cedar apple rust

   The galls on cedar/juniper trees opened today after the heavy rains continuing the cedar apple rust life.  Cedar apple rust follows a two year life cycle and will severely deformed apple trees and it's fruit.    The first years I had my apple trees they were heavily infected so I have been using a fruit tree spray with mixed success.  I recently discovered the most effective methods to eliminate the disease is to spray cedar trees from August 15th through October 15 every two weeks, and to remove any galls (dark brown hard balls) from cedar trees.  The best method is to remove any cedar trees within a 3 mile radius of the apple trees but that is impossible in most cases.  Spraying the apple trees every two weeks starting in spring when the apple trees come out of dormancy until after the galls break open will control the spread of the disease.
   I removed several galls from my cedar trees but I missed one small one.  As soon as the rain subsides I will spray my trees again and then one more application in two weeks.  I hope that I can minimize or prevent a re-infection this spring.  Last years the disease wasn't as bad as in previous years and the deformed trees are beginning to recover.  Most of them have apples this year and my healthier trees are loaded for the first time.  Maybe I'll have enough fruit so that the birds and squirrels won't eat all my fruit.