Non-Chemical Management
- Avoid leaving pruning stubs. Make a sharp, clean cut which will heal promptly.
- Avoid wounds.
- Maintain tree vigor through proper fertilizing and watering. Avoid fertilization in late summer and fall which delays dormancy and predisposes trees to winter injury.
- Prune during dry weather near the end of the dormant period. Make cuts well below infected area and disinfect pruning tools between cuts to avoid spreading infection.
- Remove and destroy affected twigs and limbs. Do not leave them on the ground between the rows, but carry them out to a burn pile or rotovate them into the soil so they are completely buried.
Select non-chemical management options as your first choice!