Hericium cirrhatum on cherry

[Langur]

Found this on a Cherry tree (Prunus Avium), approximately 25-30 years old.

The tree was badly topped and "reduced" a few years ago.

Now here is the bill...

It is suffering injuries from sunscald and now the fungi ( I guess it's Hericium...)

is doing its job.

 

Any idea on how to try to slow down the process and help to reduce the stress?

 

Can mycorrhizae help?

First pic is the tree under the last snow.

 

Thanks

Marcello

[Langur]

Here the fungi pics.

[David Humphries]

Looks like Hericium cirrhatum.

I understand this species to act as a saprophyte, hosted on the exposed dysfunctional parts of that Cherry.

 

Does the tree have a mulch?

 

I believe Prunus has Endophytic (arbuscular) Mycorrhizal association, as such I'm not sure how/if it could be inoculated.

 

Can the dead/dysfunctional material be pruned out?

 

Perhaps it's worth considering removal and replanting?

 

 

 

 

 

.

[Langur]

Thanks David.

 

No mulch yet, but I will do it soon.

 

Pruning out the dead material? Do you mean the damaged branches or the infected bark?

After removing the damaged branches there would be only the trunk left.

 

And about removal, it's a small tree, there's no target and it gives very good cherries so...

I think I will leave it to the course of Nature ( the costumer agrees) and keeps taking photos of the Hericium

[David Humphries]

I meant remove dead/dysfunctional branches.

If there is no option for that then sounds as if the only viable is to mulch.

Try using wood chip from a Rosaceus species if possible.

 

 

 

.

[Langur]

Try using wood chip from a Rosaceus species if possible.

 

Plenty of Prunus, Pears and Apple trees I have to prune there so....

 

Any particular reason? or a choice related to the condition of this cherry?

 

A little derail.

 

Near that cherry there is the stump of another Malus , with a Ganoderma Applanatum on it.( seems to me, I'm not a Fungi Master like you ) Another little Malus is growing there. It's healthy and last year it has made big nice apples.

 

Will the Ganoderma affect the growing of this young tree fast or not?

What do you think?

 

Thanks again.

[David Humphries]

Plenty of Prunus, Pears and Apple trees I have to prune there so....

 

Any particular reason? or a choice related to the condition of this cherry?:

 

 

Glynn Percival (Bartletts) has experimented around ailing trees by applying mulch, using wood-chippings of the rosacea family which are high in sugars. Apparantly this is beneficial to roots and their development.

 

 

.

[David Humphries]

A little derail.

 

Near that cherry there is the stump of another Malus , with a Ganoderma Applanatum on it.( seems to me, I'm not a Fungi Master like you ) Another little Malus is growing there. It's healthy and last year it has made big nice apples.

 

Will the Ganoderma affect the growing of this young tree fast or not?

What do you think?

 

Thanks again.

 

 

Perhaps the other Malus are suckers from the original stump?

 

If so and they are strongly attached to the stump, they may develop their own root system before the old one rots away.

The Ganoderma may just effect the old stump and not decay the healthy younger new growth.

 

.......or not

 

.

[treeseer]

Agree w David. The cherry seems to be outgrowing sunscald damage quite well; keep pruning the most rotted branches, and consider support for those too important to lose.

 

re the malus, find the flare! it's buried under the turf somewhere. then remove as much rotten wood as you can and leave it exposed to drying. i would not think the gano will affect the crop for some tiome. maybe help the tree outgrow it.

[Langur]

They are suckers for sure.

 

Thanks for the expert advice.

I owe you a couple of beers.

Or just Pm me the details of your bank account if that's not enough...:lol: