Diseased Tree: Coral Spot

[andrewo]

I have a Peach Jalousia in the garden, it didn't flower or bud this year as it's just gone in, so didn't expect much, noticed this week on the main trunk and fanned branches, this:

I know it's coral spot but I don't know if the tree is alive or not, more than likely it's dead - any suggestions?

Can't cut out the deadwood on the trunk or that means I will cut down the tree.

Andrewo

[Geordie]

Andrew,


As I understand it Coral Spot only attacks dead stems or branches. It enters through cuts or wounds being a fungus. It is not often terminal except if the tree has an underlying weakness, (yours is the fact it is a new tree and not established, if I read your post right).

If as you suggest you cannot prune back to clean healthy wood the only option I fear is to remove altogether. It may also be an idea to collect any other 'woody' plant debris and remove or burn.

Tough luck

One last thought - if it is a tree you purchased this year, it might be worth contacting supplier. Fungus would be difficult to suggest where it came from but a bit of presure may reap some reward!

[andrewo]

Diseased and dead: pruning

Geordie,
Dug up the tree yesterday, the root system was nowhere to be seen, so I got on to the suppliers - I had problems when receiving the tree as it looked pretty dead when I got it (should have trusted my gut instinct on that one). They tried to run the line that peaches need time to send down their roots, I pointed out that it had no roots and that the trunk snapped liked balsa when I dug it up. It had good drainage - so they have given me credit.

The question is, do I have to do anything to the soil? I'm planting a cordon around 6' away and I'm slightly worried about any spores as I will have to initially prune the trees, any organic suggestions for the cuts?

Andrewo

[Geordie]

Only suggestions I have are a protective wound dressing such as Medo or Bio Arbrex. However there is a school of thought that if you seal the wound you seal in any spores!

You may wish to consider a fungacide such as thiophanate-methyl, not organic I know.

I would try and buy the most mature tree I can find. Have a look around your immediate neighbours because Coral Spot can effect all sorts of wood, for example a garden arbour. If nobody else near you has seen it before chances are it came in on the tree.

[andrewo]

Never seen before

I'm working on the principal that it came in on the tree as the leader had been badly pruned, and frankly I have never seen it before anywhere in my garden or the gardens surrounding me (frankly I had never seen it before full stop and it took me awhile to identify it). However, I am going to remove the soil in the immediate vicinity in January and despose of it to be on the safe side.

Andrewo

[jessmorris]

I think we used to use Armillatox to sterilise oil before replanting. I don't know if it is still available now...

[yummersetter]

So was that a Norwegian Blue peach?

Do you want a credit so you can rebuy from these people? I'd go for my money back and buy from a really good nursery - peaches are fussy and you want to start with the best.

I have coral spot on live wood on some of my apples, it doesn't seem rampantly destructive and has disappeared when I look again. I think its a part of the recycling process of the dead wood, rather than a cause - I'd be more worried if the tree had been attacked by honey fungus. If I'm not sure of the state of the soil where I want to plant a tree, I swap it with earth from a veg bed. I think any sterilisation you try will wipe out the myccorhizal fungi and in that way harm any future planting much more that the coral spot.

[veggiechicken]

Jess and Yummersetter, did you notice the date on the OP's post? 2005

[yummersetter]

Doh! Either the problem's solved or coral spot's taken over Lancashire, I guess!