You think you’ve got it made with your pecan trees, Carya illinoensis, and have visions of pies (at the least) or even some sales at the farmers market when all of a sudden – the husks start turning black.
There are several things that can cause this, and one of the most serious is stem end blight. This fungal disease is caused by Botryosphaeria ribis (sometimes called B. dothidea) and is spread by insects feeding on your trees.
Unless you leap into action, this will not end well. And it still may not end well due to the severity of this disease.
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As soon as you see the damage, you’ll need to spray your tree with a fungicide and then repeat the treatment 10 days later.
Read on to learn how to identify and treat this severe disease that affects pecan trees.
Symptoms of Pecan Stem BlightKeep an eye out during the water stage of development – the period between pollination and the hardening of the shell. To learn more about growing pecan trees see our full guide.
At this stage, which takes around 90 days, the shell and kernel seed coat will be forming, as well as the liquid endosperm inside.
The timing of this development depends on the climate – July into August in warmer climates like those in Texas, and September or October in cooler areas.
Look closely at the developing nuts, and you may see a black or brown spot on the husk near the base of the nut, where it meets the tree. The lesions will be sunken and shiny.
These lesions will spread until the husks start to turn black. At this point, the nut is easily dislodged from its stem, and some may fall to
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