Question
I got a dwarf peach tree three years ago and this year it grew peaches. But the peaches had a kind of sap oozing out of them. I also noticed the sap coming out of the trunk of the tree. has the tree developed a disease or does it have a bug and is there any way I can cure it. I also live in south jersey so the climate is mild.

Answer
GUMMOSIS
This disease can kill branches or trees and is caused by the fungus Botrysphaeria dothidea. Earliest symptoms appear on the young bark of vigorous trees as small blisters, usually occurring at lenticels. Infection occurs late in the season, and may be apparent in the fall or the following spring. Some infected areas exude a gummy resin. Trees that are two or three years old, often have sunken diseased areas (cankers) apparent on the trunk and major branches. Large amounts of gummy exudate, or gum balls, are associated with lesions at multiple sites. After repeated infections, the bark becomes rough and scaly.

Prevention and Treatment: There is no practical chemical control available. Keep trees healthy, since the most severely infected trees are water-stressed. Dead wood should be removed during winter pruning, and destroyed. When pruning during the summer months, remove and destroy all pruned wood. Where gummosis is present, use of captan for scab control is the preferred treatment.

Cyospora Canker, and Bacterial Canker, can also have the oozing sap symtoms. If it is either of these, the tree should be distroyed.

bakerplanter