Canker in Plums

[Si]

Hi,

I've lost two new plum trees this year from bacterial canker. There has been an outbreak of it in the main UK supplier of St Julian A rootstock and as a result the newly grafted plums have become infected.

My local garden centre sold me two of their bare root plums after being notified of this problem and disputed my refund. Does anyone know whether the problem will be in my replacement trees? Has anyone else developed the same red blotches on newgrowth and are suffering from canker?

[Si]

[saddad]

No but I've had more than my share of Canker in recent years...
>:(

[valmarg]

We've recently lost a fruiting cherry tree, and this year the Victoria plum has had to go, mainly because the dozy old duckers next door have had a weeping cherry in their garden that has been infected for at least the past 15 years.

I understood it was an air-borne disease, so fingers crossed your new plants should be OK.  If they're not, and the garden centre is at all iffy about replacements, then I would have a word with your local Trading Standards Office.

The only treatment I have seen recommended is spraying with Bordeaux mixture.

[Si]

Thanks Valmarg, will do so. But I am a bit worried as they may claim that the tree became infected on my land.

[valmarg]

That Si could of course be a problem.  Obviously if it occurs within a short time of buying them, you would have a good case.  Are there many plum, cherry trees near where you will be planting them?  If so I would have a look at them to see if they are showing any signs.  If there are no trees nearby there would appear to be no source of infection within the immediate vicinity.

It is disheartening, especially as fruit trees are not cheap.

I hope everything goes well with them.

[Si]

Thanks Valmarg :)

No other fruit near-by except my Peach which is a 8-year old half-standard that is completely disease free! ~ must be stock... Just to let you guys and gals know  ;)

[calendula]

I've bought a few cankered apples back from the brink by using seaweed meal - I make it up into a thick paste and coat the large cankered area with it, it is like dressing a wound - I do this repeatedly, or at least whenever I remember and they are recovering and now fruiting again. They don't look very nice in places and some wounds have gone right back to the bone so to speak, but I am hopeful, as always  :)

[wahaj]

i'm sorry for your loss. i can't imagine losing my cherry tree. i mean it's so old and big..it's like the main part of the structure of the garden. and the display it provides in the spring is priceless.

though i think i'm loosing mine to canker aswell. part of the branches have huge deep chunks of bark peeling off....and the new shoots look a bit deformed.

i think i've also got a really bad aphid problem on it this year as a lot of the shoot tips were all black and manky...

[valmarg]

Oh dear wahaj, I hope you're wrong.

If your tree is affected I don't think there is much you can do about it.

Other symptoms are a horrid gummy substance oozing from the bark (looks a bit like marmalade!).  When it comes into flower, everything looks normal, and then all of a sudden the flowers turn brown and hang on the tree, don't drop like 'normal'.  If you cut a branch, about half an inch in diamters, it the centre of the branch has a darkish brown core, then I'm afraid the news is not good.

I said in an earlier posting that spraying with Bordeaux mixture was the only treatment.  Well, I suppose that was old information.  I have not googled to see if there is anything more up to date

valmarg

[wahaj]

Oh dear wahaj, I hope you're wrong.

If your tree is affected I don't think there is much you can do about it.

Other symptoms are a horrid gummy substance oozing from the bark (looks a bit like marmalade!).  When it comes into flower, everything looks normal, and then all of a sudden the flowers turn brown and hang on the tree, don't drop like 'normal'.  If you cut a branch, about half an inch in diamters, it the centre of the branch has a darkish brown core, then I'm afraid the news is not good.

I said in an earlier posting that spraying with Bordeaux mixture was the only treatment.  Well, I suppose that was old information.  I have not googled to see if there is anything more up to date

valmarg

yup...it did the amber oozing this year aswell. something it's never done before. and end of last year there was fungus like mushrooms on a main branch at the top of the tree.

but...it's been going on for a couple of years and it still procudes leaves and fruits and flowers etc.

[valmarg]

Wahaj, I think you may have to prepare yourself for the worst.  Your tree is obviously in trouble.

Bordeaux mixture is a very old-fashioned fungicide.  It may well be worth spraying your tree with a 'modern' systemic fungicide.  Its got to be worth a try - nothing ventured, nothing gained!

It really is heartbreaking when something  like this happens.

valmarg

[wahaj]

Wahaj, I think you may have to prepare yourself for the worst.  Your tree is obviously in trouble.

Bordeaux mixture is a very old-fashioned fungicide.  It may well be worth spraying your tree with a 'modern' systemic fungicide.  Its got to be worth a try - nothing ventured, nothing gained!

It really is heartbreaking when something  like this happens.

valmarg

this is a really old picture....taken last winter i think. so you can see it's huge.



*sigh* it's such a stunning sight in spring...the whole street is covered with pink and white petals. you can see the tree when you come into the town over the hill. and then on a hot summer day it's so nice and shady. and if you look up from underneath you can see all the veins in all the leaves and they shine like jewels in the light. and then the fruit glistens in the sun shine and litters the grass like little ornaments. and the birds love them.

i'd be really gutted if i lost it so i'll take your advice and see if i can help it. but it's been going on for atleast a couple of years so i'm probably too late.