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How serious is shot hole disease? (plum tree)
Al21
Posts: 2
I think my 5-year old plum tree may have been infected by Coryneum blight (a.k.a. shot-hole disease). I would like to know how serious this is and how curable it is. Having spent three years training this tree to a suitable shape, I'm hoping it can be cured. Thanks for any info. ~Al-W
Last edited: 26 June 2017 09:09:04
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Posts
This shouldn't kill your tree, but it might be a good time to look carefully for these diseased leaves and branches and cut them off now. This will limit its spread and keep your tree less stressed. Because it is quite young, don't over-prune it either, as I'm sure that even if you leave a few unsightly leaves about, the tree will eventually recover.
Last edited: 26 June 2017 17:49:44
Borderline, Thank you for your response. Unfortunately, all of the leaves are affected. Do you think I should remove all of the leaves? As for a treatment, I'm thinking of spraying the entire three with copper sulphate & slaked lime solution, but I was planning to do this after all the leaves have fallen and then again, next spring before leaf buds form. (I'm assuming it is shot-hole disease.)
It does look like shot hole disease to me. I don't think you need to cut all off, just the worse affected areas. Because it's still young, try to allow it some leaves. By all means, it makes sense to spray them after that but avoid next spring time where new growth starts.
The key is to keep the areas free of dead leaves and try to make sure the plant is well mulched around the crown. Dampness and excessive wet winters can weaken the plant.
Last edited: 26 June 2017 19:19:45