Understanding Green Mold on Trees and How to Treat It

Green Mold on Trees – There are a lot of types of mold you can find within your living area. One of the most common one is green mold, especially if you have many wooden plants. Green mold itself is not a term to define one species. It is to define any mold that exhibits greenish color during their life cycle. Several common types of mold that have greenish color in their life cycle include Penicillium, Cladosporium, and Aspergillum. Even so, these species may also exhibits other colors during their life cycle, such as yellow, gray, or brown. Like The Danger of Green Mold on Walls, Green mold usually occur as dark specks at first. The more it grows, the thicker its layers, which create fuzzy greenish layer on the surface of various things. If you try to rake its surface, especially the darker green mold, you can see its spore flying into the air. Green mold also generates the particular musty odor of mold you can smell on moldy area.

Green Mold on Trees
Green Mold on Treeses

One among the most popular habitats for the growth of green mold in wood. If you went to forest, or you have trees near your house, you can definitely find green mold on trees. It usually grows on trees situated in shaded and moisture places. Just like its appearance in house, it usually appear as green mold spots on trees. The spots are typically dark and the more it grows, the layer will get thicker and create fuzzy surface on the trees. Despite its menacing looks, green mold growing on trees is actually quite harmless. This mold often occurs on trees with declining health. It can also be an indicator that the tree may be damaged or deteriorating from several environmental stresses. Most of the time, green mold on trees is not the reason of ailments of a tree. However, if no further action to control its growth, it may contribute to the death of the said tree.

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The best way to avoid green mold growing on trees is to take of the trees’ health. Water and soil management, together with appropriate fertilization can enhance a healthy and thick canopy. These things are usually enough to avoid the growth of green mold on evergreen tree, green mold on lemon tree, green mold on lilac tree, and green mold on other types of trees. If these trees are having issue to develop new growth, giving light pruning may be able to enhance the fresh shoots’ development. However, over-pruning may hinder development and damage trees, so you have to put a lot of care to make sure the trees receive light pruning as needed.

So, what should we do if the mold is already there? Here are some tips to remove green mold on maple tree.

  • First, if you possess any sprinklers, turn it on. Check on which part the water hits your trees. If the sprinkled water hits the green mold, it actually help them survive. You need to adjust your sprinklers to make sure the sprinkled water will not hit the areas affected by green mold.
  • Next, prune the weak or dead branches out to open up the canopy and enable better air circulation on the branches. It may deter the mold growth. Throw away the branches if the green mold is present.
  • Spray the green mold with copper soap fungicide that are ready to use. Make sure to follow the instructionsfrom manufacturer before using the fungicide. Scrub the tree’s bark with a brush. Make sure to use the soft one to avoid scrubbing off the bark. This process helps to kill and remove the green mold. You can apply the fungicide when the general temperature is over 40o
  • Treat the trunk with lime-sulfur spray. Make sure to apply it around January. Monitor your tree frequently and repeat the treatment if needed.

This treatment can also be applied to treat green mold on live oak tree and other types of trees. Having trees without green mold is almost inevitable. However, by understanding the nature of green mold on trees and the treatment to remove it can be a huge help to prolong the life of your trees. Some trees may need special treatment and you can discuss this with professional to make sure the tree get the best treatment.