Every year my Aspen trees get covered in massive webbing full of worms. Last year I cut all the tops of the trees that were infected, but if I keep this up I won't have much of a tree left. What can I do to get rid of these critters? Thank you, C. One of our columnar aspens has a patch about 6 inches by 6 inches of holes drilled a little ways into the bark. What might cause this? I have a mature aspen tree that has developed rough bark near the mid section of the tree.
This appears to be spreading. Will this kill the tree? We have a lot of Aspens and this year some of them have a huge amount of cotton seed things hanging from the leaves. I don't remember them doing this so badly, and it's messy. What's causing this?
It's only a few of my trees. It is late April and my aspens have just leafed out in the last week or so. I just noticed one of them has black spots on the centers of most of the leaves, which aren't even completely filled out yet. It seems too early for ink spots or other pests. Can this be caused by a late freeze hitting this tree at a specific point in its leafing process, as again the other two seem totally unaffected? We did have a very heavy snow and late freeze in the last few weeks as you probably know.
Thank you. I live in North Georgia and planted an Aspen tree I ordered three years ago. We're in area 6. It lives, has leaves, but hasn't grown any. What can I do to the soil to perhaps help it along? To promote growth, water the aspen generously. Aspens like plenty of water. Also, aspens benefit from being fertilized in spring. Use a general purpose fertilizer labeled for use on trees. There is someone who lives nearby who has a great looking strand of aspens, and I was thinking of asking if I could dig up a small clump for planting in my yard.
Also, when is a good time of year to do this transplant, or to just plant aspens in general? I have an aspen tree in the front yard. I noticed since the leaves are off of it that some of the branches have like swollen places on them as if it were ballooning out in places.
The tree seemed to be real healthy all summer. Is this a normal thing or is it a sign of a disease. The bumps, or bulges, you described are very common on aspen trees. They are called poplar twiggalls. They are created when the poplar twiggall fly inserts eggs in developing stems.
Larvae hatch and feed within the stem, causing the swollen gall. Fortunately, these galls do not threaten the health of the tree. There are no effective chemical controls to prevent galls, although predators such as birds and parasitic wasps are good natural controls. Great site. Good information. I live in Cheyenne, Wyoming.
The aspens in our yard are beginning to thin out due to their age. I would like to replace them as I love the look. I planted a clump of aspen 3 on the east side of the house in a protected area. They looked very healthy when planted and for the rest of the first season. This year the tree leafed out very green leaves and now the branches have begun to wilt.
It still looks healthy but very weak. Is it the heat from that side of the house? The trees were only fertilized once in the spring with Miracle Grow. I have an Aspen that is about 20 years old and has been very healthy until recently. The leaves on my Aspen have started to fall off in large amounts, similar to the fall leaves dropping.
When the leaves fall they are green, but quickly turn spotted and black after falling off. The only thing that I noticed are the small holes in the leaves before they fall. Any suggestions? Try to improve the vigor of the aspen tree by keeping it well watered and fertilizing it in spring. The small holes are possibly due to a fungus called "Ink Spot. To control the disease rake up fallen leaves. The fungus over-winters in fallen leaves and re-infects the tree in spring.
You may also want to consider spraying the tree with a fungicide in early spring. This is a very informative and interesting site, answering our question about the sucker shoots and the inability to control them. We are considering removing the trees because of this and replacing them with something else. What is the best way to remove them and kill the root system so that we no longer have sucker shoots growing all over our lawn? One of our aspen trees has a sticky substance on the leaves.
The patio area under the aspen has been covered with this as well. What could this be? We travel to Colorado every summer and love the aspen trees! We are from Omaha, Nebraska, and would love to plant some aspen trees in our backyard. We have been told that the Prairie Gold Aspen would be a good choice for our area.
Would you agree with this? Any thoughts you might have would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!!! The Prairie Gold Aspen would be a good choice because it is a Nebraska native. That means it is adapted to the soil and climate of your area.
You do not want to buy aspens from Colorado because they are best suited to the mountains. We have so many little aspen roots popping up everywhere! How do you tame the beasts? We have a large Quaking Aspen tree in our yard that is in full bud and looks very healthy. However, there is, what looks like, about an inch long cut on the trunk that runs horizontal to the tree and has quite a bit of sap running out of the cut.
What would cause this and is this a threat to the tree's health? The cut in the aspen tree may have been caused by a rapid drop in temperature frost crack , sunscald, mechanical injury or other cause. The wound should gradually heal. Any wound makes a tree more susceptible to an attack by disease organisms or pests. Keep an eye on it and treat with a pesticide or fungicide if necessary.
