Key takeaways
- Soft brown patches with rings of creamy-grey pustules mean brown rot
- It gets in through wounds from wasps, birds, splitting and hail
- Remove rotting fruit and windfalls as soon as you see them
- Clear every mummified fruit from the tree and ground in winter
- Prune plums and cherries in summer, not winter, to avoid silver leaf
- Bin infected fruit; never compost it
Brown rot is the soft, spreading rot that ruins plums, cherries, peaches and apricots just as they ripen. You’ll know it by the rings of creamy-grey pustules on a brown patch. The fix is simple but needs keeping up: remove infected fruit, clear the mummies in winter and keep the tree open.
This guide covers stone fruit. Apples and pears get brown rot too, especially in store, and the same hygiene steps apply. If your cherries are dropping while still green rather than rotting on the branch, see the guide to cherry fruit drop instead.
How to identify brown rot
Brown rot is easy to recognise once you know the signs.
On fruit:
- A soft brown patch, usually starting at a wound, crack or peck mark
- The patch spreads until the whole fruit is brown
- Creamy-grey pustules appear on the rot, often in rings
- The fruit shrivels and dries into a hard, dark mummy that hangs on the tree
On blossom and shoots (blossom wilt):
- Flowers wilt and turn brown in spring but stay attached
- The spur or shoot behind them dies back
- Leaves on those shoots wither and hang on
Blossom wilt is caused by a close relative of the same fungus, and it’s most common on cherries, plums and apricots.
Rings of grey pustules on a soft brown patch are the classic sign. Pick it off now, before it spreads to the healthy plums beside it.
How brown rot spreads
Brown rot lives through the winter on mummified fruit and in dead, infected shoots. In spring and summer, rain and wind carry spores from these onto blossom and fruit.
The fungus usually gets into fruit through damage. Wasp and bird pecks, fruit split by heavy rain after a dry spell, hail and codling moth holes are all common entry points. Fruit touching a rotten neighbour picks it up too.
That gives you two clear targets. Remove the sources of spores, and reduce the wounds that let them in.
How to control brown rot
Hygiene is the main defence, and it works well when you keep at it.
In summer (as fruit ripens):
- Check the tree every few days as fruit colours up
- Pick off any fruit showing brown rot straight away
- Collect windfalls from the ground regularly
- Thin crowded clusters early in summer so fruits don’t touch
- Put everything in the council bin or general waste, never the compost heap
In winter (December to February):
- Pick every mummified fruit off the branches
- Rake up fallen mummies, fruit and leaves from under the tree
- Note any dead shoots to cut out in summer
Clearing every mummy in winter removes the main source of next year’s spores. It’s a chilly job, but it pays off.
Reduce damage to the fruit. Net small trees against birds where you can. Water deeply in long dry spells so a sudden downpour doesn’t split the fruit. Wasps go for fruit that is already damaged, so picking up windfalls helps here too.
When to prune stone fruit with brown rot
Prune plums, cherries and apricots in summer, between June and August, on a dry day. Peaches and nectarines are pruned in spring or early summer, once growth has started. Winter pruning leaves cuts open to silver leaf and bacterial canker, which enter stone fruit trees through wounds in cold, wet weather.
Summer is the safe time to prune plums and cherries. Cut dead shoots back into healthy wood on a dry day.
When you prune:
- Cut out dead and shrivelled shoots left by blossom wilt, back into healthy wood
- Remove any shoots with sunken, dead patches of bark
- Take out crossing and crowded branches to let air and light in
- Clear up and bin the prunings
An open tree dries quickly after rain, which helps keep brown rot down. The guide to pruning fruit trees covers cuts and timing in more detail. If you see gum oozing from sunken patches, read the guide to bacterial canker on cherry and plum, as that’s a different problem. Purple-silver leaves point to silver leaf disease.
What about sprays?
Hygiene and pruning are your main tools. Older guides suggest copper sprays or Bordeaux mixture, but these are no longer authorised for garden use. Don’t use old stock.
If you’re thinking about a fungicide, check that it’s approved for that fruit and follow the label exactly. Sprays can only protect healthy fruit. They won’t save fruit that’s already rotting.
Storing fruit safely
Brown rot can carry on spreading after harvest. Check every fruit as you pick it and keep only sound, unblemished ones.
Store fruit in a single layer so they don’t touch, somewhere cool such as the fridge, and use them quickly. Check them every day and remove any that soften. Plums and cherries don’t keep for long, so cook, freeze or dry any surplus. The guide to drying stone fruit is a good way to use a glut.
One forgotten mummy like this can start the whole cycle again next spring. Pick it off and bin it.
Common mistakes with brown rot
Leaving mummies on the tree. They carry the disease into next year. Clear every one in winter.
Composting rotten fruit. Home heaps don’t kill the spores. Bin them.
Pruning plums and cherries in winter. This invites silver leaf and bacterial canker. Prune in summer instead.
Leaving windfalls on the ground. They rot, attract wasps and spread spores. Pick them up regularly.
Letting fruit crowd. Clusters touching each other pass rot along the branch. Thin early.
Carry a bag as you pick and drop any rotten fruit straight in. It saves a second trip round the tree.
Brown rot calendar
| Month | What to do |
|---|---|
| January to February | Pick off mummified fruit. Rake up fallen fruit and leaves |
| March to April | Watch blossom for wilting. Note dead shoots to remove in summer |
| May | Check young fruit. Net small trees against birds |
| June | Thin crowded fruit. Start summer pruning of plums and cherries |
| July to August | Check ripening fruit every few days. Remove rotten fruit and windfalls |
| September | Finish harvesting. Clear all fallen fruit |
| October to November | Clear leaves and fruit from under the tree |
| December | Start the winter mummy hunt |
Frequently asked questions
How do I identify brown rot on stone fruit?
Look for a soft brown patch with rings of creamy-grey pustules. The rot usually starts at a wound and spreads across the fruit. Affected fruit often shrivels into a hard, dark mummy that stays on the branch.
What causes brown rot on plums?
Fungi called Monilinia, which survive on mummified fruit and dead shoots. In wet weather the spores spread to fruit, usually getting in through wounds from wasps, birds, splitting or hail. A related form attacks blossom in spring, causing blossom wilt.
Should I remove brown-rotted fruit?
Yes, as soon as you see it. Pick rotting fruit off the tree and collect windfalls from the ground. Put them in the council bin, not the compost heap. This stops spores spreading to healthy fruit nearby.
Can I spray for brown rot?
Good hygiene and pruning are the main controls for home gardeners. Copper sprays and Bordeaux mixture are no longer authorised for garden use. If you do consider a fungicide, check it is approved for that fruit and follow the label exactly.
Is brown-rotted fruit safe to eat?
No, throw away any fruit with brown rot. Healthy fruit from the same tree is fine to eat. Check fruit carefully as you pick and eat or store only sound, unblemished ones.
When should I prune a plum tree with brown rot?
In summer, from June to August, in dry weather. Winter pruning of plums and cherries risks silver leaf and bacterial canker. Cut out dead, shrivelled shoots and any with sunken patches back into healthy wood.
For a healthier tree from the start, read the guide to growing plum trees, or browse more fruit guides in the growing fruit hub.
Our team produces practical UK gardening guidance from source research, contributor records and established horticultural practice. Editorial standards are overseen by Matt W.
