I have had this peach tree for 2 years, and I am just now noticing all of these little (I think they are cankers) on the trunk near ground level, and on the branches. What can I do about this, and what is it?
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applestar
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Definitely cankers (gummosis). I just came in after noticing a black pebbly spot on MY young peach tree -- unfortunately at the base of the open-vase shape. My European plums have been infected with it so I was concerned that the peach might get it even though it IS supposed to be somewhat resistant.
I think I was careless where I pruned it and left a jagged edge on the cut without smoothing the cut with a knife. I probably also neglected to alcohol spray the pruner after each cut.
I'm going to go out and shave away the fungal mass and hit the area with alcohol, but this is a serious disease and my understanding is that you need to cut away infected branches if girdled to below the infection where the cut no longer shows brown discoloration.
If the disease if prevalent in your area, it's a very good idea to shop around for resistant varieties when planting any stone fruit tree.
I think I was careless where I pruned it and left a jagged edge on the cut without smoothing the cut with a knife. I probably also neglected to alcohol spray the pruner after each cut.
I'm going to go out and shave away the fungal mass and hit the area with alcohol, but this is a serious disease and my understanding is that you need to cut away infected branches if girdled to below the infection where the cut no longer shows brown discoloration.
If the disease if prevalent in your area, it's a very good idea to shop around for resistant varieties when planting any stone fruit tree.
Oh boy...this is a whole can of worms.
Fruit Cankers.
Apple canker.... Neonectria Galligena.
Peach .....Cytospora Leucotoma...and Cyt.Cincta.
Plum ....also Cyt Cincta and the far more serious Bacterial Canker.
Avo...... Dothiorella.
Citrus....Xanthomonas Axonopodis PV.Citri.
On plum and peach its the Cincta that is usually the culprit causing Gummosis. This through either insect damage or broken branch wounds etc.
Avo and Citrus seem to have different pathogens completely.
There is little spray material around to combat canker. Hygene around the tree and pruning dead or dying wood from the tree and burning the debris seems the best form of some control. Also keeping boreing pests away.
Trim all damaged, weeping wood away and painting with a protectant fungicide paint can help enormously....but the painting must be done very shortly after cutting. Any delay can result in painting newly settled spores of fungi into the fresh wound.
Copper sprays in the winter are sometimes used on apples..but effects are variable.
Bacterial canker on plums is a killer.
No known cure and trees usually die in just a few years once affected.
Hope that explains it a bit.
Fruit Cankers.
Apple canker.... Neonectria Galligena.
Peach .....Cytospora Leucotoma...and Cyt.Cincta.
Plum ....also Cyt Cincta and the far more serious Bacterial Canker.
Avo...... Dothiorella.
Citrus....Xanthomonas Axonopodis PV.Citri.
On plum and peach its the Cincta that is usually the culprit causing Gummosis. This through either insect damage or broken branch wounds etc.
Avo and Citrus seem to have different pathogens completely.
There is little spray material around to combat canker. Hygene around the tree and pruning dead or dying wood from the tree and burning the debris seems the best form of some control. Also keeping boreing pests away.
Trim all damaged, weeping wood away and painting with a protectant fungicide paint can help enormously....but the painting must be done very shortly after cutting. Any delay can result in painting newly settled spores of fungi into the fresh wound.
Copper sprays in the winter are sometimes used on apples..but effects are variable.
Bacterial canker on plums is a killer.
No known cure and trees usually die in just a few years once affected.
Hope that explains it a bit.
I would try and save the ones you have Bob. There are no vars that are fully resistant although some are more prone than others.
Canker spores are air and water born so can spread from tree to tree quite freely.
What I would suggest too is when you are cutting out and trimming old canker from a tree you take a cup of disinfectant with you and dip the blade between trees.
If you do replace any check very carefully the new tree are clear of any lesions before buying.
It has been found that canker can be quite endemic in some vars and even some nurseries seem more prone than others to the problem.
Canker spores are air and water born so can spread from tree to tree quite freely.
What I would suggest too is when you are cutting out and trimming old canker from a tree you take a cup of disinfectant with you and dip the blade between trees.
If you do replace any check very carefully the new tree are clear of any lesions before buying.
It has been found that canker can be quite endemic in some vars and even some nurseries seem more prone than others to the problem.
I'm not sure this is possible, due to the fact that the base of the trunk is laden with cankers (I forgot to post that picture)JONA878 wrote:I would try and save the ones you have Bob. There are no vars that are fully resistant although some are more prone than others.
Canker spores are air and water born so can spread from tree to tree quite freely.
What I would suggest too is when you are cutting out and trimming old canker from a tree you take a cup of disinfectant with you and dip the blade between trees.
If you do replace any check very carefully the new tree are clear of any lesions before buying.
It has been found that canker can be quite endemic in some vars and even some nurseries seem more prone than others to the problem.
I will post the picture tomarrow
Then you may have a problem then Bob.
Canker travels within the tree via its feeding routs and breaks out wherever there is a damage point.
Once it was thought that this was not possable...but now its been shown it does.
So the lower down on the tree the cankers appear the more dangerous they are to the whole structure as they travel up through the plant.
That's why commercialy we throw trees that show any sign of trunk canker without even attempting to plant them. as the trouble and work involved in the constant battle to rid the desease is not worth the effort.
Even so Bob....if the trees still alive and producing...have a go.
Canker travels within the tree via its feeding routs and breaks out wherever there is a damage point.
Once it was thought that this was not possable...but now its been shown it does.
So the lower down on the tree the cankers appear the more dangerous they are to the whole structure as they travel up through the plant.
That's why commercialy we throw trees that show any sign of trunk canker without even attempting to plant them. as the trouble and work involved in the constant battle to rid the desease is not worth the effort.
Even so Bob....if the trees still alive and producing...have a go.