Description of black apple cancer and treatment of the disease

Growing an apple tree requires special attention to detail, garden trees are often subject to various diseases. One of these is black cancer, which can be recognized by a number of symptoms. If there is at least one sign of this ailment on the tree, it is necessary to immediately start treatment, as well as take preventive measures. We offer you useful information about the characteristics of the disease, the causes of infection, as well as recommendations on how to combat black cancer on apple trees.

Black apple cancer belongs to the category of infectious diseases that are caused by different types of fungi and bacteria. Most often, this problem manifests itself in regions with sharp temperature changes, but no garden is immune from this ailment. If you do not start treatment in a timely manner, the trees stop bearing fruit, or the quality of the apples deteriorates markedly, and over time, the garden may even die if you do not take action.

Fungal infection, which is popularly called "fireworm", affects many fruit trees. Infection begins in the spring, since spores endure even severe frosts, remaining in fallen leaves or rotten fruits, they can also settle in the cracks of the bark. That is why the garden must be looked after in the fall after the fall of leaves, removing all unnecessary and old, so as not to leave room for the development of fungal diseases. As soon as the frosts recede, the awakened spores fall on the damaged branches of the apple tree, grow and destroy the cells of the tree. Black cancer can be closed, it hides under the influx and blisters of the bark, while open cancer is more noticeable, as it forms in deep non-growing areas.

In order for fungal spores to activate, they require optimal conditions, namely high temperature and humidity. Therefore, apple orchards are most often endangered in April and May, when the sun has not yet completely dried the water, and the weather is already warm enough. The air temperature contributes to infection with black cancer, the pathogenic fungus develops well in the temperature range from 22 to 28 degrees Celsius, while the humidity should be about 80%. In such conditions, harmful microorganisms only need 6 hours to mature, after which they begin to infect the tree.

The reason for the infection of fruit plants is often low immunity, especially for old orchards that are not well looked after. Such trees are weakened and cannot resist any infection, especially cancer, on their own. The fungus easily penetrates the woody tissue and begins to multiply, after which it is able to spread throughout the garden.

If agronomic principles are not followed, fruit trees can easily become infested. We are talking about improper pruning, insufficient quality wound treatment, excessive thickening of the branches - all this contributes to the development of black cancer. The disease can lead to damage to the garden by pests, attracts other parasites that can completely destroy a potential crop.If you do not take care of the trees, moss and lichen will begin to grow on them, which stimulate the spread of infection, because they create optimal conditions for the fungus. It should be noted that excessive care can also negatively affect the state of fruit plants: if you abuse fertilizing, substances will begin to accumulate in the soil, which will create a breeding ground for fungal infection.

Improper planting is another reason for black cancer in apple trees. If the plot is not large enough, and you decide to plant trees closely to each other, you will need to carefully monitor their condition and provide quality care.

To understand what you are dealing with, you need to familiarize yourself with the symptoms of apple disease. Black cancer looks different depending on where it lives. Many experts argue that it is quite difficult to recognize a fungal disease at an early stage, so it is better to inspect the garden constantly to detect various damage.

Black cancer can show up on the bark. The wound is characterized by a purple-brown border, which gradually begins to spread over the surface, after which it becomes black. If the disease progresses, the spots turn into deep dents, the bark begins to flake off and looks charred.

In the spring, when the garden trees begin to bloom, the color turns brown, after which it deforms and dries up, this applies to the pistil and stamen. If we talk about the disease on an already ripe tree, the fruits become infected for a week, after which dark spots form on the surface, which increase in size. The apple will begin to wrinkle and turn into a "mummy", becoming completely black.

If reddish-brown specks appeared on the leaves, which soon turned gray, this means that the tree has been infected with cancer. Blackness appears either on the fruit or on the trunk. During the course of the disease, the number of such spots will only increase, and if you do not take action, the leaves will begin to die off, and the tree will soon dry out. A large apple tree dies within two months.

