Apricot leaves appear late. Apricot dried up: why and what to do? Practical advice to those who suddenly dry up an apricot tree: find out why this happens. Leaflets on apricot

Apricot, in order to obtain high yields and high-quality fruits, requires some attention from the gardener. Having noticed a disease or the appearance of a pest in time, you can quickly intervene and eliminate the problem. What are the diseases in apricot, what are their causes. What pests can attack it, how to prevent it and how to deal with it - these are topical issues when growing apricots.

Diseases of apricot trees and their treatment

Apricot is a heat-loving and demanding plant, at first glance. Often exposed to various fungal and infectious diseases that can affect all parts of the plant - bark, leaves, flowers, fruits. It is necessary to know the enemy in person in order to fight him effectively, and even better, not even let him near the apricot trees. By applying timely and competently preventive measures, it is possible (and necessary), in general, to avoid the manifestation of diseases and not lead to treatment.

Apricot bark diseases and their control

Various fungi can settle on and under the apricot bark, causing diseases such as cytosporosis (stem rot), gum disease, cracking of the bark. And also mosses and lichens can settle on the bark.

Why does the bark crack on the apricot

Sometimes cracks appear on the apricot bark. This may be the following reasons:

Regardless of the reasons why cracks appeared on the bark (with the exception of fungal and cancerous diseases), the treatment method is the same.

1. The site of damage is carefully cleaned with a knife and a steel brush, removing all damaged bark until healthy, green tissues appear. The same applies to wood. This operation can be carried out at any time of the year, except for the period of active sap flow (spring).
2. Leave the wound alone for a while to dry.
3. Disinfect the wound with a 1% solution of Bordeaux mixture or copper sulphate. Other antifungal drugs may also be used.
4. Treat the prepared place with special healing putties.
   • Garden pitch based on wood resin or natural wax. Avoid formulations with refined products (gasoline, kerosene, tar, coal tar, etc.), they can do more harm than good.
   • Garden putty BlagoSad based on lanolin (fat obtained from sheared sheep's wool).
   • Self-made putty from equal parts of clay and mullein. Such a putty cannot be used in a hot, dry season, because after drying, the clay will begin to absorb moisture from the bark.

Cleaning the crack, do not be afraid to cut off part of the healthy tissue. They will grow. But the rotten and dead remains of the bark and (or) wood, accidentally left in the wound, will be the source of infection and the focus of a new round of disease development.

White spots appeared on the trunk of an apricot

It's most likely a lichen. Lichens usually grow on old trees, although they can also appear on relatively young ones. The bark of a tree for these organisms is only a platform for living, they receive moisture and minerals for development from the atmosphere with rain, fog and dust.

Lichen often settles on old trees

There are two opposing views on whether lichens should be removed.

• One group of gardeners and specialists of various qualifications claims that lichens do not do any harm to trees, and also testify to the purity of the environment in the place of growth. And by scraping them off the tree, the bark is inevitably damaged and harm is done. Therefore, they should not be removed.
• Another group, no less numerous, expresses the exact opposite opinion. Lichens growing on the bark prevent the penetration of air, create pockets of high humidity and conditions for the appearance and development of fungal and viral diseases. And also scale insects and other pests can hide under them. And so lichens need to be removed.

For those who decide to remove the lichen that has appeared, it is recommended to do this as carefully as possible, using a sharp knife and nylon brushes. After removal, the surface of the bark should be washed with a 5% solution of iron sulfate or other antiseptic. Whitewashing trunks in autumn with lime mortar significantly reduces the likelihood of lichens and mosses.

But it is not at all necessary that the white coating that appears on the bark is a lichen. Perhaps this is the appearance of a fungal disease. A distinctive feature will be the fact that the fungus usually affects different parts of the plant at the same time - leaves, flowers, ovaries, fruits, shoots. Not all at the same time, but different. And if any fungus has been diagnosed, timely treatment with modern methods and drugs usually brings positive results.

Fungal diseases of apricot

Many plants are susceptible to fungal diseases and apricot, unfortunately, is no exception.

The list of the main types of this class of diseases:

• Clasterosporiasis (perforated spotting).
• Moniliosis.
• Cytosporosis.
• Leaf curl.
• Verticillosis.
• Fusarium.
• Parsha and others.

Methods of dealing with various fungal diseases, preventive measures and the drugs used are in many ways similar.

The fight against clasterosporiasis

Clasterosporiasis is a fungal disease that affects all stone fruits. Apricots and peaches are especially heavily and frequently affected by this disease. Another name for the disease is perforated spotting. The causative agent hibernates in fallen leaves, the upper layer of the soil, in the bark.

