Black plum trunk. Common plum diseases and effective treatment methods. Plum diseases: photos and how to treat trees
Animal world is designed according to a cruel principle: one eats the other.
Plants are also living beings; predators are rare among them. But they themselves are food for numerous vegetarian lovers.
The plum is adored not only by people and birds, who do not harm it.
Gardeners know how very disappointing it can be when plum pests destroy a crop grown with love.
To avoid this, listen to the advice.
Characteristics of plum pests
Most insects that harm plums stay close to their “dining room”.
They overwinter on a tree or colonize the soil underneath it, and in the spring they immediately attack the garden pet. She sometimes has to suffer from several types of uninvited guests at once.
She is not able to feed everyone; our urgent help is required. To cope with the invasion, it is necessary to “know by sight” the voracious aliens.
Ticks
Plum gall mite
The gall mite was named for its remarkable ability: it forms growths - galls at the base of young shoots. This is the home of ticks; inside the galls there is a whole cluster of them.
Gall mites are serious pests of plums. After overwintering in the galls, they begin to feed, damaging young shoots.
They wake up early, +15° is already the “working” temperature for ticks. They form new dwellings; these galls are clearly visible and stand out in a bright, red-brown color.
By summer, the galls “camouflage” - they take on the color of the bark on which they formed. Ticks feed on the sap of the shoots, young branches dry out and die.
In two to three seasons, the death of the tree is possible.
It is not easy to fight a tick; it is protected, hidden in its house. Over the summer, several generations hatch, and they live and feed in the same gall.
But the biology of the pest requires its relocation in the spring. The mite emerges from overwintering areas, finds live buds and invades them.
For two weeks, while it is busy “moving,” the tick is open and vulnerable.
Red fruit mite
A very common harmful insect. Measuring just under half a centimeter (0.4 mm), the bright red female is very fertile.
It lives for a month and manages to lay a hundred of the same red eggs. It gradually becomes brown in color.
Eight generations of mites per season greatly deplete the tree. These plum pests do not spare it.
In summer, the eggs are visible on the lower plate of the leaf; they are located closer to the food. Eggs intended for wintering are prudently laid on shoots.
When there are many of them, the tree looks red after the leaves fall.
Nature has provided for everything: the larvae hatch just before the plum blossoms. When the flowers bloom, the mite is already mature.
The leaves appear and immediately become food for the fruit mite. The leaves dry out, the plums that have had time to set fall off or grow small and wrinkled.
Yellow plum sawfly
The insect is inconspicuous, yellow-brown, up to half a centimeter long. A seemingly harmless small “fly” with transparent wings.
Don’t be touched by this graceful insect, rejoicing that it’s warmer. Just by the word “sawfly” it is clear that it has a hard time on the plum tree.
The pest does not saw the trunk; the larva eats the ovaries. The sawfly year begins before the plum buds open.
This beautiful fly (each of them!) will lay fifty eggs in the middle of the flowers. Maybe more - up to 60.
He cuts a bud and puts an egg into each one. After a week and a half, slippery yellow-brown “tadpoles” - larvae - will emerge.
The appetite of young sawflies is excellent: each larva is capable of destroying five fruits during its growth.
If you don’t help the plum tree, it won’t have enough fruit for all this voracious company.
We help like this:
- In our garden we focus on biological products (entobacterin or lepitocide). We destroy overwintering larvae using the usual method: digging up the surface layer of garden rows and especially tree trunk circles. Digging – late autumn. Then many plum pests of all kinds, who have settled down for the winter next to the tree, will freeze to death.
- Watch the buds pop out. Before flowering, sawflies sit on the branches and wait. Pick a cloudy day, lay down some bedding and shake the tree. Frightened sawflies will be trapped and can be easily destroyed. This is a mechanical method. Manual, but very effective work.
- In case of severe damage, sometimes it is necessary to use organophosphorus pesticides, these are: metaphos, karbofos, and other derivative groups. But this is a last resort measure. It works effectively and decomposes into harmless components relatively quickly. But there is toxicity, it’s not for nothing that insects die.
- You can try to confuse the insects. Without waiting for the sawfly to fly out, a little earlier, treat the plum with fragrant infusions. Wormwood is suitable: wormwood has a pungent smell, not like plum. It’s even simpler: dilute pharmaceutical pine concentrate, which is used for baths, and spray the plantings. Plum pests do not consider spruce food and will be disoriented.
Black plum sawfly
The pest is similar to the yellow one, even the size of adult Hymenoptera is the same - 5 mm.
But the wings are transparent - black, with brown veins clearly visible on them. The body is also black.
Only the female lays fewer eggs than yellow sawflies - up to 30.
But thirty plums stolen from the harvest by each successor of the family is a considerable amount.
Larvae are white with green tint or yellow. They feed on the pulp, get to the bone, and touch it.
The plum is falling. At this point, the larva is well-fed and ready to pupate. All that remains is to crawl into the ground and do it.
They fight against the black sawfly using the same methods that are listed for destruction - the yellow one.
Plum pollinated aphid
These aphids have many faces. They differ in appearance and function in the colonies they form.
Aphids, like other plum-damaging insects, time their appearance to coincide with the flowering of the tree.
Only the emergence of female founders occurs at the end of flowering. They are wingless and light green in color.
They settle in colonies at the bottom of the leaf, causing the leaves to curl downwards. Wingless foundress aphids give birth to winged females and males several times during the warm season.
The harm of aphids is great: they suck the juice from leaves and fruits, and the tree withers. Aphids secrete a sweet liquid that ants love so much.
But this sweet environment is also favorable for feeding pathogens of fungal diseases. They “eat up” the fruits that the aphids did not have time to eat.
Treating plums against aphids will give results if it is timely. Spraying should begin early, before the buds open.
From home remedies, use the best available: ash-soap solution. Ash is an alkali, it burns the loose covers of aphids, destroying them. Soap helps the homemade preparation stick to the branches.
More treatments are needed: one after bud break, the second after flowering. It is recommended to spray with 15% karbofos, depending on the situation.
When the infestation is not severe, try to stop the pest without poisons.
Suitable:
- Ash-soap solution. Pour a bucket of boiling water over the ash (kilogram). Leave for two days, add 100 g of dissolved soap to the strained infusion. Top up to 10 liters and spray the plum as needed.
- Infusion of marigolds. Marigolds are dried whole. To process plums, fill a bucket halfway with marigold grass. Pour boiling water to the top and leave to steep for two days. Aphids cannot tolerate the pungent odor of this plant. Strained infusion with the addition of 50 g of soap (laundry) - effective remedy from plum aphids.
- Solution laundry soap. A two-hundred-gram piece of laundry soap in a bucket of water will help organize an uncomfortable shower for the aphids. She probably won't want a repeat. Rub the soap and it will dissolve easier.
- Orange peel. A kilogram of dried peels, filled with warm water, is infused in warmth and darkness for three days. Take a bucket of water. The solution is ready for spraying.
Any of the products must be applied so that they “get” the bottom of the leaf, where the harmful aphids are located.
The families of most other plum pests will not like these compounds either.
Common plum moth
Despite all the “ordinariness”, the pest is unusually voracious, which is also reflected in the name.
If you see a drop of gum on a plum fruit, a codling moth caterpillar is probably in charge there.
