Plum cracks: bark, trunk, causes and treatment

Black cancer is the cause of cracks on plum trunks

A decrease in yield, drying out of branches and foliage, darkening of the bark on the plum may indicate damage to the plum by black cancer, which is caused by a fungus.
It penetrates under the bark where the tissue is damaged or weakened. In the southern regions of the country, cancer is more common than in the northern regions. The spots are small and reddish at first, then enlarge and turn brown. Black spots of rot appear on the fruits. The healthy bark at the border with the diseased tissue is torn and peeled off, forming a crack. In the infected area, the body of the fungus develops and black tubercles appear. A plum can only be saved at the initial stage of the disease.

Abundant plum blossoms do not always guarantee a good harvest. Without proper care,...

Measures to destroy the fungus:

on a sunny, windless day, cloth and paper are placed around the trunk;
remove all the affected bark, even cutting off the adjacent wood, and capture part of the healthy tissue;
in places where the bark peels off, clean it with a knife or a stiff brush;
It is better to prune diseased branches;
all cleaning is removed and burned;
the soil around the tree is sprayed with copper sulfate;
all wounds are treated with a solution of potassium permanganate and vitriol;
var is applied to the cut sites.

If the crack has grown and the plant breaks, then the branches need to be collected. A wire bandage clamp is used. It is twisted like a tourniquet. The gap is covered with vitriol and wrapped with a clean cloth. It is tightened in the spring, the wound is washed and covered with garden putty.

Why did the plum tree trunk crack?

The plum trunk is quite weak and fragile. If a tree is grown without proper pruning, this will lead to the appearance of longitudinal cracks on the trunk surface. Sometimes the plant even breaks into two parts.

If longitudinal cracks are detected, action must be taken as soon as possible.

The first step is to connect the plum into one piece, and then protect the gap with a wire bandage clamp. Then the wire must be twisted like a “plait”.

The crevice must be covered with copper sulfate and wrapped in gauze.

It is worth removing the mixture and bandages in the spring. The wounds are washed and treated with garden varnish.

Treatment of cracks in tree bark

If you missed something, and cracks still appear, you need to start treating them and eliminating the consequences without delay. Remember that the faster you react, the less likely it is that the disease pathogen has managed to get into the tree tissue. It is for these reasons that it is recommended to come to the dacha in early spring and immediately inspect and treat the garden.

Why do residents of the central region urgently need to go to their dacha? April has arrived, and with it the weather changes. If you don’t go to the dacha now, then in a couple of weeks you can find very undesirable consequences there.

So, the first thing to do is clean the edges of the crack if they look ragged or if there is dead bark falling off. Then treat the tissue in the wound with a 2% solution of copper sulfate or Bordeaux mixture. On top of the disinfectant, apply a layer of RanNet paste, BlagoSad putty, RobinGreen biobalm, garden pitch or simple clay to the wound. If the crack is large and located on the trunk, you can try “bridge” grafting as a treatment.

Bridge grafting will save a damaged tree If your garden has been damaged by frost, sunburn or rodents, you can save trees using bridge grafting.

If you come to your garden after a long break, carefully examine the trunks and skeletal branches of all fruit trees. Found a crack? This means that preparations for winter were incorrect and urgent measures need to be taken.

Tree treatment

The seedling needs immediate action and initiation of treatment. It is not always possible to cure the trunk of a plum tree if the bark is damaged:

branches are cut and burned if the bark comes off easily in the cracking area;
The seedling begins to be treated if it still has hard bark.

Important!

Only with a hard bark there is a chance of healing. This requires an integrated approach to treatment.

Elimination of diseases

This is the most common reason, but even with diseases there is a chance to save the tree. Treatment includes the following steps:

On a sunny day, lay out any fabric under a tree. Plums are treated with a solution of potassium permanganate. The main thing is that there is no wind.
Use a stiff brush to remove all loose areas. The capillary affected tissue should be removed with a special knife. In this case, 2 cm of healthy tissue is also captured.
Treat the entire area with copper preparations.
Apply garden varnish to the treated areas of the plum and cover with a cloth.
All peeled bark is collected and burned. The entire soil around the affected trunk is also treated.

