Swelling, discolored, hollow fruit signals the plum disease called plum pocket. Hollow fruits may be infested, itching to burst and further spread this plum tree problem. Once established, the disease returns every year. Fungicides may help, but prevention is most effective.
What does fungus look like on a plum tree?
Trees in the genus Prunus, which includes plum, are susceptible to a fungal disease called black knot. Trees infected with black knot have swollen, hard, black knots on their branches.
Can you save a plum tree?
To revive a dying plum tree, remove pests with chemical or organic sprays or kill them with insecticidal soap and water. Also, remove fungi-affected fruits and branches and spray them with fungicides. Lastly, adjust the watering schedule, fertilize, and use well-draining soil.
What is the best fungicide for plum trees?
Plum pockets can be prevented with a single fungicide application just before bud break in early spring. Bordeaux mixture (copper sulfate), liquid lime sulfur or chlorothalonil can all be used to manage plum pockets.
What is wrong with my plum tree?
Common problems
Plums can be prone to diseases such as bacterial canker, honey fungus, blossom wilt, brown rot, silver leaf, plum rust and pocket plum. Potential pest problems include plum moth, aphids, winter moth caterpillar. The fruit fly – spotted wing drosophila (SWD) is likely to become an increasing problem.
How do you treat an infected plum tree?
Once a tree is infected, there is no treatment and the tree should be removed to prevent further infections to nearby plants. Symptoms include discolored rings on leaves and fruits. Controlling aphids is helpful too.
Why does my plum tree look like it’s dying?
Bacterial Canker in Plum Trees
Sunken, dead and often oozing areas of bark will become apparent from spring and early summer, and shoots may die back. Branches can quickly die of this disease.
How do you rejuvenate a plum tree?
The basic principles are:
- If significant pruning is required spread it over two or three years.
- Remove dead, damaged and diseased branches (the three Ds) first.
- Prune away any crossing branches.
- Thin out the centre of the tree.
- When pruning at this stage, try to maintain the “balance” of the tree.
Do plum trees have a lifespan?
Plum | 10-25 years*
When should plum trees be sprayed?
Spray every 7 to 10 days or after rain with Monterey Fruit Tree Spray Plus as a protective spray for fungal diseases. May be used up to day before harvest.
Why do plum tree leaves curl?
Aphids feed by sucking sap from the foliage. Leaf-curling plum aphid secretes chemicals into the foliage that cause the young leaves to develop in a crumpled and distorted fashion.
How do you treat plum tree leaf curl?
Leaf Curl Plum Aphid Treatments
Use quick, hard blasts of water to rinse off the insects. Limit nitrogen fertilizers, which force the formation of tip growth, one of the insect’s favorite plant parts. There are also several biological treatments in the form of natural predators.
How do you keep plum trees healthy?
How to Care for Plum Trees
- Be sure to water the young trees heavily every week during the first growing season to help promote growth. Then, water regularly.
- If rain is lacking, water your tree well into mid-October to give it plenty of moisture through the winter months.
When can I cut my plum tree back?
Avoid pruning plums in winter, as it increases the risk of infection by silver leaf disease to which plums and other Prunus species are prone. The best time for pruning is usually spring for young trees and mid-summer for established ones.
What do you spray plum trees with?
Once the fruit begins to develop and the husks are pulling back from the fruit, spray plums with spinosad, esfenvalerate, or permethrin to control the twig borers. Spray again with a mix of fungicide, malathion, and sulfur to control leaf curl, plum pocket, scab, and brown rot, and aphids.
How do you get rid of black knot on plum trees?
If black knot disease still manages to infect your trees, the best way to treat it is by using fungicides. These products are extremely effective at protecting younger trees. Before you apply fungicides, make sure you remove any existing black swellings, as this will help protect the newer trees.
What kind of fungus grows on a plum tree?
Black knot of plum, caused by the fungus Dibotryon morbosum, is well-named because of the characteristic black, warty knots it forms on branches of infected trees. Such trees grow poorly and gradually become stunted; occasionally, their limbs may be girdled.
How much water does a plum tree need?
Water For Plum Tree
Be sure to soak the entire root system deeply, once every two to four weeks. This ensures that the soil is saturated down to the root line, but also has time to dry out a bit. For best growth and production, plum trees should receive at least one inch of water a week.
Why are my plums turning yellow and falling off?
There can be numerous reasons why a plum tree drops its fruit before it ripens: insects, disease, high winds, and stress ( too much water, too little water, lack of nutrients, poor drainage, weed competition, and excessive shade, for example).
How do I prune a neglected plum tree?
Prune every year in early spring (April), before bud break. Remove any suckers growing from the rootstock. Rub out any buds growing on the lower trunk. Cut out any dead, damaged or diseased wood, and dispose of it as appropriate, removing it from the garden.
Will plum tree grow back?
Although some trees withstand major height pruning without too much trouble, plums have a hard time sprouting new lower branches through their thick bark.