The moth itself is a nondescript gray butterfly with a brown tint. It is similar to a moth (house moth), but larger: its wingspan in summer with open wings reaches one and a half centimeters.
The awakening of butterflies is also focused on plum blossoms.
The eggs of the plum moth are beige-milky, with a green tint. She puts them aside at night, choosing a “personal”, separate plum for each one.
Occasionally, a second and third egg can be placed there. Can populate fifty fruits. A few butterflies, and the harvest is no longer yours.
The eggs are laid on the shadow side - the bottom. The years of butterflies are extended - up to two months. The period is determined by the climate of the region: below +14° the female stops laying.
The hatched dirty white caterpillar examines the fruit and selects the entry site. He does this thoroughly - he can crawl along a drain for several hours.
Having found a convenient place, it weaves a web around it and crawls under it. Gnawing through the peel, it prudently does not eat it: having made its way inside, it closes the “door” with the peel.
The plum is trying to heal the wound and secretes gum. From this trail it is clear: there is an uninvited guest inside.
While feeding, the caterpillar changes color: it turns red. She makes her way to the place where the petiole is attached. If the plum fruit is unripe, it gnaws through the pit.
When ripe, the flesh near the seed is eaten away, leaving excrement everywhere along the way.
The moth fattens like this for about a month, then gnaws through the attachment of the stalk. If there is a touching fruit nearby, the caterpillar will move there too.
After finishing the feeding cycle, the caterpillar emerges and pupates. It is interesting that even in warm climate zones, some pupae go into hibernation for future overwintering.
The remaining butterflies fly out and continue to reproduce. Plum pests know how to play it safe.
Knowledge of the biology of the pest makes it easier to plan measures for its destruction.
Control measures include methods:
- Biological.
- Attracting entomophagous insects. Sow plants in the garden that attract entomophages (buckwheat, phacelia, clover). Plant flowering shrubs. Entomophages - beneficial insects that destroy harmful ones - need nectar and these fruit pests themselves. Trichogramma, Elasmus - these entomophages are specially bred, and then gardens are populated with them. In addition to the ordinary Trichogramma, there is even a codling moth (yellow codling moth Trichogramma). She lays eggs directly into the moth's egg clutches. At the same time, it also frees the garden from leaf rollers.
- When using beneficial insects, remember that they are vulnerable to poisons; do not poison them with pesticides. During treatments, entomophages die along with the pests.
- An old method is baiting female codling moths. Jars with fermented compote, beer, and yeast fermentations are hung in the crowns. You can use kvass. Butterflies fly to the smell and drown. In the morning, the “catch” is removed, it is better to cover the jars. In the evening the traps open.
- Night (or twilight) smoke from compounds toxic to the codling moth. Mix straw with tops of tomatoes, potatoes, nightshade, wormwood - whatever you can find at home. Lay out in piles or rows. You can add manure. Task: to organize the smoldering of the mass. The smoke will be toxic to the codling moth and other insects. The plum pests will partially die, the rest will prefer to leave. Two hours of smoking is enough. It is advisable to repeat the dose periodically during the summer.
- Chemical method. If you choose it, look for modern, possibly gentle plantings, beneficial fauna and you.
The following scheme is effective:
- With the beginning of the summer of the plum moth, plum processing begins immediately. It is not difficult to determine the days when the first females emerge. Place fermented compote or kvass in an open container in the garden. Wait for the catch. The first “butterfly in compote” is a signal to start processing.
- Use drugs of the pyrethroid class. The group got its name from chamomile (pyrethrum). Paralyze insects. Their advantages:
- Similarity in action to natural protective substances;
- Selective toxicity or selectivity - while affecting pests, beneficial insects and fish are spared;
- Minimally toxic - valuable for the gardener himself;
- Reliable adhesion;
- Resistance to the light effects of the sun;
- They are not washed off by rain.
They performed well in gardens: permethrin, cypermethrin.
Neonicotinoids are another group of insecticides that eradicate pests with minimal inconvenience for the gardener. They are good:
- Active action against pests;
- Selectivity;
- Economical;
- Neonicotinoids are not volatile;
- Not dangerous to humans;
- Stands, last a long time.
These include: Confidor, Actara, Mospilan, Calypso - these drugs are used in Russia.
Pyrethroids and neonicotinoids can be combined to enhance their effects.
- Repeat treatment after three weeks with a combination of other drugs. The hormonal (for insects) insecticide “Sonnet” disrupts the synthesis processes of the codling moth, and it dies. The neonicotinoid “Bankol” has a paralytic effect, and codling moths of any age die. These drugs are compatible.
- Do not neglect environmental methods; combine them with “chemistry”. Carry out and handmade described above.
Wrinkled sapwood
A seemingly harmless insect causes a lot of damage to a tree. After overwintering under the bark, the larva pupates in the spring until May.
Then the beetle flies out. Extended years - a month and a half.
The beetle itself damages the vegetating plum: it gnaws out depressions along the trunk. Favorite places are closer to the buds and branching shoots.
Plum pests vary greatly. The female penetrates into the bark and makes a uterine passage up to 3 cm under it. This is the mating room.
On both sides of the gnawed passage, the female makes further indentations for the eggs. Sometimes there are more than a hundred eggs. Oviposition lasts three weeks. Afterwards, the exhausted female dies, closing the opening to the uterine canal with her body.
A week later, the hatched white, brown-headed larvae are already boring holes under the bark in all directions.
They pupate by July. Another two-week cycle and new beetles fly out. They feed and lay eggs.
The next generation of larvae, having gained mass, goes into winter without pupating. In the spring the cycle will repeat.
In the fight against sapwood, take into account:
- It will not settle on a healthy tree. Weak branches damaged by frost or improper care should be removed - prevention better than war with a pest.
- Damaged branches are noticeable. Cut out and burn these along with the wintering sapwood - before the beetles fly out.
During the summer season, use insecticides. Then the beetle will hide.
Gypsy moth
The butterfly is large – the wingspan is 8 cm. The color is light brown, with ornaments. The caterpillars are also large – 7 cm.
Polyphagous: affects stone fruits, pome fruits, berry crops. Caterpillars are “fluffy” - covered with hairs.
Oviposition of butterflies is record-breakingly prolific: a female can lay up to 600 eggs.
Places them everywhere: suitable places– stumps, fences, walls of outbuildings, tree trunks. They spend the winter there.
The caterpillars hatch and eat leaves in the spring, and by summer they pupate directly on the tree.
Due to their hairiness, they “fly” - the wind carries them easily for kilometers. The summer of butterflies is in the middle of summer. Then the cycle repeats.
You have to fight more manually. Found clutches of eggs are scraped off and burned.
Before the plum blossoms, in the spring, you can treat the garden with insecticides, taking into account their toxicity.
Permethrin, its combination with mospilan, or other combinations of drugs from the modern pyrethroid group with neonicotinoids are suitable.
General rule: insecticides are not used during the flowering period.
Caterpillars are collected by hand and glue traps are placed on the trunks.
Plum papilion
Polyphagous pest of the Hymenoptera family. A small fly half a centimeter long. Black color. Two pairs of transparent wings with black veins.
It affects stone fruits; plums are mainly included in the diet of the fat plant (hence the name).
