How to Control Tree Diseases Organically

listen to the radio show version of this article here

Many Tree diseases are fatal and many trees die from these diseases. You might say this is perfectly natural for trees to die from diseases (just like you have been telling me that we do not need to feed trees!), but I do not agree  entirely.

Yes, if you take all humans out of the picture, then I would say, sure diseases and pests are natures way of removing the weak and the sick and that is perfectly natural: but throw in we humans and you have a different story.

Humans have not been good gardeners of the earth. They have been destroying everything they touch. Everything in nature depends on everything else. What we do affects all living beings sooner or later and trees are living beings, too, and what we do to the environment directly affects these trees in their ability to stay healthy, and pest and disease free.

We spread diseases by not properly cleaning our tools. We spread diseases by ridding the soil of all beneficial micro organisms, which then allows diseases to take hold in the soil (all tree diseases start in the soil first). We apply chemical fertilizers either directly onto the tree or onto the soil, chemicals cause stress in the tree, imbalance in the soil and helps to spread diseases and pests thru the use of high nitrogen fertilizers.

High nitrogen fertilizers makes for rapid growth but also stresses out the plants making them a perfect “food source” for insects.

When a plant is food for insects, it is not food for humans. Sure we don’t eat trees but the point here is that if the insects think its food for them then the tree or plant is weak and mineral deficient.

We eat for only one real reason- trace minerals which our bodies need for proper health. Try to eat rocks and you will see why we have to eat something that ate something that ate something else (food chain).

Ok, Ok, to the main subject of this article:

In order to keep your trees from getting diseases you first must control your gardener or tree company. You must keep them from passing a disease to your tree thru them not properly cleaning their cutting tools in between trees. This is the number one way tree diseases are spread in the garden (maybe even in nature).

The next thing you need to pay attention to is the health of the soil.

The good guys and the bad guys do not live in the same place in the soil! Really, its that simple. So if you apply rock dust, a good live compost (most compost sold in market is dead (especially if sealed in plastic) and it is live with microbes ) and then you apply a nice acid mulch (like azalea/gardenia mix). An acid mulch is important since our soil is clay and very alkaline.

Beneficial microbes only live within a small ph range of 6.4 to 6.8. Outside that zone, they will slowly die off. Chemicals destroy the natural balance of the soil and it is thru this imbalance that the bad bacteria will thrive.

It is also important to provide the tree will proper mineral sources such as regular foliar spraying . This will help to keep the Brix level of the tree high, and reduce stress, and allow the tree to handle any environmental stress. The foliar must be organic and not chemical. I use Superseaweed as my foliar spray.

Some Basic tips:

Control water. Allow trees to dry in between watering. Better to under water then over water.

Control gardener or whom ever is cutting. Must clean tool between each cutting and especially between trees and customers.

Live Soil provides you with the needed soil microbes.

Compost applications will keep your soil alive (ask if rock dust is added to compost during production, if so, you wont have to add it yourself).

Rock Dust applications once or twice per year provides the minerals.

Acid Mulch protects the soil and holds water longer so less water less often.

Foliar sprayings provide the trees with the minerals needed to stay healthy and fight off any diseases.

Use only Organic Fertilizers. Avoid high nitrogen .

Andy Lopez

Invisible Gardener

Any questions? Email me andy@invisiblegardener.com