We've had extreme drought conditions in Northern California. Two days ago my 18 year old Red Oak began dropping it's green leaves and dripping sap from the trunk. Is this due to the drought? Am I going to lose my tree?
Stressed Red Oak
- Thread starter Cmyoak
- Start date
Help Support Arborist Forum:
Dripping sap from trunk is not direct cause of drought Do you know what species of oak? Leaf drop can certainly be a defense mechanism. How big is the tree? you will want to keep the roots moist..but obviously that is tough with water restrictions. mulch over the root is helpful for keepin moisture in soil
When I moved in, they called it a Red Oak. It's about 18 years old and taller than my one story house. Up until this year, it's been pretty healthy. Earlier this year several roots came to the surface. Now, like I said, it's dropping green leaves and dripping sap from the trunk.
does it look like Sudden Oak Death? Not sure how wide spread that is in CA, or where you are in CA...but when you said sap dripping from the trunk that is the first thing that came to my mind. We don't have it in the east...so I have no direct experience with it, just have been trained to look for it.
More info: http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74151.html
More info: http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74151.html
ropensaddle
Feel Lucky
Is the bark flaking off ?
No, not that I can tell. It's become really dark though. There's also one section of the trunk that has become ash white.
Take a good sniff of that foaming sap ooze & let us know if it smells like stale beer.
This is why Raintree asked you to sniff it: http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/garden/02910.html
ropensaddle
Feel Lucky
That raintree dude really get around
Diagnosis is NOT slime flux; it is frothy flux. The arborist could have cleaned it for you (a lot of that bark is dead) and attended to soil health.
