Advice on a sick tree

[sup3r1or]

Hello everyone, 

 

I am looking for some advice. We had a few trees in the garden for 5 years; we planted when we moved in. We had 5 cocoa trees; at some point they started to have this white stuff on them almost looks like mold or something.  Even on actual fruits, someone told my wife that it was a fungal infection, and we had to them down, which was not great as they took time to grow. Now my wife said we have to cut down mango tree, we planted it when we moved in. Now I want to have an opinion on this before I cut it down. I took some photos to show how it looks like. If anyone can tell me is there a way to save the tree and treat it, we have zero experience of gardening unfortunately, but I am looking to learn. 

 

I appreciate any advice. 

[alanrchase]

It appears you have an infestation of mango bark boring beetle larvae. Not a lot you can do about it as far as I know. I have occasionally had success cutting into the bark and killing the larvae, they feed just under the bark and chew holes into the trunk. Had a few trees die because of them. Some YouTube videos from India on how to try and deal with them. Normally the tree kills them off before they take a serious hold, beige coloured sap from a spot on the trunk is an indicator that the tree has stopped an attack.

 

[Antiparovian]

Go to garden shop with photos and ask for advice.

[xtrnuno41]

Wel you could browse in google "plant disease detection online"

You get sites where you put in the photo of plant with disease and you get suggestions.

For instance  https://plantix.net/en/

You have to decide if you want to use, I have no experiences in any of the sites.

The one mentioned is just an example. I have nothing to do with it.

Discovered it some time ago it was there.

Can say that is a good idea of using AI ! You could do with lots of things and has a "positive" working.

However, the outcome may be negative.

[drtreelove]

On 6/11/2025 at 12:07 AM, alanrchase said:

It appears you have an infestation of mango bark boring beetle larvae. Not a lot you can do about it as far as I know. I have occasionally had success cutting into the bark and killing the larvae, they feed just under the bark and chew holes into the trunk. Had a few trees die because of them. Some YouTube videos from India on how to try and deal with them. Normally the tree kills them off before they take a serious hold, beige coloured sap from a spot on the trunk is an indicator that the tree has stopped an attack.

 

 

From the one photo of the tree trunk, this looks like an accurate pest assessment.

There is not a lot you can do about advanced plant pest and disease conditions of any kind. Just like with human health, preventive wellness program is the key. 

In our small hobby farm in Chiang Mai with one rai/55 mango trees, this stem borer was prevalent. It wasn't an aggressive tree killer, the beetle-borers don't form extensive galleries that cut off sap flow like some other bark beetles that I deal with. But I did implement a successful monthly routine with application of a preventive insectide barrier. 

 

Pyrethroids are my chemistry of choice for bark beetle prevention (permethrin, bifenthrin, cypermethrin).  I used Permethrin 10% which was available at that time from a local MaeJo ag shop. But the highly available household insecticide/termiticide Chaindrite Stedfast 30 SC with bifenthrin will have the longest residual activity. You may be able to get three or four months. 

The pyrethroid solution is absorbed by the tree bark and provides a barrier for borer entry. It will also help to prevent termite activity/mud-tubes on the tree trunk. 

 

For this specific application, I would double the normal rate of 30ml/liter, to 60. Mix in a small handheld sprayer and spray to wet the lower tree trunk  until the point of run-off.  Spray when there is a mimimun of 4 hours dry period from rain or sprinklers. This is not a foliar canopy spray, just the lower stem. 

 

The other photos of the entire young tree show a relatively healthy foliar canopy. There is some lower foliage with fungal leaf spot, anthracnose, and/or insect pest holes.  Prune that out and provide better nutrition with complete organic fertilizer, soil surface mulching or cover cropping, and good water management during the dry season.  I hope you didn't remove the tree for these superficial factors. Sorry I only look at this forum once a month or so now. 

[drtreelove]

On 6/11/2025 at 4:21 AM, Antiparovian said:

Go to garden shop with photos and ask for advice.

Bad idea in my opinion.  You may get a chemical treatment recommendation because that is what they are obligated to sell and that is the only thing they know.  The shop will not likely know the importance of the cultural factors, growing condtions, soil and water management that are all-important for building plant health and natural resistance to pests and diseases. 

[drtreelove]

On 6/7/2025 at 2:14 AM, sup3r1or said:

Hello everyone, 

 

I am looking for some advice. We had a few trees in the garden for 5 years; we planted when we moved in. We had 5 cocoa trees; at some point they started to have this white stuff on them almost looks like mold or something.  Even on actual fruits, someone told my wife that it was a fungal infection, and we had to them down, which was not great as they took time to grow. Now my wife said we have to cut down mango tree, we planted it when we moved in. Now I want to have an opinion on this before I cut it down. I took some photos to show how it looks like. If anyone can tell me is there a way to save the tree and treat it, we have zero experience of gardening unfortunately, but I am looking to learn. 

 

I appreciate any advice. 

 

 

 

 

The "white stuff" on the cocoa trees was probably mealy bugs or powdery mildew.  Either/both are easy to control and certainly it was horrible advise to unnecessarily cut them down.