Gardening

KatyMan

(4,278 posts) Wed Jul 27, 2016, 02:39 PM Jul 2016

Help with dying trees...!

We live in Katy, TX, far west Houston and have several Japanese blueberry trees and one Japanese plum that are dying and we don't know why. The earliest we can get somebody here to take a look is next week, so I thought I'd post here to get some opinions. Here are the pics:

Now it's been pretty hot here lately, and we've had probably an average amount of rain, and the sprinklers run a couple of times a week, so they should be nicely watered. Does anyone have any idea what could be wrong?
I don't know why the pics show up sideways, they don't on direct link...

Thanks, and I'll hang up and listen

6 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Help with dying trees...! (Original Post) KatyMan Jul 2016 OP

Beyond my meager gardening skills BUT-- packman Jul 2016 #1

I think that is lichen, not scale. I also see some moss. femmocrat Jul 2016 #3

They get a lot of sun KatyMan Jul 2016 #4

Call your local extension office Major Nikon Jul 2016 #2

Good idea, thanks KatyMan Jul 2016 #5

Although this is out of the area I work in I would guess that your plum tree has borer Botany Jul 2016 #6

packman

(16,296 posts)

1. Beyond my meager gardening skills BUT--

Reply to KatyMan (Original post)

Wed Jul 27, 2016, 03:55 PM

Jul 2016

surely you could send pixs to an agriculture school in Texas. Looks like scale to me - but, again, I kill everything I plant.

femmocrat

(28,394 posts)

3. I think that is lichen, not scale. I also see some moss.

Reply to packman (Reply #1)

Wed Jul 27, 2016, 04:15 PM

Jul 2016

Could you be over-watering? Or are they in a very shady spot?

KatyMan

(4,278 posts)

4. They get a lot of sun

Reply to femmocrat (Reply #3)

Thu Jul 28, 2016, 09:03 AM

Jul 2016

We could be over watering; I turned the sprinklers on from 3x a week to 5x because it's been so hot and the grass is dying. I'll turn them back down and see how that goes.
thanks!

Major Nikon

(36,899 posts)

2. Call your local extension office

Reply to KatyMan (Original post)

Wed Jul 27, 2016, 04:12 PM

Jul 2016

Ask a Master Gardener Helpline
Phone: (281) 855-5600
email: hcmga1@yahoo.com

http://harris.agrilife.org/contact/

KatyMan

(4,278 posts)

5. Good idea, thanks

Reply to Major Nikon (Reply #2)

Thu Jul 28, 2016, 09:03 AM

Jul 2016

I'll give them a try and report back!

Botany

(72,398 posts)

6. Although this is out of the area I work in I would guess that your plum tree has borer

Reply to KatyMan (Original post)

Fri Jul 29, 2016, 08:16 PM

Jul 2016

Look to see if you can see patches of "gummy stuff" that is coming out of the bark.

If > the 60 % of the tree's twigs snap and have no green to them (peal back the bark
and look for green) then cut the tree down and plant a native tree.

The lichens that you have shown here have NOTHING TO DO WITH THE TREE'S HEALTH.

Also @ the base of the tree you might have a problem with the tree's graft.

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