Sometimes the fruit tree begins to lose its attractiveness - the foliage withers, the crop crumbles - and generally takes on an unhealthy look. This condition can be caused by rotting culture. Rot appears on the roots, under the bark or in the heart of the tree. Even an experienced gardener finds it difficult at first glance to determine what the problem is. Read about the causes of cultural illness below.
Please put your likes and subscribe to the channel "About Fasenda". This will allow us to publish more interesting garden articles.
Advanced age
One of the natural causes is old age. Although reference books say that a fruit tree can live for 50–70 years, it is worth understanding that much still depends on the climate. Such a life span is found only in the southern regions and, moreover, under ideal conditions, in the middle lane these periods are significantly reduced. In order to navigate when you need to plant young trees to replace old ones, you need to know the approximate age to which fruit trees live. In optimal conditions in the south, the duration is:
- for an apple tree - up to 100 years, depending on the species;
- pears - up to 70 years, fruiting lasts up to 50 years;
- plums - up to 20 years;
- cherries and cherries - up to 25 years;
- apricot - up to 100 years.
In the middle lane, these terms are reduced by about half. It must be borne in mind that columnar varieties have an even shorter lifespan. Experienced gardeners, in order to rejuvenate the tree, carry out global pruning or grafting.
Incorrect fit
Most often, mature trees rot. But sometimes this also happens with young seedlings that were planted 1-2 years ago. Often the cause is incorrect planting, for example, the plant is too deep or too weak.
If the seedling is planted too deep, then the neck will be underground. In this case, the plant will start to rot on the root. Until the situation becomes irreversible, this must be corrected. You need to dig up a seedling and transplant. When the roots have grown a lot, you should proceed as follows:
- Dig in a young tree, reaching the roots.
- Put on the hose and shed the root system well.
- After soil shrinkage, pour an additional layer under the trunk.
- Bury the roots.
If the seedling was planted too high and the upper part of the root system sticks out above the ground level, it is necessary to protect the plant from freezing and diseases. To do this, in the near-trunk circle, a mound of earth with a height of about 20 cm should be poured.
Proximity of groundwater
Excessive moisture, high groundwater levels and swampy areas can also cause wood to rot. If the roots are in water, they feed poorly, freeze, begin to lose foliage, and then die.
To prevent this, it is necessary to find out at what depth the groundwater is before planting. If the depth is more than 3 meters, then you can safely plant tall trees. If from 2–3 meters, then it is better to give preference to medium-sized crops. When the water table is higher, it is advisable to plant dwarf trees.
As a last resort, you can make an artificial fill hill. Already plant a tree in it. But in this case, you will have to water the plant and fertilize the soil much more often.
Diseases
Many diseases that affect plants first appear on the leaves and fruits. But if you do not pay attention to this, then there is a possibility of damage to the wood. Often, trees are destroyed by moniliosis and black cancer.
Initially, the disease is manifested by loss of bark, and cracks appear on the trunk and branches. After that, the wood gradually begins to blacken and rot.
When more than half of the tree is affected, the treatment will be useless. The plant can only be helped at the initial stage of the disease. If measures are not taken in time, the tree will have to be uprooted and burned. Otherwise, the disease can spread to other plants.
Bark beetles
A plant can be killed not only by a disease, but also by a parasite. Moreover, if fleas, leaf rollers, aphids, leaf beetles and other similar insects affect only foliage or fruits, then bark beetles destroy the tree from the inside. They can kill a healthy plant in just a few years.
Fruit trees die when the parasite eats away at their root system. In this case, the tree does not rot, but gradually dries up.
Bark beetles spend almost their entire life inside a tree. The trunk, all thick branches and roots gradually become partially hollow due to the moves of these insects.
Bark beetles cause putrefactive bacteria to enter plant tissues. To combat parasites, biological insecticides can be used, as well as entomophagous insects. But to do this, you must first understand what is happening with the tree.
Do you know what to do if a tree rots?
Original articleand many other materials, you can find on ourwebsite.
You can also read about pickled eggplants in the following article:How to plant a rose to a rosehip: an algorithm of actions