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Preventing Fruit Tree Disease

By: Mark Robinson


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Virtually any garden design can be improved by the inclusion of a fruit tree, or, if you have the space, a number of fruit trees. Fruit trees can produce the most amazing displays when in blossom and, of course, you have the advantage of it bearing edible fruit later in the year. If you are in the process of designing a garden and it includes a fruit tree, such as a plum tree, which produces pitted fruit it will be necessary for you to investigate ways in which to avoid disease as these types of tree are prone to be susceptible to disease.

One of the most common diseases to be seen in fruit trees is something known as 'Brown Rot' (so called because of it's appearance). Most often this fruit tree disease can be seen making an appearance upon fallen fruit that has been allowed to remain on the ground for a while. Brown Rot is a fungus and as such it produces a mass of spores which can cause infection to spread onto the tree and especially the fruit.

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 to improve air flow it is important to prune any areas that show symptoms of fungal infection. Place any clippings in the bin or burn them immediately. Do not allow any infected material anywhere near your fruit tree and pick up any fallen fruit regularly so that it does not stand a chance of becoming infected.

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.

Just like the treatment for Brown Rot the answer to cytospora canker is, again, pruning. It is incredibly important that you prune a fruit tree correctly. If it is done incorrectly you are simply inviting trouble as the wound will take far longer to heal and will be more likely to become infected. If a fruit tree is badly infected by cytospora canker the only option is to prune it back hard and hope for the best. Making sure that such pruning allows for the free flow of air and light will help speed up the healing process and therefore reduce the risk of fungal infection.

The two fungal diseases mentioned above, Brown Rot and cytospora canker, are but two of a number of different diseases which can infect a fruit tree. Fungal infections can be very problematic and even professional landscape gardeners can find themselves in some difficulty when trying to combat such a disease. Of course providing the correct amounts of water, sunlight and nutrients can greatly help a tree to grow healthy and strong. However, if you want to ensure a good annual crop from fruit trees you should really invest some time into finding out more about tree care and disease.

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Landscaping Info 4U is an excellent source of gardening information including info about disease in fruit trees and general tree care



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