The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Growing => Fruit => Topic started by: VSS on December 30, 2009, 06:19:19 pm
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Our apple trees have had canker for a number of years and at this time, every year, I religiously cut out all the infected bits and treat the pruning wounds.
This doesn't seem to be doing much good though - if anything the canker is worse this year. I will have to resort to spraying I think.
I have read around this and have found various suggestions including bordeaux mixture and systemic fungicides.
Anyone done this - ideas please regarding products to use and timing.
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I have had a similar experience.
Some types of apple tree are more likely to get canker than others. Also, other trees - like poplar - carry the disease and are likely to infect apple trees in the same area.
It is almost impossible to stop canker once a tree is infected. It's better to remove it and burn the wood than to attempt to control the disease. However, if you don't have other trees at risk from infection it's tempting to use a wash of bordeaux mixture or similar plus careful pruning to control it as you have been.
Don't plant new apple trees near an infected one. Get rid of it first. If this means no apples for a year or two then accept it as the alternative will be the disease spreading and persisting.
NN