All these references to diseases has me worried. I am sure one of my maples has TB or something like it. Of course I used the same saw to prune all my trees. Does this mean I will/could spread TB through the pruning shears and saw to my other maples??? How long before this disease kills? Or is it just like psoriasis for trees--unsightly, painful, but not deadly???
Tight bark is a name given in this forum by some participants to a condition, illustrated by some photos, that appears in the bark of some maples. That's all that can be reliably said about this. As for the causes for the condition named 'tight bark', you pick your choice. However I can say that nobody has yet mentioned a specific pathogen and that mostly environmental factors are suspected (some research I am familiar with support this). I am sorry to say that nobody can really give you a serious advice on how to mitigate this problem other than to promote the overall health of the plant through appropriate cultivation practices. Gomero
Can I spread diseases such as verticillium and other such things with pruning shears and a saw. The reason I ask is because I just finished pruning two trees with the same tools. Both are about 30 years old (same variety identified here as seiryu). One is very healthy, the other one has some bark troubles. ???
Yes, pathogens, spores,.... can be spread with shears, saws, and other cutting tools. If disease transmission is suspected, it is a recommended practice to desinfect the blades after pruning one plant and before going to the next one. A simple method used by many gardeners is to carry a lighter in the pocket and subject the blades to the flame for a few seconds; however I cannot guarantee that this method eliminates everything. Gomero
