To my dismay, my beloved Bailey's Schubert Chokecherry tree once again has evidence of black knot. It is unfortunate that I have had to deal with this same fungus the previous two years, but it is now rampant throughout the neighborhood, including the trees planted by the city along the walkways. Black knot presents itself as a black, crackled mass on a twig or branch. It is a fungus, and, if left untreated, can girdle the branch or twig causing its demise. Basically it strangles it. The only way to treat this, is to remove the afftected limb by cutting about a foot below the diseased area and disposing of it in the garbage. DO NOT compost it! It is necessary to cut well below the infected area because the fungus can spread through the tissue beyond what is visible to the eye. Be sure to use sharp tools, ie. pruners, lopper or saw, and disinfect with a 10% bleach solution between each cut.
