If you see your tree oozing watering onto your lawn, this is bacterial wetwood or slime flux disease. Unlike piping issues, you can’t repair your tree with a plumbing kit. Below is helpful information on what you can do to ensure your trees remain healthy enough to survive a slime flux infection.
What Exactly is Slim Flux?
Slime flux is also known as bacterial wetwood disease. This disease gets into tree wood and leaks out as a watery, thin liquid.
Why Is This Happening to My Tree?
Wetwood-creating bacteria get into trees through any cuts in the trunk, roots, or limbs.
Once in the interior of the tree, the bacteria create gas in the tree. Pressure increases, and ultimately, gooey liquid oozes out through gaps in the bark. The liquid comes out at first as clear and thin. Then, it transforms into a smelly, slimy discharge. As the slime flux drips down the tree, the trunk becomes dark brown or yellow.
Bacterial Wetwood
Harm due to bacterial wetwood hinges on your tree’s condition. For many trees, the discolored bark is about as bad as it gets. In reality, the bacterial infection might stop fungal decay from developing.
But stressed trees, especially those experiencing drought stress or soil compaction, may get worse due to bacterial wetwood. It’s not uncommon, but some trees have leaves that turn yellow and wither. Other trees might undergo branch dieback.
Can I Stop Slime Flux?
Regrettably, no. When you have an infestation, there’s no cure for the disease.
However, your tree can live for years to come, even with its leaking trunk. The best way to handle slime flux is to keep your tree tension-free with these suggestions:
- When mowing your lawn, try not to hit your tree. You don’t want to jeopardize damaging your tree while managing the disease. Hitting the tree just brings more stress.
- Don’t get rid of healthy bark just because it’s discolored.
- During a drought, give your tree a sufficient amount of water.
- Inspect your tree for compacted soil. If the soil is compacted, fix it.
For more information on slime flux or a tree inspection, contact Mechanicsburg Tree Service.
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