Prevent and Control Armillaria Root Rot on Apricot Trees | Gardener's Path

The fungus Armillaria can attack all fruit trees, including apricots.

Although soil fumigation is sometimes recommended, it typically doesn’t work. This fungus is unusually resistant to fungicides.

Plus, the organism often lurks in the soil in pieces of old infected trees, or in roots in the soil where fungicides can’t contact it.

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There is no good cure for Armillaria root rot, but keeping your plants healthy and free of stressors can help prevent infection.

While Armillaria mellea is the most common source of this type of root rot, many other species could be involved.

Because of this, the disease is usually just referred to as Armillaria, or the honey mushroom or shoestring fungus.

These fungi are so good at persisting in soil that some colonies are thousands of years old. And a colony of Armillaria in Oregon is considered to be the largest organism in the world.

Honey mushrooms attack thousands of types of plants all over the world, and they are very common pathogens of hardwoods or conifers.

Since home gardens and orchards are often located on land that was previously home to hardwood forests, there is a very good chance that Armillaria is hiding in your soil.

This disease can take hold without your realizing it. You might first notice the infection if your apricot becomes infected after it is 5 years old.

If so, your apricot tree will have small leaves and poor terminal growth until the unthinkable happens – it suddenly collapses in the summer.

A classic symptom in orchards is