The disease begins and proceeds as follows:

1. Small dark dots appear on the leaves of the apricot.
2. Developing, the dots turn into rather large, round spots of red-brown, brown color.
3. Within two weeks, the inside of the spots dries up and falls out, holes form.
4. Affected leaves turn yellow and fall off.

In addition to leaves, buds and shoots are also affected. Affected kidneys do not open and fall off. Lesions on the bark of the shoots look the same as on the leaves - growing spots, the formation of holes in the bark, causing the release of gum. In advanced cases, the tree may die.

Photo gallery: clasterosporiasis

The fight against this disease primarily begins with prevention.

• Fallen leaves are collected and burned.
• Sick shoots are cut out (not forgetting to lubricate the places of cuts with garden pitch or putty) and also burned.
• In late autumn, trunk circles are dug up.
• In late autumn and (or) early spring, during the absence of sap flow, they are treated with a 3% solution of Bordeaux mixture or copper sulfate.
• They try to use varieties that are relatively resistant to fungal diseases (Red-cheeked, Pineapple, Hungarian best, etc.).
• During the season, it is advisable to spray the trees with biofungicides (biological fungicides). Quadris and Horus have proven themselves well. They can process trees even during the fruiting period (by Quadris 5 days, by Horus 7 days before picking berries). Due to the addiction of the fungus to drugs, treatments are carried out no more than three times per season each. The interval is two weeks.

Table: organic preparations to combat clasterosporiasis and other diseases

Apricot moniliosis, how to save a tree

Moniliosis or monilial burn is a fungal disease that affects leaves, flowers, tree shoots. Spores of the fungus hibernate in fallen leaves, shoots, on the bark. Primary infection usually occurs in spring, during flowering. Spores with the wind, and more often with the help of bees, fall on a blossoming flower, through the pistil they get inside and further into the leaves and shoots. The flowers curl and die first, then the leaves and shoots. The ends of the branches turn black, as well as the leaves turn black and hang. Externally, the plant looks as if burnt.

In spring infection with moniliosis, flowers are first affected, then leaves and shoots of apricot

An inexperienced gardener may mistake spring symptoms of moniliosis infection for frostbite or excessive spring treatment with drugs.

The second form of damage appears in the summer, in the form of gray rot, affecting fruits, leaves and bark. The difference from other similar diseases is the chaotic arrangement of black dots on the surface of the fruit.

Preventive and curative measures:

• Removal and destruction of fallen leaves, as well as affected fruits.
• Late autumn loosening of trunk circles.
• Cutting out affected shoots with a part of healthy wood 15–20 cm long or “under the ring”.
• Late autumn and early spring treatment with a 3% solution of copper sulphate or Bordeaux mixture.
• Before swelling of the kidneys, a single treatment with DNOC or Nitrafen.
• Regular treatment during the season with biofungicides (Horus, Quadris).
• Do not allow waterlogging, dampness.
• Avoidance of dense plantings and crowns.

Video: moniliosis

Apricot protection from pests

Apricots, like other fruit plants, can be attacked by various insects - codling moths, leafworms, aphids, mites. In addition to insects, rodents - mice, hares - bring great harm to plants.

How to save an apricot if mice have eaten the bark

First you need to determine the scale of damage, and then choose the option of action, which is very small.

• If the bark is completely and deeply gnawed, then, most likely, nothing can be done. You can try to cut the trunk almost to the ground. With luck, a new shoot will grow from the root, which will become a new tree.
• If the bark is nibbled in a circle to a small height, there are two ways:
  • Bridge vaccination.
  • Bark transplant.
• If you are lucky and the cambial layer of the mouse was not touched, then you just need to wrap the damaged part of the trunk with electrical tape, stretch film or bandage, placing sorrel leaves. Remove the bandage in autumn.

Cambium is a layer between the bark and wood, which is a conductor of juice.

What is cambium is easier to show than to tell

How to graft with a bridge

Step-by-step instruction.

1. Preparation of cuttings. Of course, it is better to prepare them in the fall, but then it was not yet known about the attack of rodents. Therefore, most likely, they will have to be cut in the spring, as soon as it became known about the trouble, before the start of sap flow. The variety of the donor tree does not matter. The length of the cuttings should be 10–15 cm longer than the length of the damaged area, the number of buds is also not important, they will still need to be removed. The larger the diameter of the trunk, the more cuttings need to be grafted.
2. T-shaped incisions are made on the bark of a tree on one and the other side of the wound with a sharp knife.
3. Oblique cuts are made on the cuttings on both sides and inserted into the cuts so that the layers of the cambium are aligned with each other. The cuttings should be slightly arched.
4. The grafting sites are lubricated with garden pitch or putty and tightly wrapped with electrical tape, fum-tape, etc.
5. The crown is cut by 30%.

