{"id":941,"date":"2019-06-17T16:48:06","date_gmt":"2019-06-17T16:48:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.treeservicenoblesville.com\/blog\/?p=941"},"modified":"2019-06-17T16:48:06","modified_gmt":"2019-06-17T16:48:06","slug":"why-is-mold-growing-on-my-tree-trunk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.treeservicenoblesville.com\/blog\/why-is-mold-growing-on-my-tree-trunk\/","title":{"rendered":"Why is Mold Growing on My Tree Trunk?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Have you recently noticed a greenish-white or orange-colored film developing on the outside of your tree\u2019s bark? Is so, you may assume it is mold, but really, it is a harmless fungi known as tree lichens. Continue reading to learn more about tree lichens, including its causes, treatments, prevention, and more.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"535\" src=\"https:\/\/www.treeservicenoblesville.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Noblesville-Tree-Service-Professionals-e1560790020935-1024x535.jpg\" alt=\"Noblesville Tree Service 317-537-9770\" class=\"wp-image-942\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.treeservicenoblesville.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Noblesville-Tree-Service-Professionals-e1560790020935-1024x535.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.treeservicenoblesville.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Noblesville-Tree-Service-Professionals-e1560790020935-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.treeservicenoblesville.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Noblesville-Tree-Service-Professionals-e1560790020935-768x401.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.treeservicenoblesville.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Noblesville-Tree-Service-Professionals-e1560790020935.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>Noblesville Tree Service 317-537-9770<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tree Lichen Fungus<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>Tree lichens are actually two living organisms, fungus and algae, which both share in a mutually-beneficial relationship known as <em>symbiosis<\/em>. The fungus collects and retains moisture, which algae needs to thrive, while the algae uses photosynthesis (converting the sun\u2019s energy into food) to make food for the fungus to feed on. This symbiotic relationship does not negatively affect trees in a physical sense. Tree lichens contain <em>rhizines<\/em>, which are similar to a root system, but they do not reach far enough into the ground to affect the tree\u2019s root system in any way. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Getting Rid of Tree Lichens<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>Although tree lichens will not damage or kill a tree, many homeowners complain that it makes their landscaping trees look bad. Fortunately, there are some simple and effective methods for removing tree lichens from trees, safely. Here are some recommended methods to try on your own landscaping trees:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u2767 Scraping<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You can gently scrape tree lichens off of the bark of trees\nusing a mild soapy solution and a soft bristled brush. Combine a mild dish soap\nwith some clean, warm water, and then delicately apply the solution to the\naffected areas using your soft scrubbing brush. Be very careful with the amount\nof pressure you use to scrape away the film; scraping too hard can harm the\ntree and leave it susceptible to pest infestations and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u2767 Copper Spraying<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You can also apply a copper-sulfate solution to the bark of\nyour trees during warm seasons to kill the tree lichens and prevent them from\ngrowing back. It will not work in cold weather. Also, keep in mind that a copper-sulfate\napplication will only take care of the fungus, as it does not target the algae\nside of the lichen outbreak. For this reason, you may need to follow up a\ncopper-sulfate application with a secondary treatment of soap solution. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u2767 Lime Sulfur<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Another common treatment used to manage tree lichens is lime\nsulfur applications. Lime sulfur can be purchased in the horticulture section\nof any local home improvement or garden store in powder or liquid form. Typically,\nyou can acquire a quality product under $20 or so. Just be careful not to\ncontaminate the tree roots or leaves with this product, as it can cause severe\ndamage to the tree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u2767 Environmental Modification<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>For those who like an organic, Eco-friendly approach, you\ncan attempt some environmental modifications to prevent tree lichens from\ndeveloping on your trees. You see, tree lichens grow best in partly sunny,\nmoist environments. So if you change these conditions around your trees by\nthinning out tree canopies, trimming leaves, or removing sprinkler systems, you\ncan abate tree lichen development for seasons to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Noblesville Tree Service You Can Trust<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Call 317-537-9770<\/strong> for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.treeservicenoblesville.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Noblesville tree service (opens in a new tab)\">Noblesville tree service<\/a> at an affordable price. We provide a wide range of residential and commercial tree services at the most competitive prices in town. In fact, be sure you check out our tree service coupons and discounts too! Call 317-537-9770 to request a free estimate, today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.treeservicenoblesville.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/1111.png\" alt=\"Noblesville Tree Service 317-537-9770\" class=\"wp-image-898\"\/><figcaption>Noblesville Tree Service 317-537-9770<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Have you recently noticed a greenish-white or orange-colored film developing on the outside of your tree\u2019s bark? Is so, you may assume it is mold, but really, it is a harmless fungi known as tree lichens. Continue reading to learn &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.treeservicenoblesville.com\/blog\/why-is-mold-growing-on-my-tree-trunk\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":942,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20,55,2],"tags":[409,405,407,408,39,403,404],"class_list":["post-941","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tree-diseases","category-tree-facts","category-tree-service","tag-fungus-on-tree-bark","tag-get-rid-of-tree-lichens","tag-mold-on-tree","tag-mold-on-tree-bark","tag-noblesville-tree-service","tag-tree-lichens","tag-tree-lichens-treatment"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.treeservicenoblesville.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/941","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.treeservicenoblesville.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.treeservicenoblesville.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.treeservicenoblesville.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.treeservicenoblesville.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=941"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.treeservicenoblesville.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/941\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":943,"href":"https:\/\/www.treeservicenoblesville.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/941\/revisions\/943"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.treeservicenoblesville.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/942"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.treeservicenoblesville.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=941"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.treeservicenoblesville.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=941"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.treeservicenoblesville.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=941"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}