Vaccines for Trees

Dutch Elm Disease and Oak Wilt Can Be Prevented

As the summer warms over the next several weeks, elms infected with Dutch elm disease and oaks infected with oak wilt will start to flag. Flagging is when the leaves at the ends of the branches turn light brown and begin to droop. The drooping is caused by the tree trying to restrict the spread of the disease by plugging up its circulatory system. In both types of trees, the disease is faster at moving through the tree than the tree is at trying to block it. Eventually the disease wins and the tree dies.

Fortunately, there are therapies available to prevent infection of these diseases. Much like vaccines, the treatments are primarily effective in preventing the initial infection of the disease. Once an infection occurs on American and red elm; and red, northern pin and eastern pin oaks, there is little that can be done for that tree. The first step is to prevent infection of susceptible trees. The next step is to remove the diseased tree. White and Bur oaks with oak wilt may be treated therapeutically if the disease has not progressed to the point where the tree is too compromised to respond.

Tree preservation is our goal with all susceptible trees. We offer a three year treatment guarantee on our elm tree preventative treatments and a two year treatment guarantee on our preventive oak applications*. Rainbow has been providing this service since 1976 and has a significant track record of success in preventing infection of trees. The products we use have been fully tested and evaluated to provide a level of protection that is the best in the industry. When it comes to protecting your trees we only use name brand products with decades of research evaluation and support.

If you have concerns about oaks and elms on your property, please contact Rainbow Treecare for a professional evaluation of the health of your trees. Our college degreed and Board Certified Consulting Arborists will provide you with state of the art expertise and sound advice on protecting the trees in your landscape.

*For more information on our preventive treatment guarantees please contact our main office or your Rainbow Arborist.

 

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