The Society to Prevent Dutch Elm Disease (STOPDED) reminds Albertans to check their trees for Dutch elm disease (DED) symptoms.
‘All species of elm trees in Alberta are susceptible to DED,’ explains Janet Feddes-Calpas, executive director of STOPDED.
‘The disease can kill an elm within weeks of infection and is spread by the elm bark beetles. If a tree is infected with this fungus the tree must be removed and disposed of immediately to prevent further spread of the disease.’
She says to look for:
- flagging – leaves of one or more branches near the top of the tree may wilt, curl, turn yellow and then brown, remaining on the tree
- staining – an infected twig sample will have red streaks through the sapwood
Feddes-Calpas adds that DED is spreading west of Moose Jaw and moving closer to the Alberta-Saskatchewan border.
Elms suspected to have DED symptoms must be tested at a lab for the presence of the fungus. All samples taken in Alberta are processed free of cost at the Alberta Agriculture and Forestry Plant Heath Laboratory.
Source : alberta.ca