Knowledgebase
Contender peach tree fungus. #879788
Asked August 01, 2024, 4:27 PM EDT
Hello,
My 4 year old contender peach tree has a fungus that is growing on the tree trunk in the bark. It also has yellow leave with green veins on this years growth.
Washington County Minnesota
Expert Response
Hi Gordon,
The first photo may show cytospora canker. It looks like branches have been pruned off too close to the trunk, which makes it difficult for the tree to heal and can lead to fungal diseases. (I'm referring to the red area under the white fungi, not the fungi itself. There's a second reddish pruning wound with a crack above the one with the one with the fungi.)
See this page:
https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/plpath-fru-25
The white fungi are a sign that the tree may have internal rot.
While yellowing leaves can be a sign of disease, I think this yellowing is related to our extremely wet summer. Yellow leaves with green veins signal chlorosis, the inability of the tree to draw needed nutrients from waterlogged soil. See this site:
https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/chlorosis/
Peach trees like light, well-drained soil. You can't do anything about the wet. Trees often rebound from chlorosis when the ground dries out.
If you want a certified arborist to take a look at the tree, you can find one here:
https://www.treesaregood.org/findanarborist
Good luck.