What is the best method of cutting down an aspen without damaging the others around it? Previous owners did not cut off support ties, which caused the aspen to be strangled. Once I cut the support ties off it appears to be dead. Is there a way to bring back strangled aspen without cutting it down?
I suggest that you wait to see if the aspen tree leafs out in spring before cutting it down. Water it regularly when there isn't any snow on the ground. Fertilize the tree in April. If it doesn't leaf out by late May it probably is dead. You can cut it down with a handsaw if the trunk isn't too big, or you can use a chainsaw. I have 6 Quaking Aspens planted around my yard and I was wondering if there is anything I can do to help them show their beautiful fall color.
Having planted them here in the city the leaves just turn brown in fall, and then fall off. I planted them to have the fall color and sadly I don't see it The ends of the leaves on our aspen trees are turning brown. What is wrong with them? The following is a tip on rejuvenating aspen trees from a visitor to the Colorado Gardening website.
HI, We have aspens in our yard front and back in Parker, Colorado. When we moved into our house 3 years ago, the aspens looked very poor, with dead branches and small light green leaves.
One of the trees had the orange streaks going down the trunk. That tree eventually died. They all had large bumps or enlarged areas on the trunks and branches. These trees are approx. This feeds the tree for approx. The trees this spring and into the summer are text book beautiful!!!! Big dark green leaves, no dead branches, excellent new growth, totally healthy. I hope this info will help others with similar problems.
My aspens have a few branches that the leaf color is fading to a lighter color and the veins in the leaf then appear prominent.
The leaves otherwise appear healthy and I do not see any bugs. Is this a sign of a fungus or insect infestation? Pale leaf color combined with dark green veins can be a sign of iron chlorosis. This is a condition that occurs when plants are unable to absorb sufficient iron from the soil. It is very common in Colorado. Apply chelated iron to correct the problem. You will find this product at garden centers.
We recently planted 20 Aspens along our front driveway. Most of the trees are doing well, but some of them appear to be dying, or not as healthy as the others. Our soil tends towards clay. We are watering about once a week. My questions are: Are we watering enough?
Are the trees still trying to get "acclimatized" to being recently planted? Are they dying? Our neighbors have several Aspen trees growing along the fence line of our backyard. The trees seem healthy and provide privacy during the summer months but they are beginning to obstruct our views of the mountains. Thanks, B. Thinning cuts are the recommended method for maintaining a bit of a view. Topping the trees is strongly discouraged because it creates weak, unnatural-looking growth that breaks easily.
Wait until winter to prune the aspen trees. The two in the backyard went through a brief hard-time, but I set up a patio umbrella over them and they seem to be doing great. The front Aspen facing North was doing great at first, but now the leaves on two of the 4 trunks are turning yellow, crispy and falling off. Some of the other leaves are doing this on the other trunks.
Is there anything I can do to remedy the situation and get the Aspen thriving again? Excellent site and thanks for your help! The aspens are going through transplant shock as they adjust to being planted. Recent hot, windy days aren't helping the situation! Water the trees thoroughly and then wait to water again when the top of the soil is only slightly moist.
Do not keep the soil constantly wet. When a newly planted tree or shrub shows signs of distress many gardeners tend to over-water, drowning the plant. A layer of mulch around the trunk will help the soil retain moisture. We're planning to plant a number of small Aspen trees along the new wall, but the neighbors have expressed concerns that the Aspens may damage their wall and have advised us to plant the Aspens as far away from the wall as possible.
As the area where we want to plant the Aspens is quite narrow, we want to plant the Aspens as close as possible. Much appreciated, C. I live in Boulder, CO, and have two Aspen trees growing in the front lawn. They are growing suckers and protruding throughout the lawn. Is there a way to get rid of these suckers without having to uproot the trees or killing the lawn?
Thanks for your help! Our neighbor has two large aspen trees that have something growing all over the bare branches this spring.
These are well established trees. I really don't know how to describe it but I'll do the best I can. They hang from every branch. They are furry and about two inches in length. At the top part connecting to each branch is a reddish brown head and from the head it looks like a long stretched out caterpillar. The trees have no new leaves at all. What is this gross infestation? We have never seen this before. We are writing from Ruidoso, New Mexico about Elev. What has happen to our Aspens?
