Many gardeners, when growing fruit trees in their garden plots, are faced with the problem of cherry gum disease and the need for treatment. The appearance of viscous transparent drops is a kind of signal about the presence of a disease in the plant. When gum deposits are detected, a number of urgent actions need to be taken, so it is worth learning about the reasons for the appearance of gum formations, existing methods of treatment and prevention.
Definition of gum discharge
Gum disease or gommosis is a tree disease, the main symptom of which is the appearance of gum. Resinous discharge can be found on the trunk, branches, leaves and fruits.In childhood, many tried to try such formations as chewing gum. The taste of the gum is bitter, and after it is in the mouth there is an unpleasant aftertaste. Gum deposition in cherries requires timely measures, since delay can be fraught with the death of the tree.
Causes
The appearance of gum on a cherry is considered a bad symptom. In most cases, gum formation is a plant reaction to unfavorable factors. The main reasons include:
- mechanical damage to branches or trunk;
- the inability of the tree to withstand the weight of heavy fruits;
- sharp temperature fluctuations or high humidity;
- getting sunburn;
- consequences of freezing;
- growth in heavy clay soil;
- excessive abuse of fertilizers;
- violation of pruning deadlines;
- the result of the activity of harmful insects;
- infections of fungal origin.
The most common cause of gum bleeding is considered to be damage to the bark, the wound from which the plant tries to heal with resin. Insects and pathogens of various diseases are able to penetrate deep into the plant through the gum, which further aggravates the situation and weakens the plant. At the same time, the cherry tries to secrete even more gum and, in the absence of timely measures, may die.
Treatment methods
The method of treating gum disease involves the use of a radical “surgical method”, which involves complete removal of the affected area with a sharp knife. How to treat gommosis:
- a sharp instrument is selected for work and disinfected;
- cut out the gum with a knife, while capturing 5 cm of a healthy area; if it is present in the cracks, carefully remove the resin from them;
- in cleaned areas they are treated with 1% copper sulfate, thoroughly wetting them with a sponge with a solution;
- The tree is left alone for 2 days.
Next, take garden varnish and coat all areas treated with vitriol with it. If the resin on the cherry tree has been cleared from a large area, then apply a bandage from a garden bandage. Some people use nigrofol or Kuzbasslak putty for such purposes.
Experienced gardeners do not recommend abandoning the traditional remedy, since the solution is cheaper, more effective, safer for plants and people, and at the same time easy to use.
Gum treatment can be carried out at any warm time of the year. In late autumn, at low temperatures, such work is not carried out, since the wound may not have time to dry out and heal, which will lead to the cherries freezing in winter.
Prevention
To combat gum deposition, “surgical” operations are not enough. Prevention of the disease includes a whole range of measures:
- for planting, it is necessary to choose the right varieties of cherries that are best suited for cultivation in a particular region, taking into account its climatic characteristics;
- it is necessary to choose a suitable place for the tree to grow, avoid areas prone to flooding, soil with problems with moisture passage and access to air roots;
- do not remove or damage the old bark, as it provides reliable protection for the underlying layers and prevents freezing;
- To prevent the plant from getting sunburn in the spring, the trunks are whitewashed;
- during the cold period, the tree is provided with additional protection and shelter; standard species and branches are insulated with burlap.
Timely pruning helps prevent gum growth. Experienced gardeners recommend removing “hatched” young shoots during the summer, preventing them from reaching the stage of lignification. Small wounds heal much faster; removing stronger branches will be more painful for the cherry in the future.
To increase the stress resistance of a tree and improve the quality of its survival, do not neglect fertilizing, and do not get carried away with nitrogen fertilizers. Timely spraying with fungicides and insecticidal preparations will help prevent the invasion of pests and fungal diseases.
