Bark stripped off limbs or trunks – various animals can and will damage the foliage and bark of trees that are sick. When in stress, trees build up excess sugars to try and heal themselves. Animals, especially rodents like mice, rat, and squirrels, as well as porcupines and other little beasts, are attracted to the sugar accumulations and thus the damage.

Dead tip growth on the canopy – tip growth can be caused by squirrels eating the bark from small limbs but it can also be caused by poor vascular circulation allowing the tips to dry out. This can relate to compacted soil, wet or dry root zones, chemical contamination, etc.

Mistletoe – opportunistic plant growth that takes advantage of weak trees that have resulted from improper planting, storm damage, over-fertilization, etc.. Even poor quality trees, such as hackberries can be rid of this pest with the natural organic techniques.

Galls – a few galls are no problem usually but heavy gall infestation of any kind is definitely a sign of stress and weakness. Most galls are caused by the sting of tiny cynipid wasps that secrete chemicals that cause the plant to create the gall as a home for the wasp’s developing larvae.

Sapsuckers – beautiful woodpeckers that can do serious damage to ornamental, fruit and shade trees. The concentration of vascular sugars in the tree is what attracts the bird – not insects as has been suggested by many. Relieve the tree stress and the birds will move on to other trees.

Squirrel Damage – Squirrels are pretty little rodents and they are funny at times – but they are incredibly destructive pests. There are no foolproof solutions to the damage they do. There are, however, some relatively effective solutions to some of the damaging habits they have.

Canker – cankers can manifest in many forms including growth of abnormal swellings and other strange growths.

Chlorosis – often blamed on a lack of iron, this condition can be caused by a deficiency of various nutrients and micronutrients. Unless the tree is simply ill-adapted to the soil, such as pin oaks planted in highly alkaline clay soils, this discoloration of the foliage can be cured.

Hypoxylon canker – this symptom is a sign that some physical, biological or chemical problem has pushed a limb or the entire tree to the point of giving up. It is not a causal disease. The natural organic techniques can often make this harbinger vacate the property.

Poor blooming and fruit production – often a result of plant stress, crop production can usually be increased dramatically by using the natural organic techniques.

Freeze damage – serious damage to the trunks and main vascular system is often fatal, but more minor freeze damage conditions can be mitigated with the organic techniques.

Lightning damage – strikes that caused strips of bark to be blown off are stressful but the tree can usually be saved. When lightning goes through the center of the trunk and blows all the bark off, tree is a goner.

Herbicide damage – toxic chemical herbicide damage results in deformed twigs and leaves and often smaller twig growth and leaves.

Oak wilt – a very serious and killing fungus that attacks live oaks and red oaks. It can be prevented and cured in sick trees with the natural organic techniques.