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Grey Mould

Symptoms

This is a grey, sometimes white, fluffy fungal growth which develops in the infected areas, causing die back on the plant. It is a very common infection that lives on things both living and dead. Apart from the noticeable grey mould on the outside of the tree, this infection can also be recognised by looking at the leaves. The leaves begin to develop a yellow colour before wilting. Flowers and fruit will also wilt and die.

Cycle of Infection

This infection can infect whenever the conditions are right, which is basically anytime. Grey mould also lays dormant for a long time. It infects by spores which are transferred to tree wounds by water splash droplets and by the air we breathe.

Implications for host

This is a nasty fungus. After lying dormant for a while, it starts to grip into the plant, infecting the plant tissue. Depending on how bad the infection is, it will slowly begin to kill its host. The leaves, flowers and fruit all begin to wilt back, mostly in the crown of the tree first. If steps are not taken, the tree will die and rot.

Treatment

The fungi can carry over from year to year as sclerotis in the soil or on plant debris. Dealing with air born fungi presents difficulty in dealing with the disease. To control as best as possible, the dead wood on the tree should be cut back into healthy growth. The next step would be to pick up any grey mould debris and spray with a fungicide. The other alternative is to burn the existing debris.

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