Saturday 8 August 2015

Poor sad tree

One of the chestnut trees on the Stray is looking very unhappy. I don't think it's the chestnut leaf miner moth causing the problem - I'll try to get a close-up of the leaves so that whatever it is shows up more clearly. Maybe it's just old age (not alone there) or too dry or too wet or too lonely. Or maybe it's one of the other chestnut pathogens. Most of the chestnuts on the Stray are looking fine, so fingers crossed that they continue to be OK.






I wonder if this is what it's suffering from:
(information from http://www.forestry.gov.uk/fr/infd-6kyc5f:)

"Guignardia leaf blotch

Caused by the fungus Guignardia aesculi, the disease produces reddish or dull brown, irregular blotches that are often concentrated at the tips and margins of infected leaflets. The blotches are often outlined by a conspicuous yellow band (see the photo). Occasional browning without the yellow margin may be caused by ‘xylem limited’ bacteria."




Let's hope not.

2 comments:

  1. Toni, I do think you should report it to Patrick Kilburn and request that a Council Arborist inspects it as soon as possible. Whilst it may not kill the tree it may spread and disfigure the vast majority of the Strays oldest trees. Well spotted. I have noticed some of the smaller trees on the Skipton Road Stray are dropping foliage.

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  2. Toni, as I drove by various parts of the Stray today I counted 5 Horse Chestnut trees in a similar condition. I also noticed some of the other varieties look to be suffering a similar problem. One of the sacred Cherry trees is totally dead!
    Many months ago I asked HBC for a tree plan of the Stray so I could do a survey of them - part of our proposed volunteer work on the Stray. Unfortunately the plan was never forthcoming but I will try to create one myself.

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