Gum treatment in cherries: treatment with drugs and folk remedies, control measures

Causes and factors provoking gum development

Gommosis is a reaction of cherries to unfavorable factors, the main of which is considered to be mechanical damage to the trunk and branches.

The reasons for the appearance of gum discharge include the following.

Fungal infection

Hommosis is mainly a consequence of a fungal infection. On cherries, gum is formed due to diseases such as clasterosporiasis and moniliosis. The lesions are located on the trunk, on young shoots.

Also, the culprits of the disaster are pests that act as carriers of diseases.

Climatic conditions

Cherries often suffer from low temperatures. After winter, the trunks become covered with cracks and burns. Prolonged thaws provoke warming, which provokes gum formation.

The development of the disease is influenced by factors such as planting in cold, windy areas. Also the cause of the disease is the wrong variety, which must be zoned frost-resistant, less susceptible to frostbite, sunburn, and resistant to high humidity.

Errors in agricultural technology

The cause of the appearance of gommosis is considered to be a violation of agricultural technology during cultivation, namely: increased doses of fertilizers, especially nitrogen, untimely and severe pruning, poor-quality watering, and neglect of preparations for winter.

Prevention of gum development

We have already found out that gum bleeding is not a disease, but only a signal that the tree has been injured or has become a victim of disease. Therefore, it is very important to follow the care and cultivation techniques. Our tips will help you avoid gum development.

1. Choose the right tree varieties. The battle with gommosis can be lost even before you plant a seedling on your site, just because you chose the wrong variety. It doesn’t matter whether you are planting cherries or plums that are familiar to your region, or you decide to experiment with cherries, apricots or peaches - in any case, you should rely on zoned varieties of stone fruit crops.

2. Follow the rules for pruning and grafting trees. Failure to comply with pruning deadlines, poorly processed tools or an incorrectly selected scion, not to mention poor pruning or grafting technique, can weaken the tree and make it extremely vulnerable to diseases and pests. Be sure to inspect trees for frost wounds and, if necessary, take measures to heal cold injuries.

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3. Regularly treat your garden against diseases and pests . The first measures to protect the garden from diseases can begin in early spring, when sapwood, bark beetles and other stem pests are especially active. During the season, such treatments are carried out repeatedly.

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Don't wait for diseases and pests to take over your garden - be proactive!

4. Protect your garden from rodents. It is believed that mice, rats and hares are not too fond of the bark of stone fruit crops because of its slightly bitter taste, but hunger is not an aunt, and in the event of a hungry winter, no one can guarantee that an animal suffering from malnutrition will not “disdain” the tender bark of young cherries or plums.

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5 . Prevent sunburn. Autumn whitewashing is the simplest and at the same time the most cost-effective way to protect your garden from the bright winter rays. Please note that trees need to be whitened only in the fall or, as a last resort, in winter, and only at above-zero temperatures! An alternative to whitewashing is to wrap the bottom of the tree trunk with white natural cloth or parchment. The use of synthetic materials like plastic foil can lead to the bark heating up, therefore, as soon as the snow melts under the trees, such protection must be removed.

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6 . Follow the feeding schedule. Excess potassium and magnesium, which is often associated with calcium deficiency, can lead to changes in the structure of the cambium, and as we remember, this is what provokes the formation of gum. Excess nitrogen, especially in the summer months, negatively affects the quality of the formed wood. The latter becomes thinner, and therefore more vulnerable to weather conditions and various injuries.

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Read also: One of the oldest varieties of apples is Aport. Description and photo, growing features

Why is it dangerous for the tree?

The formation of gum on the trunk or branches of a cherry tree is a signal to the gardener about the condition of the tree or a symptom of a disease. Therefore, it poses a great danger to the plant, since the affected branches die, sometimes very quickly. Normal tree growth is disrupted. As a result of improper branching of an infected cherry, the crown takes on an unsightly shape.