The centipede flies out after it blooms. She needs an ovary - eggs are laid there, in the very bone, while it is soft.
The harmfulness is great: one female - 40 eggs, the same number of damaged plums.
White legless larvae gnaw the bone completely. The plum falls off along with the larva. The larva overwinters in fallen fruit.
Having finished feeding, it pupates. The color of the pupa is white; it turns black before the fatty leg emerges.
The fight against the fatty leg begins with mechanical methods. Collect all fallen fruits and seeds on the ground.
They inspect the tree and remove damaged plums. What is collected is burned.
General measures are also used: digging up the garden (preferably twice: in autumn and spring), traps with fermented liquid.
It is important to strengthen the plum and follow agricultural practices.
Of the chemical and biological methods, the same ones as those described for the codling moth are effective: plum pests are powerless against them.
Rose leaf roller
A small butterfly of a brown, inconspicuous color. It does not harm plants itself, but its offspring (caterpillars) are extremely voracious.
It affects plums and other stone fruits. Caterpillars eat everything: buds, fruits, leaves. Sometimes even young bark and upper layers of branches.
When the leaf roller invades, the leaves curl, which gives the insect its name.
The summer of butterflies is from late spring until almost autumn. You will have to track the pest all season and fight it.
Twisted leaves, inflorescences folded into clumps, ovaries in a web are signs of a leaf roller on the plum.
Control is always based on the biology of the pest:
- The leaf roller overwinters under old bark in the egg phase. This fall, the bark is carefully scraped off and burned along with the collected leaves.
- The autumn whitewashing of the trunks should be supplemented with the spring whitewashing of leaf rollers until summer. In spring, whiten the skeletal branches as well.
- During the growing season - collecting and destroying curled leaves, hanging baits (kvass, compote), twilight smoke in the garden.
Bacterial preparations are better: bitoxibacillin, fitoverm. Although harmless to humans, they infect and destroy the leaf roller.
Traditional methods - as against the codling moth. You can add an infusion of horseradish roots to them.
A kilogram of roots per bucket of water - leave for two days. Boil and let stand again for two days.
The resulting infusion is a concentrate and will last for a long time. Take 120 g, dilute it with a bucket of water, and you can spray the plum. Add a little soap for stickiness.
Several applications will be required (every 15 days approximately).
Whatever plum pests try to enter your garden, they can be stopped.
Prevention is preferable, so it is advisable to follow all the agricultural practices recommended above.
A well-kept garden is easier to maintain. Help the trees in time - they will thank you with excellent juicy fruits.
See you soon, dear readers!
The most dangerous diseases and pests of plums (Prunus) include clusterosporia, black and brown spots, cercospora, ovularia, leaf blackness, milky shine, rust and pollinated aphids. In some years, trees suffer from frost damage and sunburn.
To preserve the orchard, it is extremely important to treat plums against pests and diseases with effective preparations and to implement the necessary protective agricultural practices.
Plum diseases: photos and how to treat trees
First, read the description of plum diseases and methods of treating trees.
Black nodularity, or cancer
The causative agent is a fungus Plowrightia morbosa . Young plum branches affected by this disease thicken, soft greenish swellings appear, which gradually harden and crack. The growths increase, which causes deformation of the branches, and the development of mycelium leads to the death of the wood and drying out of the branches.
Methods of treatment. Trim and burn branches with black knots, disinfect the cuts with 1% copper sulfate and cover oil paint. To combat this disease of plums, carry out constant preventive spraying of trees before the leaves bloom with 1% Bordeaux mixture or its substitutes.
Hole spot, or clusterosporiasis
The causative agent is a fungus Clusterosporium carpophilum. Numerous, small, reddish spots appear on the leaves, becoming lighter over time in the center, with a vague crimson border. The affected tissue cracks and falls out, the leaf becomes holey.
With severe spread of the disease, buds, young shoots and fruits are affected. Shallow ulcers with gum form on the fruits, and reddish-brown spots with scaly elevations appear. The fruits become deformed and partially dry out. Affected leaves fall prematurely and affected shoots dry out.
Control measures. To treat plums against this disease, spray the trees before buds open, and again, immediately after flowering, with a 1% Bordeaux mixture, HOM or Abiga-Peak. If the disease develops severely, repeat spraying with the same preparations after harvesting the fruits.
Brown spot
The causative agent is a fungus Phyllosticta prunicola. The spots on the leaves are small, ocher in color with a thin dark rim. In the affected tissue, pinpoint dark fruiting bodies of the wintering stage are formed, necrotic tissue cracks and falls out. Affected leaves turn yellow and fall off prematurely.
Control measures.
Cercospora spot
The causative agent is a fungus Cercospora cerasella. The spots on the leaves are small, brown in color with a dark border. Dark sporulation pads form on the underside, the tissues of the spots crack and fall out, the leaves turn yellow and fall off.
Control measures. Collect and remove plant residues, spray trees immediately after flowering with 1% Bordeaux mixture or HOM, Abiga-Peak preparations.
In case of severe spread of spotting, to treat this disease, spray plum trees also with Abiga-Pik after harvesting the fruits.
Ovular spotting
The causative agent is a fungus Ovularia circumscissa. The spots on the leaves are large, concentric, Brown and without bordering.
As can be seen in the photo, over time, with this plum disease, necrotic tissue develops on the surface gray plaque, the affected tissues crack and fall out:
Leaves fall prematurely.
Control measures. Collect and remove affected fallen leaves, spray trees immediately after flowering with 1% Bordeaux mixture or its substitutes. If the disease spreads strongly, repeat spraying after harvesting the fruit.
Plum rust
The causative agent is a multi-host fungus Puccinia pruni-spinosae. This plum disease manifests itself in spots described as rusty. Small yellowish circles form on the leaves, on the underside of which brown sporulation pads develop. Affected leaves dry out prematurely and fall off.
Control measures. Remove weeds, especially buttercup anemone, and spray the trees immediately after flowering with 1% Bordeaux mixture or its substitutes. Carry out 2-3 treatments with an interval of 7-10 days.
milky shine
The leaves acquire a gray color with a metallic sheen, become hard, the wood of the branches does not change. Affected leaves drop prematurely, weakening the trees.
The affected wood on the cross section has brown spots of varying sizes, and the leaves acquire a silvery tint due to the formation of air cavities under the skin.
In mid-June, the affected leaves become deformed, become covered with brown spots and, starting from the tip, dry out. The trees are gradually drying up.
Control measures. Before treating this plum disease, remove dried trees, cut off individual dry branches, disinfect and seal the cuts and frost holes. Then spray with 1% Bordeaux mixture or its substitutes.
Leaf rabble
The causative agent is a fungus Fumago vagans. When there are a large number of aphids, the leaves become covered with their sweet secretions, on which it develops fungal infection. A black sooty film forms on the leaves, which is easily erased from the surface of the leaf blade.
Control measures. When aphids appear, spray the trees with fufanon kinmiks, spark, Inta-Vir, do not allow the development of large numbers of the pest. Spray against mobs with 1% Bordeaux mixture or HOM or Abiga-Pik preparations.
Frost and sunny-frost damage to plums
With sharp fluctuations in daily temperature, the sun-heated crust thaws during the day and freezes again at night. Light spots of irregular shape appear on the trunks and skeletal branches on the southern and southwestern sides of the tree.
