I have the greenish fuzz developing on a few of my apple trees. Is this a fungus and if so how do I treat it? I’m somewhat new to gardening and greatly appreciate any advice you an offer. Thank you!
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If you can post pics, it will help a great deal. It could just be moss growing but it could be other things.
To post a pic.
When you create a post or reply, you will get a dialog box.
On the top of the box, there are several symbols
Click on the one that look like an arrow going up
It will lead to your pic album (at least from my iPad and iPhone)
If you store pics in your device, click on Choose from Files
Choose your pic from Photo Library
Click Upload
As a new member, you may be allowed to post one pic each post.
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Yeah pictures would help. Without pictures as far as we know it could also just be the fuzz that Apple branches get in the winter.
Thank you for the tip on uploading pics. I just edited the thread with a photo.
Thanks Aiden. Just uploaded a pic.
Looks like something has taken a lichen to your tree branches. It is neat looking and I believe it is harmless.
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Hey thanks. That is a relief!
Lichens, in certain climates, are very common. A tour of your property would likely reveal other examples. The lichens are not specific to fruit trees.
Its a very nasty lichen, that can ultimately choke and kill your tree. It loves flowering trees. I almost lost a beautiful Stewartia to it. It will spread to all flowering fruit trees given a chance. Besides it spreads in tufts, very quickly. The spores are air-borne.
What did you use to get rid of it?
Lichen if not overgrown will not be a problem. But it looks like yours is at a point that requires some action to control it. Besides the fungicides, the tree may need to prune to open center or a way to let sun comes into the canopy and increase the air circulation
Fruticose lichen.
I couldn’t find anything to kill it. I would get up on a ladder and cut limbs, branches and pull the stuff off by hand. What a mess. Get rid of it.
A review of the literature of lichens says…
They are epiphytes, and do no harm .
So not likely to cause a problem.
Some people may find them unsightly.
I think they are facilitating, a mini ecosystem on the bark of a tree.
So many different kinds , everywhere.
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Not entirely true. They can take over bark, their eco system and kill the tree. Sorry, I’ve seen it.
Mumm.
Well I have seen dead trees covered in lichens.
“All “of my fruit trees have lichens growing on them.
Most seem healthy.
Occasionally one dies . And yes it has lichens on it .
Just like the healthy ones do.
I am not saying “I personally know “if they are of causing any harm. Or not ?
Just that in the literature, people that have studied them, seem to think they cause NO harm.
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The exception to this that I have seen was…
Coffee farmers on a high mountain cloud forest areas of Guatemala, where everything was festooned in lichens .
They were using the back side of a machete to scrap the lichens off the branches of coffee bushes .
They seamed to think this was important…to remove them.
Given the low profit of a coffee farmer, and the tedium of the job.
It’s unlikely they would devote so much labor to a task if it was not important. ?
So who knows ?..
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Ask your county extension agent.
My 30-year old quince tree has been covered with lichens and moss for the past 25 years and productivity has not fallen a bit. Styrax tree the same (produces tiny nuts).
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In many cases, you still wouldn’t know!
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