[CANUFNET] Basswood treated for spongy moth caterpillar control

[Iola Price]

Hello people - I posted the question about the basswood and early leaf drop
on behalf of a friend who had had the tree injected with Tree Azin.  At the
time I told my friend that I would ask professional foresters if the
treatment might have caused the leaf drop but that, in my non-professional
opinion, Tree Azin was not the problem but summer heat and drought might be
candidates.
My friend reached out to BioForest/Lallemand and Elsa Cousineau immediately
visited the property and looked at the tree in question.  She then posted a
reply which went only to me and should have gone to the entire CANUFNET
group.  So, here in its entirety, is Elsa Cousineau's response.  And it
mirrors other replies received.  Tree Azin was not the problem.  Iola Price


Good morning Iola,



Hope you’re doing well! I had a feeling you might have heard of these
basswoods! I’ve just come from visiting the property this morning and can
share my thoughts.

 For some context, the property owner reached out to BioForest/Lallemand
Plant Care asking if there could be a negative reaction following a
TreeAzin injection.

In our professional experience, and since TreeAzin has become available in
2008, we have never seen a tree react negatively immediately following an
injection, nor have we heard of a tree suffer from a phytotoxic reaction.


Upon hearing of these basswoods, our main concern was that these trees were
injected pre-bloom! TreeAzin’s label clearly states that all injections
must be conducted post-bloom, meaning once the flowers have dropped, to
reduce the risk to pollinators. Basswood trees bloom late in the season and
at a time when spongy moth larvae are no longer active. Therefore, spongy
moth treatments should never be conducted on any tilias.


Having seen these trees, I can attest that most are in good condition,
despite their age: they are quite mature, and some are showing signs of
decline not uncommon with trees that size (cankers, rot pockets, dead
limbs, etc.). Some are showing signs of a bacterial wetwood infection at
the injection sites, but bacterial wetwood, also known as slime flux,
should not be a contributing factor to canopy decline. A neighbouring
mature basswood that was not treated is also showing signs of early leaf
senescence.


Some of my colleagues across the province have noticed that some trees are
showing signs of early leaf senescence this year—perhaps a delayed reaction
to some of the droughty summers we’ve experienced over the past few years.



It’s really a shame that these trees were unnecessarily injected, and that
they are showing signs of decline, but I can’t say that the two are
directly related.  I hope the owner is able to work with an experienced
arborist to give them the care and maintenance they deserve.



Thanks, and talk soon,

Elsa



Elsa Cousineau

Spécialiste Technique – Technical Specialist
Arboricultrice certifiée de l’ISA – ISA Certified Arborist ON-2215A, TRAQ

Lallemand Plant Care

[image: Receiver outline]+1 647 529 0453    [image: Envelope outline]
ecousineau at lallemand.com

[image: Marker outline] Ottawa, ON, Canada
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