Vut the heck is this stuff?

[newt]

<img src=http://home.earthlink.net/~evan94/_uimages/MVC-001F.JPG><p>

We have this stuff growing on many branches of our cedar trees in Connecticut. Vut the heck is it? Should I be concerned?

Thank you

 

[Treeman14]

THAT is cedar-apple rust. We had a thread or two on that a while back. Do a search and see if you can find it. If not, let us know and we'll give you the low-down.

Here's a link for some info:

http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/focus/cedarapplerust.html

 

[newt]

Quite a life cycle

Thats quite a life cycle. We have an apple tree a couple of hundred feet away that I suppose is also at risk if not already infected. I found the other discussions and the link you posted was informative, thanks. I didn't see any mention of this fungus actually killing the tree. The cedar trees are quite large and would/will be hard to treat myself, as far as removing the growths is concerned. I could spray them of course, but there ain't no way I can get to all the branches physically without a bucket truck or something. Is this a "must treat" situation? If the trees are likely to die, I may have to hire someone.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

The galls are unsightly on the cedars this time of year, and they can cause thinning in some cases.

The big problem is the defoliation they cause on the apples and especialy hawthorns.

Sprays help knock them down.

People in this area with bad rust problems on hawthorns I recomend removal of the least important hoast plant. Usualy the junipers here.

That will reduce the problems on the hawthorns, then spray the hawthorns and give them figuts or seaweed.

 

[newt]

I think I would prefer to get rid of the apple if I had to choose. I have unusually large cedars and am quite fond of them. The apple tree is a poor producer for whatever reasons and is not aesthetically located. It sounds though like the cedar is the host tree no? ????.

 

[Treeman14]

Newt, They're both hosts. You need both of them to complete the disease cycle. Get rid of one and you break the cycle, unless there's another host nearby. This disease may be the reason the apple is a poor producer.

 

[newt]

Thank you. I think the apple may be history.