Poorly cherries

[Ger-annie-um]

Can anyone help? We have a 4 year old cherry tree, it's growing beautifully and we have learned how to prune it properly. It produces lots of blossom and then the fruit forms but the cherries then start to shrivel and pucker up. (no not for a kiss) Hubby loves cherries and is very disappointed when this happens. We keep it well watered and 'debugged'. What's going wrong.

[eskymo]

I have no idea, but at least yu're nearly getting fruit. We were giving a cherry tree in a large pot last year and no idea what variety it is. Have had no sign of fruit last year or this year so not even sure it is a fruiting variety.

I'm sure someone will have an answer for you. I did find this though on Google which might be useful:

Cherry Disease Factsheets

I just did a search for cherry + disease. Hope that helps until someone more knowledgeable about these things comes along and can give you some proper advice.

[Green Thumb Annie]

Lack of pollinator

Sounds to me like there is no pollinator tree nearby. Is your cherry tree self-fertile? ....like a Stella? or is it a sweet cherry that needs to have a similar tree, different cultivar, nearby?

Debugging, what? Are you spraying insecticide....and killing the bees that would pollinate the flowers? Or are you spraying something that would damage the blossoms? Could be either one.

[Alice]

Hello Gerannieum, since the trees are producing cherries I don't think it's a pollination problem. Googled it for you but nothing there fits the problem. Are the cherries shriveling up this year ? Can't think of anything except drought, or something you're spraying on them. Mine are doing fine (Stellas) Covered in cherries, but the blackbirds will get most of them - as usual. I don't mind as they are lovely just for the blossom. Do hope you find a solution.

[Green Thumb Annie]

Possible Brown Rot on your cherry tree?

Take a look at this link and see the Cherry Factsheets. Does the problem on your tree look like brown rot?

http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/pp/ext...e.shtml#cherry

[Ger-annie-um]

Poorly Cherries

Thanks everyone for trying to help. the cherry is supposed to be self-fertile. We haven't used any chemical on it other than a grease band around the trunk and bugs etc are hand removed - very long job sometimes!! The only other thing that happens - apart from shrivelled cherries are that some of the leaves curl up and seem to be filled with aphids or the odd slug like creature. These leaves are removed and disposed of. The same thing happed last year and we though it was lack of water so we have made sure the tree has plenty this year. Hubby seems to think it may be a pollination problem too but how can that be if we get the cherries, it's keeping them that's the difficult bit. Hey Ho maybe next year, any tips would be appreciated.

[Jaxom]

Could it be something as simple as lack of water at the roots when the cherries are swelling?

[Green Thumb Annie]

Black cherry aphids

oh....oh....you've got critters! Ah, no wonder the cherries are shriveling. Those buggies are stealing all the plant's energy.

Are they black cherry aphids? You can search for more info, but here's another link that I have found to be absolutely wonderful.

http://www.entomology.umn.edu/cues/dx/dec_pest.htm


umm...one more thing....cherry trees are not happy with extra water. The roots need oxygen. Otherwise, if it is too soggy, the leaves may wilt and fall off.

[Alice]

Hello Geriannium, I do hope you are getting closer to a solution. The number of things that can be wrong with cherries is endless. I don't think mine are entirely healthy but cover themselves in blossom (Stella)which at the moment are hanging in fruit most of which will feed the black birds. As I said before it could be a drought problem. If you live in a very dry part of the country it is difficult to supply sufficient water with a hose. Trees can get through loads of gallons a day. (Need to consult my husband on that one but the figures are collosal) If I manage to rescue a bowlful from the blackies I'll post a pic. Hope you get a bucket load.

[Green Thumb Annie]

Cherry tree problems

Yes, Dear Geranium, Alice is correct. Trees do use a lot of water, and if it has been very dry, the tree would benefit from the water.

However, given that your tree is only 4 years old, and that you have supplied additional water, I would suspect that the bug problem is the root cause. Aphids deprive the tree of moisture. When the leaves curl and are removed, this also deprives the tree of energy. It limits fruit retention.

I have three cherry trees, and all are doing well. Best of luck to you in addressing the problem.

[LisBet]

Hi Ger-annie-um,

Is this what your curly leaves look like?

http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile...y_blackfly.asp

This is what I think I have on my cherry tree, and it's worse this year than last. I bought some non-chemical tree wash to get rid of the eggs over the winter, but didn't get a chance to do it, so it doesn't look too happy at the moment. I also gave it a good trimming in the winter months to make treating the little blighters a bit easier. Hopefully this year I can give it a wash and see the rewards next summer.

By the by, I had some cherries last year, but none this year, so if you do have these fly on your cherry tree then probably best to look into ways of dealing with them sooner rather than later...

If you're still wondering this time next year, perhaps I can update you on how the winter wash helped

[SueA]

Hi Ger-annie-um,
Just noticed your question now it's been resurrected. The little slug-like creatures in the rolled up leaves are probably cherry slugworms, they're the larval stage of cherry sawflies & the other bugs are probably blackflies which love cherry trees & can make a mess of the leaves. You could try spraying the tree with an organic spray such as Vitax Organic 2 in 1 Pest & Disease spray or something similar or try jetting them off with a hosepipe. They are probably debilitating your tree a little as it is quite young & that may be why it is not producing decent fruit but not sure.

[fairy]

Who's eating my cherry tree leaves?

Something is having a right little nibble at my cherry tree's leaves! I planted my Morello tree last Autum, looks a though it's doing fine and now some younger leaves are curling (think it might be the cherry tree blackfly as above) but on some of the middle leaves next to the main stem, somone is quietly nibbling away at them.... and I can;t find what?! Do you think this is the reason why it blossomed but no fruit?

[SueA]

Could be Fairy, especially if whatever it is nibbled the blossom, but it could be a number of things, your tree could just be too young to produce fruit yet or it might have got caught by a late frost when it blossomed or there may not have been anything around to pollinate it at the time. Keep checking for the nibbler, try going out at night with a torch if you can't find anything in the daylight.

[nick the grief]

Could be leaf cutter bees Fairy. Are they roughly circular?