Non-Chemical Management
- Plant trees properly and in suitable locations. Protect from rain and frost, if feasible.
- Give the plants appropriate care. This keeps trees vigorous and helps them to better resist disease.
- Remove and destroy cankered branches when first noticed. Perform disease management pruning or surgery during dry weather, and especially before fall rains.
- Burn or cauterize cankers using a hand held propane burner to kill bacteria and lessen disease spread.
- Conduct normal dormant season pruning in January to February, during dry weather.
- Plant resistant varieties where bacterial canker is a problem. The Japanese flowering cherry cultivar 'Kwanzan' is resistant when mature but not when young. Most maple species (except sugar maples) are susceptible.
Select non-chemical management options as your first choice!