Because trees are so slow to react, there may be no more difficult plant to diagnose.
Most of the symptoms we see are a result of something that happened months or eve years ago.
The other problem in diagnosing is half the plant is under ground where we can not see what is happening.
It is very important to remember this when you start the diagnosis process.
The first thing is not to walk up to the symptom such as a group of dead leaves and stand there staring at it, looking for an answer.
The first thing you should do is start from a distance and slowly survey the entire tree from top to bottom.
What is the top of the tree doing? This is the longest distance the phloem and xylem have to carry water and nutrients, so often it will tattle tale a problem first.
Second step, what is happening around the tree?
Is there any weeds that look like they were sprayed and killed? Are there no weeds at all? A sign of a sterilent, because weeds can grow in cement, so why aren't there any around the tree?
Get the water schedule written down. Buy a cheap water meter and probe all around the tree over a weeks period to try and get an idea of what the water is doing once it goes below two inches or so. Is the tree drowning in too much water? Not enough water during heat stress times? Is there fertilizer from the lawn company over stressing the tree? What kind of weed killer is the lawn company using?
Has the environment changed such as a neighboring tree cut down? This may have allowed more sun or wind damage than normal. Signs of digging such as a new trench for a service line nearby. How are the trees and plants nearby doing?
When I walk onto a yard I get very frustrated with people who deny, deny, deny, as I'm asking questions. The attitude should be an open mind and an open discussion. If a weed killer was used we might as well admit to it. Better to have correct information than try and protect an ego over something that shouldn't have been done.
Third step is to break the tree down into sections starting with the trunk.
Start at the bottom and work your way up. If the bottom of the tree looks like a fence post or telephone pole then there is a problem to address. The trunk flare is that spreading area at the bottom of the tree. This should always be open to air, if it isn't the tree slowly suffocates over a ten to fifteen year period. So this may not be why we are having issues but it can be contributing to the problem.
The next part of the trunk is to look for damage.
Two common issues are Sunscald and Mower damage.
The living arteries are just below the bark on the tree so damage to the trunk is very easy to do. And these arteries (layman term for phloem and xylem) run pretty much vertical up the tree. So if you rip the tree open on one side, you'll see the damage on up the leaf structure up that side.
Also look for conks or mushrooms growing on the trees, this can be sign of internal rot. If you see moss on the tree than it is obvious in a very wet fungus happy environment.
Are there cracks or pitch oozing out. Pitch is the trees ability to catch bores and suffocate that bore, so the tree is telling you it is under attack.
BTW: I often hear, "bores are killing that tree", bores and insects job in nature is to seek out the weak and finish it off to make room for healthy trees in a forest. So you are seeing a symptom not a cause with bores or insect attacks.
Is there incorrect pruning problems where the branch collar is cut off. This will prevent the tree from healing properly.
Now look for tree houses, ropes left on too long, cables, all of those other un-natural issues.
Fourth Step is to take a look at the leaves or needles. Look at all the leaves, are the smaller than nearby trees? How has the tree been doing the last few year in new growth (Click Here).
Are the veins bright green on the leaves on the inside or outside of the canopy? (Click Here)
Leaves show symptoms but you have to track backwards from that and look at the environment and history to find what is causing the symptoms.
Tree Log: Since these things happen over time, if you really want to get an accurate diagnosis you have to create a diary for that tree and all the things happening to it every month. If you do this over a years period, something will jump out as to the real cause and you will be able to give an accurate diagnosis.
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