In this way, you can save a tree gnawed by mice

How the bark is transplanted

Quite an exotic way, but sometimes used. For him, you need a donor tree (it should be an apricot, you can wild), which is not a pity to donate.

1. From a suitable material (thin cardboard, film, etc.), a template is cut out according to the size of the damage.
2. According to the template, a patch is cut out from the bark of the donor tree, which is carefully removed and quickly applied to the wound.
3. The patch is firmly fixed with tape, you can use small carnations.
4. The operation area is coated with garden pitch or putty, wrapped with twine and roofing material.
5. The crown is cut.

Apricot Root Pests

Not very many insects prefer to feed on the roots of trees, but still, sometimes such lovers are found. Most often, the roots of young seedlings can suffer from pests, which the larvae of beetles and weevils feed on with pleasure, wintering in the upper soil layers of the tree trunks. If you dig up the soil under the trees in late autumn, turning the layers over, the larvae will be on the surface and die from the cold.

Fighting Khrushchev

There are a lot of varieties of crackers. This is a flying beetle ranging in size from 8–12 mm (April beetle) to 35–38 mm (marble beetle). The most famous and well-known to everyone is the May beetle. Beetles are omnivorous and, if left unchecked, can cause great damage to many plants in the garden.

Beetles feed on plant roots

Fighting methods:

• Early spring preventive treatment with insecticides (chemical insecticides) - decis, nitrafen, etc.
• Diazinon and preparations based on it are introduced into the soil for digging at the end of May-June, when the larvae are still in the upper soil layer. 10–20 g of Bazudin or 5–10 g of 10% Diazonin are consumed per 1 m 2. The drug acts for 20 days, does not accumulate in plants.
• The drug Marshall is very effective, having a prolonged action (up to 17 months). But, due to its high toxicity, it should be used carefully and only in critical situations.
• You can place a small, warm, moist pile of humus or compost next to the tree. The larvae will settle there with pleasure - it remains only in time to collect and destroy them.

Fight against weevils

Weevils are small (4–6 mm) beetles with an elongated proboscis.

Weevil in early spring eats young leaves, buds, ovaries

There are many varieties of this insect. They can overwinter in the bark, fallen leaves, upper layers of the soil. In spring they feed on young leaves, buds, flowers, fruits. In early and mid-summer, eggs are laid in fruits, from which larvae hatch. Some species of weevils lay their eggs in the soil and hatched larvae actively feed on young roots.

Weevil larvae hatched in the soil feed on young roots.

How to fight:

• In early spring, when the weevils have left their hiding places and settled in the apricot crown, you can collect them by hand. To do this, in the morning, when the air temperature has not risen above + 5-7 ° C and the beetles are sleeping, a cloth or film is spread under the tree, on which the insects are gently shaken off. Then they are destroyed.
• Before the buds swell, the tree is treated with insecticides.
• After flowering, if necessary, it can be treated with drugs such as Fufanon, Actellik, etc. 20 days before harvesting, the treatments are stopped.
• During the laying of eggs, soil preparations based on diazonin can be used.
• In autumn, fallen leaves are removed and destroyed, damaged bark is cleaned, and with the onset of cold weather, they dig up the soil.

Treatment of apricot from diseases and pests

To prevent the occurrence of various diseases and pest attacks, apricot preventive treatments are carried out. As a rule, the first treatment is carried out in late winter or early spring, before bud break.

At this time, the tree is treated with one of the following drugs:

• DNOC is a complex, potent drug for fighting fungi, mites and insects. They process a tree once every three years. Apply a 1% solution at a temperature of 5 ° C, but not higher than 13 ° C.
• Nitrafen is a drug close to DNOC in its action. 200-300 g of the drug is added to 10 liters of water. One time processing.
• Decis is a broad spectrum insecticide. Dissolve 50 g in 5 liters of water. Consumption from 2 to 5 liters per tree. If necessary, re-processing is possible.
• And others similar.

In spring and summer, especially after rains, it is advisable to treat with antifungal agents - Horus, Quadris, Fufanon, etc.

If, despite the prevention, the apricot has been subjected to any disease or pest attack, they act on the basis of the situation in accordance with the recommendations for the specific case.