If you notice a small plaque on the bark, found spots on the leaves, you must immediately start a rescue operation. Treatment consists of several stages, and if you follow the recommendations, it will be much easier to fight the disease.

This is the initial stage that plays an important role. Since one of the signs of the disease is the formation of spots on the leaves or plaque on the bark, you will need to carry out a cleaning procedure. We are talking about sanitizing not only the infected tree, but the entire garden. To do this, you need to collect already infected fruits and leaves with spots, cut off branches that have been affected by the disease and destroy plant debris outside the garden.

You will need to process the bark of the trunk and skeletal branches that have not yet been affected by the black cancer. After cleaning, it is important to act on all spores that could have spread to the leaves and even the soil. An antiseptic is intended for this, it is better to choose fungicides and preparations that contain copper. In addition, it is important to treat the entire area using antifungal agents.

If we are not talking about a strong infection, you can start with folk remedies that can also help cure the apple tree from black cancer. Salt water with iodine or a soap solution is suitable for disinfecting wounds; fresh sorrel juice is also effective. After treatment, the wound should be closed with a mixture of clay and mullein (1: 1), the layer thickness should be at least 10 cm. From time to time, the affected areas are moistened with Heteroauxin, for this you need a bucket of water and two tablets. Nigrol and rosin wax are excellent insulators, which can be mixed with clay and kneaded thoroughly.

Garden soil can help to cope with black apple crayfish - for this, the soil must be moistened, pretreated with fungicides, and then cover all cracks with it. This is a difficult method, because every time after rain, the procedure will have to be repeated.

Perhaps this method of treatment is the most effective when it comes to a difficult stage. Antibiotics work well against infectious diseases, so they are in great demand. In specialized stores you can find "Streptomycin", which is given as an injection. This activity is recommended during the growing season. To do this, a small hole is drilled in the trunk at a height of one meter from the ground (there should be no wounds or affected areas nearby), a hose is inserted there and an antibiotic is injected. For injections, specialists have developed a special system, with the help of it a 4% solution of the drug is injected into the apple tree, after which the hole must be tightly closed with a stopper. The procedure should be repeated with all branches that are more than 15 cm thick. The injection will work in a diameter of 3 m. It is better to repeat this therapy 5 times at intervals per week.

In order not to have to deal with black cancer at a late stage, and save the entire garden, it is better to take safety measures that will help prevent the development of the disease. It is recommended to place the apple tree in a suitable place, namely: away from the compost pit where there is a lot of organic fertilizers. Planting trees in areas where there is high humidity due to closely lying groundwater is not recommended. The south side is also not suitable for a garden, as ultraviolet radiation can scorch the plant and help the fungal disease develop. It is important to prevent sudden changes in temperature that negatively affect the state of the bark, so the location of the future garden must be chosen carefully.

An important rule for any gardener is regular sanitary pruning, during which all weak, diseased and excess branches are removed, and the wounds are carefully treated and closed from wind and moisture. Any tree needs timely watering and high-quality feeding; you should not litter the territory with unnecessary plants. An important step in caring for fruit is whitewashing at a height of two meters, which protects the apple orchard from insects and other pests. On older trees, the bark begins to crack and break away from the trunk, so it is important to clean to allow gas exchange by removing dead tissue, which is an ideal breeding ground for fungal spores.

If you are just thinking about planting your own apple orchard, it is best to initially choose the right variety that is resistant to a number of infectious diseases, including fireworm. Such species as "Alva" and "Papirovka" (summer variety), "Borovinka", "Freedom" and "Autumn Joy" are invulnerable to black crayfish, as for winter apples - these are "Jonathan", "Stable", "Bolotovskoe" and "Haralsson".

Summing up, it is safe to say that black apple cancer is not a harmless disease; at the first signs, you need to start treatment without delay. If you use all of the above recommendations, do not neglect the rules of care and carefully process the plants, then you will not have to face such a serious problem.