Please help me decide what to do about the pecan tree. With Gardenz' help I did research and confirmed that the tree has sooty mold. Not only that, some of the pecan websites say that they cannot recommend this tree for personal gardens due to the severity of the problem. The trees grow very tall and you would "need a helicopter" to spray adequately. The mess is tremendous. The work involved in gathering and throwing away all the leaves every year is a lot. The mold has spread to lots of other plants.

But the tall tree offers lots of shade in a really hot area. And privacy in our urban area, too. When we moved in, when the tree was still fairly small, the sun there was awful about 6 months of the year.

So: should I pay hundreds of dollars to have it removed? Like most of us, we're not rich. And yes, I could then plant another tree, but I probably won't be around to benefit from the shade years from now, and I want shade now! Please help me decide!

Sounds like you are between a rock and a hard place! Is the tree dying? If so, it will eventually have to come down. Can you plant a new tree nearby that will offer shade (eventually) and then cut the pecan down in the future?

Does the tree do this with the mold every year?
Or has this been a very dry 6 mos. compared to other years?
I sure couldn't take my only shade tree down.
Any way portions of it could be sprayed and/or plants underneath be sprayed?
Seems like a real mess. Maybe take down,plant several new trees along with a pergola/gazebo for shade? Guess that would be big moola.

Question: Does the sooty mold hurt anything? The citrus trees here get sooty mold but is not a problem and we are told to ignore it. No harm done and no need to spray.

Oh jenniferch, my favorite type of question!
Community "Brainstorming"!!!

how about an "ARBOR"...to grow food...flowering vines, roses, grapes, kiwi...the sky is the limit.

I designed an arbor this summer for a client that had the same issues with a big, old, messy, but shade providing tree...as you do. Its a very hard decision to cut anything down...I know.

They love the arbor and it gives them a very shady and beautiful place to sit and relax out of the sun.
I designed the arbor so you can add on to it in 8'cedar sections at any point when your pocket book so chooses, and you have the time.
In honor of the messy tree...we planted an interesting
assortment of dwarf, fruit trees that are being trimmed to espalier along one of the arbor sections and another will be on an original metal scultured trellis...the third dwarf fruit will stand alone. All three trees will be providing the family with some wonderful, homegrown, organic, fruit in a couple of years...what could be better!

Thanks to Mulchwoman, and her DH (they have designed and built a number of beautiful and functional arbors)...we milled over construction ideas and came up with some pretty interesting stuff...some of which I used.
Great ideas and FREE!

purplebean

just an idea:
I wonder if you have any fine art artists that work in wood that might be interested in the pecan...find out befor you cut it. Maybe put a flyer up at the art schools in the area...that sort of thing. I have a friend who lives up here that turns wood bowls is why I'm thinking in that direction...It might pay for the removal...selling the pecan wood, I mean. FUN, FUN...
GOOD LUCK!

Hey Purplebean, I forgot all about your arbor project...sounds like it turned out quite good (got a few pics to post over one "the other site"?

Jennifer, when you say you won't be there long, do you plan on moving? If the tree is dying, it may leave one heck of an ugly eyesore when you take it out to sell the place (hazardous trees are not good selling items and may be required to be removed). Better to have a young, healthy tree... plus, if the disease is spreading into nearby plants, you may wind up with one horribly bare yard as the disease spreads throughout the soil...

Is there any kind of systemic you can spread into the root line to control the disease? (this is where non organic approaches may be in order).

I like Purplebean's suggestion of an arbor. Those can be quite nice, and offer endless possibilities.

Wow, lots of suggestions!!

We built an arbor, floored with old brick, 14 years ago. It's covered with a lavender wisteria (the house is a dark plum) that's beautiful in bloom. That's where we have the outdoor tables and chairs and it's a lovely place to sit.

This tree is almost at the edge of the lot, planted in a narrow strip of soil between the brick and the wall that edges the property. There is no place else to plant another tree nearby. It shades abut half of the brick area, plus the back part of the lot that's meant for cars. Actually it was meant for a carriage in 1910. We have our trash cans there, plus we play ball with our grandson there, etc. Without shade it's pretty hot and glary.

No, I'm not planning to sell. But I'm turning 60 in 5 weeks, and so I don't have many many years to nurtue a baby tree to a great big shade producing one. Especially with my multiple health problems. Just trying to be realistic here! I want/need shade now.

Yes, the citrus also have sooty mold, but they don't spread it to outdoor furniture and other plants.

Rain: this past year we had 15 inches, which is average. Drought is the 4 inches we had the year before. The only ornamentals I plant, with rare exception, are drought tolerant. Evidently pecan trees need about 60 inches of water a year! Maybe if I watered it a lot more it could resist the insects and mold more? But the commercial pecan sites said they have the same problem even with lots of water.

Keep your thoughts and ideas coming! I really appreciate them.

We recently had to cut down a very large shade tree in our yard- it already died. We are also left with the problem of hot sun right where we sit outside. I would love to see some of the arbor ideas you have all been talking about- where can I find them.
owl

The key to eliminating the sooty mold is eliminating/preventing the aphids. It's too bad there wasn't something that you could feed the tree (that wouldn't harm it) that would repel the aphids. I don't know if releasing lady bugs or lacewings would work.