Sometimes you can notice how the branches on the apple trees begin to dry out. Many inexperienced gardeners do not pay attention to this and do nothing. However, if the trunk of an apple tree turns black, you must immediately find out the causes of this problem and cure the tree. If you do not get rid of blackening in time, the apple tree will begin to dry out and will die.
Why does the trunk of an apple tree turn black?
Before you start treating apple trees, you need to figure out what caused the blackening.Most often, this problem occurs due to infection with black cancer. This pathology is one of the most common apple diseases. Once infected, dark spots can form in any part of the plant. However, the most dangerous thing is if they appear on the trunk, since in this case it will not be possible to save the apple tree.
To get rid of black cancer, it is necessary to identify and treat it at the initial stage of development. The characteristic symptoms of the pathology will help you determine in a timely manner that the tree is infected. These include the following signs:
- the appearance in the first half of spring of purple spots on the surface of the leaves;
- shedding of affected leaves before fruiting begins;
- damage to apple fruits with dark spots, inside of which there are small black dots;
- rotting and mummification of fruits.
If the above symptoms appear on trees, they cannot be ignored. To save the plants, you must immediately begin treating black cancer.
Causes of a blackened trunk in a young tree
The main reason for the appearance of black cancer and dark spots on the trunk is the development of a bacterial fungus, which gradually spreads to apple trees. It is not easy to notice the fungus on your own, since its spores are colorless. Only after ripening do they turn dark with a brown tint.
The source of the fungus is spores found in the branches of neighboring infected trees or in the bark. In this case, spores are transmitted not only from apple trees, but also from other trees. Often apple seedlings become infected from pears or other stone fruit plants that grow nearby.
The development of fungi, which causes the leaves and trunks of plants to turn black, is promoted by:
- growing old apple trees that are poorly protected from pests and diseases;
- deficiency of moisture and nutritional components in the soil, which leads to weakening of trees;
- mechanical damage to the trunk or burns to the leaves;
- pruning branches with undisinfected garden tools;
- planting unzoned and unstable apple trees in the garden, which often get sick;
- the appearance of bark beetles on trees, which are carriers of fungal bacteria.
Ways to deal with a blackened trunk
The plant trunk will not recover from blackening on its own and therefore such a disease will have to be treated.
At a mature tree
Before treating a mature apple tree, the plant is first cleaned. During this procedure, all infected branches are cut out. Also, fruits and leaves with dark spots on the surface are removed from trees. All removed plant parts are immediately burned to destroy the spores.
After burning the affected branches, leaves and fruits, the trees are disinfected. To do this, you can use a solution prepared from copper sulfate. To create it, ten liters of water are mixed with 150 grams of the substance. Spraying is carried out three times a week.
At a young apple tree
If affected areas are found on the bark of young apple trees, they will have to be removed mechanically. To do this, the darkened area of the bark is cut off and burned. Then the cut site is treated with antiseptic agents for disinfection.
It is also recommended to take care of insulating the cut area in advance so that no air or moisture gets into it. To do this, the surface of the barrel is covered with a thin layer of oil paint or drying oil.
The branches of the apple tree are drying up - what to do?
Often blackening of the trunk and leaves leads to complete drying of the branches.To save them from death, you need to figure out what to do when the branches dry out.
Experienced gardeners recommend washing healthy parts of trees. To do this, you can use Bordeaux mixture. To prepare it, add 300 grams of copper sulfate to five liters of boiled water. Then three liters of cold water and 200 grams of lime are added to the mixture. The mixture is thoroughly stirred and filtered. When washing trees, pay special attention to cracks in branches that may contain fungal bacteria.
After processing the apple trees, fertilizing is required. Mineral and organic fertilizers are added to the soil, which normalize the supply of nutrients to the plant.
Prevention measures
To prevent the trunk with leaves from darkening, it is recommended to familiarize yourself with the basic preventive measures:
- You cannot plant apple trees near compost pits, as they cause the plants to weaken, become sick more often, and be attacked by insects.
- For planting, do not use areas with high groundwater levels. In such areas there is high soil moisture, which promotes the development of black cancer.
- When growing, trees are regularly pruned, during which crooked and weakened branches are removed. Also, when pruning, the crown is thinned out to improve lighting and ventilation.
- It is necessary to periodically feed and water the apple trees and clear the area of weeds. In mid-spring, the skeletal branches and trunk are whitened with lime to protect the plant from burns and parasites.
Conclusion
Some gardeners, when growing apple trees, are faced with blackening of their trunks. Often this pathology appears due to the influence of bacterial fungi, which lead to drying out of trees.To get rid of a disease, you need to familiarize yourself with the basic methods of its treatment.