Signs

Gum discharge or gommosis is the process of secreting resinous drops from plant tissues. Resin is formed not only on the trunk, but also on branches, leaves and fruits. Cherry gum is a signal for depletion and death of the tree.

To prevent gum development, wounds on fruit trees should be lubricated with garden varnish. Photo: good-tips.pro

The composition of the garden pitch is as follows:

paraffin - 6 parts;
rosin - 3 parts;
vegetable oil - 2 parts.

How is cherry resin useful for humans?

Cherry resin is often used as a medicine, as it can:

normalize thyroid function;
strengthen the heart and cleanse the blood vessels;
stabilize the digestive system;
boost immunity
cure diseases of the liver and pancreas.

When using this potent substance, it is important to know when to stop, since excessive consumption of gum can cause flatulence and vitamin deficiency.

Use in medicine

Cherry is a tasty way to prevent and treat certain diseases due to its beneficial properties and rich composition.

Cherry is a product for improving the functioning of the cardiovascular system. This is one of the main properties of this fruit. The blood vessels are strengthened and the pressure is reduced.
Cherry fruits can kill and fight bacteria. Children, without knowing it, are doing themselves a favor by lubricating their scratched elbows and scratched knees with cherry pulp.
Due to the presence of coumarin, blood clotting is reduced, which is necessary for some diseases, such as atherosclerosis.
Cherry juice can cleanse the body of toxins and also improve appetite.
Joint diseases such as arthritis are alleviated if the pulp and juice are consumed regularly. Gout can be prevented in the same way.
Ellagic acid prevents cancer cells from developing.

How to treat

If gum disease is detected in cherries, treatment should be started as early as possible. This will prevent the plant from weakening and dying. Control measures include removing young damaged branches and cutting the protruding gum back to healthy tissue using a sharp and disinfected knife. Then treat the cleaned areas with a solution of potassium permanganate, iron or copper sulfate. After drying, apply garden varnish to the entire cut surface.

Preparing the brew

Garden varnish, which you make yourself, is popular as a disinfectant in the fight against gum disease.

Components:

4 parts rosin;
1 part beeswax;
1 part lard.

Preparation: combine the melted lard with the remaining ingredients, then place the resulting mixture on the stove and boil for 20 minutes, let cool, then stir so that the finished mass does not have lumps.

Resin Application

Another effective remedy in the fight against gommosis can be made at home:

Components:

2 parts raw flaxseed oil;
1.5 parts spruce resin;
1 part turpentine;
0.5 parts of wheel ointment.

Preparation: heat the resin over low heat, add linseed oil and wheel ointment. Boil the mixture for a long time, then cool and combine with turpentine. Mix everything thoroughly.

Treatment

When the first signs of gum disease are detected, it is necessary to begin searching for the cause and eliminating the gommosis; it is important to remember that the treatment of the branch and trunk has some differences.

Trunk treatment

The bark removal procedure should be carried out at an air temperature of no less than +10...+12 °C in the following order:

clean the leakage site with a sharp knife;
remove all damaged bark;
cut the affected wood to the ground, without leaving darkened areas;
thoroughly treat the wound with the preparation “Filolavin”, “Sporobacterin”, “Fitosporin M”, “Agate” or “Gamair”, leave to dry for 2-3 hours;
in the next 4 hours, treat the damage 3–4 times with the juice of common sorrel or horse sorrel;
cover the damaged area with garden varnish and wrap it with thick cotton cloth;
water the tree with a solution of calcium chloride, diluted according to the instructions;
after 5–7 days, start watering with a slightly pink solution of potassium permanganate and continue it throughout the season;
begin to eliminate the problem that caused gommosis.

Removal of wood should only be carried out after the end of the sap period!

