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How to Cure Black Knot Fungus on Fruit Trees
How to Cure Black Knot Fungus on Fruit Trees. Black knot fungus attacks fruit trees like wild plum and cherry trees. Symptoms of the disease are often thick, black swellings on the undersides of twigs and branches. However, a fruit tree may be infected a year before the characteristic knots appear. The winter after the second season of the...
Black knot fungus attacks fruit trees like wild plum and cherry trees. Symptoms of the disease are often thick, black swellings on the undersides of twigs and branches. However, a fruit tree may be infected a year before the characteristic knots appear. The winter after the second season of the infection usually clearly marks an infected tree. To treat a fruit tree with black knot fungus, a few approaches and remedies exist to combat the fungus and save the tree.
Things You'll Need
Pruning shears
Fungal parasite Trichothecium roseum (optional)
Fungicide (optional)
Prune all shoots and branches with knots. Remove the knots (the sources of inoculum or virus cells) in winter, before any buds appear and ascospore (fungus spores) discharge. Cut each infected branch or twig at least 6 to 8 inches below the knot. Check for, and also get rid of, knots and sources of inoculum in nearby wild plum and cherry trees.
Safely dispose of infected knot-branches. Place in trash in a sealed plastic bag. Even after knot removal, black fungus knots can continue producing fungal spores that harm other nearby plants.
Spray fungal parasite. Apply Trichothecium roseum, a biological control agent, to the section of branch or shoot showing symptoms of black knot. Symptoms include thick, black, oddly shaped swellings on fruit tree twigs.
Try a fungicide. Using fungicide products is dangerous and prohibited in orchards in many U.S. states. A multipurpose fruit tree spray, Bonide, protects fruit trees from fungus and diseases. Use cautiously by following the package instructions.
