A horticultural problem of huge proportions

[madgardener]

We're facing a horticultural problem of huge proportions here in Tennessee and probably the eastern region. Thursday I arrived at Lowes outside lawn and garden department to discover the State Agricultural extension and region agent with another man with him.

When we had the head's up concerning Monrovia's having shipped Sudden Oak Death fungus to other nurseries which was carried on Camelia's and Rhoddies, I alerted people on another newsgroup because if this western fungus gets over here, it will wipe out all our oaks eventually. And think about how many kinds of oaks we have here, and the fact that this fungus kills a tree in two years or shortly there after..............solemn thoughts there.

Apparently it's worse than that. Bad enough that Monrovia is one of the largest distributing nurseries in the US, but now Means Nursery in Oregon has apparently been using compost which had shredded oak bark..............yep. Shrubs and plants shipped from Means Nursery to Lowes and other stores that purchse their stock have probably gotten Sudden Oak Death fungus that is in the soil of Rhododendrums, Azaela's, and Lilac's. Any shrubs that are sitting next to these plants, particularly Viburnum's will also pick up the fungus and be spread to those AND the oaks.

The state agent was at our store where he and his colleague were taking plant and soil samples to ship off to the labs at UT Agricultural department and the State agricultural department. They had already done this to every Lowes in the area and were going to EVERY Lowes that purchased these shrubs and such from this Nursery.

This is HUGE. We cannot afford to let this slip out and into neighborhoods. These fungus have potential to cross breed and that means apparently a stronger and more deadly fungus that WILL wipe out our oaks.

I wanted to give ya'll a heads up. We have what remains of our stock from Means as well as some other shrubs from a totally different nursery here in Tennessee that were sitting next to the possibly infected plants in the back under quarantine. I'll let you know in two weeks the results.

madgardener in Eastern Tennessee, zone 7, Sunset zone 36

[escapee]

Is this the same thing as oak wilt? If so, we have it rampant in parts of Texas. It's very serious, but there are some native oaks which are resistant. Live oak seems to be the worst hit in our region.

Need a good, cheap, knowledge expanding present for yourself or a friend?

[Ann]

"madgardener" expounded:

David Brockman posted about this back in March, but then the story was out of San Fransisco, I think. Here's the link:

the link works. That'd be horrible up here, we're already losing our gorgeous hemlocks, the woods I walk through don't look the same, the hemlocks are so thin (and dying). Now the oaks. Things move too fast nowadays, organisms and critters have easy routes to where they can devastate new regions. How sad.....and it's sad to say that gardening and landscaping causes most of the problems.

[Jean B.]

That is just awful. Does anyone know the status of the ?vaccine? for SOD?

[Richard]

escapee wrote in news: [e-mail]:

to the USDA oak wilt is a different, albeit just as serious, disease. They also state that the Texas live oak is very susceptible to oak wilt. Oak wilt doesn't produce the cankers and bleeding of SOD.

[gregpresley]

Although this is very serious, no one can ever predict how a fungal disease originating in one climate will do in another. California has a VERY dry summer with fairly low humidity. The entire US east of the Great Plains has a summer with very high humidity and a lot of summer rainfall. This might support the spread of the fungus, OR it might slow it down. Likewise, even the central part of the south has more severe winter temperatures than most of California, which only sees light frosts at best. And certainly the mid-Atlantic and Northeast have much more severe winters. Again, this might hinder the development of the fungus or slow its spread. I hope so, because the oak forests of the East are a thing of glory. Of course, not that long ago, those forests were more evenly comprised of elms, chestnuts, maples, pines, and oaks, so the oak forests of today are not the forests that our ancestors found there.

[Pat Kiewicz]

The emerald ash borer has been just devestating here in SE Michigan. Dead ash trees everywhere. One whole genus of trees GONE.

And now, the threat of even more bad news.

[Pat Kiewicz]

No, Sudden Oak Death is a different threat.

We've got oak wilt here, too. It's carried by sap beetles. The usual recommendation is to never prune oaks except during a very limited period of the year (fall and early winter, IIRC). Storms don't listen to the arborist's guidelines, though...

[escapee]

Actually, in this region it is recommended you prune in the dead heat of summer or the coldest part of winter in Jan/Feb. Although pruning paint is out of date, the arborists recommend using it on cuts larger than an inch. I use it, but not a heavy application. That I know of, there is no oak wilt in this little area, but there are very large amounts in Austin where many thousands of old growth live oaks are being taken down.

Sad, really,

V

Need a good, cheap, knowledge expanding present for yourself or a friend?

[Jean B.]

As someone who should probably be called a tree hugger (not literally and not to be confused with a tree spiker), I find all of this incredibly sad.

[William Wagner]

Here is a URL of possible interest.

[MLEBLANCA]

For information regarding Sudden Oak Death (SOD) go to the CA Oak Mortality Website at

There are about 60 identified host plants (not just camellias and rhodies) some can have the disease and not die. The plants and symtoms are listed there as well as up to date information.

(I have posted this site several times; has anyone ever looked at it?)

Emilie NorCal

[escapee]

Yes, it is quite sad. There are some theories that the fungal mat in most large groves is being so disturbed that the properties in the structure of the soil is not able to take on these pathogens.

Need a good, cheap, knowledge expanding present for yourself or a friend?

[Ann]

[e-mail] (MLEBLANCA) expounded:

[MLEBLANCA]

Oh good, Ann. I'm glad someone got some use from it. (I should have known you would be interested!)

I check it out every so often to see what's going on. They have found so many host plants now, it's amazing. We don't have it here, but we are considered an "at risk" county, since there are many tanoaks in the foothills.

We're going camping up in the mountains this week, so I'll be away from the group for a few days. Will be catching up with all the posts at the end of the week. How's your summer going?

Emilie NorCal

[madgardener]

after going to this link, and seeing all the host plants and good pictures of what the disease looks like on some of the host plants, it is with a sad and apprehensive heart that I have to say that I have lost two rhodies to this fungus. The pictures are EXACTLY what I had to develope and kill my bushes I bought at Lowes last year and this year.

[madgardener]

I have checked this link out as I have also checked another link out and become rather dismayed to find such a large number of host plants there. And that I have several host plants of which some have died of what looks to be the fungus in question. I sincerely hope not. madgardener (have a good weekend, look forward to hearing back from you!)

[Ann]

[e-mail] (MLEBLANCA) expounded:

My summer is fine, I just wish I didn't work so much so I could spend more time in my garden! So many projects, so little time....and we're gearing up to tearing up the whole backyard for a new septic system......

[Jean B.]

Yes, I have--a while ago. Need to go back there again to refresh my memory.

[Tyler Hopper]

Very sad indeed. I drive the byways of the Hill Country quite often and see tens of thousands of dead live oaks.

I was out at a convent on the west side of San Antonio a while back. Probably the biggest live oak I've ever seen in my life was deader than a doornail. Many others were in decline.

Tyler