Hi there,
Can you please help me identify what is on my pomegranate tree?
Image attached
- applestar
- Mod
- Posts: 30578
- Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
- Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)
The picture is not in focus, but those fuzzy black clumps look like mold to me.
I would try two things — use soap NOT DETERGENT and make a kitchen paper/paper towel/scrap rag soapy/sudsy, then carefully wipe off all of that. Wipe/rinse again with 2nd clean moistened Paper/rag.
Then Test to see if that stem is alive
- try flicking the thicker stem — does it sound hollow and "dry"?
- scraping the bark from the side With thumbnail — is there green living tissue underneath?
- ...or simply clip the stem at the top — if it shatters then it’s dead
The skinny side stem/shoot appears alive based just on looking at the photo. The main stem may have died back (where the possible mold is growing) But by cutting back a little at a time, you might find where it’s still alive and make a clean live cut ABOVE where the side shoot is growing from. This will allow the tree’s natural immune system to actively heal and prevent infection from reaching the side shoot.
I would try two things — use soap NOT DETERGENT and make a kitchen paper/paper towel/scrap rag soapy/sudsy, then carefully wipe off all of that. Wipe/rinse again with 2nd clean moistened Paper/rag.
Then Test to see if that stem is alive
- try flicking the thicker stem — does it sound hollow and "dry"?
- scraping the bark from the side With thumbnail — is there green living tissue underneath?
- ...or simply clip the stem at the top — if it shatters then it’s dead
The skinny side stem/shoot appears alive based just on looking at the photo. The main stem may have died back (where the possible mold is growing) But by cutting back a little at a time, you might find where it’s still alive and make a clean live cut ABOVE where the side shoot is growing from. This will allow the tree’s natural immune system to actively heal and prevent infection from reaching the side shoot.