North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Caren Kirk <quirky@videotron.ca>]

 Jay,

I had an ornamental cherry that did well for many years until the year 
before last when we started to have a severe ant problem. There seemed 
to be damage to the bark on the trunk along one side, as you describe 
(about 3 inches, bark dry and crumbling). A deer is now a very rare 
around here in my surburban neighbourhood ( and I have never ever seen a 
buck, only a rare glimpse of a doe passing through and that was about 7 
years ago), so I'm 100% sure it wasn't antler damage. The tree had a 
severe problem with ants (and ant-protected aphids). It was very 
strange, the ants seemed to try an enter the trunk at this damaged part.

In the end the tree continued to deteriorate despite me trying to prune 
of sections which seemed to be suffering the most, and despite trying to 
control the aphids and the ants. In the end we had to cut the whole 
thing off at the base. Luckily it was a cherry that suckered profusely 
so we just chose the best looking sucker and encouraged it  to grow to 
replace the old tree.

The sucker is now about 6 feet. Needless to say we are very vigilant 
about monitoring the ant situation these days.

Good luck with your peach, I would seriously try and get the ants under 
control if you want to give it a chance.

Caren Kirk
St. Jerome, QC

On 7/25/2011 7:34 PM, Jay Cutts wrote:
> Folks,
>
> Our peach tree has some damage on the top surface of one of its lateral
> branches. It's about a 3 inch section where the bark is gone. It almost
> looks like it has crumbled away (sun damage?) I don't see any insect
> holes. There are lots of ants on the tree. This is a tree that has
> experienced a lot of decline in the last few years, though it's only
> maybe 10 or 12 years old. A lot of the top has died and I've pruned it back.
>
> A couple years ago there was some serious damage to the bark on one side
> of the trunk - about a 10 inch section where the bark was destroyed.
> Right now there is also a small patch of new damage on the trunk, maybe
> a 2 inch section where the bark is gone.
>
> Any ideas what's happening?  Thanks.
>
> Regards,
>
> Jay
>
> Jay Cutts
> Director, Cutts Graduate Reviews
> Lead Author, Barron's Test Prep Publications
> (800) 353-4898
> In New Mexico, (505) 281-0684
> 10 am to 10 pm Mountain Time, 7 days
>
>
> On 7/25/2011 2:45 PM, Richard L. Wagner wrote:
> >      Are there any stone fruits with any resistance to the plum curculio?
> >
> >      Despite three sprayings in both of the last two years we have not
> > been able to get a single uninfected fruit. We may as well consider all
> > stone fruits as ornamental only.
> >
> >      Richard Wagner
> >
> >      southern Missouri Ozarks z 6b/7a
> >
> >
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