A BIG OLD copper beech tree is a focus of my backyard, and every time I look out the window at it admiringly lately, I really feel the identical love and gratitude I all the time have for its grandeur, but in addition a deepening twinge of fear. These are more and more powerful occasions for beeches, each European ones like my copper beech, and on a far greater environmental scale, the valuable native beech timber of our Japanese North American forests.
I’m joined for this podcast by Beth Brantley of Bartlett Tree Analysis Laboratories, who’s talking July 18 on the way forward for beeches on the annual in-person and digital Woody Plant Convention at Scott Arboretum at Swarthmore School.
Beth, whose doctorate is in plant pathology, is the Northeast Analysis Scientist with Bartlett Tree Analysis Laboratories, offering assist to Bartlett Tree Consultants’ regional places of work; conducting arbor tradition analysis; and sharing her data by means of instructing and displays. Beech leaf illness, one of many newer challenges dealing with beech timber immediately, is a specific curiosity of Beth’s, and he or she instructed me extra about that and different pest and pathogen pressures dealing with these necessary timber. (Above, striping from beech leaf illness evident in beech leaves; picture from Bartlett web site.)
Learn alongside as you take heed to the June 30, 2025 version of my public-radio present and podcast utilizing the participant beneath. You’ll be able to subscribe to all future editions on Apple Podcasts (iTunes) or Spotify (and browse my archive of podcasts right here).
beeches beneath stress, with beth brantley
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Margaret Roach: Welcome Beth. How are you?
Beth Brantley: Nicely, hey, thanks, Margaret. I’m doing nicely immediately. How about your self?
Margaret: I’m O.Ok. I’m anxious about beeches.
Beth: May you inform me just a little bit extra about your tree, your beech tree, Margaret, and your relationship with that tree?
Margaret: Certain, completely I might. I planted it nearly 40 years in the past, dragged it as a younger tree up a hill and planted it in a subject, on axis from key home windows in my home, and I’ve stared at it day-after-day since because it’s grown and grown into this majestic, large creature. After which within the forests not distant are a lot of different beeches.
And I assume the factor about it’s that I’ve through the years of being a gardener after which a backyard author and so forth, heard the story of many alternative timber in bother, one after the other: the woolly adelgid and the hemlocks years in the past and persevering with. And I hear about oak wilt, and emerald ash borer and oh my goodness. So yeah, so I’ve a robust relationship with the tree. I can see it as we’re talking proper now, and it’s my companion [laughter]. It’s not in bother proper now, however I fear as a result of I’ve seen ones elsewhere, not so distant which might be.
Beth: Nicely, I respect that story and people connections, Margaret and certainly our beech timber are in bother. And I’ll preface this by saying that I’ve the nice fortune of working for a corporation that’s based mostly and grounded in science and security, and it’s our mission to maintain timber wholesome. And on the finish of the day, all dwelling organisms ought to have that chance to be stored wholesome.
And as I take into consideration your planted beech tree, I’d share with you that my husband and I personal 30 acres of largely beech forest, which can be in bother. And it’s not simply beech leaf illness, that’s an issue in our forests, however all the opposite gamers that come to the desk, together with beech bark illness, and another native pests and pathogens. However with beech leaf illness specifically, Margaret, neither of those timber, European beech nor American beech, have co-evolved with this foliar-feeding nematode. And I believe that’s our best problem with science and with analysis is how will we method this actually novel, what we name a pathosystem in these woody crops, our majestic beech timber. And what would you wish to know immediately, Margaret, that I can share with you? [Above, leaves of American beech, Fagus grandiflora; photo from Wikimedia Commons by Dcrjsr.]
Margaret: Nicely, I believe to set the scene for listeners who might not know what’s occurring with beeches, there are form of a number of issues. A few of them have been round longer. I believe beech leaf illness, what it was found in Ohio round 2012ish perhaps, I believe.
Beth: Right.
Margaret: In order that’s comparatively new, but it surely’s already unfold fairly rapidly, I believe. However there have been already different—and also you simply alluded to some—there have been already different pressures on beeches. So just a bit little bit of what are the a number of stressors that beeches face, and are all of them the European and the native beeches, or do some solely goal one or the opposite species?
Beth: Yeah, nice query. So some do each and a few are undoubtedly host-specific. And I believe I’ll begin along with your tree, with European beech, and discuss how the challenges that we see with European beech, particularly the older timber, Margaret, on the historic estates that dot the Northeastern United States.
Timber in some ways are like folks. They only turn into extra prone to a few of the challenges that current. There are wood-decay pathogens that we might not find out about in an older tree till we see a fungal fruiting construction, for instance, or a fruiting construction typically. There’s a root rot illness attributable to Phytopthora, which isn’t a fungus, but it surely’s a fungus-like organism that assaults roots of each European and American beech.
However I’m occupied with your beech tree, Margaret, in your property proper now. It’s solely 40. It’s within the prime of its life actually [laughter], a younger grownup.
Margaret: It’s a babe [laughter].
Beth: And so your tree, given the correct circumstances, must be wholesome and thriving. And I’ll discuss these cultural circumstances in a second. However again to the pressures: Your European beech truly has a woolly beech aphid that’s particular, host-specific to European beech. It doesn’t feed on American beech. It’s sort of enjoyable and engaging, attention-grabbing, that it discovered its native host right here in America. However then there are woolly beech aphids that do assault American beech. And these are stressors greater than something.
After which only a entire host… Beech are—I don’t need to use the phrase sickly within the flawed method. However they’re topic to, how about this: They’re topic to or liable to a number of bugs and ailments together with mites as nicely. So heaps and many issues. After which American beech in our forests, the beech bark illness, which is a captivating complicated between scale bugs that feed on bark and create little wounds, after which fungi spores that discover these little wounds within the bark and colonize. So form of a cool complicated from a pathological perspective, however that may render mortality within the extra prone people in our forest timber. So simply so many to select from. [Above: Woolly beech aphid on European copper beech leaf; photo from Wikimedia by Gailhampshire.]
Margaret: Yeah. And the factor in regards to the beech leaf illness, the more moderen one: What occurred is a few years in the past went to, you had been simply speaking about these form of historic gardens and so forth, they usually have these majestic weeping beeches and issues like that that had been put in a century or extra in the past. And these best estates, a lot of them are actually public gardens, they usually’re dropping them—they’re dropping these older timber in numerous circumstances.
And I used to be at one, and it’s surrounded by beech forest, native beech forest, so it’s the worst mixture of issues. So that they’re susceptible in two methods, to their pure lands in addition to their decorative foundations, their structure, so to talk, of the backyard. And that was the place I first realized about beech leaf illness. And once you first see it, it’s sort of fascinating and crowd pleasing. And I take advantage of these phrases very in quotes as a result of clearly it’s insidious and horrifying, however at first it’s like, “Ooh, what’s that?” Are you aware what I imply?
Beth: I do. I do utterly. And the easiest way to determine it’s trying as much as in the direction of mild, in the direction of the solar, and looking out on the leaves from the underside, Margaret. And also you see that injury that was attributable to the nematodes feeding within the buds, in these little primordial leaves over winter, all of that injury was already finished. And people leaves unfurl within the springtime with the injury that to me, I wish to name them zebra stripes, in order that darkened tissue in between the veins of the beech leaves. So best to see, trying up by means of that crown of the tree to see that stripe. [Photo looking up into infected beech canopy from Bartlett website.]
Margaret: Oh, in order that they did the injury earlier than the leaf opens, in order that they don’t get contained in the leaf layers or no matter like a leaf miner would. They’ve truly finished the injury that reveals within the leaf as soon as it expands; they’ve finished the injury when it was curled up earlier than it expanded.
Beth: Precisely.
Margaret: Oh, I didn’t perceive. O.Ok.
Beth: Sure. And that’s a very necessary factor I believe for people to know, that the injury is already finished, the leaves emerge, and now it’s as much as the beech tree to determine: does it retain that leaf Margaret and attempt to photosynthesize successfully with these broken cells, or does it drop the leaves and push out a brand new flush?
