Plum tree canker - what to do

[Guest]

Morning. I am having one of those what should I do for the best. I have a mature Victoria plum and I cut out a lot of canker last year and I was looking last night and there is loads again. My options are

1. Cut out the worst and leave the tree.
2. Cut it back to the trunk. Essentially pollarding so it will look daft and not produce anything for the next couple of years with a chance of it dying from shock.
3. Cut my losses and remove it.

Just wondered what you would do and why.

I will try and gets some pics on soon.

Thanks as always

[CaraFlower]

Any idea on why the canker is so bad? I've got it in my head that Victoria can be a bit temperamental.

I think it would depend on 1. How cankerous it was and where on the structure 2. How productive the tree has been (even with pruning). 3. Whether I had the space to spare.

I can be brutal if needed but probably do give things more of a chance than some people would. Older trees are quite special as well. So, providing I had the room, I would give pruning another chance (with the option of pollarding next year), but only if a reasonable amount of tree would be left. Otherwise I'd pollard this year, rather than get rid entirely, and stick a climber in a pot against it until it looked decent again. Even if it does die it is probably easier than digging it up while alive.

I'd also give it a stern talking to, and warn it that it wasn't having anymore chances.

[chrisdb]

Probably what CaraFlower said, with a caveat. If you have other susceptible trees nearby, or your neighbours do and you like them, then take more aggressive measures now. Otherwise you could lose more than one tree.

[Guest]

Ty for your responses.

Any idea on why the canker is so bad? I've got it in my head that Victoria can be a bit temperamental.

I think it would depend on 1. How cankerous it was and where on the structure 2. How productive the tree has been (even with pruning). 3. Whether I had the space to spare.

I'd also give it a stern talking to, and warn it that it wasn't having anymore chances.

1. Fairly cankerous bearing in mind I thought I had got it all last year. Taking pics it goes down further than I thought but that could be growth cracks (ok, I am trying to believe I should give it a chance )
2. Last year the crop was a bit lean but this year looks to be good and two consecutive years before last were good.
3. Space isn't an issue.

Probably what CaraFlower said, with a caveat. If you have other susceptible trees nearby, or your neighbours do and you like them, then take more aggressive measures now. Otherwise you could lose more than one tree.

I have young trees here, there and everywhere as I am trying to build the collection up but I am trying not to be too precious on the whole as where I am seems to be rife for algae, fungus and god knows what, but at the same time I don't want it to encourage it (balance is what I am aiming for ).

[Guest]

Here are some pics (taken whilst raining)

Overall of tree


One (of two branches) that comes of the main trunk


One of the branches off the one above


Branch in the same area


And some more

[Scarlet]

If it was mine I would get rid of it. Plums have a short life span so (in my totally inexpert opinion) I'd cut my losses now.

Perhaps it's bedt wait for FB or some of the other tree experts for better advice

[Guest]

^^^ it has till August I will take this years crop

[devonuk]

If it was mine I would get rid of it. Plums have a short life span so (in my totally inexpert opinion) I'd cut my losses now.

Perhaps it's bedt wait for FB or some of the other tree experts for better advice

There's a Victoria at my mum's house which she says was old when she moved in in 1963. it fruits like crazy.

[boundtothesoil]

I'd keep the tree and continue cutting off the cankered branches. I've lost a fair few young Victorias (< 10 year old) to canker over the years. The variety does seem to be very prone to this disease, but older trees ( i.e. > 20 years) can weather the removal of lots of localised cankered branches and still grow new branches fairly rapidly. Yields can also be maintained.
I walked round a long neglected plum orchard near Wisbech in the Fens, where some of the very old Victorias had lost three quarters of all their branches to to a combination of canker and crotch rots etc, but were still looking like they would yield well on the remaining healthy wood.

[CaraFlower]

Yeah, that doesn't look good at all I do agree with the point about the risk to your younger trees as well.

[fishpond]

Personally, get rid of it, and replace with something else.
Why:-
I have the same problem with a much younger victoria than yours that also doesn't fruit very well, I also have a 5 year old Victoria that will be going (just doesn't look right and doesn't produce very much, also a Conference pear tree that is a total bag of poo and after 8 years has managed to grow to the dizzy height of 5' and has produced 2 pears.
Time for a clear out in the Autumn. (life is too short to wait any longer)
I have reached the conclusion that tasty as they are, there are far superior plum/gage varieties that will fare a lot better in my soil.

[FB.]

From what I can see in the pictures I wouldn't rush to remove the tree right now. Some of the splits might be growth splits.
If it was a small, young tree, I wouldn't persevere, but an older tree can often live with diseases for many years. If the canker is bad it will already be wind-blown and rain-splashed all over the nearby area and nearby gardens so I wouldn't worry about its infection risk being much worse if left for a bit longer.

I may be out your way in the next week or two (possibly Wedesday evening around 8.30-9.00) so I might be able to drop in and we can umm and ahh over it together if you'd like.

[Guest]

From what I can see in the pictures I wouldn't rush to remove the tree right now. Some of the splits might be growth splits.
If it was a small, young tree, I wouldn't persevere, but an older tree can often live with diseases for many years. If the canker is bad it will already be wind-blown and rain-splashed all over the nearby area and nearby gardens so I wouldn't worry about its infection risk being much worse if left for a bit longer.

I may be out your way in the next week or two (possibly Wedesday evening around 8.30-9.00) so I might be able to drop in and we can umm and ahh over it together if you'd like.

TY FB it would be lovely if you popped over, but only if it is genuinely no bother

[Guest]

Just to let you know, the plum tree is staying (as is). FB has very kindly been over (thank you) and looked and it was decided that with the fruit crop, plenty of new growth it was worth leaving. Although the canker is there, the tree is managing. Some of the splits are possibly growth splits as well.