To combat parasites, insecticides are used, for example, Aktar, Vector, Mospilan, Condifor. Instructions for use of the drugs are on the packaging. When working with medications, wear gloves and a protective gown. A respirator is a must.

What to do if the reason is rapid growth

This problem is easier to deal with. To prevent it, you need to carefully apply nitrogen fertilizers. If cracks have already appeared, then reconsider the care of the plum and treat the damage with garden varnish.

If preventive measures are taken, it is possible to prevent the recurrence of cracking. The main thing is to follow the recommendations regularly and not to overuse watering and nitrogen fertilizers.

Tree restoration after frost

Cracks after winter are due to lack of preparation for wintering. The solution to the problem is simple. First, treat the tree with garden varnish or potassium permanganate. Crushed sorrel is applied to the damaged area. Its juice promotes wound healing. After 2 days, the compress should be replaced. This method is also effective for gum discoloration.

Plum pox disease

Plum pox is also one of the diseases that affects plum fruits. Its development is provoked by viruses. Under their influence, the affected fruits ripen earlier than expected (3-4 weeks). They become covered with spots, stripes, rings, their flesh becomes compacted, acquires a brown-red color and becomes completely unsuitable for consumption. Also, the fruits may not survive to premature ripening, drying up on the branches and completely falling off.

The disease is practically untreatable. Experienced gardeners recommend uprooting the tree and burning a hole to disinfect the soil.

Trees damaged by mice

Mice activity occurs in the lower part of the tree trunk and on roots exposed to the ground. If the bark is not completely stripped from the trunk (not “on the ring”), then the damaged area is often sufficiently well covered with garden varnish.
In this case, you need to use garden varnish - not oil paint, and certainly not RanNet. These products will not be able to effectively close the damaged area and prevent moisture loss. If the bark is torn into a ring , the situation is more critical - a “surgical” operation cannot be avoided. You will have to get several bridge vaccinations. Several vaccinations are given, depending on the thickness of the damaged trunk, but not less than two. For such grafting, it is best to use annual cuttings of old varieties of folk selection - Antonovka or Anisov. If these varieties have strong annual fat shoots, preference should be given to them.

The bark of a cherry tree burst: what to do and how to treat the tree

If the bark of a cherry tree bursts, you should not wait for the same to happen to the entire garden. In this material we will tell you how to prevent cracks in trees, and what to do if you still cannot avoid it. Cracks in the bark are harmless only at first glance. If you do not pay attention to them, do not disinfect and cover the wound in time, then fungi can settle in it, which gradually destroys the wood. As a result, a seemingly strong tree can break at the most unexpected moment: due to a sharp gust of wind or when you lean on it to collect a long-awaited harvest.

Why does the bark of fruit trees burst? Cracks in cherries can be the result of several factors. The most common reason is waterlogged soil. As a result of frequent rains, excessive watering or stagnation of groundwater, the plant receives an excess amount of moisture, which accumulates in the unevenly growing bark, and in winter turns into ice and destroys the tree from the inside. Taken from the group vk.com/aidacha Sometimes this leads to the death of cherries, because not only the bark is destroyed, but also the root system gradually dies off due to prolonged excessive moisture.

In addition, cracks on fruit trees can appear as a result of sunburn, especially under the influence of active spring sun. But similar burns with subsequent cracks in the bark also occur in winter. Experienced gardeners claim that most often they appear on trunks on the southwestern side.

Prevention of cracks in the bark of fruit trees First of all, it is important to choose seedlings of frost-resistant varieties that are suitable for growing in your climate zone

When planting fruit trees, pay attention to the location of the root collar. As a rule, it is recommended to leave it above the soil level, otherwise the young tree develops more slowly and, as a result, is less resistant to frost. Choose a planting site carefully

You should not plant a cherry orchard in a lowland area; most likely, nothing good will come of it. To prevent cracking of the bark, you need to monitor the groundwater level. If they are too high, drainage channels can be dug

It is also important not to overdo it with watering the plants.

