Why Do Trees Lose Their Leaves?

If there’s one clear indication of winter making its way for a year, it is trees shedding leaves. Trees that shed leaves when winter is approaching are called deciduous trees. However, losing leaves continuously can be a symptom of sickness for trees, and that’s where sick tree treatment in San Diego comes in handy.

In this regard, we tried to know from our tree health experts if we can determine why leaves fall off and can it be a sign of sickness for trees. And what we learn is that it is a matter of grave concern when trees start shedding their leaves apart from the winter.

There’s a high chance of fungi infection in a tree that loses its leaves apart from the time when winter approaches. Additionally, excessive wet/dry soil conditions and unfavorable weather can make trees lose leaves. Let’s have a look at common reasons for a tree to shed leaves.

6 Common Reasons For a Tree Shedding Leaves

The shock caused by repotting or transplanting can be considered as one of the most vital reasons that affect a tree’s health. It is also true that plants transported to the outdoors from the indoor environment and vice versa can also be a reason. However, temperature fluctuation, excessive sunlight, and excessive moisture can cause the worst impact on tree health, making plant health care an absolute must.

However, especially when the trees are transitioning to a different environment, it causes the loss of leaves. However, proper sick tree treatment in San Diego can be beneficial to treat all the issues.

None can overlook the role of weather in plant health care. When the weather condition is good, it promotes good health of trees. It also helps trees in their growth. However, rainy or windy weather leads the leaves to fall down.

Also Read: Best Way to Keep Trees Healthy This Winter

According to our plant health care expert, the wetness of the spring and the scorching heat in the summer may involve an excessive stress factor on the trees. The sufficient amount of moisture found under the soil can have the worst impact on the autumnal color of the tree leaves. The moisture present in the soil changes its form every year, like the weather. The late spring or the drought of the summer can cause delayed fall. However, the warm period may also have the worst impact on the potency of the autumnal colors.

Like everything else in the world, a tree’s behavior is also subject to change. The behavior of the tree solely relies on the behavior of the sun. Therefore, seasonal changes have a great impact on the falling of the leaves according to plant health care professionals. However, you can treat them with the right sick tree treatment in San Diego.

• Survive Harsh Winter by Shedding Leaves
  Nature has its own mechanisms to deal with different environmental conditions. In case of trees, they start reducing chlorophyll production if they cannot get enough heat from the sun in winter. Chlorophyll is the pigment that plays a vital role in keeping the leaves green, and most importantly, it operates the process of primary energy production.
  chlorophyll lets the other pigment be visible on the leaves. These other pigments recognized by the colors like yellow or orange were already present in the leaves, but they could not be seen due to the overwhelming amount of Chlorophyll. When such pigments appear visible due to lack of Chlorophyll, trees start to shed them by growing other layers of cells in the stem of the leaf and limb of the trees.
  Further, when the layer stops producing the supply of nutrients to the different parts of the tree along with the leaves, it becomes problematic for the trees to keep their leaves intact, and as a result, it starts shedding itself. Tree owners may opt for treatment in San Diego to get the ultimate results related to curing trees and related health conditions.

• Trees Ditching Their Leave In Fall Season
  Deciduous trees can sense winter is approaching, with nights getting longer and days becoming shorter. In winter, these trees cannot collect enough light and water to make food. So, call it a survival tactic for trees; they seal off and shed leaves to endure harsh winter seasons.
  To delve deeper into the science behind why trees lose leaves in winter, here’s the science behind it. Plants have a hormone called Auxin. Auxin hormone allows plant leaves to stay outward and upward facing. This way, the plants can absorb more light and contribute to the photosynthesis process. Winter temperature hinders Auxin production in leaves and thereby makes them get retouched from the branches.
  Though, as a tree owner, falling leaves can make you question whether you are doing the plant health care rightly, we assure you that it’s natural and absolutely fine. Wait until spring comes with new, tiny leaves on your tree.

Fungal infections or an infestation of pests and insects is very common among the trees in the wet spring. Fungi and insects refer to all the organisms that generally involve all the food excreting enzymes that again break down into the molecules.

Generally, these fungi and insects are not able to identify any discrimination between a food source that needs to be decomposed and all other sources of the food that adds value to the life-like tree leaves.

