Ack what is this on my Caladomin tree??

Discussion in 'Citrus' started by Siren, Mar 27, 2020.

  1. Siren

    Siren New Member

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    Ok never ever seen this before what the heck is it???
    half my tree died off this year and my Meyer wasn’t good either (haven’t seen this on my Meyer thou)
    This is clearish weird looking growth on my trunk..
     

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  2. Will B

    Will B Active Member

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    Looks like sap oozing out. This is often caused by citrus gummosis, usually caused by a fungus. However, oozing sap can also occur if the citrus is growing vigorously and the branch is damaged.

    Here is some info on gummosis:
    What Causes Citrus Foot Rot: Controlling Citrus Gummosis In Gardens

    Something that I sometimes do to prevent fungus issues around the trunk is to paint the trunk with a bordeaux paste. Not sure it will help if the fungus is already in the trunk, but it seems quite effective in preventing infection.
     
  3. Junglekeeper

    Junglekeeper Esteemed Contributor 10 Years

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    I had a couple trees in the past that I suspected had gummosis. The oozing was much less severe than seen in the photos. In one I tried scraping away the surrounding areas to clean bark then applying a bordeaux solution to the wound. The oozing got worse with more spots appearing on the stem and the tree eventually died. Be careful if indeed your tree is infected. Make sure you disinfect your pruners after using them on your tree.

    Phytophthora Gummosis / Citrus / Agriculture: Pest Management Guidelines / UC Statewide IPM Program (UC IPM)
     
  4. Will B

    Will B Active Member

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    Yes, gummosis once inside the plant is very hard to treat. Bordeaux is not systemic so the copper will not get inside the plant and kill the fungus. I mention Bordeaux paste as a preventative, not a curative. However, it is also possible the sap oozing out is due to vigorous sap flow and slight damage. I have seen that before where it was not gummosis, it just looked like it. This is most likely to occur when citrus are waking from dormancy. I would suggest not jumping to the conclusion it is gummosis, but do keep it in mind.

    In any case, if you really suspect gummosis you should remove any infected material including the soil, dispose of it permanently, sterilize the pot, and apply a preventative to any other citrus you may have as gummosis is quite infectious under the right conditions and a preventative will keep it from spreading into other plants.

    By the way, one easy way to disinfect pruners (or knife) is to use rubbing alcohol on them. I dip my pruners in it between cuts and it is quite effective. Also, if you suspect there may be spores a spray on or dip of the pruners in hydrogen peroxide kills most spores. Alcohol does not normally kill spores...
     

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