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Is this pyracantha scab?

AstraeusAstraeus Posts: 336
edited July 2021 in Problem solving
On two separate plants, both a year or two old, the berries have started to blacken, crisp up and 'melt'. Is this pyracantha scab and, if so, what would the recommended treatment be please?

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  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    edited July 2021
    Most likely. I had some on one of the 3 pyracanthas I have. Foliage can be affected too, but I didn't have that. It was annoying, because that one in particular is always stunning - usually covered in berries which the birds thoroughly enjoyed. 
    I pruned back all the affected branches and disposed of them. I've yet to see if the new growth is ok. It flowered well, although not on those pruned back sections - hopefully next year.  :)

    Should have added - I think there is a chemical fungicide, but it may need to be preventative rather than for using at this stage. One link here, and I expect there are others
    https://www.pyracantha.co.uk/pyracantha-diseases/
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • AstraeusAstraeus Posts: 336
    Ah, thank you.

    It sounds like I'll have to cut back, which will hopefully eradicate it for next year. Such a shame as one in particular was really swelling with berries. I may try the Westland but it does appear to be a preventative.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Yes - I just did the usual course of action  :)
    Just one section of mine that was affected. The other parts were fine, so I'm hoping it will recover well. It seemed healthy enough last time I looked, which was quite a while ago.
    I'll need to take a look at it tomorrow now! 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • AstraeusAstraeus Posts: 336
    When cutting back, did you go back to the first buds away from the stem on every infected branch? There are some branches with healthy clusters of berries and unhleathy clusters - I assume that scab will end up affecting them all or is that not how it works? Sorry, novice here with pests and diseases!
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I honestly can't remember! I tend to be quite 'lopper happy', so I often cut back harder than some people might  :)
    Mine is on a boundary fence- planted on the garden side, but it grows through to the outside too.  It was really the inside sections that were affected, so I cut those back pretty much to the main trunk. I've grown pyracanthas for decades, and never had a problem, so it was a first for me too. I'm not sure how easily it spreads. I just took off everything that looked affected. 
    The outside of the fence gets treated like a hedge really. I was tidying it yesterday, and that all looked fine. I might go and get a photo of the bit I pruned, and see how it looks. That might help a little  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117

    The fresh green stuff is all the area that was pruned last year.
    I can see some of the berries on the top are looking a bit iffy, so I might need to hack those off.
    A lot of the others to the right hand side are looking ok  [can't really see on the pic] so I'll take a look at the dodgy ones in the next few days. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • AstraeusAstraeus Posts: 336
    That's very helpful, @fairlygirl, thank you ever so much. I'll be a bit more judicious in my assessment tomorrow and cut a fair bit further back. I just hope that, with so many branches affected, there's enough left of it for next year!
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    You won't kill it, it'll just need time to recover. It's always a bit of a pain if you have to prune something back hard, and you forego the flowers/fruits, but that's how it is  :)

    Mine have been there for about 6 years, so well established. If yours are young plants, you may want to be less harsh, but you'll have to make that judgement when you go in with the secateurs  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • AstraeusAstraeus Posts: 336
    Urgh, it gets worse.

    I've been out today to my crab apple, which has been battling aphids, and its leaves are blackening as well as shrivelling. It'll be a miracle if I've any shrubs left after this year!
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I feel your pain @Astraeus - nature can be very harsh sometimes for gardeners! :D
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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