North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[sherwin <sherwindu@att.net>]

On 5/7/2012 4:09 PM, Lee Reich wrote:
> CAR spores travel far so removing cedar trees is of limited use. Quoting from 
> my NEW book, Grow Fruit Naturally,
>
> "Cedar-apple rust disease produces orange spots on leaves and fruits. Because 
> cedar-apple rust needs both cedar and apple trees to complete its life cycle, the 
> disease is especially prevalent in humid regions where wild cedars (Juniperus spp.) 
> abound, such as much of the eastern United States and Canada. Susceptible cedars, wild 
> and cultivated, include Juniperus chinensis, J.pinchotii, J. silicicola, J. utahensis, 
> and many varieties of J. communis, J. virginiana, and J. scopulorum. Disease spores 
> travel for miles in the air, so removal of cedar trees may not be a practical means of 
> disease control. Instead, prune for good air circulation and plant resistant varieties 
> such as ‘McIntosh’ and ‘Liberty’, or else spray. Copper or sulfur fungicides give 
> reasonable controls and Surround offers suppression, but all must be applied early, as 
> leaf buds are opening and before you see any infections. Infections occur only early in 
> the season, and there is no further spread of new infections from old infections."
>
> With my apple variety descriptions, I also list a number of other varieties 
> that are CAR resistant.
>
> Lee
>
> Lee Reich, PhD
     I have to disagree with Lee.  In my own experience, I had two 
White Cedars (Juniper Family) just a few feet from
     my apple trees and this caused a big CAR problem.  After removing 
these Cedars, the problem went away.  I live
     in the midst of a heavy urban community, so Junipers must be 
present somewhere.  I think the benefit of
     removing nearby Junipers will vary, depending on the proximity of 
the next closest trees.  It is possible that
     even a close by neighbor's trees would not be a problem, as my 
next door neighbor has one.  His being South
     of me may be a factor as most of our winds come out of the North 
or Northwest.

                                    Sherwin Dubren