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Lichens vs. Decay Fungi on Oak: Distinguishing Harmless from Hazardous

Initial "white moss" = lichens (harmless epiphytes). Follow-up: bark sloughing in chunks + brown shelf mushrooms = decay fungi (Ganoderma, etc.) fruiting on internal rot. Fungi don't kill living cambium but hollow trunks over years.

No treatment for decay. Fertilize 10-10-10 at 1 lb/inch trunk diameter to boost vigor. Monitor for limb failure. Free service—ask anytime.

Trees: Transplant Shock in Oversized White Pines: Root Stimulation?; Hollow White Oaks with Carpenter Ants: Fertilize, Don't Fell; Oak Trunk Decay: Management and Structural Support; Cottonwood Seedlings: Transplant Only If Seed-Grown, Not Root Suckers; Staking 7-Ft White Pines: Keep Stakes Until Spring; Diagnosing Two Problem Trees: Borer and Canker; Old White Birch Top Dieback After Frost: Assess, Prune, or Replace; Maple Tree Decline from Dry Rot: Borer Damage and Fertilization Strategy; Best Indoor Trees for a Warm Greenhouse in New York; White Flowering Trees: 9 Spectacular Varieties for Your Landscape

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