What is this, and can it spread to tomatoes?

tam91 · July 1, 2011

Yikes, just found tons of these leasions on a crabapple tree. Well it's a pretty tree, so it would be nice if it survived - but most importantly - is this something that can spread to tomato plants? It isn't too far from the garden. Photos below - you can actually feel the bumps, they are raised.

Pictures show the leaves on the tree, the front of a leaf, and the back of the leaf.

rsg2001 · July 1, 2011

These look like galls. Here is a link about this: http://www.ehow.com/list_5897086_gal...-diseases.html. I do not believe it will spread to your tomato plants. When we moved into our house 19 years ago we had a hackberry tree with that condition. It is 19 years later and the tree is still here, and the leaves still develop these galls, and have not spread to anything else. And it overhangs the tomato garden. The bad news, though, is that your tree will probably have the galls forever. We called an arborist to inspect the tree some years ago to see if it could be treated. It CAN be treated, through an internal infusion of chemicals, but the chemicals can sometimes kill the tree - so we decided to take our chances.

tam91 · July 1, 2011

Well I'm glad your tree survived. I just came across something called "cedar-apple rust" or something like that (cripes I can't believe I've forgotten the exact name already) that might be it. So hopefully the tomatoes are safe.

cloz · July 1, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by tam91

Well I'm glad your tree survived. I just came across something called "cedar-apple rust" or something like that (cripes I can't believe I've forgotten the exact name already) that might be it. So hopefully the tomatoes are safe.

I have 2 large crab-apple trees in my yard. They loose most of their leaves around this time of year for one reason or another. They always bloom and look great every spring. If you have any cedar trees in your neighborhood, you can get cedar-apple rust. You can spray for it I believe. I have never bothered and it hasn't killed the crap-apple trees or some apple trees that I have. I have several very large cedar trees on my property so I think spraying for it would be futile.

rsg2001 · July 2, 2011

I have apple trees and while they get cedar-apple rust, it doesn't look like your pictures. And that doesn't kill the tree either.

July 1, 2011	#3
tam91 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Crystal Lake IL Posts: 2,484	Well I'm glad your tree survived. I just came across something called "cedar-apple rust" or something like that (cripes I can't believe I've forgotten the exact name already) that might be it. So hopefully the tomatoes are safe. __________________ Tracy

July 1, 2011	#2
rsg2001 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: New York Zone 6 Posts: 479	These look like galls. Here is a link about this: http://www.ehow.com/list_5897086_gal...-diseases.html. I do not believe it will spread to your tomato plants. When we moved into our house 19 years ago we had a hackberry tree with that condition. It is 19 years later and the tree is still here, and the leaves still develop these galls, and have not spread to anything else. And it overhangs the tomato garden. The bad news, though, is that your tree will probably have the galls forever. We called an arborist to inspect the tree some years ago to see if it could be treated. It CAN be treated, through an internal infusion of chemicals, but the chemicals can sometimes kill the tree - so we decided to take our chances.

July 2, 2011	#5
rsg2001 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: New York Zone 6 Posts: 479	I have apple trees and while they get cedar-apple rust, it doesn't look like your pictures. And that doesn't kill the tree either.