Pests and diseases of fruit trees and shrubs

Content

1 Causes of the death of orchards
2 Insect types
3 Orchard diseases
4 Conclusion

Modern varieties of fruit crops can have good immunity to one or several diseases, have resistance to a certain type of pest - breeders have been achieving this effect for years. But unfortunately, there are still no trees or shrubs that would never get sick and would not be interested in pests. Pest and disease control is an important part of the care that is vital for an orchard. A gardener can conscientiously prune his trees, fertilize and water the soil, but this will not protect the garden from a small pest or infection, which can nullify all human efforts in a matter of days.

Descriptions and photos of the most dangerous pests of fruit trees are given in this article. Here we will talk about the most common diseases of fruit trees and shrubs, and about effective methods of combating them.

Causes of the death of orchards

The goal of a good gardener is a well-maintained, healthy garden that produces consistent yields of tasty fruit. Unfortunately, not only people like fragrant fruits - various insects also love them. There are also such pests that eat only leaves, buds or feast on exclusively the bark of a tree. There are those who devour everything that comes their way.

Attention! The main reason pests attack fruit trees is that plants are the main food for most insects.

In addition to the main reason, there are also indirect ones that can aggravate the condition of fruit trees:

External damage to the tree. Rodent-eaten bark, improperly cut shoots, branches broken by the wind - all this causes the tree to weaken, which, in turn, is an easy prey for pests and diseases.
Temperature damage, which can occur when the garden is exposed to too high or critically low temperatures. Temperature extremes are especially dangerous: sudden warming in winter, hail and sharp air cooling in the middle of summer, cool and humid night air combined with daytime heat.
Lack or excess of moisture. Every gardener knows the strong dependence of plants on the amount of water they receive. At the same time, both excessive rainfall or watering and periods of prolonged drought are equally dangerous for the tree.
Nutritional imbalance. Everyone knows that cultivated plants need to be fed with organic and mineral fertilizers. If the amount of fertilizer is calculated incorrectly, the plant will surely react to this: the shade of the leaves will change, they may curl or become spots, the shoots will turn red or brown, the appearance of the fruits will become unattractive.

Important! Not only does any of these factors have a negative effect on the state of the orchard, but it is also the cause of the weakening of the tree - diseases quickly cling to it, pests multiply rapidly and destroy the plant or its parts.

Insect types

He is mistaken who believes that it is the harvest of the orchard that needs to be saved from pests. Yes, insects are often attracted to the juicy and aromatic fruits that ripen on the branches of the tree. But absolutely any part of the plant (from foliage to roots) can become food for some species of these pests.

It is customary to divide fruit pests into groups depending on their "culinary" preferences:

fruit pests - those who are interested exclusively in the fruits of the tree. Among them there are those who eat the pulp of the fruit (for example, the sawfly), but there are those who are interested in the seeds (weevils). Caterpillars of many butterflies are very dangerous for the orchard, since at this stage of their development they are omnivorous and can quickly cause irreparable damage to the crop.
Deciduous pests interested in the green part of plants - leaves. The destruction of leaves impairs photosynthesis, as a result of which any plant dies. In this group there are insects that leave holes in the leaves, and there are also such pests that fold the leaf plate into a tube or destroy it entirely.
Bark parasites use this part of the tree to satisfy their own hunger (ticks, bark beetles). And most of all existing pests penetrate the cracks in the bark and hide there from the winter cold.
Root pests probably the most dangerous of all, because they are not visible, and for a long time the gardener may not be aware that the tree is in danger of imminent death. The main representatives of this group are weevils and beetle larvae. A tree with damaged roots dies very quickly, and it is almost impossible to save it.
Omnivorous pests - a real pestilence for the orchard. For example, aphids are able to drink juice from any part of the plant, so a large amount of this parasite is a sure death for a tree.

In order to better get acquainted with the dangerous pests of the orchard, you should study their photos and descriptions, learn about the habits of these insects and what means you can fight with them.

Caterpillars

Caterpillars are big lovers of fruit and berry plants, because their main food is juicy foliage. The caterpillar can leave holes in the leaf plate or eat it completely.

Attention! The most popular types of caterpillars in domestic gardens: silkworm, hawthorn, leafworm, apple moth, goldtail.

Caterpillars begin their life at the very beginning of spring. At this time, the pests only wake up and are small in size, so it is still easy to deal with them. There are several ways to destroy caterpillars on fruit trees:

spray the tree with chlorophos or karbofos (40 grams per 8 liters of water);
use captan or phthalan for processing (40 grams per 7 liters of water);
any mineral oil will simultaneously protect the tree from ticks;
removal and cutting of pest nests;
destruction of clutches (effective for silkworms);
cutting out affected branches;
processing of the bark with kerosene.

Advice! It is not difficult to notice the presence of caterpillars on a fruit tree - they are given out by severely damaged leaves. Therefore, you need to regularly inspect the garden and begin to deal with pests as early as possible.

