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puggylover75_gw

Apple Rust from Cedars

I have been reading a lot of posts that mention cedar and apple trees planted near each other will cause the apple trees to have problems (apple rust?). Does this pertain to all cedars? I have Deodar Cedar in the middle of my yard and I planted apple trees, Fuji, Pink Lady, Dorsett Golden, Anna and a Shinseiki (Asian pear) all around in the front yard as well. Two of them are about 15-20 feet away the others are about 30 -40 feet away.

All of my trees have been planted within the last two years. Should I move the Cedar? Or is okay where it sits? The cedar is the tree on the right (Drooping type cedar).

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Comments (11)

  • ltilton
    11 years ago

    The trees that harbor the CAR organism are midleadingly called cedars, but they are actually junipers. Your tree is a true cedar, and I don't believe they are susceptible.

  • glenn_russell
    11 years ago

    Hi PuggyLover75-
    Nice yard!

    I do think some cedars are affected, along with the junipers.

    In my case, I found out that my 'blue rug' junipers were resistant to CAR by searching around online. But, I wasn't able to find much on "Deodar Cedar" "Cedar Apple Rust"... but, perhaps you can.

    Apple trees can and are affected by CAR spore that have traveled for miles. You can't likely cut down every cedar your area, so you're likely going to get spores anyway. I haven't heard too much about people having *that* close, but if you can't find anything online, before ripping out the cedars, I'd just spray for CAR like normal, and then keep an eye out for any galls.

    -Glenn

  • Puggylover Zone 9B Norco, CA
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thanks for the responses. Who knew that two trees together would form a fungus. Sheez! :). I do have two ground coverish type juniper plants in the back yard that will now meet the green trash can. Everything that I read today seem to point only to juniper type trees/shrubs.Cypress trees are not related I hope....have tons of those around.

    Thank you Glenn. We have been working really hard on our yard. When we purchased the house two years ago it was nothing but 1/2 acre of 5 foot high weeds with absolutely zero trees/bushes. We have since planted around 40 fruit trees and 20 or so trees.

    This is our first time with a garden and a mini orchard. Just kinda thru ourselves into it and are taking as it comes.Is a lot of work but we (I) LOVE it.

    Again thank you two for answering my worry!

    Jennifer

  • ltilton
    11 years ago

    If there are no orange galls on your junipers, there's no real reason to remove them. Unless you want to.

  • glenn_russell
    11 years ago

    Hi Jennifer-

    I agree with ltilton, that unless you know your junipers are affected, I'd wait and see. In my case, I didn't have to remove mine.

    As for cedars, for example, the link below does show that the eastern red cedar is affected. But, part of what ltilton is saying about it only affecting junipers could be true in that the latin for eastern red cedar is Juniperus virginiana.

    Best regards,
    -Glenn

    Here is a link that might be useful: CAR FAQs

  • planatus
    11 years ago

    We paid $300 to have 17 junipers removed after they became infected with cedar apple rust, which hit two of our apple trees hard. With tlc they recovered the next season, but it was ugly.

  • ltilton
    11 years ago

    My place is CAR Central. I have a hedge of about 50 tall junipers that get galls every spring. Removing them isn't really a practical option. Yet with regular spraying, the apples and crabapples show only minor effects.

    What Glenn said about the genus of the "cedars". The OP's tree is in the Cedrus genus.

  • Noogy
    11 years ago

    When I removed mine I ctu the trunks in 8' sections and painted the ends. They're dry in my barn and waiting to be milled into 'aromatic cedar' Closet or boxes... It's just gorgeous stuff.

  • chuck60
    11 years ago

    No one ever mentions the possibility of treating "specimen" juniper trees or bushes that are potential CAR harbor plants... why not? If you can spray the apple trees to disrupt the cycle, why not spray the junipers? Of course that wouldn't make sense for most folks who have CAR problems, like me, with hundreds of red cedars on my land and on every neighboring property for many miles around.

    Chuck

  • alan haigh
    11 years ago

    Well Chuck, at least you needn't look far for fence posts.

  • chuck60
    11 years ago

    HMan,

    In fact I spent part of yesterday cutting up a cedar log left for me by the guys who cleaned out a power line right of way. For my trouble, I collected five usable posts and at least five ticks. I got cedars; lots of cedars; I got cedars, who could ask for anything more?

    Chuck