And is it too late? I have a young quaking aspen here in central Colorado and its beginning to bud what looks like small fuzzy gray buds I am curious if this is normal. I have aspens on my property and would like to introduce more aspens to a different area in the yard where they are presently not growing. I would like to transplant the aspen suckers that are prolific near their parents. Can I do this or do I have to transplant a full, mature tree?
Thank you so much for your time! You can transplant the aspen suckers. Get as much of the root system as possible when you dig them up. Small transplants tend to be more successful than larger ones. There is no minimum size. Keep the soil slightly moist while they are taking root. Plant the transplants in spring, not in summer when the weather is hot. When is a good time to prune Aspen trees? I have Aspen trees that have some dead branches, but I don't want to trim them in the wrong season and cause harm to the trees.
You can prune the aspen trees in late winter or early spring before they leaf out. I live in Boise, ID, and would like to plant three aspens in my front yard. This is a south-facing area, without much shade during the day. Will the aspens be able to withstand degree heat and sun in the summer?
We bought 6 aspen trees in June. We live in Black Forest, CO. Five look healthy, but all six have bumps all over the leaves. Is there any way to get rid of those next year? One of the trees has lost all of its leaves but doesn't appear to be dead. Is there something I can do to encourage leaf growth next spring? We transplanted 2 aspens in May this year.
Can they go into shock? The base looks healthy. I live in Monument, Colorado. For the past couple of years my neighbor and I have noticed bores in our Aspen trees. The trees heavily sap at the site of the small little holes. Many holes can be found on a single tree, no matter what the age of the tree.
What are these and how do we treat them? The little holes in the aspen are the work of poplar borers. The adult is a grey beetle that can be found on aspen trees in summer.
The greatest damage to the tree is caused by the larvae which tunnel into the tree and continue to tunnel within the tree. Insecticides, such as Sevin Carbaryl or Permethrin, applied to the trunk in summer can kill the exposed adults. Hello, I have a couple of questions on transplanting aspen trees. How much root ball is required for a 4 or 5 foot aspen tree?
And what is the best way to "wrap" the root ball? And the best way to "re-plant"? Thank you, K. Which colors come first when Aspens start to turn color in Autumn? What is the progression of colors through the leaves falling off? Unlike the vibrant variety of colors seen in the hardwood forests of the eastern part of the United States, aspen groves are primarily yellow in fall.
The leaves gradually change from green to yellow and darken to a deeper shade of gold. A bit of orange is also present. My aspens and I live at ' in central Oregon.
We are both quite healthy but these are the only aspens I have ever known that don't have a colorful fall foliage. The leaves merely turn black with the onset of below freezing weather and then the leaves stay on the trees like that all winter. Is there anything I can supplement them with to encourage some pretty colors in the Fall?
Thank you for your wonderful website. Unfortunately, there is little you can do to promote fall color. Cool temperatures are what cause the leaves to become yellow. Early freezes are what kill green leaves, causing them to wither without falling off the tree. I have an Aspen tree that failed to leaf this spring. The bottom of the tree did fine.
Based on your information, I'm assuming the tree has a fungus. Is there anything I can do this fall - besides removing the dropped leaves? Try to improve the vigor of the aspen tree. This fall be sure to remove dropped leaves to prevent disease organisms from over-wintering and re-infecting the tree.
Winter watering if there is little snow also may help. You might want to spray the tree in late winter or early spring with horticultural dormant oil to kill over-wintering pests. If the tree's leaves showed signs of disease this year you might want to spray the tree with a fungicide right after the tree leafs out in spring.
Fertilize the tree in spring. Are there any relatively non-toxic ways to treat scale on Aspen trees? A relatively non-toxic way to control scale is to spray the trees with horticultural dormant oil in late winter or early spring.
The oil suffocates the scale and other pests that over-winter on the trees. Will aphids kill aspen trees if left untreated? Will strong rains help with the aphid problem? The aphids themselves probably won't kill the aspen trees. However, they may weaken the trees, making them more susceptible to other pests and diseases. Strong rains and spraying the trees with a strong jet of water will wash off many of the aphids.
I have an older established aspen in my front yard. It was here when I bought my house six years ago. I have tried everything to get it to look good. I have fertilized it in the spring, I have raked up all of the leaves in the fall, and I have continually put insecticides and fungicides on the tree. It still gets the same black and rusty looking leaves and dead branches every year.
