Bacterial Canker (also known as Bacterial Gumosis) is a disease that loves wet and windy weather.
Plant Part: Whole tree
Season: Spring (Budswell) - Summer (after harvest)
Symptoms: Leaf symptoms first appear as brown irregular spots which fall out to give a "shothole" symptom. A gummy resin may weep from the trunk or branches. Fruit lesions include small, brown, slightly sunken lesions on immature fruit.
Keep an eye on any open wounds on your fruit tree as the bacteria will enter via any wounds or weather damage around budswell and Autumn.
Control: Prune and and dispose of infected clipping in summer.
Prevention: Good balancing/pruning methods. Avoid winter pruning when possible and practice good garden hygiene. Always use sharp clean secateurs, paint pruning cuts with pruning paint. Keep weeds, cuttings and plant debris cleaned up and dispose of this material away from your fruit tree.
Check out the Care instructions in the annual winter pruning section. Applying a copper spray at leaf fall and is a great preventative action for Bacterial Canker.
References: NSW Department of Primary Industries, Sustainable Gardening Australia and the FST team.
