Sudden Oak Death
Sudden Oak Death Page Directory
  1. For businesses that handle or transport plant materials
  2. What is Sudden Oak Death?
  3. Where does SOD occur?
  4. Does my oak tree have SOD?
  5. How can I help stop the spread of SOD?
  6. Where can I get more information?
1. For businesses that handle or transport plant materials:
Businesses that handle or transport plant materials include:    
   * Nurseries,    
   * Landscape contractors,
   * Arborists,
   * Trucking companies, and
   * Firewood dealers.

Your business plays a key role in stopping the spread of Sudden Oak Death. So, you need to stay up to date on:
   * Where SOD has been found,
   * Restrictions on movement of green waste and wood products,
   * Regulations on shipping plants and other products.

The following business resources will help you find the information you need:
   1) Current USDA regulations (website)

   2) CDFA's SOD website :Good source for regulations and where SOD has been detected.
      
In addition, the Solano County Department of Agriculture will be happy to help you and your employees with any questions.


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2. What is Sudden Oak Death?
Sudden Oak Death (SOD) is a serious disease that can kill several species of oak trees and tanoak. A variety of other plants are also affected without being killed. These plants can contribute to the build-up and spread of SOD, including:
   * California bay laurel,
   * Bigleaf maple,
   * Toyon,
   * Manzanita and madrone,
   * Rhododendron and azalea,
   * many other plants.

Symptoms vary with the type of plant affected, and can range from mild leafspots in some species to cankers and rapid death of the tree in others. Due to the tendency for SOD to spread outward from a center of infection, early intercession is extremely important in the containment of this disease.


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3. Where does SOD occur?
Solano County is one of 14 California counties recognized as harboring SOD in natural environments. The other 13 are Alameda, Contra Costa, Humboldt, Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Monterey, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, and Sonoma. These 14 counties are collectively referred to as the SOD Regulated Area.

Within Solano County, at present SOD has been confirmed only near the western border with Napa County. Surveys are underway to determine if SOD also is present in other parts of Solano County.


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4. Does my oak tree have SOD?
Perhaps; but many other oak problems are much more common than SOD. Symptoms of SOD on oak include:
* Cankers near the base of either the trunk or of large branches. SOD cankers usually ooze sticky exudate that is reddish or coffee-colored.
* Yellowing and eventual death of portions or all of the foliage.

However, many other problems can cause wilting and death of oak trees. For example, oak trees in landscape plantings often suffer from overwatering, which makes them susceptible to another wilting disease called oak root fungus.

The best way to determine if your tree has SOD is to have it examined by a SOD certified arborist.


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5. How can I help stop the spread of SOD?
Counties within the SOD Regulated Area are under a set of Federal, State, and County SOD regulations. The goal of these regulations is to restrict movement of potentially infected plant material out of the regulated area in an effort to arrest the spread of the disease. Categories of plant material under regulation include:
   * nursery stock,
   * green waste,
   * wood products (e.g. firewood), and
   * compost.

Anyone intending to move any of the above out of the regulated area is asked to contact the Solano County Department of Agriculture.


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6. Where can I get more information?
1) The California Oak Mortality Task Force compiles accurate, up-to-date information on regulations, disease biology, susceptible tree species, contact information, etc. For the latest information on these and related SOD issues, please visit their website: CA Oak Mortality Task Force

2) Businesses that handle or transport plants, plant products, or wood should review the business resources section of this website.

3) The Solano County Department of Agriculture will be happy to help you with any questions.


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