And by this time of 12 months, so that you and I are talking on the finish of June, wholesome timber are sometimes pushing a brand new flush, dropping these outdated broken leaves. So we are likely to see form of a light-weight, inexperienced floppy set of leaves on the ends of those twigs that present no signs. And all of these different leaves are already on the bottom. They’ve dropped them.
And I share this Margaret, as a result of that’s actually, you’ve received to consider it as a real depletion of saved vitality. The tree shops these carbohydrates for thus many causes: protection, for progress, for replica. However now they’ve received to make use of up the fuel within the tank to push out new leaves. So all of this comes at a value to those timber. And sooner or later there isn’t a extra fuel within the tank, no extra saved vitality reserves. And the timber actually turn into prone to all the late-comers to the, what I name the mortality spiral into the demise social gathering. For instance, ambrosia beetles. That’s form of the ultimate nail within the coffin once you see these little pencil protrusions on the base of a beech tree of sawdust from these beetles that actually have simply come to wash up the social gathering as a result of the tree is useless.
Margaret: Proper. So a lot of issues occurring. And so that you had been speaking about my tree, if it’s 40 years outdated; nicely, it’s older as a result of it most likely say it was 10 years outdated once I received it or one thing. However at any charge, it’s within the prime of its life. Perhaps it has extra resilience than a tree at a historic property that was already 100 years outdated and no matter. However is that what we’re going to do? How are we going to deal with this, or are we tackling this beech leaf illness? Is it that we’re making an attempt to combat this nematode, or are we making an attempt to instill extra resilience within the timber, or what’s the tactic for this?
Beth: Certain. Nice query. And the excellent news is there are answers, and we’ll tackle this once more throughout the area of your tree. Let’s begin with the tree itself. Let’s discuss constructing resilience for the tree and conserving the tree itself wholesome. In my imaginative and prescient, Margaret, each beech tree that’s planted on a property would have a mulch mattress all the best way out extending all the best way out to the perimeters of the furthest-reaching branches. And we name that the drip line affectionately [laughter]. Certain. So for those who put that form of umbrella on prime of a tree, it’s the place the perimeters of the umbrella could be.
And having that layer of mulch gives so many advantages in your tree, and any tree—it doesn’t should be a beech tree. However firstly, it helps retain water. It acts actually functionally as a blanket retaining the water within the soil. It prevents lawnmower injury to uncovered roots and to the trunks of timber. And it additionally gives vitamins—organisms break down that woody materials and pull these vitamins into the soil profile, in order that our beech roots and different tree roots can entry them. So I’m actually an incredible fan of mulch.
And we’ve had such a moist spring, Margaret, within the Northeast, so I’m not too anxious about water going into this rising season. However definitely if we enter one other actually sizzling dry spell like we had final autumn, for instance, and as a part of the summer time final 12 months, we’ve got to be aware about offering all of our timber with enough moisture. And I’m a fan of drip irrigation. I’m an incredible fan of soil moisture meters which you can purchase at your native field retailer or order on-line, and even simply merely stick your finger within the soil as far down as it will possibly go, and does it really feel moist?
And I believe these two issues for me—simply the mulch and correct water for the soil, for the roots—are my prime two go-tos once I consider cultural facilities that we are able to present for all of our timber. And once more, in your beech tree specifically.
Margaret: Now we’re conserving the mulch away from trunk, I’m assuming, however we’re mulching out to the extent of the drip line.
Beth: Right. Proper, to the extent so far as his branches develop. Completely. Yeah. Please, please preserve that mulch away from the trunk.
You need to have that good uncovered what we name a flare, the place the trunk begins to taper into these roots.
So I’m additionally a fan of understanding soil well being, and for me, it’s soil diet, so submitting soil samples for nutrient evaluation and ensuring that your tree is basically receiving all the pieces that it wants. I believe that is actually necessary. And particularly on a few of our landscapes, Margaret, the place we’ve got turf going all the best way as much as the bottom of a tree. I see this very often in my travels, and it sort of breaks my coronary heart. The turf roots are going to get the water earlier than the beech roots are, they usually’re additionally going to take vitamins away from our tree roots. So simply being aware that we are able to do numerous issues for the well being of the tree.
