Despite rumors to the contrary, several cracked and broken trees throughout the parish aren’t signs of a new tree disease on the horizon, Parish President Kevin Davis said.

In a newsletter sent to constituents, Davis attributed the fallen trees to a recent spate of storms.

“It seems as if every storm is causing more trees to break or fall,” Davis said. “This is causing an increased concern in the health of existing trees, especially those in our yards and near our houses. One thing to keep in mind is that the majority of the trees on the Northshore are healthy.” In fact, the storms have only helped the trees, said Rusty Batty, a local tree expert with the LSU AgCenter in Covington.

“It’s unusual when you have this much rain in July and August, but (the rain is) the backbone for any tree,” Batty said.

This summer, Batty has averaged about five tree calls a day, but thus far he has seen no signs of a disease or insect infestation.

“They are absolutely healthy,” he said.

Sometimes, however, trees demonstrate patterns or growth characteristics, which many believe are signs of disease, Davis said.

“For example, leaf spots most of the time do not represent a diseased tree,” Davis wrote. “Also, many trees in St. Tammany Parish actually produce yellow leaves at first, which later turn green. Many citizens see the new yellow growth and believe it to be a sign of disease.”

To grow full, healthy trees, Davis recommends fertilizing them every few years and prevent fill from being put around or on top of the root system of an existing tree. Fill packed on top of roots can compact the roots and damage them.

Those concerned with a damaged tree, can call the LSU AgCenter at 875-2635.