Cherry plum is a fruit tree with tasty fruits that resemble plums. The fruits of the tree are good for health and have unique properties that are used in cosmetology, various diets and baby food. The plant is unpretentious, has strong immunity and high productivity. But like any tree, cherry plum can get sick. What diseases and pests are dangerous for cherry plums, how to deal with them and what measures to take to preserve the harvest of healthy fruits?
Cherry plum diseases and their treatment
Plum and cherry plum are related plants, so their diseases are similar and there are quite a lot of them. Diseases identified in a timely manner can be treated, and the harvest can be preserved.
Hole spot
Clusterosporiasis or hole spot is a dangerous disease of dessert cherry plum of fungal origin. The disease affects only stone fruit plants. The causative agent is a fungus from the genus Clasteroaporium carpophilum. The disease develops quickly in conditions of high humidity, spreads rapidly and, with the help of the wind, can spread to neighboring trees within a few days.
Symptoms of cherry plum disease with perforated spot:
- The appearance of dark brown spots on the leaves, which disappear over time, and a hole forms in their place.
- Red edging of leaves.
- Formation of a thick sticky yellow substance on the branches, trunk and fruits of cherry plum.
The damage from clasterosporiosis is enormous: productivity decreases, some of the ovaries fall off, fruits become deformed, and trees stop growing.
If these signs are detected, it is necessary to treat the diseased trees with the chemical preparations “Kaptan”, “Tsineb”, “Fthalan”. The causative agent of hole spotting can withstand temperatures down to 0 0WITH.
milky shine
In spring and autumn, with temperature changes and high humidity, stone fruit plantations are susceptible to another common fungal disease - milky sheen.
The main sign by which the disease can be immediately recognized is a change in the color of the leaves from green to a silvery-white hue. Bubbles form on the surface of the leaves. Cherry plum varieties with average or weak frost resistance are especially susceptible to the disease.
For treatment, a solution of copper or iron sulfate is used, the trunk and branches of the plant are washed with it, damaged leaves are removed and burned.
Moniliosis
A fungal infection caused by fungi of the genus Monilia cinerea. Moniliosis affects cherry plum in two ways:
- monilial burn;
- fruit rot.
The spring form of moniliosis occurs in the form of a burn, develops quickly and overtakes the cherry plum at the stage of budding and flowering. The leaves and flowers of the cherry plum suddenly dry out and turn brown.
Attention! Signs of moniliosis are often confused with the consequences of spring frosts. An important difference is that with this fungal disease, flowers and leaves do not fall from the trees.
The disease, in the form of fruit rot, develops in early autumn, when it is time to harvest. The source of infection is the cherry plum fruit. They begin to dry out, take on a “burnt” appearance, and over time, gray fungal spores appear on the fruits.
If the infection is allowed to start, fungi begin to penetrate the tree trunk, which can crack. Cherry plum stops growing, loses energy, and other diseases are associated with moniliosis. The keeping quality of “surviving” fruits decreases.
Folk remedies used to combat fungus are spraying infected plants with mustard powder: 80 grams of dry mustard per 10 liters of water. Among chemical preparations, Fitolavin has proven its effectiveness. Spraying is carried out during the flowering period.
Marsupial disease
Plum pockets or marsupial disease is a fungal disease of stone fruit crops that can reduce yields by half. The fungus attacks the fruits, they become deformed and take on an elongated shape. No bone is formed. The fruit remains green, covered with a white coating, and the fruit is inedible. The disease then spreads to other parts of the trees.
All diseased fruits must be removed from the trees and burned. In spring, before flowering, the bushes are sprayed with Bordeaux mixture or the Horus fungicide is used. The treatment can be repeated immediately after flowering.
Coccomycosis
A fungal disease that affects the leaf blades of cherry plum. Outbreaks of infection begin in mid-June. The leaves of the trees become covered with small red-brown spots, the number of which is constantly increasing, they begin to connect with each other, then the leaf turns yellow and falls off. On the back of the affected leaf you can see a white, rough coating.
In the southern regions, the disease is rare; the fungus does not tolerate high temperatures, but in conditions of high humidity and air temperatures from +18 0From to +23 0C is spreading rapidly.
To prevent coccomycosis, it is recommended to treat tree trunks with lime mortar in spring and autumn. In advanced cases, chemical preparations are used: “Chorus”, “Topsin-M”.
Cherry plum pests and ways to combat them
In addition to fungal diseases, fruit plantations can be attacked by insect pests, which cause enormous damage to the future harvest.