Branch treatment

Treatment of the branch does not cause serious damage to the tree and is carried out in the following order:

cut the damaged branch into a ring;
clean the wound with a sharp knife, removing all damaged wood;
disinfect the wound twice with a 1% solution of copper sulfate and leave until completely dry;
cover the damaged area with garden varnish and wrap it with thick cotton cloth.

When removing branches, it is important to examine the cutting area - it must be clean. If modified wood is present, then the next lower order branch is removed. If a first-order skeletal branch is affected, it is removed and the trunk is treated.

Leaving frozen gum on the bark as a natural protection is only possible if there is a firm belief that gommosis began due to mechanical damage.

How to prevent the recurrence of gommosis

Gum development is easier to prevent than to treat for a long time. Knowing the reasons, you can quickly take measures to prevent its recurrence:

Handle cherries in the fall with care, without injuring them. Many gardeners, when removing the bark, leave young, immature tissue defenseless before wintering. As a result, they are exposed to frostbite, which can lead to deterioration in the health of the plant.
Choosing the right variety. It must be maximally suitable for cultivation in a specific area, taking into account its climatic characteristics, be characterized by frost resistance and have good disease resistance. For each region there are zoned cherry varieties that you should bet on.
Reliable trunk protection. In order to protect the plant from sunburn, gardeners bleach the trunks and bases of skeletal branches at least 3 times a year - in summer, autumn, and winter. Also, before winter, wrap the trunks using burlap and spruce branches, this will additionally provide the tree with protection from rodents.
Timely pruning. To prevent gum growth, you need to remove young shoots throughout the summer, preventing them from reaching the lignification phase. Small wounds on the plant heal faster; pruning stronger stems in the future will be painful for the cherry.
Adding nutrients. To increase the tree's resistance to stress, it is necessary to fertilize it in a timely manner, but not to get carried away with fertilizers containing nitrogen. It is also important to prevent the development of infections and pest invasions by spraying trees with fungicides.
Carrying out furrowing of the trunk and skeletal branches. This procedure should be carried out in the spring before the start of sap flow, repeating after 1-2 years, using a thin, sharp knife, otherwise, instead of benefit, you can cause harm to the tree.

Advice from experienced gardeners

To reduce the risk of gum disease on cherries, experienced gardeners advise choosing only strong and healthy seedlings for planting. And in order for them to grow well and not be exposed to adverse external factors, they need to be planted in the right area.

You will be interested to know about the lifespan of cherries.

The place for planting cherries must meet the following requirements:

be well illuminated by the sun - this will prevent the appearance of dampness and fungal diseases;
be located on a hill - in this case, the roots will not rot from stagnation of melt or rain water;
be protected from the cold wind - this will help protect cherry branches from mechanical damage;
have loose and light soil - this will protect the roots from damage and rotting as a result of lack of air or stagnant water;
do not contain groundwater located at a depth of less than 1.5 m from the surface of the earth - waterlogging of the soil leads to damage to the roots.

Gum has a lot of useful properties, so it is often used in folk medicine. But its appearance on a cherry tree is the result of improper tree care and requires immediate treatment. Using the recommendations and tips listed in the article, you can eliminate the problem at an early stage and successfully prevent its recurrence.

What is gommosis

Gum disease, to which most fruit trees are susceptible, is mistakenly interpreted as a non-infectious disease. It manifests itself in the secretion of a sticky brown liquid protruding through cracks in the trunks and branches. Less commonly, gommosis is observed on the leaves and fruits of plants in the form of sticky thick drops.

Gum or otherwise gum is not a resin. This is exudate of conductive tissue, the result of the formation of effusions - accumulation of liquid and plastic substances in the phloem (phloem), damage to the parenchyma - conductive vascular tissues. Together with wood (xylem), phloem ensures the transport of mineral salts, liquids, and products of photosynthesis.

It is the violation of its functions, including mechanical, that leads to the formation of exudate. In fact, gum is a high-molecular carbohydrate that carries sugars, polysaccharides, monocarboxylic acids, breakdown products of cell membranes - galactose, arabiose and other substances.