Frequently Asked Questions by Gardeners

In the process of growing apricots, the gardener often encounters various problems and issues, most of which are presented below.

Why doesn't the apricot bloom?

This is a fairly common problem that occurs due to several reasons.

• Features of the variety. Some varieties of apricots begin to bloom 5-7 years after planting. Under unfavorable conditions, these periods may be extended. It may not be time for flowering yet.
• Wrong choice of landing site. A tree growing in the shade will begin to bloom and bear fruit only when its crown rises to the sun. And it will bloom precisely on those branches that are lit by the sun.
• Unsuitable soil. Apricot will not bloom in acidic soils, it needs a slightly alkaline or neutral environment.
• Flooding by groundwater, even short-term, harms fruiting. With constant flooding, the tree will die.
• Freezing of fruit buds, which can occur during prolonged winter thaws or spring frosts.

Why do flowers fall from a blossoming apricot

Either diseased or unfertilized flowers fall.

During spring infection with moniliosis, as noted above, flowers are first affected and die.

If the apricot variety is not self-fertile, then the reason for the flowers to fall may be:

• Absence in sufficient proximity (up to 100 m) of a pollinating tree.
• There is a pollinator tree, but for some reason it does not bloom.
• Unfavorable weather (low temperature, strong wind), reducing the activity of bees and other insects.

Why do apricots rot on a tree

This can occur from improper care and from diseases.

Why doesn't the apricot grow?

We planted an apricot, but it does not grow. Possible reasons:

• Inconsistency of the selected variety with the region of cultivation. Perhaps a seedling for the southern regions was planted in a more northern one.
• Late or fall planting. It is necessary to plant a seedling at rest, before the buds swell.
• Sapling of inadequate quality:
  • Age over two years.
  • Grown with supersaturation of nitrogen fertilizers.
  • Bad root system.
• Close occurrence of groundwater and flooding.
• Insufficient pruning at planting, due to which there was a weak increase. A weakened plant goes into the winter, which it will not survive.

The ends of apricot branches turned black in spring

This phenomenon has two reasons:

• The branches are dead. Trim to healthy wood and treat with garden pitch or putty.
• Infection with moniliosis. Cut branches into 15–20 cm of healthy wood or “under the ring”. Treatment of the disease is described above.

On apricot branches dry after flowering

Most likely, this is still the same moniliosis.

Why do flowers rust on an apricot tree

If brown spots (rust) appear on the flowers, this can be caused by several reasons:

• The onset of a fungal disease, usually moniliosis.
• Insect attack, primarily weevil.
• Frost.
• Burn from an overdose of certain chemicals when spraying (for example, copper sulphate).

Why apricot does not bear fruit

Apricot fruiting does not occur in such cases:

• Apricot does not bloom. Considered above.
• It blooms, but the ovaries are not formed and the flowers crumble. Considered above.
• Blooms, ovaries form, but they crumble.
  • On an unpollinated tree, fruits were formed (this is possible). But such fruits are inferior, the seed germ does not develop in them, and without it, the fruit does not develop, which as a result crumbles.
  • An abnormally warm January contributed to the awakening of the kidneys. As a result, the pistils were damaged, which caused the fruits to shed.
  • The tree gave a bountiful harvest in the previous year, exhausted its strength, but did not receive enough nutrition to restore vitality.

Apricot is not the most capricious representative of horticultural crops. With proper agricultural technology, carrying out preventive and sanitary measures in due time, the gardener rarely has to deal with the treatment of diseases. Caring for an apricot does not require much effort and is quite accessible to both an experienced and novice gardener. And modern, low-toxic preparations will get rid of the invasion of pests and will allow you to get a decent harvest of sweet and healthy berries.

If you want to get good harvests every year, you need to take care of the garden and prevent tree diseases, and in case of illness, treat them in time.

Today, a large number of diseases and pests harm apricot trees, thereby reducing yields and increasing moral damages. In this article, we will look at the most common diseases and methods of dealing with them, which will help increase the fruiting of the apricot, and most importantly, keep the tree alive.

Diseases of the apricot tree

1. Moniliosis. It comes in two main forms:

Defeat by Clasterosporiosis

2. Clasterosporiasis (perforated spotting). Its sign, usually observed at the beginning of summer, is the appearance of red foci on the leaves. Basically, plants that bear fruit abundantly or grow in improperly equipped planting pits are susceptible to the disease. With this disease, the bark of young shoots is also affected. Cracks appear on it, from which gum is visible.

