Having a backyard and taking care of plants can be a truly rewarding experience. But it also comes with its fair share of challenges. Sometimes, you may come across strange things that leave you scratching your head. Recently, a Reddit user in Oklahoma stumbled upon something peculiar in their trees – a lot of yellow jelly and what they called a “jelly alien nut”. Intrigued and confused, they turned to the online community for answers.
This mysterious phenomenon turned out to be a type of rust disease called cedar-apple rust. Now, before you start worrying, let me assure you that while the name suggests that cedars are involved, it can actually appear on juniper trees as well. Phew!
So, how do you identify cedar-apple rust? Well, it depends on the type of tree it affects. If it’s a juniper tree, you’ll notice brown, perennial galls forming on the twigs. When the weather becomes rainy in spring, these galls produce orange gelatinous horns. Interestingly, there is no significant damage to the juniper host, even though the twig beyond the gall may die.
On the other hand, if it’s an apple or crabapple tree, you’ll see circular yellow lesions on the leaves shortly after they bloom. As summer progresses, these lesions turn into brownish clusters of threads or cylindrical tubes. You can find them under the spots on the leaves, twigs, or fruits.
Now you might be wondering how long this disease lasts. Well, after the initial infection, galls start to appear seven months later. After 18 months, they transform into gelatinous masses. In the following spring, golf-ball-like depressions form on the galls, giving rise to these tentacle-like structures called telial horns. And when it rains in the spring, these horns elongate and turn a bright orange color. It’s quite a sight to behold! Once they release their spores, the horns collapse, dry up, and eventually fall off. While the galls die, they remain attached to the tree for at least another year. You’ll notice the infection the most in spring when the galls are covered in gelatinous masses.
Luckily, managing this infection is relatively simple. You can prune off the infected areas to prevent further spread. But the good news is that cedar-apple rust won’t actually kill your trees; it only causes cosmetic damage to the plants. So don’t panic!
If you prefer a more proactive approach, you can use fungicides or choose apple varieties that are resistant to this disease. Prevention is always better than cure, right?
In conclusion, cedar-apple rust may be an unusual sight in your backyard, but rest assured, it doesn’t pose a significant threat to your trees. It’s important to be aware of this infection so that you know how to handle it should it appear. And don’t forget to share this valuable information with others so they can also recognize and understand cedar-apple rust. Happy gardening, everyone!