• Scale
  Scales are waxy insects that play a vital role in the shedding of tree leaves. These insects perforate the tree’s leaves and take the sap from them. Well, in this case, it makes the process more difficult for trees to keep the moisture intact and maintain all the nutrients.
  The honeydew leads to the scaling of all excretes onto the trees. They can offer more sustenance for the mold. Sooty mold again leads to more dangerous infestation and serious damages to the tree leaves.
  More than 60 varieties of scales occur, and however, most of the time, these scales won’t come to notice until the branches of the tree start dying.
  You can go for the best treatment in San Diego to mitigate scale. Professionals implement non-toxic treatment to safeguard tree health and the environment. But as per the plant health care professional, tree health also relies on how you treat it regularly.
• Hole Shot Borer
  Tree borer refers to the group of insects that generally left the legs in a particular part of the tree where the just born larvae consume what they need through the leaving tissues. These miscreants might be the clearwing moths or beetles. But it doesn’t matter what the insects are; the result will be the same. According to plant health care professionals, if the right treatment in San Diego is utilized in time, shot borer can be avoided, and tree health can be maintained.
  Tree borer insects can have the worst impact on the several parts of the trees that slowly loosen all chewing severs.
  With the advancement of time, these insects start girdling on the trees and weakening the branches to a particular point where these trees start breaking down under the pressure. One of the most common signs that the tree borer insects start infesting in the trees in your garden is the presence of tiny holes on the tree trunks.
• Boring Insect
  According to plant health care, insects, also known as tree borers, make a habitat from the trees and in other woody plants. These insects can be beetles, moths, and wasps. Most of the time, the trees, especially groups of insects that are again, considered as the most vulnerable creatures affecting the tree health.
  There are mainly two types of categories – initial and secondary creatures. However, both types of insects act as invaders. The primary invaders generally target healthy plants and make them weaker. However, these boring insects cause the leaves to fall down.

Premature fall of leaves can be a result of the falling leaves. However, suppose, the proper treatment is not given in time; in this case, it may cause several diseases.

• Anthracnose
  Anthracnose is one of the main reasons that can cause the falling of the leaves. Suppose the infected leaves get distorted and curled; in this case, infections may result in the leaf drop in the spring. Generally, the trees start producing the growth of the leaves in midsummer when the leaf dropping generally concurs.
  Anthracnose causes dark tan and brown spots on the mature leaves. However, these leaves don’t usually become distorted. According to plant health care professionals, if the proper care is not given on time, it may lead the leaves to shed down.
• Leaf Spot
  Leaf spot is one of the most common reasons that might be the reason that may cause the tree to shed its leaves. However, symptoms associated with the leaf spots may vary depending on the causal agent. These leaf spots can be caused by air pollutants and even the infestation of viruses and bacteria. However, most of them are caused by pathogenic fungi. However, onto the dead leaf, the fungi start growing, and the tissues get destroyed. Proper treatment is required to treat this kind of tree issue in San Diego.
  Resulted spots may be different in size, and most importantly, dead areas on the leaves usually get brown as well as black. Complete defoliation can occur under conditions such as pest and fungi infestation.
• Leaf Blister
  Leaf blister refers to a fungal disease caused by the Taphrina Caerulescens Fungus. A circular area ranging up to 2 inches in a certain diameter is again scattered over the upper leaf. During winter, all the species generally catch the leaf blister disease. Leaf blisters generally appear within a few weeks following 1- 1.5 inch circular. However, the light green bulges on the surface are also a sign of leaf blisters. However, if the trees are not given proper care, leaf blisters may cause the leaves to fall.
• Powdery Mildew
  Powdery mildew is a plant disease that causes the growth on the surface that again causes the growth on the leaves, fruits, and flowers. However, the powdery mildew can be caused by the specialized races of fungal infections that may cause Microsphaera, Podosphaera, Uncinula, etc.
  Proper tree disease treatment from arborists in San Diego can cure powdery mildew. Your trees may have several diseases along, so consulting with plant health care professionals can help you. However, High humidity and less airflow can cause the powdery mildew to grow. The health of the trees is completely dependent on their well-being and how you take care of them.

Final Thoughts

This article is intended to cover all the aspects and reasons why trees shed their leaves. However, if you are still not convinced or you are thinking that the trees in your yard require tree health inspection and treatment in San Diego or not, in this case, it is always a great idea to consult a plant health care professional. Experts assist you to maintain the well-being of a tree before it gets worse. To learn more, feel free to consult us.