Anything wrong with these plum trees

Salaam · June 14, 2014

Hello all,

We have inherited (recently moved in to this house) two what I think are plum trees. The fruit is still green, and I notice something like blossom end rot on some of them. Also, the branches seem to have some sort of growth on them. Are the trees okay? (I've attached photos.)

Thanks!

Labradors2 · June 14, 2014

I had something similar on my plum tree last year and decided that it was Bacterial Canker. I cut the limbs above the bad stuff and burned it.

Here's a link http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=86

Linda

beeman · June 14, 2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by Salaam

Hello all,
We have inherited (recently moved in to this house) two what I think are plum trees. The fruit is still green, and I notice something like blossom end rot on some of them. Also, the branches seem to have some sort of growth on them. Are the trees okay? (I've attached photos.)
Thanks!

That's Black Knot. If you do nothing it will kill the tree within a couple of years.
If you want to save it, then trim out all limbs etc that have the knots to 6 inches below each one, clean your pruners with a household bleach solution. I cup per gallon, after each cut.
Spray the whole tree, to run off, with a good fungicide asap. Then in the dormant period spray with dormant oil and lime sulphur. That 'blossom end rot' is in fact more Black Knots, and they will drip more infection, best get them off.
My Mount Royal got it bad two years ago, I did as described, and today it's healthy again.

Salaam · June 15, 2014

Thanks very much. Yes, it looks like black knot. I'll have to think about whether I can do this myself or if I can afford the services of an arborist!

Labradors2 · June 15, 2014

It doesn't look like a very big tree. I have one of those fold-up saws, and did the job myself on my plum tree!

Linda

Salaam · June 15, 2014

It's about 15 or so feet high. But it's the spraying I'm worried about not knowing how to do, not the chopping.

Labradors2 · June 15, 2014

Cutting off the bad stuff is the most important thing. Get that nasty stuff off and the tree will be better. I didn't spray mine with Dormant Oil spray because I'm not here in the winter. It is fine!

Linda

June 14, 2014	#2
Labradors2 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Ontario Posts: 3,887	I had something similar on my plum tree last year and decided that it was Bacterial Canker. I cut the limbs above the bad stuff and burned it. Here's a link http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=86 Linda

June 15, 2014	#4
Salaam Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Ottawa, ON Posts: 128	Thanks very much. Yes, it looks like black knot. I'll have to think about whether I can do this myself or if I can afford the services of an arborist!