DAE use smell to catch tree issues early?

I was looking at a sick pine and got a whiff of something sour. It tipped me off to a fungal infection I would have missed. Now I make it a habit to smell around trees during checks.

3 comments

3 Comments

granta121mo ago

I've caught root rot like that before, smelled like old potatoes.

troysingh1mo ago

Hmm, I mean, root rot usually smells more sour and mildewy to me. Old potatoes have that earthy funk, but root rot is like wet dirt that's gone off. Maybe it's just a different kind of rot though.

ward.mason1mo ago

Totally get what @granta12 means with the old potato smell. Had a cactus that went bad and it was just like digging up spuds from the back of the pantry. That kind of damp, sweet decay is spot on for some rot. Maybe it depends on the plant or how far gone it is. Once you smell it, you never forget it.