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Fruit Tree Disease & How To Prevent It

Author: AndrewKelly
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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.

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.

A good strong and healthy tree with vigorous growth will be more able to avoid infection, or, if it does develop disease it will be well equipped to recover from it quickly. One of the ways in which we can ensure that our trees remain in peak condition is to prune them regularly. Pruning trees is vital to their well being in many ways and, in the case of fungal diseases, pruning helps to increase air flow through the branches thus minimizing the number of places which would be suitable for fungus to establish itself.

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.

Another fungal disease that can appear on a fruit tree is cytospora canker. Cytospora canker shows itself as dark patches of soft material on the branches of a tree. A large callus can form from which a substance, looking somewhat similar to gum, oozes from the bark. Usually cytospora canker appears close to or right on an old wound a it is during the healing process that it becomes infected by the pathogen.

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,