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Avoiding Fruit Tree Disease

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Written by Mark Robinson

Thursday, 17 July 2008

by MarkRobinson

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.

A sadly common fruit tree disease is Brown Rot which is a fungus that appears on fruit. Usually it develops on fruit that has fallen from the tree and been left to rot. As Brown Rot is a fungus it can spread very quickly as fungus produce lots of tiny little spores which, due to their size, are highly mobile.

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.

To allow the free flow of air, and thus reduce dampness, it is necessary to prune fruit trees so that they are open. Once the tree has been pruned it will have an open structure that will also allow the sunlight to reach deep into the heart of the tree. Obviously a tree that is looked after well, and is given sufficient quantities of water, nutrients and sunlight, will grow well and be more able to withstand infection.

However effective against disease pruning can be the most obvious, easiest and quite possibly the most effective way to avoid fungal infection in your fruit tree is to ensure that all fallen fruit is immediately picked up and removed from the immediate area. Furthermore, by keeping a close eye on the tree a gardener can remove and quickly destroy any parts of the tree that show signs of fungal disease.

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 is 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.

About the Author:

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

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