UK - has anyone noticed what's happened to all the chestnut trees?? All the ones down south (from Oxford to?

Question

Devon (there at the weekend) are all dying, or have a disease. Anyone else noticed? What's up with them?

Answer 1

Maybe they have what killed all the Chestnut trees in America.  It was a blight caused by a bacteria.  It killed the trees when they got to nut-bearing age.  It came from China,  with the Chinese Chestnuts.  It's called the American Chestnut Blight.

Answer 2

There is some sort of caterpillar chomping its way through the chestnuts but don't worry - the trees will recover next year.  My local park was riven with the pest last year but this year's leaf-out was healthy enough.

Answer 3

It's a parasite that breeds and attacks the leaves.You must have been off the planet recently as this year is far better than last 4 years.The chestnut has not had enough rain for a few years,this has weakened it's resistance to the bug.What you see now,used to happen in June.The last 2 summers have been wet and the trees are slowly building resistance again.In extreme cases,chestnuts have died from the parasite,but most recover fully as they get less stressed.The tree develops a chemical that repels the blighters

Answer 4

Oh noooo.  I love the chestnut trees!!  I haven't noticed but i'll keep a look out!!

Answer 5

Yes there is a disease, and they are dying. It was in all the papers a little while ago, but I can't remember any details I am afraid.

Answer 6

When you say chestnuts, I trust you mean Horse Chestnuts

This is just one disease that may be affecting them:

Bleeding Canker of Horse Chestnut

Bleeding on the trunk and branches of horse chestnut in the UK is not a new phenomenon.  This type of symptom was first reported in the 1970s, when the cause was found to be a fungal pathogen known as Phytophthora

Incidence of the disease

Over the past four or five years, the number of reports of horse chestnut trees (Aesculus hippocastanum) with 'bleeding cankers' has increased markedly.  Symptoms visible on the heavily affected trees include extensive bleeding areas on their stems and sometimes on their scaffold branches.  The increased incidence of stem bleeding on horse chestnut is not just limited to the UK; the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Germany are also experiencing a similar upsurge.

Closer investigation of the bleeding cankers on horse chestnut has revealed that Phytophthora is no longer the primary causal agent. Instead a completely different pathogen, Pseudomonas syringae pv aesculi, is responsible for the increase in these symptoms appearing on horse chestnuts.

Over the past four years the Tree Health Diagnostic and Advisory Service of Forest Research has received increasing numbers of reports about the disease.  In 2000 only four reports had been received but by 2003 more than 60 reports of stem bleeding in horse chestnut were recorded.  In 2004, 90 reports were received, around 75 in 2005, and more than 110 in 2006.  Affected trees have been recorded as far north as Lancashire, Glasgow and Fife.

What trees are affected?

Trees of all ages have been affected by the recent disease upsurge.  Young trees with a stem diameter of only 10cm (4 inches) have been found with advanced symptoms.  However, the impact on the environment can be particularly profound when large, mature trees are infected and disfigured by the disease.  If the disease is severe and the areas of bark which are killed are extensive, large trees can undoubtedly be killed.  However, younger trees (10-30 years old) are at greater risk and can succumb to the disease in just a few years (3-5) as the smaller diameter of their trunks means that they can be girdled more quickly.

Further, Nearly all our trees (all species) are becoming potential victims to bacterial &(mostly) fungal invasions.  Pathogens (of different types) are changing into more virile forms and are also becoming more resistant to fungicides.  our recent mild winters and the wet summers are providing ideal breeding conditions for them.

Oaks, Beeches, Elms, Limes etc,  Are all at risk.