One of my apple trees has developed yellow spots on its leaves. It’s called Apple Scab, Black Spot or Cedar Rust.
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| photo credit: CK Worley |
This will cause brown scabs on the fruit as well; and while it won’t kill the tree, it will weaken it. I did some research and found that a fungicide spray is needed to control the infection from spreading not only to other leaves but also to nearby fruit trees, as the fungus’ spores travel with the wind.
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| photo credit: CK Worley |
I had insect spray but not fungicide, so I planned to go to the garden store. But then yesterday I was thrilled to receive a package in the mail: it was from a company called Espoma, which is the Mama company of Holly Tone. (I talk about Holly Tone all the time in my blogs and videos for use on all of my evergreen plants.)
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| photo credit: CK Worley |
And what to my wondering eyes should appear? A product called Earth-Tone Garden Fungicide for organic gardening. And it will cure what ails my apple tree! First I went out and pulled all the yellow-spotted leaves off my tree (an easy task because I just planted it this year and it’s small).
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| photo credit: CK Worley |
If your tree is too large for that, the leaves will fall off and you’ll need to rake as much as you can up. I raked up all the mulch around the tree and threw that away just to be safe. (Don’t compost this--get rid of it.)
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| photo credit: CK Worley |
I put fresh mulch around the tree and, lastly, sprayed it with Earth-tone Garden Fungicide. I’ll spray every 7-10 days or after it rains, then I’ll start spraying this again next spring as soon as the green tips on the buds start to appear. Good save Espoma! Thanks :D
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| photo credit: CK Worley |
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So what in the world do I do with my cedar trees, which have this rust? They're huge and there is no way I can imagine to spray all the way to the top & I'd imagine the cost will be astronomical for 20 trees and that much height!
ReplyDeleteI’ve done a little research on Cedar Rust and Cedar trees Herman and this is what I’ve found.
ReplyDeleteThe life cycle of Cedar Rust starts in late summer when spores are produced on the leaves of hawthorn or apple trees. The spores are carried by wind to red cedar trees. The spores eventually develop into galls. The galls produce bright orange, jelly-like horns that create new spores. These new spores are carried by wind to apple and hawthorn trees where the cycle starts again. The host plants are Apple, flowering crabapple, hawthorn, juniper and cedar.
The first year that red cedar becomes infected, the needles become covered with many galls, a swelling of the tree tissue, about an inch in diameter. The damage to cedar trees is not serious unless hundreds of galls are formed on the tree and terminal ends (current years growth) of the branches may die. On mature cedars, there may be a large swelling at the base of the trunk. The second spring after infection, these galls form numerous long, yellow tongue-like outgrowths during periods of warm wet weather. The spores from these projections germinate to produce other small spores. These new spores, which are carried by the wind, will now infect nearby apples and hawthorns. Several fungicides, including Banner, Systhane, Rubigan, Funginex and Bayleton, applied on a 14- to 21- day interval are effective in controlling rust. However, most of these products are only available to commercial applicators. (Gotta pay someone to do it) If your tree is infected, you should contact a licensed arborist who will remove dead limbs, diagnose the problem and provide treatment.
Hi! How well did that product work for you? Im about to tackle this problem (I have been distracted fighting black spot on my roses all summer) and was wondering the best route to take. Thanks!!
ReplyDeleteThere are a couple of things you’ll need to do before you spray. First you’ll need to pinch or clip off the affected leaves or branches and put them into a bag. Next you should rake the area around the base of the rose and put everything into the bag. Seal it and do not compost but throw it away!
ReplyDeleteNow black spot is a fungus and travels through the air and with water. Try not to water from the top down. Instead water the ground around the plant. It’s important to keep a good air flow so pruning is essential. Black spot likes wet leaves.
I happen to like Earth-tone 3 in 1 because it controls insects, fungus and mites and is a sulfur based product. If you wanted to go a natural way I’ve heard that you can mix one quart of water, 1 teaspoon of baking soda and a couple of drops of liquid dish soap into a spray bottle and spray with that. Make sure the dish soap doesn’t contain bleach. I’ve heard both good and bad things with the natural remedy.
Next season, before the growth starts is a good time to do some spring cleaning around the base again and to start spraying. (Every 7 to 10 days or after a heavy rain.) It can be controlled but you have to be vigilant. Hope this helps Evi.
Here is a solution from Todd Shearing - "I have grown prize winning roses for many years. I never use chemical sprays in my garden.
ReplyDeleteYou may want to consider mixing a solution of 3 tablespoons of dish soap (Palmolive or sunlight) with a gallon of water. Pour it into a misting bottle and go to town spraying your entire plant. Making sure you get under each leaf. Let it sit on the plant for a few hours then mist it off with clear water. The Roses LOVE the sulphites in the soap. The soap will coat the bodies of the bugs that are eating your plant and kill then. It will not harm and healthy bugs in the process. I also sprinkle epsons salt around the base of my roses weekly to deter slugs and help stop black leaf. Good luck."