Prunus Mume curling leaves (Summer here)

[Clicio]

My Ume after flowering beautifully last winter had a very fast growth rate in Spring.
Now it's middle of the summer in the Southern hemisphere and its leaves are curling and some (not all) are showing holes, like insect bites.
It's on a bench, outside with other bonsai and none show the same symptoms.
I have searched for possible culprits like aphids and scale, have applied jets of water under the leaves from time to time, used my regular insecticide and horticultural soap, but they are still curling.
So I guess I need help to identify the possible causes and solutions, if any.
Pictures are below.

 

[TomB]

Have a look at this - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shot_hole_disease
Some leaf curling is typical of Prunus mume (especially in dry conditions), but the shot-holes are more of a concern.

 

[Clicio]

Have a look at this - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shot_hole_disease
Some leaf curling is typical of Prunus mume (especially in dry conditions), but the shot-holes are more of a concern.

@TomB thanks for the link, very helpful and it describes what seems to be the problem.
As one of the sure methods of control is Bordeaux Mix according to the link ("it was found that applications of Bordeaux mixture reduces shot hole disease on peaches from 80% to 9%") I'll try it and let the forum know the results.
Thanks again.

 

[Adair M]

Curled leaves on an Ume means it’s making flower buds! If they stay flat, you’ll get no flowers. You WANT curling summer leaves!

 

[TomB]

Curled leaves on an Ume means it’s making flower buds! If they stay flat, you’ll get no flowers. You WANT curling summer leaves!

Actually, I'm not sure that's a hard and fast rule - it may be climate or cultivar dependent. I get flowers, and the leaves on my trees don't curl. Maybe... 'it depends'
In any case, it's not the curling of leaves that's an issue here. I have this pathogen in my garden too - and have lost a tree to it - so I know how annoying it is.

 

[Clicio]

Curled leaves on an Ume means it’s making flower buds! If they stay flat, you’ll get no flowers. You WANT curling summer leaves!

Thanks Adair, very helpful.
Now I am concerned with the holes.

 

[Adair M]

The holes are a different matter. Ume is subject to every disease, and every insect!

I vote for the Bordeaux treatment!

 

[Adair M]

Actually, I'm not sure that's a hard and fast rule - it may be climate or cultivar dependent. I get flowers, and the leaves on my trees don't curl. Maybe... 'it depends'
In any case, it's not the curling of leaves that's an issue here. I have this pathogen in my garden too - and have lost a tree to it - so I know how annoying it is.

I’ll admit I only have limited experience with Ume, and I’ve always had pink ones. Some with double blooms, some with single, but always pink. They have all curled.

Another way to tell is if the leaves get rough or stay smooth on top. Since mine have always curled, I haven’t had to rely on this method, so I can’t remember which is which! I THINK if they are smooth they won’t bloom, but if they get rough they will. (But I’m not absolutely sure!).

 

[AJL]

Shothole of Prunus is often caused by the Bacterial disease Pseudomonas spp.or sometimes Xanthomonus spp.
Suggest you pick off the infected leaves and bin them to remove sources of inoculum, and also avoid overhead watering .
Bordeaux mixture might also help

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Adair is right, curling leaves means flower buds are developing at the base of those leaves. Another indication of impending blooming is if the undersides of the leaves are smooth. Rough undersides of leaves usually means no flowers. Check this out:

A conversation with Enrique Castano on Ume

Have you ever heard the way to tell if an ume will bloom? The leaves of a blooming ume have smooth undersides, and the underside of leaves on an ume that isn’t going to bloom are rough.…

nebaribonsai.wordpress.com

But, the holes in the leaves suggests a fungal problem.

 

[Clicio]

Adair is right, curling leaves means flower buds are developing at the base of those leaves. Another indication of impending blooming is if the undersides of the leaves are smooth. Rough undersides of leaves usually means no flowers.

Brian thanks for the link and explanation, very helpful. I will check the underside of the curling leaves right now.

 

[AJL]

Adair is right, curling leaves means flower buds are developing at the base of those leaves. Another indication of impending blooming is if the undersides of the leaves are smooth. Rough undersides of leaves usually means no flowers. Check this out:

A conversation with Enrique Castano on Ume

Have you ever heard the way to tell if an ume will bloom? The leaves of a blooming ume have smooth undersides, and the underside of leaves on an ume that isn’t going to bloom are rough.…

nebaribonsai.wordpress.com

But, the holes in the leaves suggests a fungal problem.

Not Fungal, its Bacterial

 

[Clicio]

Yes, blooming again!
Thanks to the advice from all of you my Ume seems healthy and after the Bordeaux Mixture treatment there are no more holes on its leaves. Both happy, me and the bonsai.

 

[Cadillactaste]

Oh so lovely! Yeah, I have always heard leaf curl on Ume was what one desired for flowers. There they are! Absolutely beautiful!

 

[leatherback]

Nice! Do you also do the @Brian Van Fleet recommended trimming of the first 2 leaves for ramification?

 

[Clicio]

Nice! Do you also do the @Brian Van Fleet recommended trimming of the first 2 leaves for ramification?

Will do. It's up for a prune in two or three weeks, when the flowers fall. Then rewiring. Then in the Spring I will trim the first two leaves on every major branch, let's see!

 

[leatherback]

Will do. It's up for a prune in two or three weeks, when the flowers fall. Then rewiring. Then in the Spring I will trim the first two leaves on every major branch, let's see!

I just today finished my second round leaf-pruning for this year!