Sick trees

jet2test

I live in the US Pacific Northwest and I have three trees that are losing leaves and look sick spotty bark.bark on one truck near the ground gone. They are also covered in Moss and Lichens. they are a plum, apple and ornamental tree that i am not sure of. It has spread to the apple tree. I have attached pictures, I am at a complete loss as to the cause?

Jet

Attached Thumbnails

     

Eric Frei

Far out, that looks like very clear air and great conditions for moss and lichens to grow.

I have posted before that like anything that can be good in small doses it can be a problem when there's too much.

I have seen stunted and dead shrubs from overdoses like that.

I'd say try to carefully remove it, maybe a soft brush, do not damage the bark.

Maybe a hort oil sprayed on then hose after a few days.

You could also try to prevent (after you have got it off) with a spray of some fungicide.

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Brent Ferris

I agree with Eric that the lichen -- in the volume that is present on your trees -- is bad, and can suffocate the tree(s). Galvanized sheet metal on roofs along with acid rain will get rid of lichen there, so a dilute solution of zinc in acidic water sprayed on the fungus will likely have the same effect.
Don't know what level of zinc you would use, but by doing nothing the trees will die, so you haven't got a lot to lose. Zinc is not as toxic to trees as copper so the people on this forum that apply copper fungicides should be able to guess a dosage level.
Zinc improves a plants ability to defend itself from diseases. Zinc also helps to maintain the integrity of the plant membranes. Insufficient levels of zinc result in unused sugars accumulating and it is possible the lichen is absorbing some of these sugars. A foliar analysis could point to nutrient deficiency,

So spraying a zinc solution on the stems may well reduce or get rid of the lichen, and may also benefit the trees. Good luck!

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