The pathological process begins to occur in the cambium of young wood. Instead of outer bark cells and inner wood cells, undifferentiated cells filled with starch - gum - are formed.

At the initial stage, individual vessels are filled with gum. Then the parenchyma (vascular tissue) becomes necrotic. Neighboring xylem tissues are affected, destruction reaches the bark: cracks and deep wounds appear, through which sticky “tree tears” appear.

When the bark and cambium are destroyed, the trunk becomes covered with cracks, branches dry out, young growth is absent, and fruiting is poor. As the amount of gum increases, the tree sheds its leaves, stops bearing fruit, and dries out.

What do affected stone fruits look like?

All stone fruits are susceptible to gum development: apricot, cherry, peach, plum and other representatives of the plum genus. For peach and apricot, the disease is often fatal; it is less critical for plums and cherries.

Hommosis manifests itself in different crops as follows:

On cherries - in the form of a dark brown sticky mass, known as cherry glue, abundantly flowing from cracks in the bark of the trunk. As a rule, cherry produces “glue” abundantly, and it is characterized by low density. Gum deposits reveal blackening under the bark, open ulcers, and large cracks.
On plums, gommosis affects the trunk, skeletal branches, and manifests itself in the form of dew on the leaves. Even on the fruits there are thick drops of dark brown influx.
Apricot is prone to gum development, which is destructive in advanced stages. The gum on apricot is thicker, amber-brown in color, almost transparent. It is concentrated more often on the trunk, and only with massive damage is observed on branches, leaves, and fruits.
On cherry trees, light yellow glassy deposits stand out from cracks in the trunk or branches. With massive tissue damage, cherry gum becomes cloudy-brown and protrudes profusely.
Peach gum bleed appears as orange-brown accumulations of clear liquid oozing from cracks in the bark. For a heat-loving crop, this is a common problem: peach trees often do not take root in a continental climate, not only due to low winter hardiness, but also often die from excessive gum growth.

Symptoms of flatulence

Gaseous substances in the intestines are contained in a free and bound state. Free gases, thanks to intestinal peristalsis, constantly move towards the lower gastrointestinal tract and are excreted in portions: approximately 40 ml 15-20 times a day1,2.

Bound gases are enclosed in small bubbles lined with mucus4. With flatulence, their number increases sharply and foam forms. The increasing volume of foam leads to stretching of the intestinal wall. This causes discomfort in the abdomen, sensations of bloating, fullness and rumbling, as well as the development of pain. Additionally, abdominal enlargement and flatulence may be observed - frequent and profuse passage of gases, often with a foul odor and sound of varying timbre and volume1.

Symptoms of flatulence

Regurgitation.
Belching air.
Feelings of bloating and fullness in the abdomen.
Increase in abdominal circumference.
Rumbling in the intestines.
Stomach ache.
The release of large amounts of gases from the intestines (flatulence)1.

The appearance of abdominal pain during flatulence is associated with overstretching of the intestinal walls and its mesentery. The degree of discomfort depends on the height of the pain sensitivity threshold: the lower this threshold, the more severe the pain. It appears in one part of the abdomen, gradually intensifies, then, as the gas bubble moves through the intestines, it weakens and even disappears, but then appears again, albeit in a different place in the abdominal cavity1.

Foamed stool covers the intestinal walls and makes it difficult to digest food and absorb nutrients1. This further complicates the situation: undigested food remains accumulate in the intestines and fermentation processes intensify. Gas formation increases, the symptoms of flatulence become even more pronounced.

If it persists for a long time, flatulence can disrupt a person’s usual way of life, force him to give up active pastime and limit communication. This can lead to psychological problems, increased anxiety and depression2.

