Our regular Ask Your Gardening Question column offers answers from the North Central Wisconsin Master Gardeners to your most perplexing gardening questions. Some answers featured here are are highlights from recent sessions at The Landing in Wausau, while others are generated by you – our readers. Each post features real questions from local gardeners, answered by master gardener volunteers and local experts.
Keep an eye out for future installments. Have a question you’d like to see addressed here? Email Master Gardeners at [email protected]. Happy gardening!
Question: What is causing the dead branches on my crabapple tree?
Answer: A guest brought in a sample from the lower branches of a crabapple tree that had begun to die back.
The branch was covered with lichen, prompting concern that it might be causing the problem. However, lichen is a natural, harmless organism. It does not take nutrients from the tree or damage healthy wood, so it was not considered the cause of the branch dieback. One note of caution on lichen – if you try to scrape it off, it may damage the bark and harm the tree.
Several other possibilities were discussed. One common cause is winter injury, which can occur when a warm spell during the winter is followed by a sudden cold snap. If the tree is mature, it is also normal for some of the oldest, lower branches to decline and die over time as part of the tree’s natural aging process.
Another potential culprit is apple scab, a fungal disease that thrives during periods of frequent rain, heat and humidity. While the disease cannot be cured once symptoms appear, preventative fungicide applications made early in the growing season can help protect susceptible trees from future infections.
If you have a gardening question for the Master Gardeners, email it to [email protected] and the answer may be published here.
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