Avoiding Fruit Tree Disease
Including a fruit tree or two in your garden design can add a great deal of interest and beauty. Even in the smallest garden, it is possible to buy small fruit trees or fruit trees that have been cleverly grafted together onto rootstock that ensures that it remains a manageable size. Some can even be grown in containers, which can be extremely useful for gardens in areas wish have a cooler climate, as it means that a tree can be moved into a greenhouse during the winter months. If you choose to grow a type of fruit tree that bears pitted fruit (cherry, plums and the likes) you will need to learn a little about how to avoid disease as these trees can prove a little more susceptible than other types.
Brown Rot is rather a common disease seen on fruit, especially fruit which has fallen from the tree and been left on the ground. This fruit tree disease can be rather difficult to eradicate as it is a fungus and as such produces a very large amount of spores. These spores are incredibly small and can travel a surprising distance and once it appears on fallen fruit it can quickly spread to the main plant and will, eventually, appear on the fruit still on the tree.
For fungus to grow successfully, it requires the right conditions which are mainly areas which remain damp and offer a suitable source of food. Obviously there are many parts on a fruit tree that could prove to be highly suitable and it is for this reason that an outbreak of Brown Rot can spread so quickly. Luckily we can help to reduce the suitability of the environment for fungal growth by simply pruning the fruit tree correctly.
Fruit trees should be pruned to create an open structure so that the fresh air can flow freely throughout the leaves and branches. Not only does such pruning help reduce the risk of fungal infection it can also ensure that the sunlight reaches all parts of the tree. By ensuring that all leaves get the maximum amount of sunshine helps to make the tree stronger and more able to withstand and fight off infection and disease.
As well as pruning our fruit tree to avoid fungal infection and disease, it is extremely important to continually monitor it for any signs of disease. One of the most important things to remember is that you must remove, isolate and destroy (by burning) any part of the tree that appears to have fungus. It is also strongly advised that you clear up any fallen fruit as soon as you see it and do not allow it to stay on the ground to rot, that’s asking for trouble!
Of course there are many other fungal diseases which may infect your fruit tree, one of which is known as cytospora canker. Although fungal, it’s appearance is greatly different to Brown Rot and appears on the branches rather than upon the fruit. Dark, soft, areas appear on the branch and a callous forms which oozes gum. The most common place for it to appear is in a wound that is not fresh.
Again, to avoid this fungal infection/disease, it is necessary to prune your fruit tree correctly. Great care should be taken to ensure a clean cut that will heal quickly and stand little chance of becoming infected with cytospora canker or any other fungus.
Fungal disease can be a real nuisance in any plant but in a fruit tree can cause a great deal of stress for the tree and ourselves (because of the loss of the crop). Brown Rot and cytospora canker are but two fungal diseases of which a gardener should be aware and we strongly advise that you investigate this topic a little more to ensure that you understand the problem and learn how to deal with it if it should appear in your garden. Any knowledge of tree care is always beneficial but with fruit trees you need to take extra special care if you want to be rewarded with a fine looking tree that produces much blossom and plenty of fruit every year.
