter (March) to early spring (April) is the best time to prune. Tree species like oaks and elms are exempt from this standard pruning cycle, due to their vulnerability to certain lethal diseases. These species need to be pruned from November to mid-March. In the case of shrubs, summer blooming plants are pruned in early spring (April) before bud break, and spring flowering shrubs are best pruned in early summer just after they have finished blooming .
Don't shear evergreens in the fall because it causes the needle tips to desiccate and turn brown and in some cases, it can cause twig dieback.
Q. What causes mushroom growth on tree limbs?
A. Quite often, we underestimate a tree's woody structural strength and stability until the bark develops advanced signs of internal decay causing mushroom fruiting bodies, open cracks, holes, rotten wood, bulges, or cavities. These external indicators caused by decaying wood are associated with the tree's past wound that creates an entry point for fungal diseases . Over years, the diseases decay the internal wood tissues and subjecting it to high-risk failure to storm or ice damage. Such trees should be inspected immediately . Consult a certified arborist for hazardous risk assessment of the tree and take appropriate action before winter sets in. To find a local certified arborist, visit www.isa-arbor.com/faca/findArborist.aspx
Q. Have you noticed black blotches on maple leaves?
A. Some homeowners are intrigued and others are panicked by the strange uniform black blotches on their maples leaves. This weird-looking symptom is caused by a fungal disease called tar spot that affects maple and other tree species like sycamore, willows, and tulip trees every year. There is no need to panic about this disease, as it's cosmetic in nature and won't affect the tree's health. Raking leaves and destroying them can help to minimize this disease for next year.