What is this pest? Mold? Disease?

[Greenpests]

Hi guys, could you folks please help me out?

My father recently got his hands on a tree that's been having some problems but we can't figure out what it is. We took a picture of the issue (I would also post a picture of the issue while it was on the tree, but THAT picture was very fuzzy). These things are growing on the branches of the tree itself.

I also wanted to mention that he got advice to chop up a fish (not sure what it's called) and to bury it in the soil around the plant, if that helps.

Any help would be much appreciated.

 

[Chuck]

Hi guys, could you folks please help me out?

My father recently got his hands on a tree that's been having some problems but we can't figure out what it is. We took a picture of the issue (I would also post a picture of the issue while it was on the tree, but THAT picture was very fuzzy). These things are growing on the branches of the tree itself.

I also wanted to mention that he got advice to chop up a fish (not sure what it's called) and to bury it in the soil around the plant, if that helps.

Any help would be much appreciated.

I can pretty much guarantee it is a gall of some sort. What kind of tree is it? They are caused by different insects and are usually harmless

 

[Beth_B]

Some sort of gall for sure. Google wasp or oak galls, there are some amazingly weird and beautiful ones.

Where do you live? Google <your area + tree gall> and scroll through images.

Fish can be a great fertilizer but won't do anything for this. If we're right, these things won't harm the tree or anything else, so it's probably fine to leave them alone.

 

[Chuck]

All you are going to get with buried fish are ant mounds. Sure, fish emulsion is a great thing but going around and burying dead fish is not the thing to do. You will have every critter know to mankind coming in and trying to dig it up

 

[Greenpests]

Thanks guys, I'd actually never encountered (or heard of) gall before. My father's having the tree sprayed for insects (or maybe already did), we live in Qatar and we've never encountered this problem on any other plants.

Thanks for the help guys!