Sweet cherries especially need watering in May during the period of growing green mass. In June, it is also necessary to moisten the soil around the trees, because... at this time the berries are poured. But during their ripening, it is better to reduce watering, otherwise the fruits may begin to crack. Frequent watering in the second half of summer is also undesirable. This provokes the growth of young shoots and, as a result, can reduce the winter hardiness of the tree. At the same time, autumn moisture-recharging watering shortly before cold weather, on the contrary, helps garden trees to survive the winter.

Do not forget to whiten tree trunks and skeletal branches in time to protect them from overly active sun. For these purposes, you can purchase ready-made preparations in the store or use lime the old fashioned way.

For the winter, trees can be wrapped in burlap or spruce branches. This will help protect them not only from hares, but also from sudden temperature changes. Do not overdo it with nitrogen fertilizers, this can also reduce the winter hardiness of plants and, as a result, increase the likelihood of cracks.

How to treat cracks in the bark If the bark on your cherry tree does burst, you should disinfect the wound by treating it with 1% copper sulfate or Bordeaux mixture, and then cover it with garden varnish.

It is important to observe the tree, because As a result of temperature fluctuations, the crack may increase

New damage should be treated promptly. After some time, a seal (callus) will form around the crack, which will prevent the appearance of new breaks. If the damage is too severe, bridge grafting will help save the tree by restoring sap flow.

Cherry trees whose bark has burst need special attention and timely feeding with complex fertilizers at the beginning of summer. If cracks in the trees in your garden have become widespread, it is best to contact a phytopathologist - a doctor who treats plants.

Why does the bark of a plum tree crack on its trunk?

There are a number of reasons why the bark of fruit trees cracks. You should inspect the plants in time and identify the causes of cracks.

Factors that can cause cracks to appear in wood:

harsh winters, frosts;
damage by rodents;
harmful insects;
rapid growth of plum;
diseases;
nitrogen overdose;
a lot of fruits on the tree;
sunburn;
excess moisture;
the tree is planted deep;
incorrect pruning.

The main causes of cracks

If tree bark is cracking, the cause of the problem must be determined. This will allow you to choose the appropriate treatment. Possible provoking factors include:

plant growth is too fast;
presence of diseases;
consequences of frost.

Treatment begins as early as possible, before the seedling dies.

Excessive growth

If the plum tree is cracked and the bark on the trunk is peeling off, first of all you need to exclude active growth. The wood inside develops much faster than the outside, and the pressure from inside causes ruptures.

Rapid plant growth is a consequence of improper care. Damage to fruit trees can result from the following errors:

Abuse of chemical fertilizers does not lead to an improvement in the yield, but to an increase in wood growth activity. Nitrogen fertilizers cannot be added during the period of active fruit ripening. Moreover, you cannot use them if the bark on the trunk is cracked.
Excessive watering provokes the rapid formation of wood, during which the bark does not have time to adapt and begins to crack.

By eliminating the above factors, the occurrence of cracks can be prevented.

Important! Wounds on the bark may heal on their own over time. But damage becomes a gateway for infection and pests to enter. Less common causes of bark cracking include planting too deep

The seedling may not be adapted to the climatic conditions of a certain region and respond to this with active growth

Less common causes of bark cracking include planting too deeply. A seedling may not be adapted to the climatic conditions of a certain region and may respond to this with active growth.

By eliminating all of these factors, you can stop cracking and also prevent its reappearance. If all recommendations are followed, the damage will heal into the next season.

Plum diseases

If the bark of young fruit trees is actively bursting, then most likely the cause is the appearance of a disease. Black cancer on plums is more likely; a photo will help you easily identify its signs. Cracking is one of the symptoms of a dangerous lesion.

Important! Treatment of black cancer should begin as early as possible. If this is not done, the disease will destroy the entire garden. A plant with black cancer sheds its leaves and does not bear fruit.

The branches are drying up. The surface of the bark not only cracks, it becomes several times darker. Foci of fungal infections appear. Possible causes of the disease include:

A plant with black cancer sheds its leaves and does not bear fruit. The branches are drying up. The surface of the bark not only cracks, it becomes several times darker. Foci of fungal infections appear. Possible causes of the disease include:

improper use of fertilizers;
planting a plant near an outdoor toilet;
exposure of the site from winds;
general neglect of the site;
proximity to compost pits.

