What Those Brown Spots on Your Pecan Tree Leaves Mean

Gardening is an excellent way to create a beautiful yard and give back to the environment, but it requires learning tons of new information. Whether you already have a pecan tree in your yard or want to plant a new one, you need to know how to care for them properly. Unfortunately, this tree variety is prone to a few diseases; knowing what those brown spots on your pecan tree leaves mean can help you choose and implement the best treatment options.

Brown Spot

Brown spot is a common fungal infection of mature pecan tree leaves that usually appears in June and July. This fungus is most common in areas with high humidity or neglected orchards, and it starts as small dots on the leaves. Eventually, they may get larger and cause leaves to fall unless you treat the issue.

Fortunately, healthy, well-kept pecan trees usually don’t suffer from brown spot. Keep your trees watered and fertilized for the best possible results. You can treat this fungus with a basic tree fungicide if your trees develop it.

Downy Spot

Downy spot causes small yellow spots to appear on the leaves, which may turn brown later in the season and cause leaves to fall before they’re supposed to. Some pecan tree varieties are resistant to this fungus, but others are more susceptible. If you notice these yellow or brown spots on your pecan leaves, remove and destroy the infected ones. Consider using a preventative fungicide spray to keep it at bay.

Liver Spot

Liver spot is a leaf fungus that usually appears in May or June. In late summer, the brown spots may turn reddish-brown and cause leaves to fall off the tree. Trees are more likely to fall victim to liver spot if they’re unhealthy or there’s an extended period of wet weather. With that said, keeping your trees healthy and using preventative fungicide spray are the best ways to keep liver spot from damaging your container-grown pecan trees.

Gnomonia Leaf Spot

Gnomonia leaf spot Is yet another fungal disease that may wreak havoc on your trees. However, it only impacts those that are deficient in zinc. Symptoms typically appear in June, and the brown spots expand as the fungus multiplies. Because this disease spreads quickly, you should clean up any infected and fallen leaves to prevent it from spreading further. Additionally, proper fertilization and fungicide prevention will help keep gnomonia leaf spot at bay.

Now that you know what those brown spots on your pecan tree leaves mean, you can move forward with necessary treatment options. Whether the pecan trees were already on your property or you added them intentionally, take care of them the best you can.