Crown rot
- Check young orchards on susceptible rootstocks in spring and late summer/autumn looking for trees that fail to leaf out or that do develop autumn colours earlier than normal.
- Examine the rootstock below ground of such trees for signs of bark rot.
Collar rot
- Phytophthora diseases are rather unpredictable, being dependent on wet soil conditions.
- However, mature Cox orchards are most susceptible to collar rot and trees can be saved if the initial symptoms are spotted early on.
Check orchards at risk in late June and look especially at the graft union for damp patches.
- Look for pale yellowing leaves on the whole tree or on a single scaffold branch.
- Once a diseased tree has been identified it can be spot treated.