3. insect pests:

• aphid- causes a weakening of the plant, which cannot resist sooty fungus;
• codling moth plum- affects not only plums, but also apricots. It survives winter as a cocoon in the soil, and at the beginning of summer, flying butterflies, in ovaries or petioles, lay eggs. And in the middle of summer, summer butterflies appear, which lay their eggs on the fruits;
• hawthorn butterfly- gnaws foliage and ovaries.

Interesting to know: Türkiye is the world leader in the cultivation and export of apricots.

Methods for controlling diseases and pests

With moniliosis, it is necessary not only to fight, but also to prevent its appearance. Namely:

• pruning - not only the affected branches are cut, but also old ones, as well as incorrectly growing, dry, hindering development
  fruitful branches. After such rejuvenation, young shoots that are not affected by the disease quickly grow;
• whitewash. The boles and skeletal branches of the tree are whitened with copper sulfate or lime. It is carried out in spring and autumn, rarely in winter;
• spraying - carried out since February with the use of copper or iron sulfate and Bordeaux mixture.

Due to the fact that moniliosis develops in several stages, it is necessary to carry out four periods of plant protection. The activities carried out during these periods are as follows:

1. It falls in March, before bud break, provided that the ambient temperature is not lower than 5 degrees.

2. The period during flowering implies a three-fold treatment:

• 3 days before flowering;
• during it;
• two weeks after the end of the previous stage.

3. At the time of the appearance of brown spots on ripening fruits and their decay, it is dangerous to use chemical treatments, therefore, mechanical harvesting of fruits is recommended.

4. Autumn period - spraying is also carried out.

With klyasterosporiosis, chemistry will be needed to help the summer resident. A diseased plant should be treated every 14 days with any of the following substances:

• copper oxychloride;
• Bordeaux liquid;
• cineb.

Aphids are collected and destroyed mechanically. You can also use spraying compounds of soap, water and:

• ash;
• dandelion;
• tobacco.

The codling moth is quite effectively eliminated when collecting and destroying affected fruits, digging the top soil around the tree, and cleaning the bark.

Additional measures for the control of apricot diseases

1. Improving air circulation.

2. Planting disease-resistant species in the garden.

3. Pruning root shoots.

4. Timely feeding.

As we already know, moniliosis is a dangerous apricot disease, but although it causes great damage to trees, it is not capable of destroying it. However, a tree weakened by this disease loses the ability to withstand the attacks of other sores, after which it dies. In this regard, it is imperative to take measures to prevent moniliosis, even if the trees are not infected with it.

With proper care, healthy trees can grow up to 700 mm per year and delight with an abundance of healthy fruits.

Below, we suggest you watch a video on how to prune moniliosis lesions on an apricot:

Armenia is considered the birthplace of the sweet apricot. It has long been grown in India and China. Thanks to globalization, this amazing fruit has spread all over the globe. Apricot is a disease-resistant tree, but in our climatic conditions it can be affected by various fungal diseases. Therefore, when growing an apricot tree in your garden, you need to prepare to fight the diseases of this crop. Below are the most common apricot diseases and their treatments.

Moniliosis

Moniliosis or fruit rot is a disease caused by the marsupial fungus monilia. It is one of the most devastating diseases of stone fruit crops. According to the nature of the manifestation, two main forms of moniliosis are distinguished: monilial burn and fruit gray rot. Consider the measures to protect the apricot from these fungi.

The flowering of the apricot tree occurs in March, and the crop is harvested in July-August. Monilial burn is a common spring form of moniliosis. Unusually warm winters are considered to be the reasons for the development of this disease, since at low temperatures all pathogens of moniliosis usually die. The outbreak of monilial burn on apricot trees occurs during the flowering period of apricot, in rainy and damp weather (fogs and dew).

Signs. A symptom of a monilial burn is flower rotting.

The usual color of the petals changes to brown. At the same time, the wood turns brown, and then the wood quickly dies. This is due to the penetration of the pathogen into open flowering through the pistil of the flower. As a result, the entire flower part of the tree dries out. With a strong development of the disease, the fungus affects young shoots. This leads to the withering of a number of branches of the tree; the leaves begin to droop, later they turn brown and stiff. Usually the leaves do not fall to the ground, they remain on the branches until the next spring. Cracks appear on thick branches, which then turn into wounds with intense gum secretion. The wood looks like it's been burned by a fire. After a while, the apricot may die completely.

