Apple and pear canker

Sunken bark wounds with concentric ridges: the fungus slowly kills the branch.

How to recognise

• Look for concentric rings around a sunken bark wound.
• Check whether the branch is dying back above the affected area.

What to do

• Cut the affected branch cleanly below the canker, in dry weather.
• Disinfect tools between cuts and protect large wounds.

Prevent

• Prune in dry weather and avoid wounding the bark; watch damp sites.

Trees affected