Anyone know the disease/ issue?

[Guest]

I have a poorly peach tree. There was a branch that showed the signs that I chopped off a couple of weeks ago (with clean secateurs on a fine day) but it has now gone down one side of the tree. You don't need to be gentle as I have seen this before in my garden but not as quick acting or so clearly defined I would just like to know what it is. The leaves will go crispy and die.

[Scarlet]

What other types of trees has this affected and what does the whole trunk look like?
I presume you've looked at Phytophthora root rot?
https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=542

[FB.]

I don't like the rusty-orange tinge to the dying branch - it does look like it could be a variation of Phytopthora which seems to be a serious problem with fruit trees.
Can you take some close-ups of the dying branch - tip, middle and where it joins with healthy wood.

If it's Phyotpothora you'll probably lose the tree. It's usually associated with killing the base of the trunk where the roots join (hence the name: crown rot, as in strawberry crown being the root/stem junction).
Pytophthora will also 'feed' on fallen/rotting fruits as well as attacking shoots, stems, twigs, spurs, branches and roots.
It can quite easily spread to other plants. The name is ancient Greek for 'plant destroyer' because that's what it does to susceptible plants.

The only treatment is to cut back well ahead of the dying parts as you would with canker, but, as with canker, often the pruning cut will become reinfected or it will appear somewhere else. Unlike canker, chemicals aren't much use, especially after you've noticed the infection.

The best chance of the plant stopping it by itself seems to be if there is a junction between the end of one season's growth and the start of the next, of which there are unfortunately very few on young trees. I've often seen my apple trees stop Phytopthora at those locations.

[Guest]

This tree only went in over winter so really surprised how quickly it has taken affect. My apricot last year went similar but I cut bits out and these particular symptons didn't return. I also had an odd branch on a plum but that is now fine but it was older and larger.

[FB.]

This tree only went in over winter so really surprised how quickly it has taken affect. My apricot last year went similar but I cut bits out and these particular symptons didn't return. I also had an odd branch on a plum but that is now fine but it was older and larger.

A lot of nurseries are infested with Phytophthora and many of their plants carry it with them to their new homes only to die a few years later and the owner blames it on themselves: 'don't have green fingers'.
In the nursery it's possible that either they didn't know the trees were infected, or are always treating their trees to try to prevent infection.
Sometimes nurseries simply have a bad year due to weather conditions, or one of their growing areas is affected and if (some do, some don't) they rotate plants through it might affect different types of plant in different years.

Sometimes the water in water butts becomes contaminated with Phytopthora and your soil will almost certainly be contaminated by now even if it wasn't already.

Let's see a few more pictures to be sure it's Phytopthora before we burn the nursery to the ground and stone the owners.

[Guest]

Top left branch

[Guest]

Bottom left hand branch

[Guest]

Then lastly a healthy looking branch from the right side of the tree

[FB.]

Well it does look like some kind of canker/phytopthora. Notice the junction of stem/branch ('node') apparently forming a barrier to stop or at least slow the progress of the infection which is something I've noticed on my trees when they get canker or phytopthora.

I think the best you can do is take off the dead/dying bit almost back to the node (just leave a small piece to ensure the node isn't damaged which could allow the infection an easier way through).
Try to avoid any wounds on the trunk where infection might gain entry.

Although you're losing shoots, hopefully the roots connected to those shoots are still alive and will re-connect themselves to other (healthy) shoots on the tree.

If a branch or stem which grew before you bought the tree is the site of a canker-like infection, it's often something that was acquired in the nursery.

Unfortunately I still think there is a considerable chance you'll eventually lose the tree.

[Guest]

TY FB. I will remove the tree completely it is not precious and I would rather remove it now so it doesn't spread whilst I am so early on in building up trees.

[FB.]

TY FB. I will remove the tree completely it is not precious and I would rather remove it now so it doesn't spread whilst I am so early on in building up trees.

When a young tree gets so sick, it is often better to remove it rather than hope that it might recover.
A sick tree tends to grow slowly or not at all which means lost time where something else could be growing. It's even more annoying if it grows very slowly for several years before it finally dies because you've wasted so much time.

And, as you say; a sick tree can spread the infection to others. Your sick tree will already have contaminated the general area (especially if it's heavy soil, where Phytopthora will swim around in the saturated conditions or get washed to other locations) but removing the tree will reduce the opportunity for spread.

I would contact the supplier of the tree to see if they'll offer a refund. I don't think we can be 100% certain as to the cause of the dieback other than it seems to be a canker-like disease, probably infectious, which in stone fruits can be either bacterial or fungal (Phytophthora).

Don't try to replace it with the same variety because you may well end up with the same problem, especially because some diseases have specific strains which tend to very efficiently attack certain common varieties.