Canker or not?
Diddydonna
Posts: 2
in Fruit & veg
Hi,
Can anyone advise as to what is doing this to my Cherry tree. Is it Canker? Ants seem to be attracted to this area. What can I do to help my poor tree? Is it ok to use bark around the base?
Apart from that the tree seems fine. Any help greatly appreciated.
See pictures.
0
Posts
Looks like canker to me. The ants are after sap which will be leaking as it would from any wound but they won't cause any problems themselves. The tree will eventually die but it may last several years before it succumbs so I would enjoy it until it starts to look unhealthy and then replace it.
That damage looks fairly severe and the tree is not going to thrive. If you wait until it succumbs you will have lost several growing years. I would replace it now, but replant in a different position to limit the risk of it happening again. That way you should get to watch a healthy tree developing, instead of an ailing one fading away.
Thank you, You have both just confirmed my fears. I think I will let it have its final year and then replace it. Will my other trees be in danger of catching this? I have a Pear, Apple and Plumb.
Apart from planting another tree in a different spot what else can I do to prevent the new tree falling to the same disease?
Canker spores are airborne or carried by insects so not much you can do other than to prune at the correct times with sharp secateurs and clean the blades after each cut (disinfectant wipes are excellent for this.) Make sure you feed your trees regularly as trees which are growing well are far less likely to catch diseases.
My cherry tree is also suffering from canker, not quite as sever as yours though. Mine still fruits great and shows no signs of being unhealthy. I think my tree has a fair few years in it still though... I hope!