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Help! My lovely Apple tree has got a rust looking patch on the bark

DaisydayDaisyday Posts: 373
in Problem solving

Today I noticed a patch of brown powdery stuff on the bark of my apple tree. It is full of blossom and I would hate to lose it. Is there anything I can do to stop the rot? I would be grateful for some advice. 

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  • DaisydayDaisyday Posts: 373

    image

     Here is a photo of the affected bark, sideways I'm afraid! How do you get these photos the right way Up! Anyway there isn't much to see as my OH rubbed off the powdery brown stuff. This tree produces russet apples in the autumn and I think it has always been susceptible to disease. When it arrived in the post several years ago I had to remove a sickly looking branch. Since then however it has been OK. I would hate to lose it. Can anyone advise?

  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,384

    I suspect it might be a fungal infection, let in because too long a stub (aka 'snag') was left when the diseased branch was removed.  Branches should be cut flush with the collar, so usually only an inch or so of stub is left. If the stub is too long, the bark can't grow over it to heal the wound.  See the RHS advice on this:

    https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=233

    and more detailed advice with images here:

    http://www.oakwilt.com/pruningtrees/index.html

    I hope I'm wrong.

     

     

    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • DaisydayDaisyday Posts: 373

    Pansy, the black band you can see is a sticky band you put on in the autumn to deter pests from climbing up the trunk so I don't think that would be a problem. I do think Bob is right in saying that the problem is a fungal infection. The branch I cut off when it arrived was on another part of the tree and it was several years ago. I can see that a branch nearby has broken off so that could be the reason it now has this problem. Is there anything to be done about these fungal infections?

  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,384

    Not a lot but it might still recover - tree have immune systems just like us.  I would trim the snag back and keep my fingers crossed.

    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • DaisydayDaisyday Posts: 373

    Thank you all for your feed back. I will keep an eye on it and hope for the best.image

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