I also give it plenty of water throughout the summer. What am I doing wrong? The tree never looks very healthy. I am tempted to get it taken out, and try a different tree. Thank You. It sounds like you are doing everything possible to help the aspen tree thrive. Because it is not responding to your efforts and is an older tree, taking it out may be the best option.
I have noticed an orange tint along the main trunk of many aspen trees this year - both in my yard and on Forest Service property. What type of fungus is this and is there anything that I can spray on the tree to help. The orange spots seem to be a little soft to the touch also. Orange tint on the trunk or branches of aspen trees is often a sign of a disease, cytospora canker.
Cytospora canker is caused by a fungus. To control the disease, improve plant vigor by fertilizing the trees in spring, providing ample water, and pruning only when the trees are dormant. Prune off branches that become diseased and remove dead bark from the infected area.
I have several large Aspens approximately 12 years old. After a severe hail storm 4 years ago the trees have experienced leaf blight and borers. This year the leaves now have clumps that look like cabbage. Any ideas? The distorted leaves may have been caused by Poplar Vagabond Aphids. This aphid flies to the tree in fall and lays eggs in bark crevices.
The eggs over-winter on the tree and hatch in spring. They feed on twigs, creating galls. Winged aphids leave the tree in spring and summer. Spray the trees in late winter with dormant horticultural oil to kill over-wintering eggs.
My Aspen trees are about 5 years old, and have numerous "bumps" or bulges on their branches, It started with one tree, and over the past year spread to the others. Any suggestions???? We are planting about Aspens on the West on our land in Wyoming. There are existing Aspens on the land and we want to extend their presence.
Do you have any recommendations on planting? We would like to plant just small gal tree to start. The best time to plant the aspen trees is spring. Dig wide holes and take care not to plant the trees too deep. Build up a basin around each tree and water the trees as you plant them.
They should be watered regularly until they become established. My aspen trees have chronic aspen leaf disease I need specific treatment besides raking the leaves. Tks loads, A. I want to plant Aspens as a windbreak in my backyard.
I've heard the roots are invasive. If I enclosed the area with a metal ring landscape edging that is approx 6" wide, would this help? Thanks, C. A 6" wide ring would be of limited help in confining aspen roots. They will simply grow above and below it. While aspens are beautiful trees they are prone to many problems. You might want to select a different type of tree to use as a windbreak. I've heard that Aspen trees have one of the most extensive root systems in the world, making them "one of the worlds largest living organisms".
Is there any basis in fact to support this claim? Does the root system interconnect? Is the orange tone that shows up on aspens a disease? If so, is it treatable? We have three very healthy 3-year old aspen trees in our front yard, and we would like to keep them at their current height. Can we top them? If so, would early March be a good time to do this? Topping trees is not recommended. It results in weak, unnatural-looking growth that sprouts up and out from where the cuts were made. It is better to shape the trees by pruning selected branches and thinning out branches.
If you decide to shape or thin the trees late winter or early spring including March are good times.
There are fewer disease organisms and insects around at that time of the year. I planted three clumps of Aspens this past April.
Because these sprouts arise from the roots, avoid chemical weed killers. It appears as yellowing leaves with green veins. Drought, root stress and compacted soils aggravate this disorder, which can become severe enough to kill the tree. Applications of chelated iron into the soil, trunk injections, or foliar sprays of iron may help, along with reducing traffic under the tree and making sure it has proper irrigation.
Stressed aspen often fall prey to cytospora, a canker-causing fungus that attacks trunks or branches. Entering the tree through wounds, cytospora creates long, oozing, orange cankers that stain the white bark. In spring, the fungal spores of this disorder spread from the leaf debris of the previous year. When temperatures warm, the fungus shows up on leaves as yellow-ringed dark spots that gradually enlarge and merge together.
Infested leaves are shed, and though the tree can take some defoliation like this, extreme cases can make it susceptible to other problems.
So clean up leaves in the fall to remove the problem, use drip irrigation, and keep trees spaced well apart for good air circulation.
In general, September and early October mark when stands at higher elevation and those that are farther north will show colors. Lower, more southerly locations will follow. But color changes also depend on tree health, local weather, environmental factors like drought or increased moisture, elevation and latitude. So many factors can make a leaf-peeping adventure tough to schedule.
Your favorite spot one year can turn out to be a disappointment the next. Be flexible, adventurous and stick to the easier-to-predict leaf factors — such as elevation, latitude and stand health — when planning an outing. Healthy trees are critical for aspens to display strong colors and retain leaves later into the fall.
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