The bark dries out and cracks, frost cracks form, turning into ulcers. If the root system is damaged, the trees dry out already at the beginning of summer; if the trunks are damaged, they slowly dry out. A fungal infection occurs.
Methods of treatment. Disinfect cracks and open wounds with 1% copper sulfate and cover with oil paint. Carry out preventive spraying before the leaves bloom with Bordeaux mixture or its substitutes.
Plum pollinated aphid ( Hyalopterus pruni) – small sucking insect- a pest of pale green color, covered with bluish-white fluff. In the spring, the larvae hatch and feed on the sap of the buds, and later leaves and shoots.
Several generations of the pest develop; aphids cause the greatest damage in June - July. The leaves do not curl, but remain small and gradually dry out.
Control measures. To treat these plums immediately after flowering with one of the preparations: fufanon, karbofos, kinmiks. If there are a large number of aphids, to combat these plum pests, carry out repeated spraying in compliance with the waiting periods for the preparations.
Preface
The plum harvest is at risk when it comes to disease. We will learn to take the right steps for treatment and prevention, as well as identify dangerous viruses and neutralize them in time.
It happens that oval spots of gray-brown color with a crimson edge measuring 4–5 mm appear on the leaf plates, which dry out and fall out after a couple of weeks, and in their place through holes form. These signs indicate the development of a fungal disease called clasterosporiasis or perforated spot. With large scale lesions, the leaves dry out prematurely and fall off.
Gum on fruits
Often the disease also affects the fruits. On them you can see small depressed spots, where over time growths form, from which gum protrudes. At further development Plum disease affects the very bone, becomes significantly deformed, stops growing and dries out.
In advanced cases, entire branches are affected. Elongated spots form on the bark, they burst, and gum oozes from the cracks. Neglect of treatment leads to the death of entire groups of shoots and bacterial cancer. The spores of this fungus overwinter in leaves, so remove fallen leaves regularly without leaving them to decompose until next year. Remove affected shoots promptly in early spring and in the fall after harvesting, do not allow the plantings to become dense; if gum forms, clean the wounds and treat them with garden varnish.
To combat holey spotting, use a 1% solution of Bordeaux mixture or copper oxychloride. We carry out the first spraying in early spring before the buds open and after the first buds appear. Then we repeat the procedure immediately after flowering and again after 2-2 weeks. The last spraying should be no later than three weeks before harvesting the fruits. If clasterosporiasis has affected the stone fruit crop too much, additionally spray the tree with a more concentrated 3% solution of Bordeaux mixture after the final collection of all the fruits.
Gum treatment - how to avoid the “bitter tears” of a tree?
Gum formation is a common problem in stone fruits, including plums. It appears as a thick mass, the color of which varies from light yellow to brown. In appearance, the gum resembles frozen resin. It is formed in the most vulnerable parts of the bark. Mechanical damage, careless pruning of branches, lack of sealing with garden varnish, sunburn and unfavorable weather conditions - all this leads to cracking of the bark and the formation of wounds, which are filled with gum over time.
Gum treatment
Excessive watering and oversaturation of the crop can provoke the development of gum. mineral fertilizers, especially nitrogen. Damp and cold weather, numerous damage to the bark by pests are other faithful companions of gum growing. Gum is a good platform for the development of bacteria, trunk cancer and the death of the tree as a whole.
To prevent gum deposition, regularly monitor the condition of the bark and prevent the formation of cracks and wounds on it. If gum forms, remove it with a sterile solution, clean the area down to living tissue, disinfect it with a 1% solution of copper sulfate and carefully seal it with petrolatum or garden pitch. Remove severely affected branches.
Brown spots, which are localized near the veins of the leaf blades, indicate infection of the plum with a fungal disease - rust. The main peak of the disease occurs in July. If the tree is not treated, small brown swellings will appear on the outside of the leaf, which over time can occupy the entire area of the leaves. Trees affected by rust weaken due to premature leaf loss and decreased immunity. Rust is caused by a fungus. Therefore, to avoid infection, remove fallen leaves in a timely manner, and also treat trees with fungicides. Before flowering, spray the garden crop with copper oxychloride and a 1% solution of Bordeaux mixture after harvesting. Attention, three weeks before harvesting the fruits, we stop all spraying.
Sooty fungus
A dangerous and very common plum disease is coccomycosis. The main focus of its infection is the deciduous part of the tree, although the fungus can also affect young shoots and fruits. Coccomycosis activity occurs in the first half of July. The first signs of defeat – the formation of multi-colored spots on the leaves, from purple-violet to red-brown. As the disease continues for a long time, small spots grow and cover almost the entire surface of the leaf blades, and a pink-whitish coating appears on the inside of the leaf. These are fungal spores. These leaves dry out and fall off.
If the fungus infects the fruits, they become covered with watery spots, stop growing and dry out. Warm, humid weather is considered favorable conditions for coccomycosis. However, fungal spores tolerate cold and frost well, settling in fallen leaves, so it must be removed and burned for the winter. We fight coccomycosis using standard, familiar methods: we spray the trees before flowering and after harvesting with a 1% solution of Bordeaux mixture or copper oxychloride, using 30–40 g of the substance per 10 liters of water to prepare the solution.
Has an unpleasant black coating formed on the leaves and shoots? This is a clear sign of sooty fungus. It prevents the penetration of oxygen and sunlight into the plant tissue, thereby slowing growth and disrupting the normal functioning of the crop. Whatever the reason for the appearance of sooty fungus, reduce watering and reduce the density of plantings. As the main control measure, use spraying with a copper-soap solution at the rate of 5 g of copper sulfate and 150 g of laundry or green soap per 10 liters of water.
If the branches of plum trees dry out and become covered with brown spots, this is a sign of a fungal disease - moniliosis. This disease appears in cold and wet weather in the spring, when trees begin to bloom. Flowers are the first to reach the lesion, then leaves and branches dry. Over time, spores form on them, causing the bark to become covered with growths gray. Affects monoliosis and fruits. The ideal conditions for the development of fungus in fruits are wet weather.
Moniliosis
Plums with mechanical damage and cracks are the first to be affected. Penetrating into them, the fungus forms brown spots, they increase in size and merge. In the final stages of infection, fungal spores form small gray-brown growths on the plum. This is one of the most dangerous fungal diseases. If treatment is not taken, infected trees may die completely.
We begin the fight against moniliosis by collecting the affected fruits located on the tree and under it. We must burn all collected specimens; they are not suitable for compost. After harvesting, spray the trees with a 1% solution of copper, iron sulfate or Bordeaux mixture.
Deformed plums are not uncommon in the garden. However, if the fruits on your trees are elongated and do not have a clearly defined shape, this is obvious signs plum pockets or marsupial disease. Such infected specimens lack seeds and are lost taste qualities fruit. Another characteristic sign of a fungal infection is the formation of a sticky powdery coating containing spores. Infection of stone fruit crops with marsupial disease can be monitored immediately after flowering begins. As with many fungal diseases, the ideal conditions for the development of plum pockets are heat And high humidity air. The fungus overwinters in the bud scales and forms mycelium on the shoots.
