A problem with a plum tree.

[mrcman]

Hi All,

This is a pic of my sons plums. Just as they ripen this fungas appears. If you open the fruit it appears to be already rotten. Any ideas?? ie. what is the problem? how do we take care of it now?? in the future?

Thanks Tony

 

[897tgigvib]

They used to use plain agricultural sulfur to stop rot on the prunes in the orchards. Hand tossed on before needed.

A full grown prune tree, and most plums, do not need watering during the summer. That helps stop fungus too.

 

[mrcman]

Thanks Marshall.

We'll look into the sulfur.

Tony

 

[MontyJ]

That looks like brown rot to me click here . If it is it's going to take a lot more than sulfur to fix it. Peaches suffer from it too.

 

[897tgigvib]

The orchardmen tossed it on by hand before it was needed...as a preventative. Vineyards too, as preventative.

Around here it usually does not rain in summer. If and when it does, or the fog rolls in farther or longer than normal then they applied sulfur. I do not know if sulfur will cure it. It is a preventative.

 

[MontyJ]

An ounce of prevention is worth pound of cure, as they say. Sulfur is certainly good for that, no doubt. I was just saying that brown rot control requires more than just a preventative application. Once it's in the tree and rotting fruit, it's probably too late to do anything about it this season. I have a book on my computer at home that I reference quite often, but I am out of town again this week and don't have it on my laptop. It goes into great detail about many fruit diseases and control measures. I did find this (link) from Purdue University. It's a pretty good read on Brown Rot of stone fruits. I just lost the entire harvest from my Elberta to Brown Rot. It started with a bad scab infection, which gave the BR a foothold. It went downhill fast from there.

 

[mrcman]

Monty,

I read the links and it seems to be what my son has.

Thanks to both you fella's for the help.

Thanks Tony