Concerned about Camphor tree

Arborist Forum

Help Support Arborist Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Jonathan555

ArboristSite Lurker
Joined
Jun 9, 2015
Messages
9
Reaction score
0
Location
Sacramento, CA
We recently bought a house that has two beautiful camphor trees. One appears to be thriving while the other is very thin with numerous dead branches throughout. I'm concerned about the health of this tree and wanted to get some input.

You can see from the pictures that the foliage on this tree is not very thick, with many branches throughout the tree having no leaves. The center of the tree is very open, with most of the branches having been pruned or looking barren. By comparison, the other camphor tree on our property seems much fuller throughout, though it does get more direct sunlight.

I posted a few pictures of the thin camphor along with one of the thicker camphor. I live in the Sacramento, CA area, where summers are hot and dry (CA drought and all that - it was 100 yesterday).

Input appreciated!
 

Attachments

  • thin camphor 1.jpg
    thin camphor 1.jpg
    272.1 KB · Views: 34
  • thin camphor 2.jpg
    thin camphor 2.jpg
    3.2 MB · Views: 36
  • thin camphor 3.jpg
    thin camphor 3.jpg
    2.8 MB · Views: 35
  • thick camphor.jpg
    thick camphor.jpg
    161.4 KB · Views: 34
Not familiar with camphor trees, your pics show a stressed tree, as seen in the thin yellowing crown. You need to rule out insects like aphids, mites and scales. Then look for diseases like Botryosphaeria & Verticillium. Soil fertility is very important, a sample to the lab is in order. At times it's best to hire a Arborist to take a look.
 
Not familiar with camphor trees, your pics show a stressed tree, as seen in the thin yellowing crown. You need to rule out insects like aphids, mites and scales. Then look for diseases like Botryosphaeria & Verticillium. Soil fertility is very important, a sample to the lab is in order. At times it's best to hire a Arborist to take a look.

Any tips on finding a good arborist? Looking around online, most of what I see tends to be an emphasis on pruning/limb removal. Also, what sort of remedy could potentially follow a soil test and help from an arborist?
 
Soil fertility & proper PH is important to tree health, test results would show deficiencies. Try the ISA website I think they list us by region.
http://www.isa-arbor.com/findanarborist/arboristsearch.aspx
An Arborist is a specialist in the caring for trees. Certified & licensed Arborist is trained to provide the care and maintenance necessary to promote a trees health, beauty and structural integrity. You get what you pay for rules apply.
 
Soil fertility & proper PH is important to tree health, test results would show deficiencies. Try the ISA website I think they list us by region.
http://www.isa-arbor.com/findanarborist/arboristsearch.aspx
An Arborist is a specialist in the caring for trees. Certified & licensed Arborist is trained to provide the care and maintenance necessary to promote a trees health, beauty and structural integrity. You get what you pay for rules apply.

Thanks - probably 95% of the info I'm seeing on the websites of arborists in my area is about trimming, pruning, grinding, etc., etc. Little mention of tree health, soil testing, fertility, etc. Only one or two companies seem to, so I guess I'm focusing on those for now.

Any ideas what the assessment and treatment might look like, along with costs (just so I know whether the companies are fair with me) ?
 
If you take a soil sample to your local conservation district office they will get it tested for you for a small fee. My take on an arborist would be to find one who could help me choose the right tree for my native soil, as revealed by that test. Why fight it? Every soil type has suitable trees and they will thrive with minimal maintenance.
 
I don't know what the rates are out on the left coast. Most simple estimates are done for no charge. Expect to pay for diagnostics from a knowledgeable Arborist.
I charge $80 a half hour for a on site consult, often I will wave that fee if the client hires us or is a good past customer. Gone are the days where I write the specs for a comprehensive tree recovery program in a quote just to have the homeowner use my info & hire low bidder.
 
I don't know what the rates are out on the left coast. Most simple estimates are done for no charge. Expect to pay for diagnostics from a knowledgeable Arborist.
I charge $80 a half hour for a on site consult, often I will wave that fee if the client hires us or is a good past customer. Gone are the days where I write the specs for a comprehensive tree recovery program in a quote just to have the homeowner use my info & hire low bidder.
Makes sense. What might a tree recovery program entail, work and cost wise?
 
Thanks for the response
Looks like your camphor's infected with the fireblight bacteria to my eye Jonathan.

http://www.bakersfield.com/news/2010/03/05/bacteria-threatens-plants.html

Are any of the limb tips bare or dead?

Back up with your camera so the entire tree's in the shot, like the pic when it was thick n healthy?

Some camphor's can survive the blight for many years before succumbing and kickin the bucket.