Plum pockets
If you do not start fighting marsupial disease, you can lose up to 60% of the harvest. To prevent this from happening, remove dry and fungus-damaged branches and burn the affected fruits. In early spring, before the buds open, treat the trees with a 3% solution of Bordeaux mixture, and immediately after flowering begins with a 1% solution of the same preparation. To chemical drug lingered in the plant tissues and was not washed away during the first precipitation, use systemic fungicides, for example Horus - before and after flowering.
If fungal diseases While they are fairly easy to treat, the same cannot be said about viruses. One of the dangerous viruses is plum dwarfism. Its initial signs can be seen in the small leaves; they have an elongated shape and uneven edges. Over time, compaction of the sheet plate and its fragility are added to the non-standard shape. A large number of such leaves are located at the top of the shoots. Stone fruit flowers set poorly and have a sickly and pale appearance. As a result, the dwarfism virus leads to slow growth and death.
It is useless to fight the virus. Dig up the infected tree and burn it. As preventive measures against dwarfism, we recommend using only sterile garden tools, using all methods to destroy pests on the site and choosing seedlings that are resistant to the virus.
Smallpox occurs not only in humans, but also in stone fruit crops. Pox, also known as Sharkey virus, primarily attacks leaves, producing chlorotic ring-like spots on them that are clearly visible in sunlight. Fruits are also susceptible to infection. They become dense and significantly deformed. Inside, the flesh acquires a brownish-red tint, and ring-shaped depressed spots form on the skin; gum is visible in the cracks. Such fruits lose their taste, they fall off and are absolutely unsuitable for consumption.
Viral lesions of plum
To prevent the development of Sharkey virus, choose resistant varieties eg Renclaude, avoid landing Mirabelle Vanganheim, Nancy and Zimmer. The disease can occur on stone fruit trees throughout Russia, and is especially common in southern regions where everything is created favorable conditions for its development. Frequent carriers of Sharki are aphids, so be especially attentive to this pest and take appropriate measures to destroy it in a timely manner. You should not plant crops near plums, as well as those crops that may be potential carriers of the virus - clover, sweet clover, nightshade, etc. Specimens infected with the disease cannot be treated; they are uprooted and burned.
Chlorotic ring spot is another dangerous plum virus. It is characterized by the formation of a blurred pattern on the leaf plates. Over time, the ring spots fall out, and in their place there remains a thin mosaic border and through holes. The virus also affects leaves. They become smaller, narrow and hard, and have a wrinkled texture. Infection can occur through unsterile equipment, poor-quality planting material, and can also be carried by insect pests. Affected trees must be dug up and burned.
Witch's broom is a fungal disease that affects stone fruits, especially plums. The affected branches become thin, close to each other, there are no flowers on them, and leaves are rare, significantly deformed and small. Outwardly, the overall picture really resembles a panicle, which is where the disease probably got its name. Over time, a whitish coating (spores) can be noticed on the underside of the leaf blades, which makes them even more fragile and wrinkled. The pale shade of the leaves often changes to a red color.
Witch's broom
The proven method of spraying trees with a 3% solution of Bordeaux mixture in early spring, as well as a less concentrated 1% solution of the drug after the start of flowering, helps prevent the development of the disease. Among other fungicides good action Ridomil Gold, which should be applied a few days before flowering, as well as Tiovit Jet - after flowering, has an antifungal effect.
Caterpillars on drains cause a lot of problems. They damage ripening fruits and suck nutritious juices from the leaves. The ubiquitous leaf roller dominates on plum trees over other insect species. You can learn how to deal with caterpillars on plums from the proposed material, which describes the signs of the pest and how to influence it.
Reticulated leaf roller Adoxophyes orana F. R. (syn. A. reticulana Hb.. Cacoecia reticulana Hb.) - a butterfly with a wingspan of 22 mm in females and 15 mm in males. The color of the forewings is from yellow to light brown, with wavy broken transverse lines. The hind wings are light gray, slightly darker at the base.
The adult caterpillar is 18-22 mm long, dark green, with a small brown head and a greenish-brown thoracic shield. The pupa is greenish-brown, with a dark back, with 2 rows of scutes on the back, and 8 hooks at the end of the abdomen. Eggs in groups of 60-90 pieces are covered with a yellow shield. The female's fertility is up to 180 eggs. Third instar caterpillars overwinter in cracks in the bark, at the base of the buds, under dry leaves attached to the branch by a cobweb. In spring, caterpillars damage the buds, and then the rosettes of leaves and flowers, tightening them with cobwebs. At the end of the apple tree flowering, the caterpillars finish feeding and pupate in the folded leaves. After 10-15 days, the butterflies emerge, are nocturnal, fly for 20-30 days, and after fertilization, the females lay eggs. The hatched caterpillars feed for 30-35 days, damaging fruits and leaves, pupate in July and after 12-14 days the second generation appears. The net leaf roller is widespread everywhere, damaging all pome and stone fruit crops, as well as raspberries, roses, and birch.
Control measures. Before fighting the leaf roller on a plum tree, fruit trees are sprayed before flowering, in the bud release phase, and immediately after flowering with fufanon or kemifos.
Flat leaf roller Acleris rhom bana Den. et Schiff. (syn. Peronea contami-nana Hb., Acalla contaminana Hubn.) - a butterfly with a wingspan of 16-18 mm, brownish-red color. The caterpillars are 14 mm long, yellowish-green, with a brown head and two brown spots on the occipital shield. Butterflies overwinter in crevices of bark and under fallen leaves. In spring, eggs are laid at the base of the buds. The hatched caterpillars feed first on the buds and then on the young leaves, skeletonizing and gnawing out leaf tissue. Two generations of the pest develop. The leaf roller damages many fruit trees and berry bushes, mainly from the Rosaceae family. In some years, when in large numbers, it causes great damage to gardens.
Control measures. Spraying gardens when buds open and immediately after flowering with fufanon or its analogues (kemifos, karbofos).
Look at these plum pests and the fight against them in the photo, which shows the signs of the insect and methods of destruction:
Pollinated aphids: treating plums for pests in spring
Plum aphid pollinated Hyaloplerus agindinis F. (syn. N. pruni Geoff) - a small sucking pest 2-3 mm long, pale green in color, covered with a bluish-white fluff of wax-like secretions. The eggs overwinter at the base of the buds, so it is advisable to treat plums for pests in the spring, when the larvae hatch. They feed on the juice of opening buds, and later on young leaves and growing shoots. The pest develops up to 10 generations; the aphid causes the greatest damage in June-July, when its numbers increase and all shoots with leaves are covered with aphids. The leaves do not curl, but remain small, underdeveloped, covered with larval skins, sooty fungi and gradually dry out. There are many ants on the branches that feed on the sweet secretions of aphids and for this staunchly protect the colonies from insect predators. When there are a large number of aphids, undigested juice drips from the trees, everything becomes covered with a black film of mycelium with spores, the trees lose their decorative appearance, and the fruits lose their marketable quality.
Control and treatment measures for plums against pests consist of preventive spraying of trees in the spring, during bud break or immediately after flowering, with the drug fufanon or its analogues (kemifos, karbofos). If the pest population is large in the summer, treatments are carried out with the same drugs, and Actellik, Fitoverm, Kinmiks, Inta-Vir are also used, taking into account the waiting times for the drugs.
