25 Oct Fungus on a tree – How do I get rid of it?
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Fungus growing on your trees?
Fungus can be cause for concern for a lot of people. After all, most diseases are from fungus so it’s understandable that you want to know that your tree isn’t going to get killed off! The most common concern is fungus on apple or crab apple trees. The information in this article applies to all trees so we’ve got you covered.
The key part of this is common fungus. If your tree has a serious disease full management and control strategies are going to have to be put in place.
For the ones to really keep an eye on and what to do check out our Article called ‘Top 5 Deadly Tree Diseases’.
Fungus is quite complex and there’s many different types and variations.
We’ll also include which fruiting fungi (mushrooms) grow on trees that are harmful. Generally mushrooms grow on dead trees but there are quite a few that will grow on a living tree.
Some are lethal whereas others aren’t. That’s what we’re here today to decipher for you! Alongside some tree treatment for fungus.
Superficial Fungi
- Powdery Mildews
- Athracnose
- Tar Spot
- Sooty Mold
- Shot Hole
- Any mushrooms apart from those mentioned in the ‘Lethal Fungus’ section
Harmful Fungi
- Honey Fungus
- Bracket Fungi/Yellow Tree Fungus
- Needle Blight
- Chicken of the woods
- Cankers disease
How to get rid of them
Superficial Fungi
For the superficial Fungi treatment falls in the same routine barring Sooty Mould. It’s advised if you want to get rid of these Fungi to first of all, remove the affected area. This could be the branch, leaves, fallen leaves etc. Wherever the Fungus is, remove it. Following the decontamination apply fungicide following the instructions. It’s never guaranteed that it will fix the issue but it definitely can help in some cases. There is also the option of having fungicide injected into a tree through an air spade.
Sooty Mould is the one exception although it’s also a superficial fungus. It only covers the tree or plant like a base coat of paint. To get rid of it a popular home remedy is soapy water or soapy water spray. It’s best to use the spray in the afternoon so it has the evening/night to soak it up, a similar method to treating scales on plants. If this doesn’t work or you want to go hard the first time you can use insecticidal soap instead.
Harmful Fungi
A quick safety note – if a tree has some hitchhikers that decay the tree it should be tested for rigidity and safety!
So, this is where it can get a bit tricky… A lot of these Fungi will kill off plants and trees so if you notice it, there’s only a short window to prevent the carnage.
Honey fungus also known as armillaria honey fungus (armillaria being its latin) is the prime example for this.
Unfortunately if a tree is infected it’s essentially already dead. The next steps would be to have it removed and safely disposed of to prevent further spreading.
Bracket Fungi is lethal because of the decay it causes in the heartwood of trees (the main supporting pillar of the trunk). Eventually, it will become so brittle and decayed it will fall.
To treat it unfortunately there’s nothing you can do apart from take off branches that are infected to prevent further spread.
Needle Blight causes the needles of conifers to turn reddish brown and fall off. It can sometimes cause death in a tree.
There’s hope with needle blight, the treatment follows the same protocol as the superficial fungi. Removing affected foliage from the tree and the ground and applying fungicide.
Chicken of the Woods mushrooms, like Bracket Fungi, cause brown rot also in the heartwood of the tree. This means decay spreads far and can lead to the tree to self felling.
Treatment for this mushroom is quite limited. If there is severe decay already and it’s threatening safety, the tree will need to be felled. Otherwise, you can try to make your tree last through practises to maintain health and nourishment.
What Fungicides can I use?
Going down the fungicide route, you can take to the shops and find a product that suits your needs. If you’d prefer a bit of experimentation or are drawn to a more holistic approach look down below for some home remedies.
The following are mixed together and used in a spray bottle on the affected area:
Baking Soda
Mix 1 tablespoon of baking soda, ½ teaspoon of liquid soap (e.g. washing up liquid) into 3.5L of water.
Vinegar Spray
Mix 4 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar with 3.5L of water.
Camomile Tea
Brew camomile tea and leave to cool. Once cool you can apply it to the area through spray or drizzling.
Can I use bleach as a fungicide?
Some people might say that you can use a mixture of bleach and water as a fungicide. This is true for getting rid of mould in your home so in principal it should work. Personally, I wouldn’t recommend this could as it could do some severe damage. I’d 100% stay away from this if it’s for a younger tree as it will be easier to damage.
Fungus can be very frustrating to get rid of, once it’s there it’s super hard to shift. There’s no guarantee that fungicide will work. If you stick to the instructions though you’ll get the best possible outcome.
Hopefully we’ll have answered most of your questions about tree fungi!
Did anything suprise you?
Still have some questions?
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