Ode to a Tree

I think that I shall never see

A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest

Against the earth's sweet flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day

And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in Summer wear

A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;

Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,

But only God can make a tree.

~ Joyce Kilmer, "Trees," 1914 ~

 Trees are so essential to life and the pleasure of life.  Think about it.... could you imagine the world without trees?  There would be no shade. Cool breezes would only happen in the cooler months. The birds would have no place to make their nests.  I could go on and on but Mrs. Kilmer is a far better poet than I am. 
So lets discuss tree health.  Trees can be stricken with disease and virus.  In our little slice of heaven that is College Station TX, the most common ornamental tree we have is a Crepe Myrtle.  They come in white and a myriad of shades of red, pink, and purple – brilliant red, soft pink, ( I could go on but will save you the torture – just google crepe myrtle images).  Some have stripes on their ruffled bloom petals.  The blooms occur in huge bunches and the trees look like it is exploding with color.  They come in standard and dwarf sizes.  

Another reason they are so popular is that they are exceptionally drought resistant.  And that is important in TX (and other sub-tropical environments too).   

Powdery Mildew: Powdery mildew is one of the most common problems of crape myrtle, and it is caused by the fungus Erysiphe lagerstroemia. Patches of white to grayish powdery growth occur on the surfaces of leaves, flowers and new shoots. Heavily infected flowers may fail to open. Infected parts of the plant are usually distorted and stunted. The disease is most serious in shady, damp locations, especially where plants are crowded and air circulation is poor. Development of the fungus is favored by high humidity at night and dry, mild daytime conditions, as often occurs during the spring and fall. (http://www.clemson.edu/extension/hgic/pests/plant_pests/trees/hgic2002.html)

Cercospora Leaf Spot: Leaf spots caused by Cercospora lythracearum may appear on crape myrtles that are caused by the fungus Cercospora species during periods of warm, moist weather. Yellow spots (⅛ to ¼ inch diameter) appear on the upper leaf surface with white-grey sporulation of the fungus on the lower leaf surface. The disease can result in almost complete defoliation of the plant in late summer and fall in susceptible cultivars. (http://www.clemson.edu/extension/hgic/pests/plant_pests/trees/hgic2002.html)
2.9% Tebuconazole helps to treat these diseases (as well as Black Spot, Crabapple Scab, Rusts, and several others) on crepe myrtles, roses, flowers, shrubs, and even some houseplants.  Now, really, there are many other chemicals that do this same thing but the only one I've learned about is this one. That being said, you can find this in Bayer's Disease Control products

Powdery Mildew on the flower buds of crepe myrtle

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