Up to contents

Lose weight with cherries

The low calorie content of cherries has led to their use for weight loss. A light snack with such berries will saturate the body without causing much harm. There are even dietary fasting days, the main one of which is the cherry component. Naturally, this product is not capable of burning fat, but it does an excellent job of cleansing the body, having a mild laxative property. However, you should not overdo it with cherries, otherwise you can harm your figure. Large amounts of this product increase glucose levels in the body, which can lead to excess weight gain. Of course, this is possible if you consume kilograms of it daily. A glass of berries as a snack will not bring anything bad, but will only improve the result.

About the use of gum

The appearance of gum is an unpleasant phenomenon. But a thrifty owner never wastes anything! In the old days, gum was used by icon painters , mixing watercolor paints with its aqueous solution. Such creations have been preserved for centuries!

The card in the photo, although not painted in watercolor, is decorated with crushed pieces of gum. It has been in my collection for 12 years.

Nowadays, gum is used in the handicraft production of straw hats - straw treated with a gum solution acquires a bright, rich color and does not get wet.

Cherry glue is used by biologists when observing mobile protozoa: they add a drop of a viscous solution to a drop of the liquid under study. Modellers also value it: cherry glue binds sheets of paper much more firmly than paste, and the paper does not turn yellow from it.

To prepare glue , the collected gum is cleared of pieces of bark, dried, and crushed. As needed, pour the powder with warm water. After a few hours, the gum will completely dissolve and the glue can be used.

Healing gum

Since ancient times, people have known about the healing properties of gum . With its help, diseases of the respiratory system, gastrointestinal tract and oral cavity were treated. Modern research has shown that gum actually has bactericidal properties and contains valuable sugars, tannins, and pectins.

In official medicine, apricot gum , which forms viscous solutions with high emulsifying and enveloping properties. Experts say that apricot gum is a complete replacement for imported gum arabic in pharmaceutical oil emulsions, enveloping solutions and even in some blood-substituting solutions. Perfumers use it as a thickener and emulsifier in skin care products.

Gum removal from cherries, treatment of resin on a tree, control measures and what to do

Options for getting rid of the problem

Before planting a cherry tree, you should pay attention to the seedling. It should be healthy in appearance and without damage to the trunk and root system. You need to plant in loose soil because the roots need to breathe. High humidity should be avoided and an interval should be observed when fertilizing the plant. If it was not possible to avoid the disease, then you need to start treatment:

When sap appears on the trunk, the affected areas can be lubricated with ground sorrel leaves. Rub for 5 minutes 2 times a day. Continue this procedure until the resin completely disappears.
You can spray the plant with a Nitrophen solution in the proportion of 400 g of product per 10 liters of water.
After flowering and before the fruits appear, you can use “Preparation 30 plus” (200 g per 10 liters of water).
After treatment, you can use a herbal disinfectant - copper sulfate 10%. Mix in a ratio of 10 g per 1 liter of water.

Are you here

In 2004, I bought two plum seedlings of the Krasnomyasaya variety at a fair near the Rossiya KOSK. In the winter of 2005-2006 they froze heavily. One tree recovered well after freezing. Another tree got gum disease last year and is recovering very poorly. This year, gum production on this tree has increased even more - two new gum wounds have additionally appeared. To treat gum disease last year, I rubbed the wound with sorrel leaves, but it didn’t help much. This year I have not used any treatment measures yet, because I think this tree is no longer a tenant. Tell us about gum disease in plums and how to combat it. E.A. Zharkova, Ekaterinburg

