Topic: weedkiller damaged damson now leaking sap

[Kea]

My damson tree was watered with weedkiller by someone...don't know who and don't know why. I thought it was going to survive...well half of it but now sap is oozing out in large quantities in various places.

How do I know it was weedkiller (most likely glyphosate) well I know the symptoms but the clincher was the dead grass below the tree and healthy green grass all around even though i water the tree at least once a week. Before you say someone contaminated the water supply I also watered more sensitive herbaceous plants which were unaffected. This was a deliberate attack.

Any one know if my damson (shopshire lad) will survive now it's sap is oozing out and any ideas as to how I can help it. I'm still hopeful as damson is a bit of a weed normally but it is on a rootstock. 

[Ellen K]

I'm very sorry to hear about your tree, it sounds like all you can do is water like crazy to dilute any toxic substances in the ground and a gentle feed to help strengthen the plant plus cut off any dead bits which could be a way in for disease.  You could perhaps scrape off the top 1 cm of soil or so and add fresh soil, that might help.  We havn't had much rain so hosing the whole plant down might wash off any weedkiller lurking on the woody stems.  TLC really.

But I'm sorry.  How do things get this way eh?

[goodlife]

Unless used in really strong/undiluted ..glysophate should not have much effect woody plants particularly trees.. :-\
But as you say there is underneath signs of weedkiller usage...
But it could be just coincident too..as Denby said..don't accuse anybody unless you have evidence..
There is disease that would otherwise describe the symptoms your tree goes through...Bacterial Canker.
"Amber-colourded, resin-like ooze appear, closely associated with injured bark."
How does the leaves look? Was your tree looking healthy before?
It is rare the infection to happen during summer as the bacteria need damp/humid weather for it. But if the tree would have taken some frost damage..and we did have good winter..it is possible that it has got infected for while ago and only now it has kicked in..possibly because the 'stress factor' has got too much.
If it were to be bacterial canker..you can prune out all infected/dead areas (good time of the yeat to prune is now) and spray with copper fungicide or bordeaux micture. Instruction are to spray once at the end of summer, once in early autumn and once mid autumn.

[cleo]

goodlife

Many thanks for this reply. My neighbour`s apricot tree is suffering from what we assume is bacterial canker and she was told it was a lost cause. I have passed on your comments and given her some Bordeaux mixture. If it works all well and good as some branches overhang my garden :),and if not then it was worth a try.

[Ellen K]

Well researched Goodlife, don't know if it's good news or not for the tree but at least there is a way forward.  And glad to hear it may not be sabotage.