Small dark dots are visible around the ulcers of black cancer. They can be viewed with a magnifying glass. Dark rot appears on the trunk. The disease affects the plant itself and the fruits. Symptoms usually appear during transport and storage.

Gradually, dark spots appear on the fruits, which first increase in size and then cover the entire plum. The harvest is unfit for consumption; often you have to throw away all the collected fruits.

The risk of damage by pests cannot be excluded. When a tree trunk bursts, you should suspect woodworm. Insects live 5-14 years.

Even a few parasites, if left untreated, can grow into a huge colony. The beetles destroy the plum from the inside, causing different sections of the trunk to burst. The pest can be recognized by a large number of small holes in the bark.

If the plum trunk is cracked, the appearance of sapwood cannot be ruled out. The pest leads to the appearance of gum. The insect completely destroys the plant if treatment is not started in a timely manner. The surface of the trunk actively bursts, the buds dry out. The existing cracks resemble a laceration, and the volume of damage is constantly increasing in size.

Consequences of frost

The tree may have been frozen. If there are severe winters in the planting area, then choose winter-hardy varieties of plums. Care activities are carried out not only in the summer, but also before wintering. Cracking usually begins after the temperature rises. A damaged plant is susceptible to the appearance of parasites.

Means for filling cracks

After removing the damaged areas, they need to be treated with copper-containing products and covered with garden varnish, which you can buy ready-made or prepare yourself. There are many recipes for its preparation, the most popular are Zhukovsky’s and Pashkevich’s var. The composition of the first var includes 3 components in equal proportions:

yellow wax;
melted lamb fat;
rosin.

Melt all components separately in a water bath, mix together while they are hot until smooth. Once the mixture has cooled a little (so as not to burn your hands), it is poured into a container with cold water. The mixture is collected from the surface of the water, kneaded in your hands like plasticine, forming a ball. Var can be used directly to putty plums or wrapped in plain paper, lightly coated with oil, and stored in a cool, dark place. After covering the affected area, it is wrapped in natural fabric, burlap, to allow air to flow. The composition of the Pashkevich var includes:

rosin – 200 g;
yellow wax – 400 g;
turpentine – 400 g;
melted fat – 100 g.

Add rosin and turpentine to the melted wax and mix until smooth. Pour in the melted fat and stir. The mixture is poured into a container with cold water and collected into one lump. Var is applied to a bandage and wrapped around the damaged area where the bark on the seedling has burst.

Treatment of diseases, cracks and swelling of the plum trunk

Fresh wounds on a tree attract microbes; viruses, fungi, and various bacteria settle in them. Microorganisms cause plant diseases. The wound grows and spreads infection throughout the tree. The cracks begin to rot; if treatment is not started on time, the entire plum tree will die.

In case of diseases, get rid of the infected surface of the plum trunk. It is necessary to scrape the affected area around the crack using a stiff brush. Collect (under no circumstances leave on the site) and burn infected wood. You can heal the wound with garden putty or varnish. If the crack is not disinfected, it will continue to hurt and increase in size. Before covering, treat the wounds with a solution of potassium permanganate or copper sulfate.

You can prepare the broth yourself:

take pork, beef, lamb fat, you can replace it with rosin, paraffin or wax;
add ¼ of the amount of fat flax oil;
melt the fat, add oil little by little;
add zinc oxide 20% of the total volume.

If you need a cold-resistant putty, pour ethyl alcohol 1/10 of the total amount into the mixture. The mixture is easy to apply to wood and has a soft consistency.

Grafting is a vegetative method of propagating a variety by implanting one plant into another. The part that...

Another putty recipe:

you will need 4 parts beeswax;
4 parts rosin, heat them separately on the fire;
combine, pour in 1 part of linseed oil, stir the mixture all the time;
After removing from the stove, add 2 parts of charcoal and mix well.

When the bark is swollen, prepare a solution with copper sulfate. For young trees, 1% vitriol is used, and for adults, more than 5 years old - 3%. 100 g of copper sulfate is poured into 2 liters of warm water.

