Scab And Our Garden

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

The scab on fruit trees robs us of our harvest. You will learn how to deal with scab in this article

Why is scab dangerous?

Scab is a common disease resulting from the activation of pathogenic fungi. Fruit trees are often affected by this disease. Signs of scab:

• cracks, • growths, • spots of irregular shape (brown color - of different intensity), • ulcers, • pustules, • warts, • exfoliation of the skin.

Such lesions form on the leaves, shoots and fruits of the tree. All this leads to growth arrest, leaf fall, dropping of ovaries. The fruits take on an ugly shape, crack, and rot. With the strong development of fungi, the tree loses its foliage in the middle of summer.

Fungi actively reproduce at a temperature of + 15 … + 20, at high humidity, in soil with an acidity of pH 7. The bacteria overwinter in dead foliage under a tree. The peak of activity of scab pathogens occurs in spring and at high humidity.

Scab affects many cultures:

• cherries, • apple trees, • beets, • pear, • celery, • potatoes, etc.

If the scab does not lead to the death of plants, then it weakens them and contributes to the defeat of other infections. It is possible to detect the problem only in the later stages, when you notice brown spot. Therefore, you need to do antifungal prophylaxis.

Pear scab

On the shoots of pears, the scab fungus is overwintering. With the beginning of bud opening, an active "life of bacteria" and the spread of the disease begin. This is signaled by leaves, spots and a velvet coating of light green color are visible on them. These are colonies of fungal spores, the spread of which will lead to drying of leaves and flowers, and their premature fall. The result is a decrease in fruit formation and sick, deformed fruits.

The spots on the leaves are replaced by bubbles. The disease spreads to the branches, trunk. Swelling of the bark begins, cracks appear, ulcers form.

All this is the habitat of spores. The process does not stop. Insects, birds spread the infection to new places, the wind transfers spores to spores of neighboring plants, gradually infecting the entire pear garden with scab.

What measures to take?

1. Collect fallen leaves (preferably in autumn).

2. For better ventilation, thin out the crown annually.

3. Choose varieties that are resistant to scab, for example: "Nika", "Memory of Yakovlev", "Lada", "Chekhovskaya" and others.

4. Spray pears with Bordeaux mixture at least 3 times: during budding, after flowering and 2-3 weeks after it.

5. Remove affected plant parts and burn.

6. Late autumn, do not be lazy - dig up the trunk circles, spill it with a solution of ferrous sulfate.

Apple scab

An interesting fact - in apple trees, the scab pathogen is completely different, so the pear disease is not transmitted to apple trees. Apple scab does not affect the bark, but the leaves. This leads to blackening of the fruit. Over time, the whole tree gets sick: flowers wither, young shoots dry up, bark cracks. The tree slowly begins to die.

How to deal with apple scab?

• Plant apple trees no closer than 3 meters apart.

• Carry out annual pruning, thinning of branches.

• Choose varieties that are resistant to the disease. Such as Prima, Topaz, Antonovka.

• Incinerate the affected parts.

Spray the apple trees with garlic tincture periodically: infuse 300 grams of garlic in 2 liters of boiling water, leave for a day, filter, add another 8 liters of water and 30-40 grams of soap.

Cherry scab

The fungus manifests itself as brown spots on the leaves. Then they roll up and dry up. The fruits stop developing and dry up in their infancy.

Spores of the fungus persist in fallen leaves in winter and become more active with the arrival of spring, especially if the weather is humid during the flowering period. This can lead to the fact that the tree loses more than half of its foliage in a short time. This was observed 5 years ago in many districts of the Moscow region.

Prevention of scab on cherries

1. In early spring and autumn, carefully dig up the ground under the tree, removing fallen leaves.

2. Remove and incinerate the affected parts.

3. Do not be lazy to carry out annual thinning of branches.

4. Spray trees with Bordeaux mixture before flowering, 3 weeks after flowering and after harvesting.

All of these activities will help to improve the health of the garden and get a rich harvest.