Brand canker

Brand canker produces cankers on tree bark that gradually girdle and kill branches and trunks. You see sunken lesions with stained wood beneath the bark surface. The condition develops when fungal spores enter through wounds or branch stubs. Management includes removing infected branches promptly, disinfecting pruning tools, and preventing mechanical tree injury.

Prune out cankered branches at least six inches below visible symptoms, making cuts into healthy wood. Sterilize your tools between cuts. Canker pathogens typically enter through wounds, so minimize pruning injuries and avoid working on trees when bark is wet. Maintain tree vigor through proper watering and avoid stress from drought or compacted soil, which makes trees more susceptible.