Bronze Leaf Disease
What is it?
It seems Bronze Leaf Disease has been making its way around Strathcona County by infecting Swedish Columnar Aspen, tower poplar and poplar hybrid cones. This disease is spread through spores that develop on overwintered leaves. The spores are then spread during the spring to infect leaves on the same tree and other nearby trees. The disease will develop over the summer and infections will spread internally to other parts of the tree. Symptoms typically appear in later summer (early-mid August) or early fall (September), which is what we are seeing here in our community as individual branches or a few leaves can suddenly show symptoms.
How to detect Bronze Leaf Disease
Bronze Leaf disease will turn leaves orange-brown to reddish-brown, starting from the edges of the leaf, moving inward towards the base of the leaf. Leaf veins and petiole remain a bright green colour. All leaves on a branch may be affected. Discolouration deepens to a bronzy, reddish-brown colour as the season progresses.
Infected leaves will often remain attached to the tree over the course of the winter (they do not fall off). Branches may dieback as the disease progresses systemically. Leaves that overwinter may have a pebbly surface texture (like the surface of a curling rink), reflecting the development of spore-producing structures (perithecia).
How to remove and dispose it?
It is very important to keep infected branches out of our composting process to help prevent further spread of the disease.
Prune affected areas of the tree. Cut off leaves and branches, place in a sealed garbage bag and dispose of in your black waste cart or take to the landfill. The sealed plastic bag will help prevent spores from spreading the disease.
Please DO NOT do the following:
• bring infected brush to the Streambank Avenue Recycling Centre
• place in your green organics cart
• place in your backyard composter
• burn or use for firewood
• chip or use as mulch
Read more on Bronze Leaf Disease
Questions?
Where to put your infected branches 780-449-5514
About Bronze Leaf Disease 780-416-PARK (7275)
Last updated: Friday, September 16, 2011
Page ID: 8322