Brown fruit mite
A pest that can destroy a cherry plum tree completely. It feeds on plant juices, disrupts the process of photosynthesis and water balance in the leaves.
The adult size is less than a millimeter. Insects lay eggs in the bark of trees, where they overwinter. In the spring, when the cherry plum begins to bud, insect colonies awaken. During the full vegetation cycle of plants, the mite creates 5-6 generations.
The brown fruit mite avoids direct sunlight; colonies are located under the lower branches.
The easiest time to destroy pests is in early spring. The tree bark should be cleaned and covered with lime mortar.You can spray with biological or chemical preparations:
- "Fufanon";
- "Fitoverm";
- "Neoron".
On a note! The best effect of the treatment is achieved during the period when the larvae hatch from the eggs.
After destroying insects, it is important to feed the trees to replenish the strength taken by mites.
Slimy sawfly
The black larva, which looks like a leech, is a slimy sawfly. Eats leaves, turning them into a skeleton. The female pest reaches 6 millimeters in length, males are smaller in size than females. The reproduction of these insects occurs with the formation of white pupae.
Cherry plum affected by the slimy sawfly appears dried out and the foliage appears less dense. If the degree of infection is small, you can get by with folk remedies:
- Spray the trees with an infusion of chamomile and wormwood once a week for 3 weeks. The procedure should be carried out from the moment the buds form.
- When the plant begins to bud and during the flowering period, spray the cherry plum with a solution of laundry soap: dilute half a standard piece with 10 liters of water.
Among biological preparations, “Fitoverm” and “Lepidocid” are suitable. It is not difficult to identify the pest; you need to regularly inspect the trees.
Yellow plum sawfly
It is a thick white caterpillar that feeds on the fruits of fruit trees. In the form of flying insects, it does not pose a threat to plants; it feeds on pollen.
The caterpillars completely eat up the seeds and pulp of the fruit. The pest overwinters in the form of a pale green pupa. Due to the actions of voracious larvae, the quality and quantity of the harvest is significantly reduced.
Cherry plums are treated against pests with Fufanon and Novaktion.
Eastern moth
A dangerous pest from the leaf roller family that can completely destroy a crop.In the form of an adult butterfly it does not harm plants. Larvae - caterpillars feed on cherry plum shoots, making passages in them and can damage the fruits. The pest overwinters in the form of pupae on trees and in the ground near the trunk. Because of this feature, when fighting the pest, the tree trunk space is treated. Ways to control insects:
- Removing fallen leaves and cleaning bark.
- The use of trapping belts for insects during oviposition.
- Treating trees with a solution of table salt immediately after flowering has stopped.
The codling moth can be defeated without the use of chemicals. The pest spreads quickly, measures must be taken quickly.
Plum moth
A pest from the leaf roller family. The cherry plum tree is endangered by pale pink caterpillars that eat the stems and fruits. The larvae eat the pulp and damage the bone in which they deposit excrement.
The methods of control are the same as with the eastern codling moth.
Plum aphid
Aphids act like mites - they drink nutrients from plants. From the actions of small insects, you can lose not only the harvest, but also the entire orchard.
The first sign of infection is curling of leaves on trees. If you look closely, you can see colonies of black insects completely covering the leaf blades - cherry plum scab.
A folk preventative against aphids for stone fruit crops is to plant neighboring plants with a pungent odor: dill, parsley, mint, coriander. Among the chemical preparations, Aktara, Fufanon, and Confidor will help.
Subcortical leaf roller
The pest's caterpillars pose a danger. They make passages in the cherry plum wood.Trees begin to lag behind in growth, skeletal branches dry out, and productivity decreases sharply.
Damaged branches must be removed and burned. Butterflies are caught using pheromone traps. Insecticides are used against larvae.
Prevention of diseases and pests
The list of pests and diseases that can affect cherry plum plantations is huge. To avoid dangerous illnesses and uninvited guests, preventive measures are carried out:
- Whitening tree trunks with lime in early spring and autumn after harvest.
- Fertilizing plants with organic and mineral fertilizers.
- Planting fragrant herbs next to trees: dill, lavender, mint.
- Spraying cherry plums with a soap solution or a solution of table salt during the flowering period and immediately after it.
- Regular inspection of cherry plum plantations.
Any disease or pest can be dealt with; the main thing is not to delay treatment and take the right measures. Healthy plantations will certainly reward gardeners for their work with a bountiful harvest of healthy fruits.
