If you are a careful gardener, then you inspect your plantings regularly and seasonally. Then in time you can notice a disease on apple trees such as tinder fungus, which usually grows in tree hollows. Some amateur gardeners believe that such a growth protects the apple tree, preventing the hollow from expanding, but this is absolutely false. The fungus grows, causing destruction of the wood and sucking the juices from the pith. As long as there is only one growth, the tree can still be saved.
You will need
- - knife, axe, hacksaw or chainsaw;
- - solution of copper sulfate;
- - garden var;
- - mullein and clay;
- - nigrol, rosin, ash and wax;
- - hard brush;
Instructions
Remove the mushroom. If it is already woody, take a large knife, hacksaw, hatchet or even a chainsaw. You will have to destroy healthy wood, but the tinder fungus must be removed completely, to a clean place.
Use a knife or scraper to clean the wound down to healthy wood so that you get a relatively smooth and even surface.
Disinfect the wound. To do this, take a 5% solution of copper sulfate or creosote and treat the hollow. Then seal the area thoroughly. You can do this with oil paint or garden paint. Or you can take nigrol, rosin, ash and wax in a ratio of 10:6:3:1, mix and cover the wound.4
There is another (old) option for wound treatment. Mix putty from fresh mullein and clay, taking the components in equal parts. Mix everything well. For 5 liters of this mixture (half a bucket), add 0.5 liters of a ready-made solution of copper sulfate (3 percent). Apply the prepared mixture to the damaged area.
You can treat all nearby areas of the apple tree with the product you prepared to putty the wound - the trunk and branches (just dilute it with water first, excessive thickness will no longer be needed). The fact is that you may not immediately notice the spread of the tinder fungus throughout the tree, and such preventive measures will prevent its germination.
However, simply applying the product to the bark is not enough. It is necessary to pre-prepare the surface. To do this, take a hard brush (if the tree is old and the bark is thick, you can use a metal brush or even a piece of chain-link mesh) and clean off the old bark from the trunk and branches (without fanaticism, just the top, as if dead, layer). After this you can continue processing.
After completing all the work, do not forget to rake the old bark and fragments of the tinder fungus from under the apple tree and burn it on the fire. This must be done in order to destroy the cocoons and eggs of various pests, as well as the hyphae (cells) of the fungus.
There are several varieties of tinder fungi. Depending on the type, they can be white, brown or brown, as well as striped, streaky, hard, fluffy, dry, slimy, etc. The measures to combat all are the same. Helpful advice
Experienced gardeners they say that if the tinder fungus was large, then it will only be possible to get rid of it temporarily. The fact is that the hyphae of the tinder fungus have the ability to penetrate deeply into the wood, which makes saving the apple tree almost impossible. It will gradually fade away, first reducing productivity, then becoming gnarled, covered with growths and hollows. Therefore, even if the operation to remove the fungus was successful, you should think about replacing the tree.
In the future, take care of safety fruit trees– protect them from mechanical damage, clean off rotten bark, seal hollows and cracks.
We saw everything. But has everyone ever wondered why rot appears? It turns out that rot is caused by wood decaying fungi, of which there are many. Most of them belong to the national team group of tinder fungi. Who is to blame and what to do? All the secrets of mushrooms are revealed by candidate of agricultural sciences Aleksey ANTSIFEROV.
Tree infection wood-destroying, or xylotrophic, fungi occurs through - broken or cut branches, wounds, dry sides, mechanical damage, frost holes, etc. Fungal spores scattered in the air land on bare wood and germinate. The mycelium of the fungus penetrates the trunk and begins its destructive effect.
Some types of xylotrophs already settle on mechanically processed wood (logs, posts, boards) - sleeper mushroom, fence or pillar mushroom, multicolored tinder fungus, true house mushroom, filmy house mushroom.
Root rot
In addition to stem rots, there are also root and butt-root rots. They are also caused by xylotrophic fungi, but they spread not only by spores, but also by contact between affected and healthy roots. Due to the distribution characteristics, the development of root rot in plantations usually has a clump character.
The oak, flat and Schweinitz polypores also lead to butt-root rot of trees.
