Knowledgebase

black knot #893329

Asked February 28, 2025, 11:45 AM EST

A wild cherry on our property is covered in black knot. It is a young(ish) tree but will nevertheless yield quite a pile of limbs when I cut it. Will the fungus remain viable if the branches are piled in heap and left to decay?

Queen Anne's County Maryland

Expert Response

Unfortunately we think there is a risk of continued spore spread if the diseased/knotted branches that you remove are kept around to decay at their own pace, so it would be safer to send them to a landfill for composting. (Industrial composting gets hot enough to kill pathogens.)

Miri
Answered by the Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied February 28, 2025, 12:22 PM EST

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