Q. I have murdered my 5 year old Santa Rosa plum. The borers
have finished it. I treated the tree for iron twice earlier in the spring, and
It never seemed to help, I now see why. They are in every branch, and looks like
the main trunk. I had white washed as you suggested, but I should have
reapplied every year, since it faded some, and of course the tree grew. I have
learned a valuable lesson, and I feel terrible for the loss of my tree. Thank
god, I had a bumper crop last year, hopefully I have enough jam to hold me a
few years until a new tree takes shape. Thank you so much for years of tips and
tricks for our garden.
have finished it. I treated the tree for iron twice earlier in the spring, and
It never seemed to help, I now see why. They are in every branch, and looks like
the main trunk. I had white washed as you suggested, but I should have
reapplied every year, since it faded some, and of course the tree grew. I have
learned a valuable lesson, and I feel terrible for the loss of my tree. Thank
god, I had a bumper crop last year, hopefully I have enough jam to hold me a
few years until a new tree takes shape. Thank you so much for years of tips and
tricks for our garden.
.JPG) |
| Santa Rosa plum ripe |
A. So many borers as you stated is an indicator that
perhaps the branches were getting overly heated and burned by the sun. Always
keep a full canopy to shade the limbs and trunk. Pruning fruit trees in the desert is an art. It is finding a fine balance between removing enough and removing too much wood from a tree.
perhaps the branches were getting overly heated and burned by the sun. Always
keep a full canopy to shade the limbs and trunk. Pruning fruit trees in the desert is an art. It is finding a fine balance between removing enough and removing too much wood from a tree.
 |
| Sap oozing from cut limb on plum. Sap oozes freely from damaged limbs on plum. This is a defense mechanism and when working properly drowns any infesting insect with sap. |
Never prune so much that it
opens up the canopy for sunburn to the limbs. Mulch the soil which helps keep a
full canopy and dig out borers as you see them causing sap oozing from
the trunk or have limb dieback. I will do this in the winter time when all the leaves are gone and it is easy to find damaged limbs.
opens up the canopy for sunburn to the limbs. Mulch the soil which helps keep a
full canopy and dig out borers as you see them causing sap oozing from
the trunk or have limb dieback. I will do this in the winter time when all the leaves are gone and it is easy to find damaged limbs.