Experiences with bacterial leaf scorch in oak? (2015, trees, spring)

[uggabugga]

this disease has probably been in my area (mid-atlantic) for some time, but this year, and especially right now, I'm seeing a LOT of it. i have 2 70-ft+ oaks that are all but dead, but more alarmingly I'm seeing scattered symptoms in a lot of my other oaks too, mostly southern red oak.
has anyone tried any treatments, like antibiotics? I'd love try something like this phage treatment but it's not commercially available.




scorched leaves complete with 'oak apples'

[luv4horses]

Here is a good reference. Bacterial Leaf Scorch

4. Antibiotic injections. Oxytetracycline root flare injections applied in spring can reduce bacterium levels and delay symptoms by a couple of weeks. They are expensive, need to be reapplied each year, and possible damage resulting from long-term use is unknown. A certified arborist should be contacted if you are considering injections.

But to my eye, it looks like it would be very difficult to cure. As you probably know, xylem infecting diseases are the worst since they cut off the water supply to the plant. The tree can reroute water flow for a long while, but if every route becomes plugged the tree will die.

[uggabugga]

Originally Posted by luv4horses

Here is a good reference. Bacterial Leaf Scorch

4. Antibiotic injections. Oxytetracycline root flare injections applied in spring can reduce bacterium levels and delay symptoms by a couple of weeks. They are expensive, need to be reapplied each year, and possible damage resulting from long-term use is unknown. A certified arborist should be contacted if you are considering injections.

But to my eye, it looks like it would be very difficult to cure. As you probably know, xylem infecting diseases are the worst since they cut off the water supply to the plant. The tree can reroute water flow for a long while, but if every route becomes plugged the tree will die.

i agree, antibiotics are not going to cure the disease, at best it can only push it back a little. and at considerable expense.

a variant of this disease is killing the crap out of 500-year old olive trees in Italy, too.
https://www.nature.com/news/italy-re...ragedy-1.22110

[uggabugga]

i just got the PCR results back for my oak tree, confirmed as Xylella fastidiosa. it's killing tons of oaks around here.