Dead Oak Tree Roots From an Organism

Conks

• An inspection of a diseased oak tree can reveal the presence of harmful organisms. The reproductive body of a fungus is referred to as a basidiocarp. These fruiting bodies come in two forms. The first type are conks, also called shelf or bracket fungi. They appear as a sort of soft -- yet woody -- appendage that grows, like a shelf, from the trunk of an oak tree. Conks may grow with or without a stem.

Mushrooms

• The second sign that butt and root rot of an oak tree may be underway is the growth of mushrooms on and around the tree. These typically are full mushrooms with stems, complete with caps and gills on the underside of the caps. The mushrooms may grow at the base of the tree but can also extend outward in the same way that the rotting, underground roots extend outward. Normally, the mushrooms do not grow more than 6 feet away from the base of the oak.

Decay Level

• The amount of decay in the underground roots is estimated by the number, size and distribution of the conks or mushrooms around the oak. Essentially, the more there are and the larger they are, the more severe is the decay in the root system. Another fungus, of the species Armillaria, produces a fan-like collection of white fungal tissue underneath the bark at the base of the oak. This organism can also be identified by a black, shoestring-like growth in the soil and on the bark.

Prevention/Solution

• The fungi that cause butt and root rot of an oak tend to enter the tree through wounds to the roots and base of the trunk. Therefore, protecting the tree from mechanical damage via lawnmowers and the like is essential. The presence of basidiocarps indicates that the death of the root system is well underway. There exists no treatment to reverse the rot. Prompt removal of the tree is advisable to prevent damage or injury from the tree being blown down.