Fight against disease. At the first sign of a monilial burn, it is very important to remove all diseased parts of the plant. This can stop the spread of the disease on the shoots. Repeat the procedure 2-3 weeks after flowering. The manifestation of the disease is possible in the form of rotting fruits. It is necessary to collect and destroy all rotten fruits. Against a monilial burn, spraying with 3% Bordeaux liquid or 0.9% copper oxychloride is effective. Do not neglect whitewashing, do it at the end of autumn - before the onset of cold weather.

Fruit rot is a summer variety of moniliosis that develops during wet weather during the last weeks before the apricot harvest. This is the most common apricot disease, fruit after fruit literally rot, forming brown rot and white mold.

Signs of illness. First, a small light brown spot appears on the apricot, which then expands and softens, and eventually covers the entire fruit. A white coating forms over gray rot. Over time, apricots completely wither and rot.
Methods of struggle and prevention. The fight against apricot rot begins in the spring of the next flowering year. In the autumn-winter period, spraying with Bordeaux liquid is carried out, updating this operation two to three times at 15-day intervals. To avoid the development of gray rot, at the very beginning of flowering, preparations for moniliosis are used: Nitrafen, Confidor, Horus. In the spring, after the fruit appears on the tree, remove some of the branches to avoid excessive fruiting. For preventive purposes, by autumn, collect and burn the leaves and fruits of the tree or throw them in a secluded place. Pay special attention to pest control, as rot vectors are often insects. Use insecticides for prevention.

Important! If you do not remove the rotten apricot fruits yourself, they will remain hanging on the tree all winter. A dangerous fungus, as you know, can overwinter on the fruits of the plant. The disease will manifest itself and affect the next year's crop. Therefore, be sure to remove all affected fruits and shoots!

Brown leaf spot (gnomoniasis)

Gnomoniosis affects not only the leaves, but also the fruits of the tree. Fruit can crumble before it even ripens. If the apricot is still ripe, then this fungus is able to turn it into an ugly irregularly shaped fruit.

Signs. The main symptom of gnomoniasis is the appearance of small yellow spots on the leaves. Over time, the spots increase, turn brown and cover the entire surface of the leaf. If the disease is allowed to develop, the leaves will dry out and fall off prematurely.

Prevention and treatment. If you find any damage on the tree, it is unacceptable to leave the apricot in this state. Affected areas must be cleaned. In addition, treat the soil under the tree with 1% copper sulphate or Nitrafen. Do not forget to spray before the beginning of March. In this case, spraying with Bordeaux liquid is effective. Also, for the purpose of prevention, it is necessary to remove the leaves remaining after autumn.

Perforated spotting (clasterosporiasis)

Clasterosporiasis is a fungal disease that lives on diseased buds and shoots of almost all stone fruits. Treatment of this fungus on the trunk of an apricot is most effective at the very beginning of the disease.

Signs. Small round spots of light brown color appear on the leaves of the apricot tree. The spots look like they are pressed into the leaf. The affected areas dry up and fall out, forming holes on the leaves. That is why this disease is called "perforated spotting". Further, with a strong defeat by the fungus, the leaves may prematurely crumble. In addition, growths form on the trunk of the apricot, from which sticky juice (gum) flows.
How can an apricot tree be cured? On apricots, perforated spotting can occur not only as a result of a fungal infection, but also as a reaction of the plant to bacterial infections, to burns, and also to the ingress of chemicals. Therefore, when detecting characteristic symptoms, you must first find the source of the disease.

If the disease is of an infectious origin, you should try to eliminate the cause of the weakening of the tree. If the perforated spot is fungal in origin, take appropriate protective measures. The fungus can overwinter in leaf litter, so carefully collect and destroy fallen leaves. Then dig up the stem zone. A reliable way to combat apricot clasterosporiosis is treatment with copper-containing preparations (one-percent solution of copper sulphate or Bordeaux liquid). Spraying is carried out in early spring, according to the instructions for the selected preparation. Do not forget to cover the gum wounds of the tree with garden pitch.

Prevention. Provide the plant with good growth conditions: water the tree in time, wash the crowns, feed with fertilizers, and remove the affected branches in time.

Leaf curl (causative agent - deforming taphrine fungus) is the most formidable disease of stone fruit crops. Affected trees often lose their normal productivity. The disease sometimes leads to a complete loss of the crop. It is characterized by the appearance of swollen and reddish formations on the leaves. The leaves become twisted, "curly" - hence the name of the disease.
Signs:

1. In spring, young leaves become covered with blisters (bubbles).
2. Bubbles turn yellow, orange and red before darkening and completely subsidence.
3. Fruits and leaves die off en masse.
4. Shoots are deformed and lose their normal appearance.

