Recently, I  have gotten a significant numbers of phone calls from concerned citizens about loosing their trees.  This is especially important in Hopkins county where trees and forests are abundant.  After visiting these locations, I  have noticed that the vast majority were post oak trees. The post oak trees can be quite large and are usually planted near homes for shade. 

              The post oak tree is a common variety of oak found in our local forests.   They can be fairly intolerant of human activities. The life cycle of a post oak tree  is considerable slower than other plants and any factor that might compromise their lifespan is not necessarily seen right away. By the time we note that something is wrong with the post oak, it is usually too late to do anything about it. Therefore, post oak trees die in a slow process and several years might pass before the point when we recognize it is happening.

               Many of the factors affecting tree death come from the environment. The effects of droughts that occurred years ago can show their detrimental effect many years later for the trees. Scientific reports also indicate that a slight increase in temperature can cause tree death. The most important thing that can be done is to learn how to identify your trees, locate those that are more sensitive to human activities and avoid causing stress to them.

              In many cases, ant and borer insects will then attack a post oak tree causing it to further be weakened. Fungal infections can also occur. Stressed trees are more susceptible to fungal infections, like hypoxylon canker.  The first signs that might be noticed is a discoloration of the branches and the leaves.  Trees affected  by hypoxylon canker loose portions of the bark, with the exposure of brown masses of infected tissue. The sap of the tree changes from a dark brown color then eventually turns gray. This process normally occurs over a period of several months or years. It is during the death process of the tree that infectious particles of the fungus are released, infecting other trees. There is no treatment for the disease and the use of external anti fungal treatments have very little effect since the fungus always grows inside the tree.

              The best control of hypoxylon canker is to maintain healthy trees. Some of the ways you can do is to avoid injury to the tree trunks and never apply fill soil around the tree because it can change soil characteristics.  Avoid construction around the root system and avoid nailing anything into the tree.

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