The presence of rot in a tree trunk can be indicated by certain signs known to experts (dry sides, swelling in the lower part of the trunk, fruiting bodies of mushrooms, decreased linear growth, etc.). But sometimes these signs are there, but there is no rot. It also happens the other way around - there is rot in the trunk, but it does not appear outwardly. And it’s even more unclear how to assess the size and extent of hidden rot?
It would seem that you can find out about this either by sawing the tree into pieces (which is radical), or by inviting a clairvoyant (which is doubtful). An error in both cases is fraught - either the abandoned tree will fall, or a non-dangerous specimen will be removed. However, there are devices that allow you to “look” inside a tree without causing virtually any harm to it.
Device resistograph drills into wood with a thin drill, and sensors record its density (resistance to drilling). By using computer program a picture emerges internal state tree. There is another device - arbot. This is a tomograph, the operating principle of which is based on measuring the speed of sound pulses passing through wood. The decision to remove or leave a tree standing is made not only on the basis of the data obtained as a result of instrumental diagnostics, but also taking into account the biological characteristics of the species, the inclination of the trunk, the architectonics of the crown, the characteristics of the site, the nature of nearby objects and other factors.
Depending on the degree of development of the rot, treatment or removal of the tree is possible if it is considered unsafe.
Healthy trees resist wood-destroying fungi more successfully than weakened ones, are less likely to be affected by them, and slow down the rate of rot development. Therefore, it is necessary to promptly treat wounds and dry holes, fill hollows, remove tobacco branches, trim dry and damaged branches, and seal the resulting cuts and cuts with garden varnish, sealant or special paint. To reduce the number of fungal spores scattered in the air, it is necessary to promptly remove emergency, dead and fallen trees, stumps, logging residues, and fruiting bodies of xylotrophic fungi from non-emergency trees on the site and adjacent territory.
The density of tree plantings and the associated interweaving of root systems creates favorable conditions for the spread of root and butt-root rots. It was noted that in mixed plantings, wood-destroying fungi develop to a lesser extent than in purebred ones.
Where did the name “tinder” come from? The thing is that the fruiting body of this mushroom is covered with a hard light gray crust. It was dried and used as a ignitable base - tinder - for flint flint. This was done a long time ago, when there were no matches. The mushroom from which tinder was obtained became the well-known tinder fungus.
“Devil's hooves,” as these mushrooms are also popularly called, are not afraid of the sultry sun, violent downpours, or polar blizzards. On the underside of the fruiting body of the mushroom, spores ripen in small tubes. Polypore spores penetrate through wounds on the bark that appear as a result of various mechanical damage: frost damage, sunburn, breaking branches, and some insect activity. The spores germinate into a mycelium, which literally sucks all the living juices out of the tree. Trees affected by tinder fungi become rotten, with fragile, dryish branches, which significantly shortens their life. A sign that the tree is almost rotten is the formation of woody, hoof-like growths on the trunk. They are located on it one above the other in the form of shelves that curl in spirals from the root to the very top of the tree. When a tree dies, the dead wood provides excellent habitat for polypores.
Polypores “eat” the tree for 6-10 years, and this is almost the entire productive period. So for the first 2-4 years you can safely harvest, taking the above measures to protect healthy trees. And only after noticing a significant decrease in yield, it is worth planting a replacement. When the planted seedling begins to bear fruit, then you can clear conscience cutting down an old tree.
Anastasia Rogach
especially for the Internet portal
garden center "Your Garden"
If you notice an error, select the required text and press Ctrl+Enter to report it to the editors Tinder fungus - a dangerous parasite of fruit trees
Signs of damage to an apple tree by the tinder fungus
On the territory of one orchard there can be up to two dozen varieties of tinder fungi. The most common ones are:
- Real;
- False;
- Scaly;
- Flat;
- Smoky;
- Yellow;
- Multicolored.
Externally, the mushroom may resemble a hoof, a hat, sharp growths, or layers of other shapes located on the trunk and branches of the apple tree. Depending on the variety, tinder fungus can be yellow, orange or gray.
The size of the mushroom varies from 1 cm to 1 m in diameter. On average, it reaches 10-20 cm. For the first couple of years, the body of the fungus may not appear on the surface, and a sign of its presence is a grayish or milky sheen on the leaves.
Why is the tinder fungus dangerous?
