[mrs bouquet]

Last year I heard or read (cannot remember which) about a virus of some sort that is killing off the trees.  It mentioned that is was the new "Dutch Elm Disease"  !!
I have noticed this year that the trees around Sussex look even worse.  From a distant the leaves look mostly brown, but close to they look as if a mottley pattern is covering them, they're really sad and ugly.
I just wondered if this is a local thing or if you've noticed it in your part of the World, and if you may know more about it ?  Mrs Bouquet

[Ruby Red]

The disease you mention is called Horse Chestnut Bleeding Canker. We currently have 2 trees affected by it and it breaks my heart. The main symptom is a brown paint like gunk that runs out of the tree. Its not just sap its a spreading leak like gravy. It affects the trunk or branches. If it reaches all the way round then the tree can die. We have it badly on the trunk of one and in the branches of the other. Apparently it can spread or if youre lucky just stop. But we are looking into having the trees removed which we were told will cost around 1500 a tree.  :shock: The leaves and fruit are not affected. We have a Horse Chestnut lined lane near us and the leaves are looking pretty sad, but it is August and we havent had much rain round here so probably why they look how they do. Im a real tree hugger and its so sad to think I will lose 2 of my biggest trees.  :cry:

[mrs bouquet]

Thanks Ruby Red for that info.  What a lot of money though. I don't know what will happen around here because most of the trees have preservation orders on them.  I,m like you and love to see the trees. Mrs Bouquet

[lincspoacher]

The cause was found to be a fungal pathogen known as Phytophthora .  The same disorder had also been recognised in the USA much earlier in the 1930’s. The first case in the Uk was in the early 1970's.

So far about 95% of all case has been south of a line from the Wash to The Mersey.

It very fast in killing a tree, usually 3-5 years, and even small trees with trunk diameters of 10cm have been killed. having said that, this is no epidemic - yet. There was only 170 cases last year in the whole UK.  Honey Fungus kills more trees, has been round for centuries, and is far more deadly.

[Ruby Red]

To be honest though, there were 170 REPORTED cases. I have had it for a few years and I havent reported it. Looking at the figures then, out of tens of thousands of Horse Chestnut trees in the country, it seems Ive been very unlucky having 2 that have the disease.

[Novice but totally hooked]

It may not be Canker.  From what you describe Mrs Bouquet it's only the leaves that are affected, not the trunk.  If that's the case it may be Horse Chestnut Leaf Miner which is a moth that lays its eggs on the leaves and the larva do the damage.  The leaves will eventualyl shrivel and drop off much earlier in the year than the autumn.  The recommendation is to gather up the leaves and burn them and the following year the tree should be fine.  

I've got a dozen, year-old saplings that this has happened to.  I'd intended planting them on my 6 acres this year but am keeping them until next year so that I don't pass the blighters on to the chestnut trees I already have growing in the field.
 
Although a couple of year's old there's a very good press release at -

http://www.forestry.gov.uk/newsrele.nsf/WebPressReleases/667E533B0CBBEA46802571A700429B62

all about the problem.

[gobs]

Are you thinking of SOD, Mrs. B., as in sudden oak disease? Quite ripe around West Sussex, but as said, could be a lot of other things.

LINK