There are additionally potassium polyphosphites which might be accessible, and one other tree firm, Davey Tree Analysis, that group has finished a very glorious job showcasing how polyphosphites have helped to construct resilience in beech timber subjected to beech leaf illness, to the nematodes. However remember that these amendments, so these soil amendments, are actually concentrating on serving to the timber and never controlling the nematodes.
Margaret: Proper, proper. So it’s to spice up the resilience. It’s to not kill the pest, so to talk.
Beth: Right. And I’m a robust advocate. That’s a part of our well being program for beech timber and for all timber, Margaret. I consider that we must always all be doing all we are able to to advertise well being for these timber.
Margaret: The historic panorama that I talked to you about that I noticed that surrounded by native beech forest, that they’re following, I believe it was College of Connecticut pointers truly, that did advocate the potassium polyphosphite fertilizer merchandise and so forth. They usually’ve been utilizing these, and that was the route they’ve been going. And simply what you’re saying, different soil-health, soil-improving sort of techniques.
Only one fast query. Mulch: Are you utilizing arborist chips, or any specific variety—is it a coarse-textured mulch? Any suggestions there?
Beth: Yeah, nice query. When you’ve got entry, I favor to discover a composted panorama mulch.
Margaret: One thing that’s been aged already.
Beth: So panorama wooden bark mulch is a wonderful materials. I like that coarse materials. So once more, a superb substrate to make use of, simply so long as there’s some dietary worth to it. I’m not a fan of the ground-up pallets in the usual weight loss plan [laughter].
Margaret: Not industrial waste.
Beth: Yeah, we are able to do higher.
Margaret: So the place did this nematode come from? Do we all know? I believe I learn that we predict it’s non-native, however we’re undecided. And I don’t know if that’s the newest or not. And the way does it unfold? Do we all know something in regards to the vectors of its unfold or-?
Beth: Sure. Sure, we do. So it is a subspecies of a nematode in Japan, and a bunch of researchers went to Japan final 12 months, and what they discovered is that Litylenchus the genus of the nematode that this Litylenchus in Japan assaults the native beech timber and it causes signs, but it surely doesn’t trigger mortality. So there’s some co-evolution.
And thru genetic evaluation, we’ve recognized this as a subspecies, however since our timber nor the European beech have co-evolved with it, there isn’t a inherent resistance for our timber. And what this does present is probably a glimmer of hope for some alternatives with genetics to make the most of the Asiatic beech species as we do our greatest to preserve the beech tree in America, and finally in Europe as nicely. That’s the origin of the nematode, is Japan. So far as unfold, it’s actually fairly fascinating. This stayed quiet from 2012 to about 2018. It was simply confined to Northwestern Pennsylvania, and into that southeastern Ohio nook. And it actually didn’t do a lot. We didn’t hear about it. It was form of off everybody’s radar. And a part of the long-distance switch, Margaret, was by means of the nursery commerce.
Margaret: That’s what I figured.
Beth: Nurseries had been rising European beech and in areas the place American beech forest, simply as you might have described, had been infested, and the transport of those, for instance, over to Lengthy Island and in by means of the Northeast, did the long-distance motion of those nematodes, once more on nursery inventory.
However additionally they, there are 10,000 nematodes in a single leaf, they usually transfer within the wind, they transfer within the rain, they unfold simply gradual motion by birds, by mammals, by bugs. So there are numerous, many alternative ways in which the nematode is getting round. Even by, maybe by folks if we brush up in opposition to a leaf or a twig when they’re shifting from infested leaves to the buds, which goes to occur afterward within the summertime and in early autumn. So a lot of unfold, however largely by wind. That’s how we’re getting numerous this unfold. And once more, simply bear in mind 10,000 of those in a single leaf and you may simply think about what number of are in a single tree, a mature tree.
So I need to circle again to what we are able to do for our timber when it comes to managing the nematode populations.