You can prepare a mixture to disinfect wounds: 60 g of lime and 50 g of copper sulfate per 1 liter of hot water. Mix everything and treat the cracks. Work only with gloves. The procedure with a copper solution against delamination is carried out in May-June after removing the affected bark.

Prevention of cracking of plum bark and trunks

To prevent the appearance of crevices in the bark of a plum tree, you can use whitewash. When carrying out this procedure, it is necessary to maintain the concentration of lime.

When covering young plants with a solution, the concentration of calcium oxide should be less. Accordingly, for old trees it should be larger.

Advice! Such prevention should be carried out twice a year - in spring and autumn. Whitening plums in autumn is the most important.

To prevent frost and sunburn from causing cracks, it is necessary to tie the plum trunk. Many summer residents use newspapers for this. Their paper provides reliable protection from strong winds and sunlight.

Lutrasil and spunbond are also sometimes used for this procedure.

To avoid crevices in the plum bark in the early summer, you need to make small cuts 2 mm deep on it using a sharp, disinfected knife blade. This should be done on the side of the trunk that faces north.

Such operations can be carried out once every five years after the plum tree turns 4 years old.

Specifically for the prevention of black cancer, there are the following tips:

Choose varieties that are resistant to the disease.
Remove fallen fruits and leaves from the soil in a timely manner.
Do not fertilize the ground around the plum tree with bird droppings or manure.
Carefully trim the branches of the plant.
Treat cutting areas.

Why does the plum dry out, does not bloom, does not bear fruit and what to do in this case (with video)

Having found out why such a plum does not bloom, you need to know what to do to fix the problem:

Cut out all affected branches of the crown and burn outside the garden.
Spray the plant with Ridomil before flowering.
Treat the plum after the color has been shed with Tiovit Jet.

Many gardeners wonder why home plums do not bear fruit or bloom, and they try to find the answer in diseases or the influence of pests.

But often the cause can be non-compliance with agricultural technology, in particular:

excessive watering, rising groundwater, which leads to soaking;
soil acidification;
planting trees in saline or highly alkaline soil;
freezing of the root system due to insufficient winter insulation;
excessive autumn pruning, after which the tree does not have time to recover before frost.

The listed factors are at the same time the key prerequisites for why the plum subsequently dries out. To avoid the death of a tree, it is necessary to eliminate all causes by organizing proper care of the plant.

To find out why a plum tree is sick, why it doesn’t bear fruit, dries out, falls off, and what to do about it, watch the thematic video presented to your attention below:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=v4Y2NHZWO90

What do curling leaves look like?

The type of deformation will depend on the reason that led to the curling of the leaves. They can wrinkle, curl into a tube, turn yellow, dry out and fall off.

It is worth considering the common reasons why leaves curl on a plum tree:

If the plum is young, curling of its leaves may indicate damage to the root system.
If the leaves of the middle tier of the crown curl and turn yellow on an established plum tree, you may suspect overwatering (or groundwater has risen).
The leaves may curl into a tube; this circumstance, on the contrary, indicates a lack of moisture.
A curly cap on the top of a plum, consisting of twisted leaves, indicates an excess of an element such as nitrogen.
Lack of phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and iron affects leaf curling.
Chlorrosis is a disease in which the production of the main element of green leaves, chlorophyll, is disrupted.
A fungus called Verticillium.
Plum aphids, elephant aphids, leaf rollers, and mites are the main pests.

Plum leaves curl

The plum leaves are curling, what to do about this will be described below, but for now you should learn more about the mechanism of development of plum diseases.

Causes of cracking of the bark of plum trees

Plum is an unpretentious plant that successfully bears fruit if a set of simple rules is followed. Gardeners try to ensure that the crop bears fruit and pleases the eye with its decorative qualities, but they do not always grasp the connection between external manifestations and the internal state of the plant. Changes in leaves, fruits and tree bark indicate problems with the tree. If the bark of a plum tree is cracked, many summer residents don’t know what to do. This situation is not as harmless as it seems; it can lead to the death of the plum tree.

Cracking of the bark indicates problems

Prevention of gum development

We have already found out that gum dropping is not a disease, but only a signal that the tree has been injured or has become a victim of a 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 plot, 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.

