Also know what your options are if emergency treatment is necessary. Generally, you should know what to do, but unless you have had first aid training, it is not advisable to treat yourself or someone else. The prolonged dry conditions are stressing most plants and causing leaf loss on others. As mentioned before, tulip poplars and sycamores will lose leaves in response to dry weather, whfle other drought stressed plants, such as katsura, flowering dogwood, hickory, and others will show marginal leaf scorch. Foliage diseases are a minor problem at this time but black spot on American elm, Septoria leafspot on river birch, Entomosporium leafspot on hawthorn are present on susceptible plants.
Black spot produces very small black crusty spots on the upper surface of American elm leaves.
Septoria on river birch produces small circular spots with tan centers on the leaves, and Entomosporium on hawthorn produces small dark, angular spots, often with yellow borders on susceptible hawthorns. AU three diseases usually do not need to be controlled with fungicides, especially this season. Raking and removing or composting fallen leaves in the fall will help control for next season. Hot There has been a lot of confusion over the mandatory drought restrictions issued by the governor in the form of an Excutive Order. The News journal printed an abbreviated list of restrictions and neglected several very important listings.