Stella cherry

[Ken the Chef]

Last year was the first real year that I allowed my tree to fruit.
Many fruit set but I had some form of leaf curl and shortly after much of the crop turned a brownish colour and dropped off.
The same thing has happened again this year, but this time i found black fly that I washed off.
I was told to spray with a copper based wash and cut out the curled leaves.
Has any one else any advise on cause and prevention.

[Matt94]

yep it happen's every year with my stella cherry (bar this year) - but i dont think the aphids are what are causing you fruit to drop, as the aphids dont cause mine that much damage! what age is your tree, as if the cherry is only young it will only carry as much fruit as it can handle - so fruit drop is normal! (as with all fruit trees), and the every year your crop should increase!

It could also be due to your tree not being given enough water!

[Ken the Chef]

My tree was planted three years ago so it is probably five years old in total.
My tree is planted at the edge of a patio trained on a wooden fence. I have strawberries in tubs along the fence so it get loads of water as the strawberries are watered virtually every day in the summer.

[Matt94]

well i bought my tree 5 years ago and last year was the year it started to produce fruit, however the majority dropped off and i was left with 7 cherries (woohoo lol) anyway this year its looking alot better!

so i think it just down to the age of the tree mate!

[Ken the Chef]

Last year my grand daughter found 5
This year is still in production but many fruits are turning that sickening blotchy brown colour
Thanks for all the info to date. at least I am not on my own

[Matt94]

hmmm, only time will tell whether you get a decent harvest!

[FB.]

Perhaps it is brown rot - a fungal disease of fruits.
Old "mummified" fruits hanging on the tree from the previous season, or which have fallen into the grass below tend to harbour the disease.

Also, cherries prefer warm and dry climate. Cherries thrive in the mild, dry climate of East Anglia (and many old varieties were developed here).
However, with East Anglia having had the worst wet weather on record in recent months, the cherry trees round here (and their crop) are looking decidely brown and diseased.