Fruit trees are the decoration of any garden or summer cottage and, of course, the gardener's pride. The culmination of efforts to care for them is a rich harvest. However, if it refers to the plants on the site irresponsibly, without surrounding them with proper care, you can forget about ripe and healthy fruits. Like any living creature, a tree is susceptible to various kinds of diseases. Timely identification, treatment and elimination of the causes of the disease is the key to a flowering garden and a good harvest for many years.
Fruit Tree Diseases
Diseases of trees can cause great trouble to the gardener. Two main groups can be distinguished:
- diseases caused by phytopathogenic fungi;
- diseases caused by bacteria;
Fruit trees
Penetrating through damaged tissue of the tree or "stomata", which provide the tree with respiration, parasites cause significant damage to the plant, up to its death. In order to successfully deal with a threat, it needs to be "known in person." It will not be difficult for an experienced gardener to recognize fruit tree diseases and choose the right treatment tactics.
The main fungal diseases of trees
The most significant danger to fruit crops is a fungal infection, which accounts for more than half of all plant diseases. Penetrating through the bark or damaged areas, the fungus actively grows, forming colonies that exist due to the absorption of the host's organic substances.
Milky shine
The main symptom is the silver color of the leaves, which subsequently leads to their drying out and death. First, the milky luster is localized on the south side, then spreads to the whole tree. If you take measures in time, you can save both the tree and the crop.
Milky shine
Septoria
A disease that affects mainly the pear. The onset of the disease is characterized by the appearance on the leaves of white rounded spots with gray bordering. With the progression of the disease, brown spots appear in the spots - pycnids. Infection with this disease leads to drying and falling of leaves.
Phyllosticosis
One of the most unpleasant types of rust. The first sign is the accumulation of brown pycnidium dots, and after drying, holes form in their place, which means the plant is affected by this fungal disease. If urgent measures are not taken, the tree will weaken and may die as a result.
Moniliosis
Signs of this infection are brown plaque, gray-brown blurry spots. This infection primarily affects new shoots and buds. Fruits infected with moniliosis have a characteristic odor of alcohol.
Powdery mildew
In the case of powdery mildew, on leaves and young shoots a light coating appears, similar to dust, the leaves curl unnaturally, and the fruits acquire an uncharacteristic pubescence.
Note! Poor air circulation, low temperature, and waterlogging lead to infection with this disease.
Scab
The most common and dangerous fungal disease of fruit trees, especially apple trees and pears. Infection occurs through the kidneys and spreads across the entire surface of the tree. The disease can be recognized by a greenish-brown bloom spreading from the leaves to the fruits.
Scab
Important! Tree diseases, as a rule, can be very difficult. Fungal diseases affecting the planting of fruit crops should be combated as soon as the first signs of infection appear.
Sick areas must be immediately removed and burned. Since the mushrooms have excellent viability, do not fill the compost pits with the removed material or let it into the mulch. It is necessary to treat the trees with fungicidal preparations, such as Teldor, Meloli DOW, Alatt, etc. The solution is prepared strictly according to the instructions from the manufacturer. Processing is carried out intermittently in 15-30 days.
Bacterial Disease
Bacteria are unicellular organisms, the nutrition of which, as in the case of mushrooms, occurs by parasitizing on the tissues of fruit crops. Bacterial infections are no less dangerous for fruit trees and shrubs than fungal ones. Bacteria infect fruit trees through mechanical damage, for example, after pruning. The most susceptible to fruit infections are apple trees, pears, plums, peaches, apricots.
Bacterial burn
It begins with the fact that the white exudate with a pungent odor, released as a result of the disease, spreads quickly in the form of a web throughout the site. Inflorescences are first affected, and then the leaves. The stage is considered neglected when, in addition to inflorescences, young shoots and bark are affected. It is characteristic that the diseased inflorescences do not crumble and can remain on the tree throughout the season, and a burgundy "marble" pattern can be observed on sections of the bark.
Bacterial burn
Important! Diseases of garden trees caused by a bacterial infection are a serious enough problem that a gardener may encounter. The first detection of signs of these dangerous diseases is a signal for immediate action.
Cracking of fruit tree bark
Why does the bark crack on fruit trees, and what treatment to choose - questions that invariably arise for a gardener who has discovered a crack on the trunk of a beloved apple or pear. The causes of these phenomena are very diverse, but most often these are varieties of fruit cancers.
Black apple cancer
The bacterium, falling into the damaged bark of a tree in autumn, remains under it throughout the winter period. In spring, you can find small black dots, indicating the presence of a destructive diagnosis. As the disease develops, cracking and collapse of the bark, leaf fall before the fruit ripens, in some cases, mummification of the fruits can be observed. In especially difficult cases, the entire trunk is affected.
Black cancer
Cytosporosis
A disease that begins with damage to the trunk bark, spreading to the entire branch. Since the bark affected by the infection does not differ from healthy, it is extremely difficult to recognize the ailment in the initial stage.
Common or European Cancer
The main symptoms are brown depressions with a light reflection on the trunk and branches. As the disease develops, red tubercles appear around the recesses - the places where the fungal spores are concentrated. The terminal stage of a tree infection by infection is the death of the bark and its separation in the form of circles with influxes along the edges.
Note! The development of diseases on the bark of trees can be stopped by "catching" the first manifestations on small branches. If you ignore the problem, the recesses and sagging will increase, and rot will spread along the trunk of the tree.
Bacterial Seedling Cancer
All fruit crops and bushes can be sick. The main symptom of this disease is the proliferation of tissues of the root or root neck. The progression of the disease stimulates the formation of growths, as a result of which the water supply to the tree is disrupted. Part of the roots die off. Rotting out growths leads to the fact that the soil becomes a source of infection, and therefore inevitably leads to its spread.
Bacterial Seedling Cancer
It is not possible to completely get rid of bacterial seedlings cancer. However, it is within its power to contain the spread of infection. For this, copper-containing preparations are used. Pruning of trees should be carried out with the capture of healthy tissue at least 10 cm. Fresh sections, in order to avoid re-infection, must be treated with garden varnish or putty. It is necessary to regularly treat garden equipment with disinfectants, as bacteria may remain on it.
Important! Inspection of trees for cracking of the bark in early spring is recommended. If cracks or darkening of the bark are found on the trunk or branches, immediate action should be taken. If the signs of the disease are minor, you need to clean the damaged bark, apply a solution of copper sulfate or Bordeaux fluid to the wound and cover it with garden var. If the efforts did not bring tangible results or the area of damage is too large, the plant should be disposed of.
Having studied the features of the most common diseases of fruit trees, you will be able to recognize them in time and select the appropriate treatment. In some cases, this will help save the plant's life, since it will not be able to cope with the disease itself.
