April brings a high risk for the often-fatal oak wilt disease across the state, and as a result, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) recommends not pruning or cutting oak trees from April through July.
What you can’t see can kill a tree.
Oak wilt is widespread in southern Wisconsin, but it is still a new and uncommon disease in much of northern Wisconsin. As spring draws property owners outdoors to start seasonal yard maintenance and cleanup projects, when it comes to the health of oaks trees, keeping those chainsaws and trimming tools a safe distance will go a long way to ensure that your trees stay healthy for many more spring seasons to come.
Pruning and cutting oaks in spring and early summer leaves them vulnerable to oak wilt, which rapidly kills trees in the red oak group and weakens those in the white oak group. You can learn how to help protect your trees from Oak Wilt by visiting dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/foresthealth/oakwilt.
