Slime Flux on Nuttal Oak

macrocarpa

macrocarpa

Branched out member
Location
Midwest
It seems of all people, the trees on my own property get the weirdest issues.

I planted a 2.5 in caliper nuttal oak last fall, properly planted, root flare exposed. Just noticed it oozing a milky, ferminted substance that is attracting every insect known to man. From what I have read online, it sounds like "slime flux" and there is no treatment? Just wash off the trunk and rinse with water & chlorine bleach.

This sound right to you?
What about a preventative insecticide spray. Any experience with this disease?

http://www.walterreeves.com/landscaping/article.phtml?cat=18&id=509
 
I am expecting Guy to come on as he has written an article on this problem with recommended protocol.

Out here, we have bacterial slime flux associated with wetwood, foul smelling, clear to tan in color with a bit of a bubbly appearance, a year long problem; and alcoholic frothy flux, yeasty, even pleasant smelling higher up in the tree, very foamy, not associated with wetwood which is deeper in the tree and lasts only a limited time in the spring.

The protocol for both of these here is "no treatment warranted or necessary". However, I understand that is not the case of this problem in your area, particularly on the oaks.

What is surprising to me, and a bit of a concern, is how young your tree is. I thought this affected much larger and older trees.

Have you applied anything in the vicinity of this tree? Some plant growth regulators, such as ethephon (Florel) can cause a foaming reaction from some species of trees.

Sylvia
 
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...alcoholic frothy flux, yeasty, even pleasant smelling higher up in the tree, very foamy, not associated with wetwood which is deeper in the tree

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How can you tell how deep it is? Neither type ever infects the xylem that i have seen.

walter has nice pics but i'm not sure about 1/8 cup bleach splashed on the tree...

attached is 6 years old but still holds up (at least no one has called me on bs in it yet). I hold off on excavating bark if high visibility may lead to fear and loathing. Also there are some other chemicals on the market like bacastat

any disease that kills inner bark unpredictably warrants treatment imho
 

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Guy, out here the symptoms of slime flux and alcoholic frothy flux are "classic" Sinclair.

"Wetwood is a water-soaked condition of wood that occurs in tree trunks, roots and limbs. The affected wood is dead, usually anaerobic or nearly so, and usually discolored and malodorous. It supports various anaerobic and facultatively anaerobic bacteria....can be recognized by its sour odor."

We find this most often on Siberian elms and poplar spp. Trees of this species without it would be the exception, not the rule. Also found on maples.

These trees live for decades with this condition. It is chronic and visible year round. However, as we don't have the prevalence of devastating insects and other diseases that might become opportunistic as found in your, this condition is considered "benign" and not treated.

Going back to Sinclair: "Alcoholic or white flux. This condition, also called frothy flux, is not related to wetwood. It occurs where microorganisms ferment sap in cracks and other wounds in the bark and cambial region. Alcoholic flux is acidic and nearly colorless, sometimes appears as a white froth, often emits a fermentative odor, and persists ony a short time in summer. The associated microorganisms apparently produce gas and ethanol."

We see this condition for only a very limited time in the late spring, early summer. There is no bark dieback or other signs of decay. It is very pleasant smelling, much like beer.

Far different from the foul odor of the bacterial slime flux, associated with wetwood, that may damage bark, and kills grass when it accumulates at the base of a tree.

Going back to our op's tree. Have you seen this condition on such a young tree before?

Sylvia
 
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We see this condition for only a very limited time in the late spring, early summer. There is no bark dieback or other signs of decay.



[/ QUOTE ] the dieback may not be visible--have you tried the tap test?

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Have you seen this condition on such a young tree before?

Sylvia

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Nope.

the smell is highly variable to my nose--some fluxing trees smell sweeter one day than another. and yes the drunken bugs are funny...but the carpenterworm moths don't stumble much.
mad.gif
 
We have taken down many siberian elms in this area. And, as stated, the alcoholic frothy flux areas do not have interior decay nor bark dieback.

The slime flux, on the other hand, can damage the bark but does not appear to extensively or rapidly decay the cambium under the bark. These trees with the slim flux will show signs of dieback and decline, but as there are many contributors to that, it is hard to lay it all on slime flux alone.

But this is why I side with Sinclair and others on differentiating the two disorders. Here, they are distinctly different.

Sylvia
 
Well I ended up doing a low dose safari trunk spray (defoliators munching away as well as slim flux insect attraction) and waited 2 days, then hosed it off real good and sprayed the infected area with 50/50 hydrogen peroxide/water.

1 day later, almost 0 oozing. Maybe the treatment worked, maybe it would have stopped on its own? Experiment
 
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