Larvae

These pests are good because they are clearly visible on the shoots of fruit plants. You can eliminate the larvae mechanically - just collect them by hand. The larva looks like a yellowish or dark gray ring covered with transparent mucus. On the leaves of the tree, the larvae leave holes and translucent traces of dried mucus.

If the number of larvae on a tree is large, it is very dangerous - the pests will quickly destroy all the leaves and disrupt the photosynthesis of the plant. Therefore, in such cases, one should not hesitate and be careful - only a strong chemical will help. From biological products, you can try Entobacterin, which is safe even at the stage of fruit ripening.

Attention! The larvae are activated by waves corresponding to their stages of reproduction. These pests should be expected in early May and early July.

Weevils

A weevil can be distinguished from another beetle by the presence of a long trunk, which is an extension of its head. Thanks to this powerful trunk, the pest can feed on delicate leaves, juicy fruits, and hard bones or tree bark.

The first wave of weevils appears by mid-April and is engaged in eating the kidneys.The presence of these pests can be guessed by the transparent drops near the buds of the tree. If you open such a kidney, a cavity will be found inside - the pest has destroyed the future leaf.

Important! Distinguish between apple, cherry and bud weevils.

You can destroy kidney weevils with a solution of chlorophos (20 grams per bucket of water). If the gardener is against "chemistry", you need to remember that weevils are ordinary beetles that do not stick well to branches. Effectively shaking off pests with the use of physical force. Before the procedure, it is recommended to spread a cloth or film around the tree, and then collect the beetles and throw them into salt water.

Advice! Shaking off pests is possible only in the morning, while there is no sun and the temperature has not risen above +8 degrees. At this time, the weevils are inactive and will not be able to fly away.

Copper beetles (leaf beetles)

Copperheads are very unpleasant pests that can jump and fly long distances. They feed on the juice of leaves and fruits. You can find out about their presence by the characteristic sugar traces on all parts of the tree. The fruit damaged by copperhead is covered with a transparent film, subsequently a fungus develops on the peel and the decay process is activated.

You can fight this pest with a nitrafen solution - 350 grams per bucket of water. When spraying before flowering, karbofos can be added. A week after flowering, fumigating the shoots of the fruit tree can help.

Aphid

You can learn about the defeat of stone fruit crops by aphids at the beginning of spring. To do this, in March, the owner needs to go out into the garden and look for ants in the trees: it is these insects that are most interested in aphids.

Important! Early spring garden treatment is very effective in preventing aphids. For this, you can use a solution of copper sulfate or urea.

When the aphid has multiplied, it is quite easy to see it: the tree or its individual parts are covered with a sticky fine cobweb, the leaves curl, the shoots inhibit growth. At this stage, you will need a stronger drug, you can use Tiacloprid or other "chemistry".

Orchard diseases

Along with pests, gardeners are often annoyed by diseases of the bark, roots, shoots and leaves of fruit trees, so their treatment is one of the main tasks of a professional. Unfortunately, there are no less than pests of various diseases that threaten fruit trees. They all manifest themselves in different ways, and they should be treated with special methods.

Apple tree cancer

You can find out that a tree is sick with cancer by the following characteristic signs:

the bark on individual shoots shrank and cracked in concentric rings;
in winter, a red growth appeared on the bark;
the damaged branch became darker than the others.

The tree needs to be treated radically: diseased branches are cut out, wounds are treated with garden putty.

Attention! Spraying the garden with copper preparations can help prevent cancer. Such processing should be carried out in the fall, after leaf fall.

Bacterial cancer

This disease threatens only stone fruit crops. First, spots with light edges appear on the leaves. Later stages of bacterial cancer are characterized by the appearance of a gum that seeps through the bark. Sick branches gradually die off.

To cure a tree, you need to cut out all damaged areas and treat the ulcers with garden varnish. For prevention, you can spray the garden with a copper preparation in August, September and October.

Withering buds

This disease appears if the spring is too wet. Flower brushes of apples, pears and plums take on a brown hue and begin to dry. In order to prevent the spread of the disease, it is necessary to radically remove all infected shoots and ovaries.

Brown rot

The fruits of fruit trees are the first to suffer from this disease. On ripening fruits, yellowish plaque rings appear.Later, the entire fruit turns brown and becomes soft - until it rots completely.

To prevent the disease from spreading, you need to pluck the infected fruits and collect them from the ground near the tree.

Bacterial burn

The shoots and leaves of the diseased plant turn brown and gradually dry out. In early spring, a translucent liquid begins to ooze from the infected parts. If a case of a bacterial burn is noticed in the garden, it is urgent to cut the diseased shoot 60 cm below the lesion.

Important! When most of the tree is already sick, it will have to be uprooted and burned until the entire garden is damaged.

Conclusion

Pests and diseases of fruit trees are a constant headache for the gardener. Experienced owners know that it is very difficult and difficult to treat plants, it is much more correct to carry out prevention and follow care recommendations. Pests and diseases manifest themselves in different ways, before treating a garden, you need to find out what exactly it suffers from.

Diseases of the bark of fruit trees and their treatment