See what these plum pests look like in the photos demonstrating their characteristic features:
Roseate leafhopper: how to treat plums against pests after flowering
Rose leafhopper Typhlocyba rosae L. (syn. Edwardsiana rosae L.) - a small sucking insect of pale yellow or yellowish color, 3-3.5 mm long, 0.7 mm wide. Cicadas jump well and have two pairs of wings, which fold like a roof when at rest. The larvae are white, yellowish, with three pairs of legs and a pointed abdomen.
Before treating a plum tree for pests, you need to know that eggs overwinter on branches at the base of the buds, and in the spring, mobile larvae hatch and suck the juice from the underside of young leaves. The feeding and development of the larvae lasts two months - May and June. At the beginning of July, the larvae develop the rudiments of wings, and they turn into nymphs, and after ten days they become adult leafhoppers.
Before treating a plum after flowering for pests, you need to understand that when there is a large number of pests, numerous whitish-yellow dots and spots of necrosis appear on the damaged leaves, the leaves become marbled in color, and white larval skins remain on the underside of the leaf blades. This requires the destruction of plant debris. The leafhopper damages many fruit trees, berries and ornamental shrubs, especially from the Rosaceae family.
Control measures the same as against pollinated plum aphids.
False scale: how to spray a plum after flowering against pests
Acacia false scale Parthenolecanium corni Bouche. - a small sucking insect with pronounced sexual dimorphism. The female is convex, round-oval, red-brown in color with dark transverse stripes. Its length is 3-6.5 mm, width 2-5 mm.
Leads a sedentary lifestyle, attached to the bark of branches. The male has thin body 1.4-1.6 mm long, covered with a white coating. Vagabond larvae are oval, with three pairs of legs and antennae, first pale yellow, then red-brown. Older larvae overwinter; in the spring they move to young shoots, attach themselves, become convex, and their legs and antennae atrophy.
Females feed for 30-35 days and increase in size three times. The male larvae turn first into nymphs and then into small mosquitoes.
Before spraying a plum after flowering against pests, you need to know that the flight of males occurs in June. After fertilization, the surface of the female’s back becomes denser, a false shield is formed, under which she lays eggs, 1500-2800 eggs each. After a month, the larvae hatch, crawl away, stick to the leaves and petioles, and in September return to the branches where they overwinter.
When the pest population is large, branches and entire bushes gradually dry out. The false scale insect is polyphagous, is found everywhere and is very harmful in orchards, especially berry bushes.
Control measures. Pruning and burning dried branches. Spraying trees and shrubs immediately after flowering with one of the following preparations: Fitoverm, Fufanon, Kemifos, Kinmiks, Actellik, Inta-Vir. If there is a large number of wandering larvae, spraying is repeated at the end of August - September, taking into account the waiting time for each drug.
Black sawfly: protecting plums from pests
Black plum sawfly Hoplocampa minuta Christ. (syn. H. fulvicornis Kl.) - a black, shiny insect 4-5 mm long, with yellow legs and two pairs of transparent membranous wings. The larva is greenish-white, with a brown head, and has twenty legs. The larvae overwinter in a dense cocoon in the soil at a depth of 10 cm, and pupate there in the spring. A few days before plum blossoms, adult insects emerge, and at the end of flowering, females lay eggs with their ovipositor, one at a time, in a cut in the calyx of a bud or flower. The female's fertility is 20-30 eggs. During the formation of the ovaries, the larvae hatch and bite into the fruit, damaging the pulp and then the seed of the fruit. Damaged fruits fall off. The feeding and development of the larva lasts 21-28 days, during which time it damages 4-6 fruits and then goes into the soil, where it overwinters. In large numbers, the sawfly can damage up to 95% of the fruits and almost completely destroy the crop.
Measures to control and protect plums against pests include spraying trees 5-6 days before flowering with fufanon or kemifos. Immediately after flowering ends, spraying should be repeated with the same preparations.
Spraying plums against other pests
One-color plum moth Tischeria gaunacella Dup . - a small butterfly with narrow long wings. The caterpillar is green with a dark brown head and feeds on the leaf parenchyma, making a mine. Mines on the upper side of the leaf at the edge, large, spot-shaped, folded. The edge of the sheet bends upward, and sometimes completely covers the mine. The caterpillar pupates in a wide white cocoon in the middle of the mine. Over the course of a year, two generations of the pest develop, the first harms in June, the second in September-October.
Control measures. Preventive spraying of fruit trees before flowering and immediately after flowering with fufanon or kemifos.
Upper thorn moth Stigmelk I plagicolella Stt. - a very small butterfly with a wingspan of up to 5 mm. The wings are thin, narrow, lanceolate, framed by a fringe of long shiny hairs. The head is covered with dense hairs, the first antennal segment is widened. The caterpillar is pale amber-yellow, shiny, with a reddish-brown head, and feeds on the leaf parenchyma, making a mine on the upper side of the leaf. The mine is initially snake-like, begins with a thin, slightly sinuous passage with a black line of excrement, and then immediately expands into a large spot, where the excrement is located in the middle. Harmful in June-September.
Control measures. Preventive spraying of trees immediately after flowering with one of the following preparations: fufanon, kemifos, actellik, kinmiks, spark, Inta-Vir.
Fruit moth Lithocolletis blancardella F. - a small butterfly with a wingspan of 8-10 mm. The wings are narrow, with a delicate fringe, the pattern of the front wings is complex and multi-colored. The caterpillars are small, yellow-green in color, live and feed inside the parenchyma, forming mines. The mines are oval, in the form of a brown film, located on the underside of the leaf; there can be 10 or more of them on one leaf. The tissues damaged by the caterpillar dry out, the leaf becomes deformed and falls prematurely. The pest causes great damage to fruit trees, forest species and berry bushes, especially in hot and dry summers, when its numbers increase significantly.
Control measures. Spraying gardens immediately after flowering with fufanon or its analogues (kemifos, karbofos).
Moth bicolor Cidaria bicolorata Hufn. - moth with a wingspan of 20-25 mm. The forewings are white, with a small brown spot at the base, and a very large brown spot at the anterior edge; There is a brownish or grayish border along the anterior edge of the front and hind wings. Caterpillars have only two pairs of abdominal legs, and therefore they move by bending double, as if measuring the surface with a span, which is why they got their name. The bicolor moth flies in July-August, the caterpillars damage deciduous trees and shrubs, and are found sporadically.
Control measures. Preventive spraying of trees before flowering and immediately after it with Fufanon, Kemifos, Kinmiks, Actellik, Iskra, Inta-Vir also reduces the number of moths in the garden.
Scoop Gamma Autographa gamma L. - a butterfly with a wingspan of 40-48 mm. The forewings are grayish-brown with a silvery-white spot in the shape of the Greek letter Y. The hind wings are grayish-yellow with a wide brown stripe along the outer edge. Caterpillars are up to 40 mm long, have three pairs of abdominal legs, and have a brownish-green head. The body color is greenish-yellow or green, there are white sinuous lines along the back, and wide pale yellow stripes on the sides, there are small spines with hairs, sessile on tall warts. The pupa is dark brown, 15-20 mm long, located inside an oval translucent cobwebby cocoon. Basically two generations of the pest develop. The flight of butterflies of the first generation occurs in June - early July, of the second generation - in August-September. Caterpillars younger age leaves skeletonize; older ones eat leaves from the edges or eat holes, damaging buds and petals. When moving, the caterpillars bend in a loop-like manner. The caterpillars feed for 16-24 days, after which they pupate in a cobwebby cocoon on the leaves and shoots of the plants on which they previously fed.
