I'm not sure what is on my Cherry Tree. One of the main branches has lost a fair bit of its bark and mushrooms seem to now be growing out of it. It looks like it could be blight, but I'm not sure. Are there treatments which could save the branch? If I'm not able to save the branch, cutting it off will result in the loss of approximately half of the tree. If you have any ideas, they would be very much appreciated. Thank you in advance, Kristyn
I recommend you cut off the dying branch and throw it into the cities compost. Sterilize your saw afterwards. Mushrooms appearing up there, mean decay.
What if I shallowly cut off the mushrooms and covered it with the area with wound paint? That is a main branch, so if I cut it off it will get rid of half of the tree and I'll have to replace it. Sorry to be stubborn.
Your tree has decay and there is no magic that will fix that. All you can do is prevent damage and problems in the future. I don't recommend wound paint, as it will hold in bacteria and cause other problems. You can start developing a new "Central Leader" now (if that is what has been infected), and don't do any-thing to control the infection in the tree. Just monitor it and cut off the diseased part when you can. The infection won't usually spread throughout the tree as a process called CODIT will control it. (compartmentalization of disease in trees/Dr. Alex Shigo) Eventually the tree will find a way to replace that vertical branch with another one on its own and the unsightly diseased one will break off. If you like, you can pay for an on site consultation from a Certified (ISA) Arborist in Edmonton.
Note that the mushrooms are only the fruit (spore-bearing part) of the fungus that has infested that limb. The main body (mycelium) of the fungus is spread throughout the inner wood. It could be occupying a considerably larger part of the limb than the mushroom-bearing part; so you should cut the limb well below the obviously infested part.
