My Rowan Tree

Thanks for your reply HarmonyArb.

 

Bacterial ooze often shows as a black stain on the bark, sometimes foul smelling. Heavy bacterial ooze infections can be seen trickling from a wound. Such staining is not always a visible symptom of tree illness.

 

Well ive pruned out the branches that have shown die back to a leaf. Looks a bit "stumpy" but if my other Rowen is anything to go by, hopefully once the tree has become more established, it will bud up from those pruned points. May take a year or two to get back to what it was but i will give it a chance.
If no better by the end of next year then out it comes and a Sambucus "Black Lace" planted in its place. Easy trouble free plant.

G

 

Just an update, i took out one Rowan today. Looked awful this year, and cutting the stem showed a rotten look, grey sick.
I have another Sorbus "Autumn Spire" which i moved in winter. It leafed up but i had to cut one stem back a few weeks ago and this had the same look inside. I will wait to see how it goes but this may come out later this summer.
The other Sorbus "Vilmorinii" looked back to years ago but this year looks a lot better. No major die back although the leaves look small. It flowered well this spring. Im hoping this will be ok.

Im convinced the wet clay of the garden is making it difficult for these to thrive, then they get susceptible to fungus, fireblight, canker and root rot.

G

 

An update. All my Sorbus apart from Autumn Spire have gone. I destroyed them as they were sick. I moved Autumn to a dryer part of the garden and after 18 months looks fully restored.

Just shows you than conditions play a massive part.

 

I agree with this; I've never had success with trying to grow Rowan on my clay.