Split and wounded bark on young plum tree branches

[Martin H]

On Sunday I was looking at my young plum tree and noticed that a couple of the one-year-old branches had wounds on the bark - see pics below.

The young branches are only a foot long and not much more than pencil thick.

Should I just prune off these branches once the tree has started growing? Or is it going to be a more serious problem?



Thanks for any advice.

[PyreneesPlot]

Giving a little bump to the thread as I have the same on a plum and pear and also seek amswers!

[fishpond]

On Sunday I was looking at my young plum tree and noticed that a couple of the one-year-old branches had wounds on the bark - see pics below.

The young branches are only a foot long and not much more than pencil thick.

Should I just prune off these branches once the tree has started growing? Or is it going to be a more serious problem?

[ATTACH=CONFIG]43578[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]43579[/ATTACH]

Thanks for any advice.

Personally, I would prune them out and coat the wounds, left as they are they will not help the tree and could be an access point for silver leaf.
As the buds seem to be green I would do it as soon as I see a leaf on the tree or April whichever is soonest
Possibly caused by too much water.

[boundtothesoil]

Looks like bacterial canker. See an old thread on the subject.

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ker_24013.html

I have a few mature plum trees (Czars, Victoria) and all have infected branches, both young and old. I sometimes cut them off in the early summer, but only if the branches actually die, which can take many years and may not happen at all. The trees soldier on. There's likely to be so much canker around that trying to eradicate it by pole-axing your present tree will probably not prevent the next plum tree becoming infected.

[Martin H]

OK thanks, sounds like they aren't going to be immediately fatal so I will keep an eye on them for now. Any complications and I'll amputate.

[Kirk]

I would amputate the branch some distance back from the infection, what you see is just part of the problem the infection will be further along as well. Hopefully youi can cut it back to good wood before the trunk.

Then treat with a sealant and hope.

I have lost a few trees to infections like this and plums will get infected without too much difficulty. I would say that if left then budget for a new tree.