Tree Disease Question

[SamsB]

I have a beautiful 10 yr old Autumn Blaze Maple in my front yard, that looks like it is doing really well. My Trugreen guy called me and told me that the tree has "leaf spot" disease and needs to be treated. I don't see anything wrong with the leaves...there is some green, moss like substance on the trunk that stands out when it gets wet. Maybe a little splitting on the trunk as well.

1. Should I be concerned with this leaf spot disease?
2. Can I easily take care of it myself?
3. Would it be worth my money to have Trugreen treat it? (I travel a ton for my job and don't really know much about tree treatment)

Thanks for any help you can provide.

[cyfan964]

Tru Green is just trying to get some free money from you. I'm guessing there is absolutely nothing wrong with the tree. The green stuff on the trunk is probably lichens which don't harm the tree at all.

Autumn Blaze maples are some of the hardiest trees around and generally don't suffer from disease of any kind. Leaf spot is prevalent in times of a lot of rain, so I guess it is possible, but I would send a sample in to the ISU disease research lab which will check it out for FREE before I would drop that kind of money on it. Also, leaf spot is a fungus that could easily be treated by you.

Source: I graduated from Horitculture at ISU and am a landscape designer.

[00clone]

Just drove by, your tree does have a disease, maybe it should stop hanging around with that slutty elm down the street.

[CycloneDaddy]

I wouldn't trust the Trugreen guy. Those guys have to meet some pretty unrealistic sales goals or they get canned. I'm pretty sure the turn over there is pretty high. I knew a guy that worked in our office and quit and the next day he was working for Trugreen. Trust me, this guy knew nothing about horticulture.

[theantiAIRBHG]

I wouldn't trust the Trugreen guy. Those guys have to meet some pretty unrealistic sales goals or they get canned. I'm pretty sure the turn over there is pretty high. I knew a guy that worked in our office and quit and the next day he was working for Trugreen. Trust me, this guy knew nothing about horticulture.

I agree, my ma works for a competing lawn care service provider in the Waterloo area, and the stories she has about what their customers say the TruGreen guys try to persuade them to buy are nuts.

She says TruGreen has also been known to just show up, unannounced, at your residence and just treat your yard; no one asked them to be there, you didn't set up an estimate.. nothing. And then whammy, you get a bill in the mail a week later.

Crazy stuff going on at that company it sounds like.

[cygrads]

We have an Eastern White Pine that was around 5 years old and 12 feet tall. It was very healthy up until about a month ago and now it is dead - completely brown. Nothing around it seems impacted at all (other white pines, hostas). Anyone heard of something killing whitel pines? We also have a crab apple that looks sickly in another part of the yard - not sure it's going to make it either.

[CycloneErik]

I wouldn't trust the Trugreen guy. Those guys have to meet some pretty unrealistic sales goals or they get canned. I'm pretty sure the turn over there is pretty high. I knew a guy that worked in our office and quit and the next day he was working for Trugreen. Trust me, this guy knew nothing about horticulture.

Just do some job searching sometime. Sales jobs at Trugreen are constantly open.

When I worked overnight, I looked around a lot. Seeing the same ad month after month for years kind of leaves a hint.

I'd be really hesitant to just buy into the guy's idea, too. Kind of like when Jiffy Lube guys bring out a filter (that looks the same every time). Is that real, or do they have one behind the counter and look for easy money? (That one I'm not sure, but I don't want to buy in that way.)