Pruning fruit trees in spring - tips for beginners and more Schemes, photos and videos of spring pruning of garden trees.

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.

Calendar for treating the garden against diseases and pests Plan for protective measures in the garden.

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.

What to do if an apple tree is chewed by mice, and how to protect the trees from rodents in winter. We arrived at the dacha and discovered that mice had eaten the bark of the apple trees? It is still possible to save the tree, and protecting it from rodents for the winter is not so difficult.

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.

Dangerous luminary: sunburn of the bark of trees and other plants Every spring, do you find cracks in the bark of trees? We will tell you why this happens and what needs to be done.

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.

Your first garden: what, how and when to feed fruit trees in spring Spring fertilization of the garden is an important stage in caring for fruit trees. Find out how to carry out this operation with maximum benefit for the plants.

What to do if the bark cracks due to pests

If you pry the bark with a knife where the wood is cracked and it comes off easily, there is no chance of saving the plum. The tree is cut down and burned. If the bark is hard, the tree can still be saved with the help of chemicals.

Woodworms

Insects live inside the trunk. They live 6-15 years, a pair of pests turns into a huge colony. During its life cycle, one insect breaks through passages up to 30 km long. Pests destroy the tree from the inside, different parts of the trunk burst, and the bark cracks. You can recognize the presence of beetles by the presence of numerous small holes in the wood.

regular tree inspections;
the pits are treated with chlorophos;
Woodworms are most active in the spring; they can be caught by hand when found on the trunk;
the entire bark is coated with a clay solution, the damage is coated with oil paint;
make traps in the form of large branches to catch females;
if the situation has not changed, treat with drugs: Confidor Extra, Bi-58.

Sapwood

Horizontal grooves along the entire trunk are a sign of the presence of sapwood on the plum.
The beetles make holes up to 1-2 mm in diameter, and the plum begins to produce gum. Insects and their larvae are very dangerous; if measures are not taken in a timely manner, a large number of pests will kill the plant. Adults appear in May; before laying eggs, the female feeds and gnaws the bark at the forks of branches and at the base of the buds. As a result, the buds dry out and the surface of the tree may burst. Healthy mature plants are able to protect themselves. When passages appear, the plant secretes juice, which floods the passages. This leads to the death of the larvae and limits the access of adults to them.

To destroy sapwood, insecticides are used: Aktara, Vector, Mospilan, Confidor Maxi. The first treatment is done during a mass emergence of bark beetles, approximately after the plum blossoms. After a couple of weeks, the procedure is repeated. The main thing is that all branches and trunk are thoroughly moistened with the solution. Injections under the bark with the following drugs are effective: Decis, Fastak, Arrivo, Sherpa. Use only disposable syringes.

Why do plum leaves turn yellow, blacken, curl and fall off?

In the second half of June, when the weather is warm but with high air humidity, the foliage often suffers from a disease such as coccomycosis. The first sign of it is the appearance of small brown-red spots on the outside of the leaves and a pink powdery coating on the inside. On the plum tree, the leaves subsequently turn yellow and begin to fall off. Then there is an increase in wateriness, and then the fruits dry out and fall off. The tree's ability to survive frost without damage is reduced.

To eliminate coccomycosis, you need to use fungicides.

A drug such as "Hom" is good. It must be diluted in water according to the instructions;
You can use Bordeaux mixture at a concentration of 1%, dissolving about 30 g of the product in 10 liters of water.

You can often notice that the leaves and shoots of the plum have turned black. If this black coating is easily erased, it means that the tree has been exposed to a disease such as sooty fungus. It is an obstacle to the path of oxygen to plant cells and complicates assimilation processes. The main reason for the development of sooty fungus is waterlogging of the soil. The fight against the disease begins with the elimination of this factor. You should also take care of regular crown thinning.

To treat the garden, you can use one of the following products:

soap-copper solution (5 g of copper sulfate, 150 g of soap and a 10-liter bucket of clean water);
copper oxychloride (40 g per 10-liter bucket of water);
Bordeaux mixture 1% (35 g per 10-liter bucket of water).

