balsam fir question

[Gopher]

O.K. guys (and girls), put on your helpful thinking caps for me.

Twelve balsam firs, transplanted six years ago (they are about 15 feet tall now); have a bluish-gray colored fungal? growth on some of the branches. The growth seems inhibited. Any ideas?

Actually, a friend e-mailed me about this, and said the same stuff is on an oak tree he moved, too.

I sent him a reply loaded with questons to see if I could figure it out without a picture or seeing for myself.

Any ideas on this with the limited details? (I've already asked him to send me a picture, and detail more about where on the branch, etc.)

Thanks.

Gopher

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

Your not talking about lichen, are you?
It's possible the fungi and tree health are not connected. Check the root flair and get some pictures.

 

[Gopher]

I'm not sure, Mike, but he is sending me pictures tonight, and then maybe I'll be able to figure it out. I think he was trying to test me to see if I could come up with what it might be by description. I won't jump into that trap.

If I am still not sure what it is after receiving pictures, I'll popst them.

Gopher

 

[Gopher]

O.K., he sent me four pictures, and yes it is lichen. One tee has got it growing and it is really piled up on a few beranches.

Is there anything that can be done about this lichen growth?

It also hapens to be on a small transplanted oak.

I've seen lichen on all kinds of things, including trees, but not usually as thick either.

I'm sure he'll want to know what he can do, and I suppose the answer would be to create conditions not suitable for lichen growth.

Gopher

If it ain't one thing, it's another!

 

[treeclimber165]

ummmmmm, wipe it off?

I've been known to wipe off some particularly thick areas of lichen when fine pruning trees. Usually when I'm demossing, and picking away anyways.

 

[Gopher]

Hey, it would work on the small oak, but on one of the firs, it would probably be better to remove the limb (it is that thick).

I'll dig into lichens a little deeper and see what conditions they thrive in and which ones they don't.

Gopher