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Purple fungis

Started by Button, May 26, 2005, 07:45:23 AM

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Button

 I visited a freind that is ten minutes away and asked why all of his oaks are dying. Half are dead and of the other half, half of those are dying. It looks to be a total loss in a few years. He said he showed this purple fungis to a local garden shop and was told it would kill every oak he had. I panicked for my trees are a lot bigger than his and somewhat valuable. I called the local state forester and was told he has an orange striped oakworm that is defoliating the leaves and if it continues to do so it would kill his trees. The forester also said there has not been a documented case of the purple fungis in connecticut yet, that it is a slow mover and that they did not know if it was airborn or not. This fungis came over from china into california on rhododendroms *(sp?) then shipped to every state in the us with a good number to Connecticut. Should I be worried ? Could oak prices plummet ? Thanks in advance, Sincerely,
Peter
66 timberjack 230
394xp
365 special x 2
woodmaster
the rabbits may outrun the skidder but the saw will catch up to the tree

SwampDonkey

Personally, I don't know what to suggest button except to monitor to health of your woods. Do this with visual inspections of the tree canopies for signs of decline. I'm wondering if this fungus has symptoms that would be distinct and recognizeable without cutting the tree down to identify it. I'm also wondering if there will ultimately be a quarentine area in high risk areas for the disease. Does it favor one species group over another? Hate to see anyone having to harvest their woodlot over foreign pests, but if it helps control it then maybe it's a good thing. I would suggest keeping in touch with your state forestry officials to keep on top of any measures that may be helpful or required to control it. I would think if something was threatening oak, that the local/regional price may be affected by a glut from increased harvesting. Depends if people take a knee jerk reaction to it.

Sorry, this is a real head scratcher  :-\
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Fraxinus

I doubt if it's related, but oak prices have already dropped quite drastically.
Grandchildren, Bluegrass music, old tractors, trees and sawmills.  It don't get no better'n that!

saccharum

Based on what you said, the garden shop must have been saying that it was the sudden oak death fungus, Phytophthora ramorum.  I have a VERY hard time believing that a garden shop would be able to accurately diagnose this.  It needs to be cultured in a laboratory from a sample to make an real diagnosis.  In any case, although the fungus has been found in a few places in the country in nursery material shipped from California, there hasn't been a documented case of the actual disease in an oak tree in the US, outside of California and Oregon.  We don't even know if it will affect eastern oak species in the same way.

This description, though, the "purple fungus."  Do you mean that you had a purple mushroom, or purple vascular streaking in the wood, or what?  In the future, take it to the county extension agent, garden shops are essentially worthless for disease diagnosis.

Button

 The state forester I talked to said the only way to identify this killer fungis is through dna testing. My woods look fine to me, but just in case I have an appointment with the forester set for july 13. I also will have a ziplocked sample for him when he comes.  Why is it the higher the lumberyard gets for 2 x 4's the lower the price to the landowner ??? >:( :( enjoy the day
Peter
66 timberjack 230
394xp
365 special x 2
woodmaster
the rabbits may outrun the skidder but the saw will catch up to the tree

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