If the leaves on the plum tree are curled and corrugated, it is likely that the tree has suffered from a disease such as leaf curl. The foliage becomes thicker and a coating forms on its surface. The deformation also affects the shoots, which become very distorted. If the degree of damage is not high, there may even be fruits on the tree, but they also have a distorted shape and are unsuitable for consumption. Curliness is another answer to the question of why plum leaves turn yellow and fall off prematurely. A sick tree most likely will not be able to survive the winter. And if it does survive the frost, then next season it will not bear fruit.

Fungicides will help stop the development of the disease:

"Skor";
"Ridomil Gold";
"Profit".

All of them dissolve in water according to the instructions on the package. You can replace them with a 1% Bordeaux mixture in a volume of 40 g per 10 liters of water. The crown needs to be sprayed about 5 times during the growing season.

Prevention of cracks

Preventive measures are aimed at reducing the risk of infection of cherries through cracks. Following simple tips will help prevent the appearance of bursting boles with cracks:

The choice for planting self-fertile, zoned cherry varieties that are resistant to temperature changes and recurrent frosts.
Compliance with planting rules is the key to a healthy tree. The cherry grafting site is raised above the ground level, leaving enough space to form a tree trunk circle.
Cherries grow successfully only on neutral soils that are limed.
To prevent frost damage, the trunk and skeletal branches of the cherry tree are whitened in autumn and early spring; after the first leaves appear, the procedure is impractical.
They are tied with bundles of straw, spruce branches or spunbond.

Experienced gardeners furrow the skeletal branches and trunks of cherry trees to avoid cracks and bursting of the surface. The operation is performed on 6-year-old crops, making shallow dotted furrows at intervals of several centimeters. The wounds heal quickly, the wood does not tear the tree as it grows, and the cherry tree rapidly increases in size. For additional tips on preventing and combating burst cherry bark, see the video below.

Features and shapes of cracks in the bark

The shape and appearance of the cracks indicate how severely the apple tree's bark is damaged and, in some cases, can indicate the cause of the damage.

Did you know? The area of all apple tree plantings around the world is about 5 million hectares.

Ring wounds

This is the most dangerous type of damage. Sometimes a tree can be saved by grafting with a bridge. The girdling ring deprives all higher parts of the apple tree of nutrition, so the grafting is done below it in early spring. Usually carried out with less than two grafts or one graft for every 5 cm of the trunk. If the tree has sprouted shoots below the damage, then use them.

Grafting behind the bark with a bridge: 1 – trunk of a damaged tree; 2 – cooked cuttings. Bridge grafting with cuttings secured with nails. Grafting behind the bark with a bridge of roots

Transverse and longitudinal cracks

Damage in the form of any, even small cracks should be treated. Longitudinal cracks often appear due to differences in the growth rates of the inner and outer layers or due to temperature differences. Such lesions can heal on their own, but they can become infected. You should take a closer look at them: sometimes they signal serious diseases of the apple tree. Transverse cracks that have an irregular shape on the south side are formed from sunburn.

Small round holes

If very small holes are found on the bark, this indicates the presence of insect pests on the tree. These holes can be produced by the corrosive wood moth, apple glass moth, oriental codling moth, or fragrant wood moth. Small holes can hide significant pest damage, which will subsequently lead to the formation of a hollow.

Wounds and cracks open the way for pathogenic microbes and pests to enter the body of the apple tree

What to do if you find frost holes on a tree in the spring?

In various literature you will find a lot of advice, including nailing the bark that has come away from the trunk with wallpaper nails. This may work if you notice the damage before the cambium bark and wood dry out. But, as a rule, time is lost. Now the only way out is to cut off the separated bark with a sharp garden knife to the place where it is connected to the wood, and cover the cut and the entire exposed part of the trunk with varnish. If the exposed part is extensive, make several bridge grafts.

Touch the browned, frostbitten parts of the bark with your hand; if they are detached from the wood, remove them to a living place not damaged by frost. Cover the edges and exposed parts with garden varnish. Over time, the wounds will heal. And if you take steps to better prepare the tree for winter, you won’t need such painstaking restoration operations in the future.

You can learn more about why cracks appear on the bark of an apple tree in spring and how to help the tree >>>