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honey locust problems

12 years ago

My honey locusts went from thriving to almost dead in less than a week. Can't figure out what it might be. Neighbors have a honey locust too, and it is dying also. They all started dying the same time and they are on a completely different watering schedule and fertilization routine.

Any ideas?

{{gwi:403960}}

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Comments (10)

brettn_10
Original Author
12 years ago
Also, all other trees in the neighborhood are doing great.
arktrees
12 years ago
We need allot more information. How long have they been planted? Where are you? What else has happened to the area recently? Around the trees? Fertilization routine you mention? Symptoms? Pics of the trunk, base of the tree at ground level, the whole tree, and close up of leaves etc that you say are dying. IN short ANYTHING you can tell us.

Arktrees
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Dan _Staley (5b Sunset 2B AHS 7)
12 years ago
What ark said. And why are you wasting money on a 'fertilization routine', and what is it specifically?

Dan
brettn_10
Original Author
12 years ago
Sorry, I wasn't trying to imply that there was an actual scheduled routine for fertilization. I was simply making reference to the fact that the neighbors have fertilized their lawn at different times and with different types and amounts of fertilizer.

The trees were planted last October. Winter came on really quick and lasted an abnormally long time this last year. Trees got leaves about 4-5 weeks later than normal. Most of the other trees are doing great. I've got some flowering pear that are great besides the wind topping one of them. I've got a few lombardy poplars. The honey crisp apple is good. The ash is great as are the maples. One of the lapin cherries is great, while the other one is really struggling. I had supposed that it was due to a hard freeze in mid November that came earlier than usual.

There were no noticeable symptoms. The honeylocusts were doing great. Lush and green and in full bloom, covered in those lumpy light green flowers. My wife mentioned seeing some aphids, but it wasn't an abnormal amount. Then the trees went from thriving to withered with many dried crispy leaves in about 3-4 days, right when the weather got above 85F. It happened so fast to one of the trees (pictured above) that the leaves didn't even have time to change color. They just completely dried out almost overnight. Those leaves you can see in the picture are not soft at all. If I grab them, they will just crumble. This isn't just one branch either. Half the tree was dead in just under two days, and the rest took about two more days.

Another tree started earlier but took an extra couple days and half the tree turned yellow. The yellow leaves never got crispy but instead just started falling off. Here is a close up of that one.

{{gwi:403961}}
brettn_10
Original Author
12 years ago
Just called the state Ag College and talked to the head of plants, soils, and climate. They are thinking that it is winter damage. I didn't plant them until late October and it turns out that the frost I mentioned was the second week in November.

He said that the winter damage shows no noticeable problems until there is any kind of water stress. We had a really long wet spring, where it rained almost every day. Then as soon as the temps got above 85, the plants died. Seems to fit the description pretty well. He's urging me to be patient and see which branches try to come back and then prune the others off.
Dan _Staley (5b Sunset 2B AHS 7)
12 years ago
Still scant info, but the germane info useful nonetheless. Likely tree had no storage products in branches and roots, and late planting and early winter did it in. Might be other factors at work as well. Hard to say with given info whether it will recover, esp since no info on watering is given.

Dan
arktrees
12 years ago
Without the pictures requested, and knowing how few people know how to properly plant, I'm going with DDA#1 (Dan's Default Answer #1) as a major contributor as well.

Arktrees
Dan _Staley (5b Sunset 2B AHS 7)
12 years ago
Dan's Default #1 is always seemingly in play, Ark, and works much faster to cause mortality in cases such as this.

I'm looking out the windows frequently today to watch our Special District's landscape contractor cut down 60+ dead/dying trees, many due to DD#1, most are honey locust, which are picky and sensitive at first. (Maybe I should just type DD1 for short...).

Dan
whaas_5a
12 years ago
Perhaps Honeylocust pod gall midge
bidge632000
10 years ago
Hi All,

I have a huge Honey Locust tree that is the most wicked plant that I have experienced, the thorns will go through the toughest boots and clothing, Has anyone any experience of cutting one down or at least bringing it under control.
I live in Spain and asked a local tree surgeon to give me a quote to bring it down, He just laughed and said good luck!!

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