The trunk of an apple tree turns black and branches dry up: how to cure a tree and what to do

Sometimes you can see how branches begin to dry out on apple trees. Many inexperienced gardeners do not pay attention to this and do nothing. However, if the trunk of an apple tree turns black, you must immediately find out the causes of this problem and cure the tree. If you do not get rid of blackening in time, the apple tree will begin to dry and die.

Why does the trunk of an apple tree turn black?

Before you start treating apple trees, you need to figure out what caused the blackening. Most often, this problem occurs due to infection with black cancer. This pathology is one of the most common diseases of apples.After infection, dark spots can form in any part of the plant. However, the most dangerous thing is if they appeared on the trunk, since in this case it will not be possible to save the apple tree.

To get rid of black cancer, it is necessary to identify and cure it at an early stage of development. To determine in a timely manner that the tree is infected, the characteristic symptoms of pathology will help. These include the following features:

appearance of purple spots on the surface of leaves in the first half of spring;
shedding of affected leaves before fruiting begins;
damage to apple fruits by dark spots, inside of which there are small black dots;
rotting and mummification of fruits.

If the above symptoms appear on the trees, they cannot be ignored. To save the plants, it is necessary to immediately begin the treatment of black cancer.

Causes of the blackened trunk of a young tree

The main cause of black cancer and dark spots on the trunk is the development of a bacterial fungus that gradually spreads to apple trees. It is not easy to notice the fungus on your own, since its spores are colorless. Only after ripening do they turn dark with a brown tint.

The source of the fungus is spores found in the branches of neighboring infected trees or in the bark. At the same time, spores are transmitted not only from apple trees, but also from other trees. Often, apple seedlings become infected from pears or other stone fruits that grow nearby.

The development of fungi, due to which leaves and stems of plants turn black, is promoted by:

growing old apple trees that are poorly protected from pests and diseases;
deficiency of moisture and nutrients in the soil, which leads to the weakening of the trees;
mechanical damage to the barrel or leaf burns;
pruning branches with non-disinfected garden tools;
planting in the garden of non-zoned and unstable apple trees that often get sick;
appearance of bark beetles on trees, which are carriers of fungal bacteria.

Ways to deal with a blackened trunk

On its own, the stem of a plant will not be cured of blackening and therefore such a disease will have to be treated.

At a mature tree

Before treating a mature apple tree, a preliminary cleaning of the plant is carried out. During this procedure, all infected branches are cut out.Also, fruits and leaves are removed from the trees, on the surface of which darkening is present. All removed plant parts are immediately burned to destroy the spores.

After burning the affected branches, leaves and fruits, the trees are disinfected. To do this, you can use a solution prepared from copper sulfate. To create it, ten liters of water are mixed with 150 grams of the substance. Spraying is carried out three times a week.

At a young apple tree

If affected areas are found on the bark of young apple trees, they will have to be removed mechanically. To do this, the darkened area of \u200b\u200bthe bark is cut off and burned. Then the cut site is treated with antiseptic agents for disinfection.

It is also recommended to take care of the insulation of the cut area in advance so that air or moisture does not get into it. To do this, the surface of the barrel is covered with a thin layer of oil paint or drying oil.

Apple tree branches wither - what to do?

Often the blackening of the trunk and leaves leads to complete drying of the branches. To save them from death, you need to figure out what to do when the branches dry up.

Experienced gardeners recommend washing the he althy parts of the trees. To do this, you can use Bordeaux liquid. For its preparation, 300 grams of copper sulfate are added to five liters of boiled water. Then three liters of cold water and 200 grams of lime are added to the mixture. The mixture is thoroughly stirred and filtered. When flushing trees, special attention is paid to the cracks in the branches, which may contain fungal bacteria.

After processing apple trees, top dressing is mandatory. Mineral and organic fertilizers are added to the soil, which normalize the supply of nutrients to the plant.

Prevention measures

So that the stem with leaves does not darken, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the basic preventive measures:

Apple trees should not be planted near compost pits, as they weaken the plants, get sick more often and are attacked by insects.
For planting plants do not use areas with high groundwater levels. In such areas, high soil moisture, which contributes to the development of black cancer.
In cultivation, pruning of trees is regularly carried out, during which crooked and weakened branches are removed. Also, when pruning, the crown is thinned out to improve lighting and ventilation.
It is necessary to periodically feed, water apple trees and clear the area of weeds. In the middle of spring, the skeletal branches and trunk are whitewashed with lime to protect the plant from burns and parasites.

Conclusion

Some gardeners when growing apple trees are faced with blackening of their trunks. Often this pathology appears due to exposure to bacterial fungi, which lead to the drying of trees. To get rid of the disease, you need to familiarize yourself with the main methods of its treatment.