Cultural control of oak wilt

Oak wilt is of most concern in the continental United States. There a number of ways to prevent or control oak wilt in gardens:

 - Avoid damaging trees with lawn mowers or other equipment, particularly from mid-spring to midsummer when the spores are active.

- For white oaks, remove any infected branches. If pruning from mid-spring to midsummer, use wound paint to prevent spores from entering the tree. 

- In stands of oaks, root barriers created by a trench machine or vibratory plane can stop the fungus's spread from infected roots to healthy ones. Consult an arborist to assess if this is an option in your garden.

- Since the disease is usually fatal for red oaks, fell infected trees in autumn or early winter to miminise the spread of oak wilt.