A few years ago, I answered a similar question from one of my readers. But time passes, many new readers appear and a number of issues have to be covered again. True, this has to be done with various additions. Gum discharge (gommosis) of stone fruit plants is a very well-known phenomenon that occurs in all places where these plants are cultivated. It is especially widespread in the extreme south of Russia and in the territory of the former Union - in the Crimea, Central Asia and Transcaucasia, where in some years the damage to apricot and peach trees by gum disease reaches even 50%. In our conditions, gum deposition is common on all types and varieties of plums and cherries grown in our country. Chronic gum disease not only weakens the plant and reduces its productivity, but sometimes leads to the death of the entire tree or bush or individual branches. The release of gum can be caused by both mechanical damage to the plant caused by low winter temperatures or sharp temperature fluctuations in spring and autumn, untimely or excessively severe pruning of trees and bushes, and damage to plants by pests or diseases. In other words, gum production is a plant’s reaction to various types of damage or weakening. It is especially common to observe gum deposition against the background of frost cracks and severe damage to trees by moniliosis and clasterosporia. According to experts, any mechanical damage to the bark, if it reaches the cambium, can cause gum production, and fungal and bacterial organisms that get into the gum go deeper into the plant tissues and, acting on them, increase gum production. The pathological process of gum formation occurs in young wood, and the place of origin is the cambium, the cells of which cease to deposit new elements of the bark outward, and wood - inward. The result of the division of cambium cells are new, especially large, undifferentiated cells with a thickened membrane, filled with accumulations of starch. As they accumulate, the intercellular substance of the cells thickens, as if sliming, and blurs. In this case, numerous cracks appear in the cell membrane. The cell membranes peel off and dissolve. Following this, the starch contained in the cells also dissolves. The resulting arabiose, galactose and other substances, which are products of the breakdown of cell membranes, flow onto the surface of branches or trunks in the form of a sweetish, slightly sticky, and then solidifying mass - gum. Control measures. Measures to combat gum deposition are, first of all, preventive measures. For cultivation in our conditions, it is imperative to use only varieties of cherries and plums that have high and good winter hardiness. Mandatory preventive measures should be taken to prevent mechanical damage to plants: preservation of old dead bark, which serves as protection for underlying living tissues, protection from sunburn of the trunk and skeletal branches by whitewashing them in the fall and spring, prevention of frost cracks by lightly warming the trunks and skeletal branches with paper , matting and so on. Plant pruning should be carried out only in a timely and correct manner, with the obligatory covering of the wounds with garden varnish (putty). It is imperative to carry out the necessary set of measures to combat pests and diseases (moniliosis, clasterosporiasis and others) that cause damage to trunks, branches, and shoots. It is very important to follow the correct technology when growing plants: do not allow one-sided or excessive nitrogen fertilizer; when planting, allocate not heavy, floating, clay soils for stone fruit plants, but lighter, well-aerated soils; take mandatory measures to prevent the plant bark from heating up in the root area necks and others. If gum bleeding appears on the branches or trunk, then you should clean the wounds with a garden knife to healthy tissue with a grip of 4-5 mm, disinfect them and cover them with garden varnish. Disinfection of wounds is carried out with a 1% solution of copper sulfate, but other means can be used. As practice has shown, good results, in particular, are obtained by rubbing wounds with fresh sorrel leaves - 2-3 times every 5-10 minutes (as the juice dries). To cover wounds, it is best to use nigrol putty, consisting of 70% nigrol and 30% well-sifted stove ash. It is necessary, however, to keep in mind that surgical intervention alone without improving the general level of cultivation technology and observing other preventive measures cannot lead to the desired results. I don’t know to what extent the author of the question has fulfilled all the necessary requirements for plum growing technology. It is not clear: how correctly were all necessary preventive measures, including treatment and disinfection of wounds, carried out and whether they were carried out at all? At least one thing is clear, that the author of the question grew the Far Eastern variety of Chinese plum, Krasnomyasaya, which in our conditions has insufficient winter hardiness and freezes strongly or freezes for this reason depending on the level of snow in frosty winters. Heavily frozen plants of this plum have numerous mechanical damage to the bark, which leads to their massive gum development. I grew this variety in grafts for a long time and was convinced of its low winter hardiness, strong freezing in frosty winters and susceptibility to gum development after that. In the end, these vaccinations completely froze out for me in the winter of 1998-1999. V.N. Shalamov