Elm disease

larlamonde

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I have a slippery elm that's leaves are getting brown around the edges. Sorry no pic. So I sprayed with a sestimic insect fungiside. I found out that that is not good for elms. Is that true? If so what do you do to combat problems? Any general overview as the control of insects or things that attack elms would be helpful. Thanks, Larry.
 

Txhorticulture

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A systemic insecticide is generally better than one that has to be sprayed on the bugs themselves. What was the active ingredient? Probably imidacloprid which is systemic, very common, and pretty effective on most things (except it might actually increase population of mites....) but the chemical itself is fine for elm trees as far as I know, it is recommended even for elm beetles.

Actually, I'm not aware of any specific sensitivity of elms to pesticides. As for controlling pests on elm trees here, I've never had or even heard of a problem.
 

jk_lewis

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Leaves that are just "brown around the edges" aren't necessarily (or even usually) associated with insects.

I DO wish people would do some homework before trying the nuclear option with pesticides, and spray (or apply) ONLY after specific pests have been spotted and identified.

There are all kinds of materials available for little or no money that can point you right -- starting with your County Agricultural Extension Office (the best free gardening resource in the United States!).
 

Txhorticulture

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I was going to mention

Yeah sounds like the poster jumped the gun on the poison, but since it was already done it was ......well .... Already done.

But yes even relatively safe insecticides should be applied carefully and sparingly. Thing is they tend to kill all insects, even ones like bees which won't hurt your plant and which are pretty important to us.

In any even hope the tree improves. Good luck
 

GrimLore

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I have a slippery elm that's leaves are getting brown around the edges. Sorry no pic. So I sprayed with a sestimic insect fungiside. I found out that that is not good for elms. Is that true? If so what do you do to combat problems? Any general overview as the control of insects or things that attack elms would be helpful. Thanks, Larry.

Check the drainage on the pot and make sure it is not root bound. We had to slip pot an Elm a few weeks ago into a larger container as we did not want to chop the roots in the extreme heat. That Elm lost all the foliage but is budding like crazy now with no signs of problems. The real problem was the root temperature was getting much to high.

Grimmy
 

chansen

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A systemic insecticide is generally better than one that has to be sprayed on the bugs themselves. What was the active ingredient? Probably imidacloprid which is systemic, very common, and pretty effective on most things (except it might actually increase population of mites....) but the chemical itself is fine for elm trees as far as I know, it is recommended even for elm beetles.

Just adding a little information I learned this spring. Imidacloprid has been directly linked to colony collapse disorder (Harvard study found here): http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/pr...cotinoids-and-collapse-of-honey-bee-colonies/

I would avoid it all together, and I've been guilty of using it in the past. I would echo what jkl said... find out what's really going on and use the right solution.

Brown leaf edges in September... sounds like end of summer leaf burn. Too much sun perhaps? I also like GrimLore's suggestion that the pot has been too hot. Either way, more shade could be the answer.
 

0soyoung

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Amplifying on what Grimmy said, borrow the meat thermometer from the kitchen and stick it in the roots of your bonsai - you want this temperature to stay below 90F! Standard tricks to accomplish this (if it is a problem) amount to making a swamp cooler - damp sphagnum on the soil surface or wrapping a light colored damp towel over the pot and soil.

Browning leaf margins are sympotomatic of transpiration occurring faster than the roots can take up water. If brown margins occur only on certain exposed leafs you can suspect too much wind and/or wind-heat.

Generally browning margins, on the other hand, almost certainly indicate root-related problems. Anytime your daytime termperature are above 90F, think 'cooking roots - must cool roots'. Get the pot out of direct sunlight and make a swamp cooler for your tree's roots. Stick a meat thermometer in the roots and verify the temperature.

If none of this applies or works, then suspect fungus. For the most part bugs eat tissue (i.e., parts of your leafs are missing) - exceptions being easily identified scale and aphids. Both are found on the underside of leafs and rarely, if ever, cause leaf margins to brown. Instead, they usually cause the leafs to curl more than normal.
 

vaibatron

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A systemic insecticide is generally better than one that has to be sprayed on the bugs themselves. What was the active ingredient? Probably imidacloprid which is systemic, very common, and pretty effective on most things (except it might actually increase population of mites....) but the chemical itself is fine for elm trees as far as I know, it is recommended even for elm beetles.

Actually, I'm not aware of any specific sensitivity of elms to pesticides. As for controlling pests on elm trees here, I've never had or even heard of a problem.


Maybe in Texas, with dry heat, would you not have pest problems on elms. In the armpit of America (SC, NC, VA) even after a light rain I always check for spider mites. Granted, I don't use pesticides and it being common knowledge not to water overhead on elms, a q-tip dipped in isopropyl will do the trick.
 
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