29 Dec 2006 - Give your fruit trees a winter wash.

Do you have a plum tree which appears dead in July but recovers slightly by September? If you have it might be suffering from Brachycaudus Helichrysi or plum leaf curling aphid. Now is the time to take action to rid your plum tree of this pest. Our plum tree suffered from this pest two years ago. A healthy tree in spring appeared to be almost dead by July.

 

 

 

After having flowered well in spring,  in summer our plum tree looked as though it was dying.

 

 

The plums and leaves on the tree withered and fell off. The tree recovered later in the year and produced some new leaves but no fruit. Our tree suffered in this way for two years until when browsing the Royal Hoticultural Society's web site, I discovered the possible cause and more importantly a treatment. To visit this web site for more details of this pest click here.

 

The treatment is to give your tree a winter wash.  This should be carried out on a still winter's day. If possible spray you should spray three times, the first time in December with repeat treatments in January and February. This is an organic preparation, however it will scorch young buds and leaves so should be used when the tree is fully dormant. The treatment worked on our plum tree which produced a good crop of plums this year. We now use it every year as a preventative treatment on apples. plums and gages.

 

 

To view additional photos of our tree through the seasons click on the forward arrow on the bottom right of the slideshow below.

 

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