Margaret: Undoubtedly. Sure. Sure.
Beth: So we’ve got actually two fantastic choices proper now. Each are pesticides with what are referred to as nematicidal properties. They kill nematodes. And one is a foliar utility of an energetic ingredient referred to as Fluopyram. And the opposite is a systemic injection of an energetic ingredient referred to as thiabendazole. And I’ll present you, Margaret, with two scientific papers that doc the science behind these suggestions [here and here]. And once more, working for a science-backed firm; I can not present suggestions until this has been vetted by means of the scientific neighborhood, they usually have in these peer-reviewed journal articles.
And once more, each tree is a person, so we make suggestions on a case-by-case foundation. I’d encourage the listeners to achieve out to an authorized arborist, so an ISA-certified arborist, Worldwide Society of Arboriculture, for suggestions for his or her beech timber. And these are the 2 energetic substances that, once more, the scientific neighborhood, the arboriculture neighborhood is selling. And also you talked about the UConn references. I’d additionally encourage listeners to take a look at the College of Massachusetts suggestions. [Beech leaf disease photo, above, by Matthew Border of Bartlett via Bugwood.org.]
Margaret: That’s the opposite one I’ve been studying, sure. The backyard I used to be speaking about that I visited, they’re in, they’re on the border of Connecticut, in order that they most likely consulted with the college that was nearest to them.
Beth: And I’ll additionally present you a technical report that’s accessible from Bartlett Tree Consultants. We’re blissful to share data; that’s our aim. We would like everybody to have wholesome timber so we are able to assess timber, Margaret, one tree at a time, and we’re taking a look at different circumstances of well being as we make suggestions to deal with for beech leaf illness. The foliar-spray purposes are annual, and the systemic injections within the root flare are good for 2 years. However not each tree is a candidate for both of these, and we’re not going to do each [laughter]. You’re going to do one or the opposite.
Margaret: And the polyphosphites, is {that a} common factor?
Beth: And we advocate twice a 12 months, so starting and finish of the rising season. And that’s for all timber.
Margaret: It’s so much, and once more, the beech forest is such an necessary forest and a part of our forest neighborhood within the Japanese United States, and such a provider of sustenance for thus many creatures and so forth. You mentioned you and your husband have 30 acres of it. It’s an enormous deal, so I needed to listen to extra about it and get extra data.
Now within the final minute, I’m simply going to shout out to those who in the event that they need to be taught extra, they may attend your discuss on the Woody Plant Convention at Scott Arboretum just about or in particular person July 18th. Once more, it’s going to be on-line as nicely. And there’s a lot of different matters from invasive woody crops, to fruit-bearing woody crops, to every kind of excellent matters on this system.
I’m very glad to attach as a result of as I mentioned, it’s simply been trickling into my mind and it was time for me to begin studying extra about it, to dig just a little deeper. Thus far, my tree’s trying blissful, however you by no means know; you by no means know.
Beth: So Margaret, I additionally need to give folks just a little bit of excellent information as nicely. We’re simply implementing analysis initiatives. I’ve the pleasure to work with Dr. Andrew Loyd and Dr. Matt Borden, additionally plant pathologists, however we’re simply launching into some forest-level analysis, taking a look at combining injections with eradicating some competing timber in two areas in Pennsylvania and in Rhode Island. So keep tuned. I’m not saying we’ve got the reply, however we’re making an attempt.
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MY WEEKLY public-radio present, rated a “top-5 backyard podcast” by “The Guardian” newspaper within the UK, started its fifteenth 12 months in March 2024. It’s produced at Robin Hood Radio, the smallest NPR station within the nation. Pay attention domestically within the Hudson Valley (NY)-Berkshires (MA)-Litchfield Hills (CT) Mondays at 8:30 AM Japanese, rerun at 8:30 Saturdays. Or play the June 30, 2025 present utilizing the participant close to the highest of this transcript. You’ll be able to subscribe to all future editions on iTunes/Apple Podcasts or Spotify (and browse my archive of podcasts right here).
