Oak wilt in Fredericksburg, TX
Fredericksburg's live oak motts and ranch land are exactly the kind of landscape where oak wilt spreads tree-to-tree through connected roots. Local help is closer than you might think.
Local education and help
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension office for Gillespie County, at 38 Business Court in Fredericksburg, (830) 997-3452, has hosted oak wilt and tree care programs with the Texas A&M Forest Service regional forest health coordinator. Those programs covered identification, treatment options and management (AgriLife Today). It's a good place to ask about upcoming classes.
Acreage and live oak motts
Texas A&M sources note that live oaks often grow in connected motts, and the fungus can spread through those roots about 75 feet per year on average. On larger properties, root-barrier trenching is a common containment tool, and that's what the state cost-share below can help pay for.
We didn't find a Fredericksburg city oak wilt rebate or ordinance on the state's list of city programs and ordinances.
Help from Texas A&M Forest Service
Fredericksburg is in Texas A&M Forest Service's Kerrville region, which covers Gillespie County and the surrounding Hill Country counties. Their forester can give landowners free technical advice. Contact details are on the TexasOakWilt.org forester contacts page.
State cost-share
Texas A&M Forest Service runs the federal Texas Oak Wilt Suppression Program, available since 1988 across Central Texas. It can pay up to 50% of approved costs for root-barrier trenching (up to $5,000 per landowner per year, or $7,500 for multi-landowner projects), for pushing/roguing trees inside the trench (up to $5,000), and for removing certain diseased red oaks (up to $2,000). It doesn't cover fungicide injection. A forester must confirm the disease and your application must be approved before work starts. Source: Texas Oak Wilt Cost-Share (Texas A&M Forest Service).
Local resources
- Gillespie County AgriLife Extension — (830) 997-3452
- TexasOakWilt.org list of city oak wilt programs and ordinances
- Texas A&M (AgriLife / Forest Service): Identify and Manage Oak Wilt
What to do if you're worried
Stop any oak pruning, especially Feb–June. Take photos and get a diagnosis. See what to do if your oak is dying and how to spot oak wilt.