Maple trees are common in Kingsport, Johnson City, and other locations throughout East Tennessee. The leaves of maple trees stay a fabulous green throughout the spring and summer before running the color gamut of yellows, oranges, and reds when fall arrives. However, between the summer and the fall, you may see unsightly black and brown spots form on your maple tree’s leaves. In this article, our arborists in Kingsport at Promier Tree explain this phenomenon.
Tar spot is the culprit for the black and brown spots on your maple trees
Maple tar spot is a type of fungi that causes these blemishes to form on the leaves of your maple trees. This fungus is known to affect a wide variety of maple trees, but no matter what type of maple you have on your property, it’s most likely to develop after a very rainy period.
If your trees develop maple tar spots, this phenomenon tends to develop in early to mid-June. At first, these spots are not black and brown but instead form as dots that are light green in color and small in size. By late summer, August or so, the spots become wider, thicker, and darker. They have the appearance of tar clumps stuck to the leaves of your tree.
Get the facts on maple tar spot
It’s mostly a cosmetic issue. Maple tar spot may impede the aesthetics of your tree or cause leaves to drop earlier than they should, but generally speaking, these fungi will not harm the health of your tree.
Treatment is only recommended if maple tar consistently affects your trees. It can be treated, but only by an arborist with the proper expertise and training. Otherwise, this is considered an aesthetic issue. If you do choose to have the problem treated, the fungicide has to be applied to cover every single leaf on your tree—a challenge for fully mature maples.
Prevention may be your best defense
Remember what Benjamin Franklin said: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” In other words, it’s easier – and better and cheaper – to prevent an issue from developing until waiting for a problem to develop and then treating it. The best defense against maple tar spot is a little extra hard labor during the fall by raking and destroying all fallen maple leaves. This will remove any tar spot fungal spores that may be lurking on the dead, fallen leaves.
Tree Care in Kingsport
When looking for the best care for your maple trees, or any other species of tree on your property, an arborist is the best choice. Arborists possess unique education and training and, at Promier Tree, each of our arborists is qualified and experienced to work with all types of trees native to East Tennessee. At Promier Tree, all of our arborists are certified through the International Society of Arboriculture. They put their expertise to work for you, making sure your trees stay healthy and lush. To find out more or schedule a tree health evaluation for the trees on your property, call (423) 872-2988 if you’re located in the areas of Kingsport, Johnson City, and Bristol, Tennessee.