Prevention. Like most fungi, curliness occurs in fairly warm weather when the air is still damp. Before this period, in late winter or early spring, you should already be in action.

Important! In the case of a disease such as leaf curl, nothing can replace preventive treatment. Prevention is the only effective way to fight this fungus! When curliness has appeared on the leaves of the apricot tree, it is already too late to do anything.

Apricot Leaf Curl Prevention Tips:

• The fungus often overwinters in humus, so carefully remove all fallen leaves in your garden in the fall.
• Then carry out the first treatment with Bordeaux liquid. This step is necessary to prevent spring blisters.
• Spraying work resumes in February.
• The third stage of spraying with Bordeaux liquid is carried out with the first buds on the trees and until May (every 15 days).

What to do if the disease has already manifested itself? In this case, we can simply avoid the spread of leaf curl. The fungus must be removed as early as possible, preferably before the end of January. You can use copper containing pesticides. If the disease has progressed, only the complete removal of all affected leaves, branches and fruits from the tree helps. However, it is advisable to avoid over-pruning - the tree can become very weak. To protect the roots from winter frosts and summer heat, mulch the base of the tree. Also, do not forget about the spring top dressing of the tree with organic fertilizers. Or treat the tree with the same Bordeaux liquid (according to the instructions).

Scab is another common fungal disease in fruit trees. This fungus produces enzymes that attack the cell walls of the fruit. The scab overwinters on fallen leaves. In addition, the development of the disease contributes to excess moisture (frequent precipitation). The longer the leaves of the tree remain moist and the higher the air temperature, the faster the infection spreads. As of May, the first damage to the leaves and fruits is already visible.
Signs. Shortly after flowering, dark green rounded spots form on the leaves, later they turn gray-brown. This is the primary infection. Scab on apricot is able to develop rapidly. In the worst cases, the fungus spreads over the entire leaf area. The leaves completely dry up and fall off. From time to time, shoots also become infected and die. In case of a late infection, the fruits of the tree begin to suffer. The fruit is covered with brown or gray hard spots. The body of the apricot is cracking. The scab destroys the pulp of the fruit. Apricots lose their taste, become unsightly and lose their decorative value.

Prevention and treatment. It will be difficult to use pesticides in the garden, as they will have to be applied in rainy weather (April to June) approximately every 4 days. In addition, most apricot trees are too large to be able to treat all leaves and shoots with an antifungal agent. Therefore, the best prevention is the right choice of apricot varieties. Avoid sensitive ornamental varieties. Choose more reliable, fungal-resistant species. The following apricot cultivars demonstrated significant resistance: "Special Denisyuka", "Monastyrsky", "Gold Rich".

verticillium wilt (verticillium wilt)

Verticillium wilt of fruit trees occurs in all countries of the world, but more often in areas with a temperate climate. Apricot crop is the most susceptible to this disease.

Signs. The disease is usually observed in early summer; manifests itself as a progressive loss of leaves by infected limbs, starting at the base of each branch. Before falling, the leaves may first turn yellow and dull. By the end of summer, only a bunch of leaves may remain on heavily affected branches. These tufts remain on the tree for several more weeks. The whole tree may show symptoms, but symptoms may also be limited to just one branch.

To protect an apricot tree from verticillium wilt, or at least reduce the number of fungi, you can use the following preventive methods:

• New shoots of stone fruits should be planted in areas of land where nothing has been grown for the past few years. Avoid planting trees in areas where crops such as potatoes, tomatoes, or strawberries used to be present.
• To remove any remaining fungus from the soil, fumigate or otherwise treat the soil (for example, solarize the soil) before planting trees.
• The quality of planting material is of great importance. Use only tested and disease-free planting material.
• Avoid damage to the roots of a young plant and excessive amounts of fertilizer.
• Periodically remove any affected, unproductive branches from trees.

Cytosporosis desiccation (cytosporosis)

The reason for the drying of young branches of a fruit tree may be a disease such as cytosporosis. It is apricot trees that are more prone to this disease than other crops. It is also called infectious drying, that is, fungal spores penetrate through various mechanical damage, cuts and cuts.

Signs. The disease manifests itself on the tops of the shoots in the form of brown smudges, spots form on the bark, the leaves wither. The fungus infects young branches, spreading down the tree and affecting old shoots and the trunk of the tree. Over time, the skeletal branches die off. This spread leads to the death of the entire tree. Drying can come on just like lightning, the bark suddenly becomes brown-red. Therefore, it seems that defeat occurs suddenly and without cause. But cytosporosis does not arise so easily. This means that the tree has already been weakened by something.

