Caring for fruit trees takes a lot of time and effort. You need to buy a seedling, grow it, protect it from rodents and frost. And the first fruits will appear only after 3-5 years, you will have to be patient. And it is a pity if an adult tree is destroyed by a disease. Most of the fungal or viral diseases of fruit plants can be cured. Separately in this list is tree cancer. In a short time, it can destroy not only the crop, but also your garden.
Which crops are susceptible to infection?
No garden plant is immune to this disease. Tree cancer is characteristic of almost all fruit crops. But most often, cherries, cherries, apricots and peaches, that is, stone fruits, become its victims. The symptoms may appear one at a time, but most often you will notice changes on the trunk of the tree. The bark begins to crack, a sticky substance protrudes from it, which later turns black. Tree cancer is not in vain called antonov fire,disease really "burns" the garden.
What does the disease look like?
The first manifestations of the disease can be confused with a fungal disease. Because of this, inappropriate control methods may be chosen. Tree cancer begins to manifest itself in early spring. If you've noticed an unusually fast end to flowering, strange leaf spots, or bruising that looks like resin, then get ready to start fighting for your garden.
First symptoms
First of all, this disease affects flowers. Insemination of a tree with spores can occur in the fall, but the disease will begin to show activity with the onset of a new season. Flowers turn brown and dry up. Sometimes the gardener does not pay attention to this, busy with spring work. From the affected flowers, the disease spreads to the branches, which causes the appearance of cracks and the flow of an orange-colored jelly-like liquid from them. Gradually thickening and damage to the bark appear on the branches.
In summer you can see the change of the leaves. Watery, yellow spots appear on them, which eventually turn brown and curl inward. As a result, holes are formed, as if the plant was attacked by insects - leafworms. If the color was only partially damaged, and the fruits had time to set, then they are covered with brown putrefactive spots.
Several kinds
Tree cancer is difficult to treat. In particular, due to the fact that the gardener cannot always determine the causes of this phenomenon. There are several species that can hit landings. This is a common, black, bacterial, root cancer. Twothe latter are bacterial, while the former are fungal. Cancer spreads very quickly, carried by the wind and gardening tools.
The most dangerous form
This is a black cancer of fruit trees. Most often, this disease affects mature or even old trees. And it not only dies, but also infects the entire garden. This disease is caused by a resistant fungus that is thought to enter the plant through bark damage. Spots appear on it, gradually they darken until they turn black, as if the bark was charred. If you delay the treatment, it will swell and blister, sag and fall off.
Black cancer of fruit trees can be easily recognized during the summer season. This disease leads to the fact that the fruits are mummified right on the branches. The harvest is spoiled, no one will eat apples. It is characteristic that the birds will not touch the affected fruits even in the early stages.
The sooner the better
Unfortunately, the treatment of tree cancer is a very complicated process, advanced stages are completely incurable. And only in the early stages, when the lesions are very small, can measures be taken to counteract further spread. Experienced gardeners say that if the lesions are smaller than a palm in diameter, then you can try to cure the tree. When they have spread to the entire trunk, then the tree must be cut down and burned so as not to infect the rest.
Treatment methods
Treat treesfollows, adhering to the following recommendations:
- If the branches are affected, then they need to be cut "on the ring". Lay the film and make sure that not a piece of bark gets into the ground. Otherwise, before you know it, the disease will spread to the entire garden.
- When the trunk is damaged, it is usually more difficult to cure the tree. It is necessary to cut out the affected areas with a sharp knife and grab another 2 cm of he althy tissue.
- The wound will need to be disinfected. This will require a solution of copper sulfate (2%) or ferrous sulfate (3%). After that, be sure to treat with a varnish antiseptic or at least clay.
- Be sure to take out and burn all diseased branches, rotten fruits and even sawdust.
- If leaves are affected, then spray with 1% Bordeaux mixture.
In addition, the entire garden must be treated with systemic fungicides. Be sure to alternate drugs and observe the deadlines. Do not forget to disinfect the tool before and after work. Ordinary alcohol is fine for this.
Guaranteed recovery
None of the listed remedies can give it. Moreover, if you use them all together, this also does not mean that the tree will recover. The sooner you start treatment, the higher the chances of success. But the disease may return. It is enough to spill a little sawdust on the ground during the work or cut the damage not deep enough, and a new wave can be expected. Therefore, it is best to choose varieties resistant to blackcancer.
Other varieties
It will be easier for a gardener to understand what is happening with his garden if he gets acquainted with the material in advance and looks at the photo. Tree cancer is different, and some of its forms are easier to treat. The main thing is to take action in time.
- Common cancer affects tree bark and skeletal branches. In this case, the fruit is not affected. It spreads in the same way as black, and it manifests itself in a similar way. Where the fungus got into the wound, spots begin to grow. Then, in the center, the bark begins to dry out, and eventually falls off. In its place, you can see tumors and nodules. This variety is not as deadly, but it should be treated in the same way as black cancer. That is, cut out all the affected areas and burn this material.
- Root cancer. It penetrates the roots through wounds and cracks and leads to the appearance of rotting growths on them. In this case, the tree can no longer be saved. At the same time, the disease is almost not subject to early diagnosis.
- Bacterial burn. Both young seedlings and old trees are affected. And gram-negative rods are to blame for this, which enter our garden along with new seedlings. In this case, the branches of the tree darken, the leaves curl and dry. The fruits also darken, but do not fall.
What to do about bacterial cancer?
According to statistics, it is from this form of the disease that the tree is most easily saved. Let's figure out how to treat bacterial tree cancer. First of all, you need to cut off diseased branches about 20 cm below the lesion. They need to be burned. circumcisedit is important to disinfect the places, then spray the entire tree with 1% Bordeaux mixture. It remains to cultivate the land in the trunk circle. For this, a solution of copper sulfate (2%) is useful. If you notice the signs in time, you can save the fruit tree.
Conclusion
The course of cancer in trees has many similarities with human cancer. If the tumor is removed in time, the plant will live. Run, and it remains only to uproot and burn. The only difference is that cancer in plants is contagious. Therefore, every day without treatment is a risk for the entire garden, and not just yours.