Your local county plant pathology lab'll confirm the blight's presence if you take a leaf n stem cutting to them for analysis in a sealed plastic bag, usually within one week.

Our county plant pathology lab provides this service free of charge here in San Diego.

The bacteria has so many vectors that spread it that it's almost impossible to eradicate. Flying insects, birds n squirrels n rats all can spread the bacteria with their feet, and even by arborists ignorant of the bacteria's presence, with their pruning tools.

I've spent many long hours pruning fireblight out of susceptible trees, submerging my tools in a bleach mixture between each cut to avoid spreading the bacteria in the tree. Thinking great, the tree's now bacteria free. But all it takes is one friggin bird or butterfly that's been in an infected tree, landing on a branch of the tree I just so painstakingly pruned, to re-infect it!

It's a losing game unless meticulously monitored to a degree that few can sustain IMO.

Confirm by lab analysis, then hire a real savvy arborist who knows how to dis-infect his pruning tools, and even his best efforts to save the tree's a crapshoot at best IME.

jomoco

Thanks for the response. The leaves on the tree seem pretty equally colored throughout, it's just that various branches, particularly towards the middle of the tree, are bare. It's not really tips per se, it's either the entire branch or nothing. Here are some additional pictures that show some branches that are bare mixed with those that aren't. I tried to set the photos against the sky so you can see better what's going on.
 

Attachments

  • 20150611_143309.jpg
    20150611_143309.jpg
    1.2 MB · Views: 9
  • 20150611_142638.jpg
    20150611_142638.jpg
    990.3 KB · Views: 11
  • 20150611_142601.jpg
    20150611_142601.jpg
    1.2 MB · Views: 11
  • 20150611_142813.jpg
    20150611_142813.jpg
    1 MB · Views: 9
  • 20150611_142733.jpg
    20150611_142733.jpg
    1.3 MB · Views: 9
  • 20150611_142932.jpg
    20150611_142932.jpg
    687.7 KB · Views: 9
Thanks for the response


Thanks for the response. The leaves on the tree seem pretty equally colored throughout, it's just that various branches, particularly towards the middle of the tree, are bare. It's not really tips per se, it's either the entire branch or nothing. Here are some additional pictures that show some branches that are bare mixed with those that aren't. I tried to set the photos against the sky so you can see better what's going on.

I screwed up on which disease nails camphor's Jonathan.

My apologies.

jomoco
 
Yes, looks like verticillium wilt to me.

Follow this link that illustrates one method of confirming a VW infection onsite by slicing a suspect branch along the wood grain with a knife.

http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/GARDEN/PLANTS/DISEASES/vertwilt.html

Verticillium wilt is caused by the soil-borne fungus, Verticillium dahliae. Infection typically occurs through roots; however, windblown spores may also enter through wounded tissue aboveground.

After entering host tissue, the pathogen invades water-conducting tissues and is transported throughout the tree via the sap stream. As the fungus moves systemically through the plant, infected water conducting tissues die. Water stress and nutrient shortage result, ultimately causing the symptoms described above.

The Verticillium fungus can survive in the soil for many years as microsclerotia. These tiny durable resting structures are spread whenever infested soil particles are moved via foot traffic, tools, wind, or water. Germinating microsclerotia are capable of infecting roots of susceptible plants (table 1). Microsclerotia do not survive as well in wet conditions.

dISeaSe management

Verticillium wilt disease cannot be cured, but the life of trees showing mild symptoms can possibly be prolonged with proper tree care:

• Prune and destroy symptomatic twigs and branches. Sanitize pruners between cuts with a commercial sanitizer, 10% Lysol disinfectant, 10% bleach, or rubbing alcohol.

• When disease is detected, apply a fertilizer high in nitrogen to promote tree vigor.

• Water trees liberally as needed during summer, especially the first few years after planting. Research indicates that trees that are watered generously are infected less frequently than those under water stress. Do not overwater.

Trees with severe symptoms cannot be saved. • Remove and destroy entire affected tree

or shrub.• Replant with resistant plant species

(table 2) or cultivars.


jomoco
 
If you take a soil sample to your local conservation district office they will get it tested for you for a small fee. My take on an arborist would be to find one who could help me choose the right tree for my native soil, as revealed by that test. Why fight it? Every soil type has suitable trees and they will thrive with minimal maintenance.

There is no fee in California, we do it all the time.
Jeff
 
That is the place to take it. A sample can be as simple as digging with a small garden trowel and take in a fist sized sample of the soil from about 6 inches down in a paper bag.
 
You can also look for a Registered Consulting Arborist (Registered under ASCA- American Society of Consulting Arborists). They are often ISA certified as well, but focus more on giving consultations and prescriptions rather than doing the physical aspects of tree care.
 
Back
Top