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The Advertiser (King's County), Tuesday, October 16, 2007 Tar spots mar Norway maples by Brent Fox/The Advertiser View all articles from Brent Fox/The Advertiser Article online since October 13rd 2007, 9:45 Be the first to comment this article PHOTO: This Norway maple illustrates the extent of the fungal infection, but horticulturalist Tim Amos says there's nothing anyone can do to stop it. Tar spots mar Norway maples BY BRENT FOX The Advertiser NovaNewsNow.com Its unsightly, relatively harmless to the tree and theres little you can do about it. You may have noticed the black spots on local Norway maples this year. Simply ugly, and it has a number of people worked up and worried for their trees. But Kingstec campus horticulture faculty member Tim Amos says, its nothing to worry about. Its called tar spots, Amos noted, a fungal disease that marks certain trees. It doesnt really affect the infected trees and most trees are safe from it. One way to reduce the occurrences, he said, is to stop planting Norway maples and plant other, less susceptible species instead. The spots havent affected sugar maples and other more valued trees. The disease can be perpetuated through composting leaves. The fungus remains with the leaves and will bring it into a new season. But it also goes from tree-to-tree through the air. Theres absolutely nothing you can do, Amos said. It may go away at times, he acknowledged, because it runs in cycles. And people have to decide which is more important; the value of leaves in compost or the increased potential of the fungus. A means of avoiding such a problem in the future, he noted, is to grow different species in your garden. A mono-species attitude leaves one wide open to having a whole yard affected by one disease.
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