Need help, trying to save my Plum Tree

[TimeOff]

I have a Gnarly old Plum tree in my back yard that has become unhealthy over the years. It's large and I have pruned it but I have noticed at the main trunk where it forks off, there is a void. Under the bark it seems insects, maybe small ants, are creating the void. It's a very lovely tree that is probably around 70 years old. Hate to lose it. Any recommendations for a good arborist in the Edmonton area would be appreciated.

[Jigsalot]

[QUOTE=TimeOff;4179074]I have a Gnarly old Plum tree in my back yard that has become unhealthy over the years. It's large and I have pruned it but I have noticed at the main trunk where it forks off, there is a void. Under the bark it seems insects, maybe small ants, are creating the void. It's a very lovely tree that is probably around 70 years old. Hate to lose it. Any recommendations for a good arborist in the Edmonton area would be appreciated.



Get ahold of him. He did a bunch of work on my property and fair prices. He knows his stuff

David the tree guy is his website in Edmonton

[TimeOff]

Thank you Jigsalot.

[amosfella]

double tap

[amosfella]

If it has to come down, save the wood for smoking meat. Or find someone who does smoke meat. Anything over an inch works well.

[walking buffalo]

I have a several plum trees in Calgary, some of them are forty years old now.
I suspect I might what you're going through.

Cytospora cankers.
A fungus infection is damaging the bark, which then allows the bugs to invade.

There is no easy cure, fungicides are not effective.
Other than pruning away infected material (with repeated disinfecting pruning equipment to prevent spreading the fungus), there is not much else that can be done.

When the infection is in the trunk, all growth above is going to die off.

You could let a few suckers from below the infected area regrow into a new main branch. Unfortunately, these will probable grow for a few years and then get infected too...

And,
Seventy years is OLD for a plum tree.
Can't beat the facts of life....

[klow]

I have a plum tree in Calgary with the same problem. I suspect the tree is about 40 yrs. old. What I ended up doing is letting a sapling near the base start to grow and cut down the old large trunk. The tree is now about 20 ft. tall and we are getting plums again.

[TimeOff]

Yes, it's not so much the plums as it's such a cool looking tree. Looks like a giant Bonzai, kind of the feature of the back yard. Will see what the Arborist says.

[Jigsalot]

Originally Posted by TimeOff

Yes, it's not so much the plums as it's such a cool looking tree. Looks like a giant Bonzai, kind of the feature of the back yard. Will see what the Arborist says.

Arborists have lots of training and the guy I used was very knowledgeable. Give him a buzz if you can. Hope it works out. Plum trees are great.

[EZM]

Like others have said, have an Arborist look at it. At 70 years of age, it's lived more than twice as long as could be expected for a plum. Even if they do mitigate the issue, it is reaching the end of it's natural life cycle.