What's it look like?

You know that fruit trees have brown rot when you see dry, shriveled up old brown "mummified" in among your peaches, plums, nectarines and other stone fruit.

What it attacks

You'll begin to see some flowers browning off and die early in the season. The fungus then moves down the stalk and onto the stem of the plant. Fruit set can occur but later in the season you'll see the brown "mummies" as they are called, hanging on to the plant or fallen on the ground below. This fungus can attack all stone fruit trees.

What to do before it arrives

Fungal diseases occur in humid or wet conditions. This we have little control over, but do make sure that your trees are not overcrowded and prune them to an open vase shape to improve air circulation. Pruning is done after harvesting on most plants since fruit develops on one-year-old wood. In autumn as leaves have just fallen, collect leaves from the ground and destroy them. This may mean bagging them and leaving them in the sun for a month to kill the fungal spores, if you are not able to burn them in your area. Then treat the plants with an application of copper oxychloride. Pour this over the entire plant and on the ground. This is done after the leaves have dropped because it will burn them while still on the plant.

What to do if you already have problems

verhead watering can carry fungal spores to other parts of the tree that aren't already infected. Irrigate trees at ground level instead and avoid getting flowers and leaves wet. Also remove any infected fruit quickly to stop it spreading. Remove the fruit with the stalk and even some of the stem of the plant if it is badly affected. Then destroy the evidence!!!

For further information:

Brown Rot of Stone Fruit
... General Information. Brown rot affects all stone fruits, including those grown for ornamental purposes ... problem in fruit production. Brown rot in eastern Washington is caused by ...
http://fruit.wsu.edu/Diseases/stbrownrot.htm

Brown Rot of Stone Fruits
Brown Rot of Stone Fruits. Causal agent: Monilinia fructicola. Brown rot is a fungus that may cause serious damage to stone fruits during wet seasons. Prolonged wet weather during bloom may result in extensive blossom infection.
http://www.agf.gov.bc.ca/cropprot/tfipm/brownrot.htm

Brown Rot of Stone Fruit - Tree Fruit & Berry Pathology
... Introduction - Brown rot is a major disease of all commercially grown stone fruit and can cause major ... Fruits: Brown rot infections on fruit first appear as soft brown spots which ...
http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/pp/extension/tfabp/brstone.shtml

Wikipedia: Brown rot
Wikipedia Free Encyclopedia's article on 'Brown rot'
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_rot

EB1047E Brown Rot of Stone Fruits
EB1047E. BROWN ROT OF STONE FRUITS. Brown rot affects all stone fruits, including those grown for ornamental purposes.
http://cru.cahe.wsu.edu/CEPublications/eb1047e/eb1047e.html

Brown Rot Risk in Peaches
Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food ... been ideal for the development of brown rot in peaches. Brown rot is caused by the fungus Monilinia ... fruit and results in either blossom blight or brown rot of fruit ...
http://stagea.cts.gov.on.ca/OMAFRA/english/crops/hort/news/hortmatt/2003/21hrt03a3.htm
Brown Rot
... CAUSAL ORGANISMS AND DISEASE CYCLE. Brown rot is caused by two species of Phytophthora, P ... citrophthora is the predominate cause of brown rot because it produces spores more rapidly ...
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/BODY_CH109

Royal Horticultural Society - Gardening Advice: Brown Rot
The first symptom is a small brown spot that enlarges to cover the whole fruit. Then concentric rings of pale grey or buff-coloured pustules appear. Eventually the fruits turn brown and mummified. ... Advice. Brown rot. Plants affected ...
http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles0900/brown_rot.asp