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Plum tree - can it be saved?
Hi all, I think this plum tree might have bacterial canker. It's oozing sap from a few places on the tree. Can anyone tell me if it can be saved? It's the main trunk of the tree. So if I "cut it out" I'll effectively be just cutting down the tree!
Any thoughts on if it is canker and if it can be saved would be most welcome !


Any thoughts on if it is canker and if it can be saved would be most welcome !


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If it were mine I would cut it down get the roots out and if at all possible burn the wood.
Oozing sap in plum trees can be caused by environmental stress - for example, irregular watering, or extreme heat or cold - or from physical damage (by a strimmer, for example) - as well as by bacterial canker. Some plum varieties are much more susceptible to canker than others; 'Victoria' is a susceptible one. If there are areas of sunken bark, and holes appearing in leaves, I'd suspect canker.
If the leaves are healthy I woudn't worry about the lack of flowers and fruit, unless it becomes a regular occurrence. Birds such as bullfinches eat fruit buds in my garden, so that this year I had almost no blossom (and consequently hardly any fruit) from my trees.