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If
you love that oak tree in your yard, remember this important rule: Don’t prune mid-March
through June! Oaks become more vulnerable to oak wilt a couple weeks before
budbreak occurs in the spring. During this time, fresh wounds on trees can
attract insects carrying oak wilt spores.
Oak
wilt is an aggressive disease that can kill a healthy tree in the red oak group
(pin, shingle, black, northern red, etc.) within a few weeks after symptoms are
first noticed. Trees in the white oak group can also be infected but may take
years to die from the disease.
If
an oak is damaged or must be pruned in the spring, prevent oak wilt infection
by immediately spraying or painting the wound with a tree wound dressing. Do
NOT wait to cover wounds as insects carrying oak wilt spores can arrive within
minutes of the damage. This is the only situation where we recommend using a
tree wound dressing, and treating wounds is not necessary during other times of
the year. For more information on oak wilt, visit https://short.mdc.mo.gov/ZTP
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