Bacterial cancer of fruit treesis a disease that affects many species of fruit trees, but the most frequent victims are cherries, cherries, apricots and peaches.Symptoms of bacterial cancermay appear on many organs of trees, but the most characteristic is the leakage of a rubbery substance from under cracks on the bark. See if such trees can still be saved and what it looks likefighting bacterial cancer of fruit trees
Bacterial cancer of fruit trees - jelly-like substance leaking from the cherry shoot
Bacterial cancer of fruit trees - symptoms
When cherries are infected,bacterial cancer of fruit treescontributes to the browning and drying of flowers in spring. The bacteria then migrate from the affected flowers to the branches, causing leakage of an orange-colored gelatinous substance. After a longer time, clear thickening and cavities of the bark develop on the shoots. The leaves of infected trees show a watery, yellow discoloration, which turns brown and chipped over time, which causes small (2-3 mm) holes in the leaves. The fruits, on the other hand, are covered with brown putrefactive stains.
Symptoms of bacterial cancer of fruit treesare also often seen on peaches and apricots. Slightly less often on apple or pear trees. In the last two species, the flowers are infested extremely rarely, and the spots on pear fruit are black. On apples, these stains do not appear at all.On pear leaves, brown spots may be surrounded by a red border.
Bacterial cancer of fruit trees - bark defects on the cherry shoot
Bacterial cancer of fruit trees - combating
In the event of a very stronginfection of the tree with bacterial cancer , it may be necessary to remove the entire plant. If we are only observing the initial symptoms of infection with this disease, it is worth trying to treat the tree. The basic treatments infighting bacterial cancerinclude cutting crayfish shoots, and then covering the cut wounds with garden ointment with the addition of an antifungal agent (fungicide). The dead bark is cut from the trunks and thicker limbs that cannot be cut completely into he althy tissue, and then these areas are also smeared with a fungicide ointment.
Cracks in the bark and leaks being a symptom of bacterial cancer
Fig. © PoradnikOgrodniczy.pl
We should also remember to remove infected leaves and fruits from the garden. In particular, it is not allowed to leave fallen leaves under the trees or to compost such leaves (it is best to burn them). In spring, during the period of bud swelling and flowering, and in autumn, during the leaf fall, we performspraying on bacterial cancer of fruit treesusing copper fungicides, eg Miedzian 50 WP or Miedzian Extra 350 SC. Not only diseased trees are sprayed, but also all other trees prophylactically. Spraying should also be performed preventively, if the disease occurred in previous years or in other nearby gardens.
Good to know!Spraying against bacterial cancer during the leaf fall is especially important, because the bacteria easily penetrate the leaf marks (the place from which the leaf has fallen off). ). Therefore, if bacterial cancer is common in the surrounding orchards, it is worth spraying even two sprayings in the fall - the first at the beginning of the leaf fall period, and the second at the end of the leaf fall period.
