Bacterial canker (stone fruit)

Sunken bark patches oozing gum, dying buds and dieback: a bacterium common on cherry, apricot, peach and plum.

How to recognise

• Spot sunken bark areas oozing gum, often where a branch starts.
• Check buds and twigs that fail to open in spring.

What to do

• Prune affected parts in dry weather, well below the diseased zone, and disinfect the tool.
• Prune stone fruit only in summer (never in wet winter) to limit infection.

Prevent

• Avoid needless wounds and protect large pruning cuts.
• Prefer less susceptible rootstocks and varieties, and well-drained soil.

Trees affected