The pupal stage lasts 7-13 days, after which a new generation of butterflies emerge. The development cycle of one generation is 26-44 days. The last generation of caterpillars pupate in the soil, where the pupa overwinters. Scoop-gamma - polyphagous pest and feeds on more than 90 species of plants of various families, eating young leaves and shoots with buds.
Control measures. Collection and destruction of single caterpillars. In case of large numbers, spraying is carried out with one of the drugs: fufanon, kemifos, kinmiks, actellik, spark, Inta-Vir, taking into account the waiting time for the drugs.
Birch marshmallow, or birch tail Zephyrus betulae L. (syn. Thecla betulae L.) , is a small wide-winged butterfly of brown color with a wingspan of 30-33 mm. Body length 14-15 mm. The female has one large orange spot on the front wings, the male has a barely noticeable grayish-yellowish spot with a black border. The hind wings have two yellow-red protrusions. The underside is brownish-yellow with a brownish transverse stripe bounded at the back by a white border. The caterpillar is green, thick, tapered at the edges, 16-18 mm long, 6-7 mm thick, with a small brownish head. There is a longitudinal double yellow stripe on the back, and transverse yellowish-white lines on the sides. The flight of butterflies is observed in July-August, the feeding of caterpillars occurs in May-June. Damages all stone fruit crops, especially plums and sloe, and is sometimes found on bird cherry, birch, rowan and hazel. Distributed everywhere, but in small quantities and does not cause much harm.
Control measures. Preventive spraying of fruit trees before flowering and immediately after it with one of the preparations: fufanon, kemifos, actellik, kinmiks, spark, Inta-Vir also reduces the number of birch zephyr caterpillars.
Corner cover with white Polygonia c-album L . - a butterfly with a wingspan of 50-52 mm. The upper side of the wings is yellow-brown with dark brown spots and a brown border; the lower part is dark, gray-brown, on the hind wings with a white pattern in the form of the letter c. The wings are deeply serrated. The caterpillar is large, with large spines. The first half of the caterpillar's body is red and yellow, the back half is white, with red stripes on the sides. The pupa is reddish-gray, with gold and silver spots, hanging upside down on branches, plank walls and fences. The flight of butterflies is observed from March to October, the caterpillars feed in June - July, roughly eating the leaves of plants. More often found on currants, gooseberries, hops, and elms.
Control measures. Spraying plants before flowering and immediately after flowering with one of the preparations: fufanon, kemifos, kinmiks, actellik, spark, Inta-Vir. If the pest population is large, spraying is repeated in the summer, taking into account the waiting time for the preparations, or immediately after picking the berries.
Redtail, or garden woolly paw Dasychira pudibunda L ., is a large butterfly of yellowish-gray or grayish color, with a wingspan of 35-60 mm.
Females are larger than males, on the front yellowish-gray wings with brown pollination there are 2-3 wavy transverse dark stripes, the hind wings are grayish with a blurry dark transverse stripe and dark spot at the forefront. The color of males is ashy or dark gray. The caterpillars are 35-50 mm long, covered with dense hairs, the color is lemon yellow, sometimes pink, gray or dark brown, and there are four tassels of the same color on the back. At the end of the body, a tail of pink-red or crimson color is formed from long hairs. Black velvety stripes are visible between the tassels on the back. The pupa is 12-15 mm long, dark brown with reddish hairs. The eggs are light gray with a bluish tint. Pupae overwinter in cobweb cocoons between fallen leaves fastened with cobwebs, on branches and under loose bark.
In May-June, butterflies fly out and feed on nectar at dusk and at night. After fertilization, females lay eggs in groups (from 10 to 100) on tree branches. Soon caterpillars hatch, covered with long hairs, thanks to which they are carried by the wind to neighboring trees and shrubs. The caterpillars feed from June to September and damage all deciduous trees and shrubs; they are constantly found on fruit and berry and ornamental plants.
Control measures. Collection and burning of fallen leaves in early spring, collection and destruction of individual caterpillars. In case of large numbers, spraying is carried out with one of the following drugs: fufanon, kemifos, actellik, kinmiks, spark, Inta-Vir.
Wood corrosive Zeuzera pyrina L . - a large moth with a wingspan of up to 70 mm. The female's abdomen is thick, with an ovipositor at the end. The male is smaller in size, with feathery antennae. There are 6 round dark green spots on the back. The eggs are small, yellow, oblong in shape. The caterpillar is 60 mm long and 7 mm wide, pale yellow, with a black head and black dots along the body. The wings are white, with numerous oval blue-green spots. Butterflies fly from July to September, laying eggs on branches and trunks of trees near the buds or in crevices of the bark. Each female lays up to 1000 eggs. The hatching caterpillars bite into the bark and feed on wood for two years, making large winding passages in the trunks. Then the caterpillars pupate and after the butterflies fly out, empty pupae remain in the bark of the trees. Butterflies cause great damage to deciduous trees, shrubs, and especially apple orchards, causing massive death of trees.
Control measures. Spraying trees and shrubs with a large number of flying butterflies with one of the following preparations: fufanon, kemifos, decis, actellik, kinmiks, spark, Inta-Vir. The caterpillars are baited in the passages with a 1% solution of fufanon or its analogues. The drug solution is injected into the hole made by the caterpillar, wets the caterpillar and kills it.
Plum is one of the most commonly planted crops in the country. Not all gardeners are able to care for it properly, which leads to the occurrence of diseases. Some of them are typical for many fruit trees, others are characteristic only of plums. Another problem is pests. To successfully combat both problems, an accurate diagnosis of the causes of changes in the tree’s condition is necessary. However, the best way to avoid them is to take comprehensive preventive measures.
The plum harvest depends on the health of the tree
Plum diseases
Plum diseases and their control are the most important part of gardening. Among the diseases, there are some that are found everywhere, while others occur extremely rarely. You can defeat them using both proven folk remedies and modern effective drugs.
Clusterosporiasis
Clusterosporiasis is considered the most common disease of plums. Its causative agent is a fungus that hides in the natural openings of the tree outside and in the resulting wounds. Second name
the formation of the disease - perforated spotting - speaks of its characteristic feature: brown spots on leaves of different sizes with torn edges. Gradually their number increases, the leaves in these places dry out, and holes form. If the process has gone far, the leaves fall off. Clusterosporiosis often affects fruits and branches, from which the gum leaves. The rapid spread of the disease is caused by the high speed of fungal spores moving through the tree.
Bordeaux mixture helps to defeat the disease, which is applied to the affected and still healthy areas of the tree in several stages, including after harvesting. Depending on the degree of infection, different percentages of the substance are chosen when preparing for spraying.
As preventive measures High-quality leaf care brings tangible benefits: timely removal of dried leaves, treatment with copper sulfate.
Moniliosis
The disease is otherwise called fruit rot, which appears as a result of a tree being infected by a fungus. Its spores spend the winter on damaged parts of the plant, and after warming, the fungus rapidly spreads along branches and shoots, gets into the ovaries and spoils the fruits. Manifestations of moniliosis resemble a burn - the diseased area of the tree looks as if scorched by fire. Not only branches and leaves suffer, but also fruits that rot from the inside, externally this is expressed in the appearance of growths. Subsequently, the entire plum on the tree dries out, because the disease is transmitted from one leaf or fruit to neighboring ones.
