chinese elm help AGAIN!!!

my trees are acting up again..... the old foliage is fine..new growth turns black includeing the new stems then they dry up so i have to prune them off...there is some black spot also...i love these trees,,6 of them i just want them to be healthy like all the ones you all post that look so great....thanks in advance to you all...take care john

Hello John. Blackspot is easily treated with a 1 part Lime Sulphur, 30 parts water treatment. Best done in the Spring as the buds swell but if you defoliate now, you can spray them at the same time.

Will,,Thank you for responding,, i don,t have lime sulfer.. i never defoliated a elm befor,,,do you do that to your elms????do you know of a good spray that will work and keep the leaves that are left???? thanks for your help..take care john

You should be able to find lime sulfur at any GOOD nursery -- NOT Home Depot or Lowes or other big box nurseries. Directions for its use as a spray will be on the bottle. It is an excellent all-purpose fungicide/pesticide -- though it stinks.

Prevention is always better than curing after the fact. It will help prevent the black spot if, when you water, you try to keep it off the leaves -- especially in the evening.

moyogijohn wrote:Will,,Thank you for responding,, i don,t have lime sulfer.. i never defoliated a elm befor,,,do you do that to your elms????do you know of a good spray that will work and keep the leaves that are left???? thanks for your help..take care john

John,

You can most probably find in any big box store or a nursery commercial preparations made for roses to fight black spot that will work quite well. When I have a bout of blackspot during the growing season, I use that stuff on the leaves and branches making sure to drench the tree completely. Get on the undersides of the branches as well. It is important to prune out those little dead branches that have died back and remove any leaves that show signs of infection (yellow or mottled leaves that curl) and discard them in the trash. Next fall, when the trees have gone dormant you can apply a mixiture of Lime sulphur and horticultural oil to the tree before you put it away for the winter. If your trees get rain during the winter months you should apply that same mixture a couple of times during dormancy. The most important dormant spraying is just as the buds show color in the spring. At that time,spray that tree with the lime sulphur and oil mixutre good and that should mitigate your problem if not eliminate it. A reminder that lime sulphur is not good for moss so if you have moss on your soil you should cover it when you spray.

hope that helps,
Randy

Thank you Jim and Randy for your advice...I have already pruned all the bad leaves and stems ..they are in the trash away from the trees...I WILL BE GOING SHOPPING TODAY!!!! Thank you very much take care john

I went to the local nurseryand found earth tone 3 in 1 disease control ingredients sulfer 0.20 % pyrethrins o.o1% no lime sulfer but i will keep looking...what do you think of this stuff????? thanks take care john

It is apparently a problem in damp humid climates. Be sure you keep your elms in full sun where they will get lots of air movement.
Always something to complain about. Here in Central NY I never get black spot on elms, but I couldn't grow flowering apricot because our summers are too hot, dry, and windy.
Pyrethrins are insecticides. Look for Daconil.
Iris

Thank you Mrs Iris ,,That i can look for also.. The trees are in the sun most of the day but we have had a lot of rain this year and it is hot and humid also...maybe it will work if not i will get something else... always problems!! thanks take care john