Disease control methods. The main thing is not to give spores the opportunity to penetrate into the wood. For this purpose, cover the damage on the tree with garden pitch, and cement large hollows. All damage from the sun, drought and frost must be disinfected with copper sulphate and then sealed. The apricot tree is easy to maintain in the initial stages of the disease. But, alas, any treatment in case of developed cytosporosis will be ineffective.

You can save a tree in the following way: remove all affected (withered) branches as soon as possible, capturing 10 cm of the healthy part of the shoot. Further, appropriate protective measures must be taken. You need to decide how to process the apricot in the spring. After pruning, the tree should be covered with garden pitch, capturing a diameter of more than 2 cm. In the fall, be sure to apply potash and phosphorus top dressing. Ash can be used as an available fertilizer. Combine top dressing with regular watering.

Did you know? For the apricot tree, foliar top dressing is very useful (there are many excellent fertilizers on the market). This method allows nutrients and trace elements to quickly penetrate the tree shoots and support the plant. Don't miss out on these opportunities!

Fusarium desiccation (fusarium)

Fusarium wilt affects apricot at any age, but more often at the flowering stage. Hot weather favors the spread and development of the disease.

Signs. First, grayish-brown, dull, slightly depressed spots appear on the leaves. In the future, spots also appear on the fruits, the flesh under the spot becomes dry, rotten, the peel is wrinkled. Infection usually occurs due to infection in the soil.

Treatment and prevention. Fusarium wilt affects mostly weak trees. Trees with mechanical damage (cracks, cuts) are susceptible to the disease. Therefore, in the fight against drying out, timely pruning of the tree, fertilizing the soil, watering, treating wounds, prevention in the form of spraying and treating apricots from diseases (in spring and autumn) is important. In autumn, remove and burn plant debris - places of possible infection. Carefully choose the soil for planting trees.

Did you know? It happens that an apricot tree gets sick and dies even with careful prevention and the best treatment. Gardeners still cannot find an explanation for this. Apricot trees are very thermophilic, so the main reason is considered to be an unsuitable climate zone for apricots.

Thus, like most fruit trees, the apricot is subject to diseases that can sometimes destroy the fruit crop. The apricot tree should be regularly checked for infections, even while indoors. In most cases, apricot diseases occur due to improper care and an unsuitable landing site. Timely treatment and prevention will help to avoid diseases and fungi. If everything is done correctly in tree care, garden owners will be able to enjoy these juicy and sweet fruits every summer.

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Every year we receive a lot of letters and calls on the topic “Why did the leaves on the plum, cherry and apricot begin to dry? What is this disease and how to deal with it? Most likely, it is moniliosis. How to deal with it - read the article.

The most common cause of yellowing of the leaves of trees is the fungus Ascomycete, which penetrates the pistil of the flower and infects young shoots. As a result, flowers, leaves and young twigs dry out. This is how a monilial burn occurs. If at least once your tree or your neighbor's tree fell ill with moniliosis - that's it! Monilia fungus spores have remained on the branches and trunks of your trees and are waiting for the right weather conditions to develop and destroy the future crop.

Heavy rains during the flowering period, jumping air temperatures, from minus at night to plus during the day, create ideal conditions for the spread of moniliosis.

Advice from "Economy"

If you notice signs of moniliosis in your garden on only one tree (apricot, plum or cherry), this does not mean that only this tree needs to be treated. ALL fruit trees need to be treated. And cut off the affected branches with the capture of healthy wood and burn!

Timely treatment with antifungal drugs will help prevent moniliosis on fruit trees. Various insects and pests only contribute to the spread of moniliosis. Therefore, when the first signs are found, begin an intensified fight not only with the fungus, but with pests.

First processing spend in the spring, before flowering: 1 ampoule of Calypso or Confidor Extra + 1 package of Horus for 9 liters of water.

Second treatment we carry out immediately after flowering: we also dilute 2 ampoules of Topaz + 1 ampoule of Skora + 1 ampoule of Confidor Maxi for 9 liters.

Third processing we carry out immediately after harvesting (the composition is the same as for the second).

Do not neglect the spring and autumn treatments! Pick up sprayers - and go ahead - save the garden!

If you catch your breath only in the summer, it will be too late. Fruits infected with moniliosis quickly deteriorate and rot already on the branch. Yes, with regard to biological means of protection - Alirin-B, Gamair and Planriz. All of them are effective as a prophylaxis and in the initial stage of the disease, which, as a rule, no one notices.

Svetlana Berezneva

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