You can cure plum trees from moniliosis if you spray the surface with one of the following preparations before the beginning of the flowering season:
- Bordeaux mixture;
- copper sulfate;
- iron sulfate;
- fungicides.
Processing must be carried out with increased precautions - ripening fruits should not be touched. Before application special means you should get rid of diseased and old leaves; the same procedure is an effective prevention of moniliosis.
Coccomycosis
One of the typical diseases of plum is coccomycosis, colloquially called red spot, which indicates its main symptom - red spots, although they can be brown and gray. At first they look like small dots on the leaves, then their size grows. Also a sign of coccomycosis is a white coating on the leaves.
The nature of the disease is fungal. Fungal spores affect all parts of the tree, even ending up on the fruits, which causes their growth to stop. The leaves always dry out and fall off. The fungus tolerates frost well; it can spend the entire winter in old leaves that have not been destroyed since the fall. One of the causes of the disease is improper care; the disease is often detected on young plum trees.
The fight against coccomycosis includes:
- plowing and digging up the ground under a tree;
- complex spraying with Bordeaux mixture;
- lime treatment;
- careful inspection of leaves and, if necessary, destruction of old ones.
Coccomycosis develops on the leaves
Sharka
Smallpox, or smallpox, is viral in nature. The first symptoms of the disease are observed on young foliage - these are light spots or stripes. The virus quickly spreads to fruits, which in a short time change their appearance and taste - they cannot be eaten, they die if they ripen untimely. It is believed that smallpox is spread by aphids.
Fighting sharka is unproductive - all that remains is to get rid of the infected trees. Meticulous processing of equipment, clothing, and all objects that come into contact with plum trees helps prevent the occurrence of the disease, since any object can be a carrier of the virus.
Plum pockets
The source of this plum disease is a marsupial fungus, which attacks not only plums, but also cherry plums. The processes of normal fruit formation are suspended, they change shape, color, and become unsuitable for consumption. The marsupial fungus is especially active during the rains, and in the cold season, fungal spores hide in the buds. For treatment you need:
- remove all infected parts of the tree;
- apply 3% Bordeaux mixture before flowering;
- repeat the procedure after the flowers appear, but with a 1% solution;
- apply fungicides.
Preventive measures to combat pockets include sanitary pruning and treatment with special solutions.
Rust
The name speaks for itself: the disease manifests itself in the form of a brown coating that forms on the leaves on the eve of flowering. The reason is a fungal infection that easily adapts to any climatic conditions, including for winter. If you do not fight the disease, then instead of spots in the spring, large pillows of fungal spores will appear. The consequences may be disastrous - the tree may become barren.
Fungal infection manifests itself as rust on the leaves.
Treatment of rust involves applying any fungicide 20 days before the first fruits appear, this will help get rid of the fungus. After fruiting, it is recommended to treat the tree with Bordeaux mixture. The same method is suitable for prevention. Another option is to grow rust-resistant varieties.
Dwarfism
The disease is identified by the changed appearance of the plum, but often this can only be done in an advanced stage. Then it is quite difficult to cure the tree. Gardeners should inspect the tree for:
- slowing growth and decreasing proportions;
- formation of small leaves;
- drying out, falling leaves;
- the appearance of underdeveloped flowers;
- reducing the number of ripening fruits.
If dwarfism progresses, then the tree has almost no leaves. Fighting the disease means completely getting rid of infected leaves and fruits. Preventive measures to avoid contracting dwarfism include: complete destruction plum pests, cleaning dry and old leaves.
Gum treatment
Plum diseases are not only infectious in nature; a striking example of this is gum disease. The self-explanatory name shows that its main symptom is the leakage of gum from wood. The second name of the disease is gommosis. The root cause of infection is a fungus, which spreads especially actively when there is excess moisture and improper feeding with fertilizers.
Any violation of the integrity of the tree bark also leads to gum development. Gradually the gum hardens, leaving small traces in the form of drops on the trunk. Untreated plums can lead to cancer.
If the foci of the disease are numerous, then it is recommended to combat them with the help of vitriol and treatment with garden varnish. It is necessary to completely get rid of infected branches. Proper care helps prevent the onset of the disease.
Gum discharge appears on plum branches and fruits
Root cancer
Some plum diseases are serious; root canker is an example. It is characteristic not only of plum trees, but also of many other fruit trees. Cancer is caused by bacteria that enter the root part of the tree from the ground through existing cracks in the roots. The development of the disease is facilitated by the wrong choice of soil for planting or insufficient watering during the hot period.
- Methods to combat root cancer:
- careful examination of the roots when planting, getting rid of weak root shoots and growths;
- complete destruction of the diseased plant;
- disinfection with formaldehyde of all garden tools with which the seedling came into contact.
Plum pests
In addition to diseases, pests cause serious problems for owners of plum trees. Gardeners need to know the typical insect pests by sight. There is a whole range of special means to combat them, but best way out- application of preventive measures.
Fruit mite
The fruit mite is a dangerous pest, which is a creature less than 1 cm in size with a round brown body. The mite clings to the plum tree with its limbs, sucking out all the juices from it, and especially often feeds on young foliage. Ticks live on trees all year round, lay eggs on the entire surface.
You can get rid of fruit mites with the help of insecticides, infusions with a strong odor - from mustard, garlic, onions, they must be diluted with water. They should also be used as a preventive measure in the spring. A quality inspection of the leaves and burning of the dried leaves is also required.
Gall mite
This pest settles not only on plums, but also on thorns. According to description appearance he looks like a worm. The peculiarity of the gall mite is that when it sticks to a tree, it becomes like a wart.
Ticks overwinter well on trees in order to feed on fresh leaf juices in the spring, then they are clearly visible by their red color. In summer, ticks take on a resemblance to tree bark and become difficult to detect.
It is necessary to get rid of parts of the plum tree infected with gall mites; treating the diseased tree with sulfur is useful.
Ants
Ants are another problem for plum owners. They feed on delicious fruit juice and are not averse to eating kidneys. Ants are dangerous because their activity provokes the spread of aphids throughout the tree. These insects also dig the ground, damaging the roots. There are several ways to overcome them:
- construction of a protective barrier from available materials, the cavities of the barrier must be filled with water;
- applying tar to a tree trunk;
- placing a belt coated with a thick layer of glue around the trunk;
- special toxic substances of chemical composition.
Aphid
Summer residents often wonder who eats the leaves on the plum tree; in most cases, the answer is clear - it’s aphids. Due to its influence, the leaves wither, curl, dry out and fall to the ground. These insects have different colors and are often disguised as green foliage. One tree can be attacked by a whole horde of aphids.
Aphids are the most common “guest” on plum trees
The fight against aphids must begin in advance - before the buds appear. When infested with aphids, the following methods are suitable:
- watering dried marigolds with a solution;
- ash is mixed with soap, the resulting mixture is infused for a couple of days, then regular spraying is carried out;
- solutions of citrus peel and laundry soap, a bucket of which is poured onto the lower part of the tree.
