Brown rot and blossom wilt
Blossoms and young shoots of cherry, plum, apricot and apple suddenly wilt and hang shrivelled on the tree. Ripening fruit gets brown rot with rings of buff fungal pustules and shrivels into mummies.
The fungus overwinters in mummified fruit and infected twigs and enters through the blossom in wet weather or through small wounds in the fruit.
What can you do?
- In dry weather, cut back wilted blossom trusses and shoots to 10–15 cm into healthy wood.
- Pick rotten and mummified fruit off the tree and from the ground, including in winter.
- Put it all in the green waste bin or general waste, not on your compost heap.
- Thin out dense fruit clusters and prevent wounds from wasps, birds and codling moth.
Prevention
Prune for an open crown, choose less susceptible varieties (especially of sour cherry and apricot) and clear up mummies and diseased twigs every year.
When to watch out: April–May and July–August