Re: Prunes/Plum

In article <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>,
BeeFarmer <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>I have cankers on my prune tree this looks like a black cancer looking
>growth on my tree.  I have pruned off these growths cleaning my pruners
>after every clip but they still come back.  Is there any treatment?

Sounds like black knot disease, caused by a fungus.  The obvious black
lesions don't appear until a year or so after infection and infected 
tissue extends some distance beyond the visibly affected part.

A google search for "Prunus" and "black knot" turned up about 1000 hits.
Many give instructions for pruning and suggest spraying a fungicide during
the period in spring when the fungus releases spores to prevent new
infections.  They also recommend removing infected wild trees to protect
your domestic ones.  

Here's a link to a page of plum links:
        http://www.citygardening.net/pluminfo
and here's one about black knot in Ohio:
        http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/3000/3011.html