posted March 28, 2006 03:41 PM         

It sounds like the best thing you can do is make sure that your trees are getting a healthy balance of the proper nutrients, which doesn't necessarily mean is has to be artificial fertilizers. I'm sure you could find some good organic stuff or make your own concoction. It also seems like the most important thing to protect the healthy trees is to remove the diseased trees.
This page talked about that- http://www.treehelp.com/trees/oak/diseases-oak-wilt.asp

posted March 28, 2006 03:53 PM         

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posted March 28, 2006 03:58 PM         

-------------- http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech/agriculture/soilfoodweb/SFI-Ezine/msg00012.html

Dr Ingham,

Can you tell me whether there has been any research done by SFI on
"oak
wilt" or "live oak decline"? I was reading the
introductory e-zine and what
spurred me to ask this question is the part on bacteria vs. fungal
dominated
soils, the latter being proper to forrests. I have a ranch in Texas with
many
live oaks and other oaks, but many are dying as a result of "oak
wilt". So far as I
know, no one (e.g. TX A&M Univ.) even knows what causes this disease,
whether
its bacteria, virus or fungus--it is highly disputed.

Could it be that there is simply not enough fungal activity (for
whatever
reason) to produce enough ammonia, and if so, would watering the
affected
trees with a diluted ammonia solution help restore the proper fungi to
the
soil and end the problem?

I would appreciate your input on this. Sincerely, Chris

A-3.)
Hello Chris-
Oak wilt, at least in other parts of the country, seems to be an
Armillaria-caused disease, although it's probably actually a
"community" of
root-rot fungi that do the attacking.

Typically the things that help root rot fungi are high levels of nitrate
and reduced oxygen in the soil, such as in compacted soil. So,improve
soil
structure - don't compact - and the root rot will be reduced.

If you apply ammonium in a bacterial-dominated soil, the nitrifying
bacteria will convert the ammonium to nitrate before you can say
Nitrosomonas. And then the root rots will thank you for helping them
out.

So, I wouldn't go for N in any form as a treatment for oak wilt.
Probably
the problem is N deposition from atmospheric sources of pollution, much
as
they have experienced in Europe. We're just starting to see these
impacts
here in the States.

The thing to do for too high N is to add sugar, and get the bacteria and
fungi to tie-up the excess nitrate in soil organic matter. this would
help
combat the disease, in that the selective factor for the root rots is
high
nitrate, and reducing high nitrate would select against the disease. But
be careful with adding too much sugar. Add too much, and the bacteria
tie-up ALL your N, and the trees die. Optimal is the important point
here.

Or, get a good grass-oak leaf mulch down around the trees, and use a
compost tea to inoculate the beneficial organisms that should combat the
disease problems on the roots. Harry Hoitink has suggested that the
organisms in a good compost can give you systemic acquired resistance,
which would combat the root rot fungi most likely causing oak wilt.

But, it sure would be nice to have the funding to do the detailed work
to
determine what the problem is for certain.

Elaine

posted March 28, 2006 04:00 PM         

----------
Hi P----,

My guess is that the biodynamic folks have been working on compost teas
and other preparations for neutralizing the damaging effects of oak
wilt. A close friend of mine in Brenham, Tim Kiphart, bought a tea
spreader and was following the whole tea movement pretty closely. Tim
works on pasture improvement and soil fertility and follows the native
plant and ecological restoration lists.

Also, Malcolm Beck and Elaine Ingham would likely know about the uses of
teas against oak wilt. Even closer to home might be Gary Freeborg,
Betsy Ross or Jerimiah Cunningham.

Are you trying to prevent oak wilt from infecting a stand of trees or
are you trying to cure a tree already infected? Are you familiar with
how oak wilt spreads and what the general remedy is for it? Typically,
they trench three feet deep around the trees and pump fungicides down
into the root system.

Here's a general course of action to consider. Gather soil samples from
underneath a few different healthy stands of oaks (even better, find
some oaks that have survived the fungus). Also select from a mixed
stand of trees rather than from solitary oak stands. Spread the
collected soils underneath the trees you are trying to protect, mulch
them lightly and treat the area with a mild compost tea to feed the
flora and fauna you have imported.

There's another way to import flora and fauna using cooked rice in a
bowl but I don't recall the method.

As a spot treatment against the fungus, you could spray natural
anti-fungal agents like horses tail, eucalyptus, china berry and neem
under the affected trees. I wouldn't spray this on the material you
import, as it may disrupt the conditions necessary for your imported
cultures to take.

Also I recommend, slightly lowering your soil pH by adding halfway
decomposed juniper duff.

Once a tree gets infected though, it's pretty rare to turn it around.
Good luck,

posted March 28, 2006 04:03 PM         

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"An interesting point was brought up about using swales to help our oaks be
healthier and defend themselves against oak wilt. The swales would help the
oaks have more water and nutrients available and have less stress in general.
Of course this is not the only thing we can do. I remember Martha saying that
her oaks were unaffected while all around her land oak wilt was in full swing.
She is doing organics and rotational grazing (and other things too that I don't
remember). These elements help as well.