The main cause of damage to an apple tree by tinder fungus is damage to the bark, through which fungal spores enter the tree. Broken branches, cracks in bark, holes left by birds and insects, sunburn and frost holes - all this can cause infection.
How to deal with tinder fungus on an apple tree
Fighting tinder fungus is quite difficult, but do not despair. Effective treatment methods include the following:
- First, you need to make sure there are no tinder fungus on the trees growing near your garden. Since the spores spread over quite long distances, it is necessary to get rid of infected plants around the site;
- If you find a fungus only on a branch, then there is a possibility that the infection has not yet spread to the entire tree. It is better to cut off the affected branch near the trunk: if the cut is light, hard and without signs of rotting, then the apple tree is absolutely healthy, and if the wood is soft and dark, the plant is completely infected;
- When a fungus grows on a trunk, this indicates infection of the entire tree. A completely affected plant must be uprooted and burned;
- It is necessary to cut off tinder fungi at the end of summer, when the spores have not yet matured. The body of the mushroom is removed along with part of the wood and burned so that the spores do not spread. The cut on the tree should be thoroughly disinfected with copper sulfate (3% solution) and treated with garden varnish or RanNet;
- To disinfect the entire plant, spray with Nitrofen solution (0.2 kg of substance per 10 liters of liquid) or Bordeaux mixture. In the spring before the leaves appear or in the fall after they fall effective method control is to treat apple trees with iron sulfate (5% solution).
Prevention of infection with the fungus tinder fungus
The tinder fungus eats the tree quite slowly; with proper care, the plant can last about 10 more years. And if your garden is healthy, then don’t forget about preventive measures:
You should not throw cut polypore mushrooms into the compost pit, as the spores in them continue to ripen and then spread freely throughout the site and trees in the garden.
You will need
- - knife, axe, hacksaw or chainsaw;
- - solution of copper sulfate;
- - garden var;
- - mullein and clay;
- - nigrol, rosin, ash and wax;
- - hard brush;
Instructions
Remove the mushroom. If it is already woody, take a large knife, hacksaw, hatchet or even. You will have to destroy healthy wood, but the tinder fungus must be removed completely, to a clean place.
Use a knife or scraper to clean the wound down to healthy wood so that you get a relatively smooth and even surface.
Disinfect the wound. To do this, take a 5% solution of copper sulfate or creosote and treat the hollow. Then seal the area thoroughly. You can do this with oil paint or garden paint. Or you can take nigrol, rosin, ash and wax in a ratio of 10:6:3:1, mix and cover the wound.
There is another (old) option for wound treatment. Mix putty from fresh mullein and clay, taking the components in equal parts. Mix everything well. For 5 liters of this mixture (half a bucket), add 0.5 liters of a ready-made solution of copper sulfate (3 percent). Apply the prepared mixture to the damaged area.
You can treat all nearby areas with the product that you prepared to putty the wound - the trunk and branches (just dilute it with water first, excessive thickness will no longer be needed). The fact is that you may not immediately notice the spread of the tinder fungus throughout the tree, and such preventive measures will prevent its germination.
However, simply applying the product to the bark is not enough. It is necessary to pre-prepare the surface. To do this, take a hard brush (if the tree is old and the bark is thick, you can use a metal brush or even a piece of chain-link mesh) and clean off the old bark from the trunk and branches (without fanaticism, just the top, as if dead, layer). After this you can continue processing.
Do not forget, upon completion of all work, to rake out the old bark and fragments of the tinder fungus and burn them at the stake. This must be done in order to destroy the cocoons and eggs of various pests, as well as the hyphae (cells) of the fungus.
note
There are several varieties of tinder fungi. Depending on the type, they can be white, brown or brown, as well as striped, streaky, hard, fluffy, dry, slimy, etc. The measures to combat all are the same.
Helpful advice
Experienced gardeners say that if the tinder fungus was large, then it will only be possible to get rid of it temporarily. The fact is that the hyphae of the tinder fungus have the ability to penetrate deeply into the wood, which makes saving the apple tree almost impossible. It will gradually fade away, first reducing productivity, then becoming gnarled, covered with growths and hollows. Therefore, even if the operation to remove the fungus was successful, you should think about replacing the tree.
In the future, take care of the safety of fruit trees - protect them from mechanical damage, clean off rotten bark, seal hollows and cracks.
Sources:
- apple tree treatment
