Cherry tree diseases and their control, photos

Cherry

It's no secret that trees in your garden need proper care. Only then can you enjoy a bountiful harvest, savor ripe, delicious cherries, and prepare for the winter. We'll tell you what diseases await your trees, what preventative measures you can take to prevent them, and how to deal with them if your cherry trees are already in trouble. So, here are some cherry tree diseases and how to treat them, along with photos for easy identification.
See also: Apple tree diseases and their treatment (photos).

Prevention of cherry diseases

Let's start with a few words about disease prevention, as it's easier to take action upfront than to figure out later what diseases have affected your trees and how to combat them.

Diseased tree parts and fallen leaves should be removed and burned immediately to prevent the infection from spreading further across the site.
In autumn, pruning should be done in dry, windless weather, so that the rain and wind do not spread the diseases.
In spring, thin out the crown and prune away dead branches. This will give the tree more strength and access to nutrients.
Protect the trees from injury; if any occurs, immediately coat them with garden pitch.
Whitewash the trees with lime in time.
Remove gum, treat with copper sulfate.
In the spring, make it a habit to treat the trees with 1% Bordeaux mixture as a preventative measure - the first time before flowering, the second time after, the third time after a couple of weeks, and the fourth time after the leaves fall.

This way, you can avoid many problems with your trees. But if you notice signs of disease, take immediate action to save your pets.

Red spot

This disease is caused by fungi. It appears as follows: yellow spots, sometimes with a red tint, appear on both the top and bottom of the leaves, and the leaves fall off.
Control measures: Fungal spores are found in leaves, so they should be collected and burned as soon as they fall. In the spring, spray with a 1% Bordeaux mixture.

Scab

A very nasty and dangerous disease caused by fungi and bacteria. In damp weather during the flowering period, scab carriers become especially active, so expect the disease to affect the trees, especially if they are still young and weakened. Brownish-olive spots appear on the leaves, and if the fruit has already appeared, the berries may crack, wrinkle, and stop growing.

How to combat: The first step is prevention. In the spring, treat both the tree and the soil beneath with nitrafen. Second, spray with Bordeaux mixture during bud break, then again after flowering, and repeat after harvest.

Coccomycosis

The disease has become increasingly common in recent years. The leaves become covered in reddish-brown spots, gradually merging into clusters. A white coating with a pink tint can be seen on the undersides of the leaves. This is a fungal infection.

Control measures: the fungus hides in fallen leaves, so they should be burned immediately and treated with a light 1% Bordeaux mixture.

Clusterosporiasis

We have a clever name for a disease that causes cherry tree leaves to become perforated, ulcers to appear on the branches, and the fruits to become affected right down to the core and dry out.
Control measures are the same as for coccomycosis.

Fruit rot

This disease can damage all stone fruits in the garden. Therefore, we must be especially vigilant! A rotting spot appears on the fruit, and the rot gradually spreads throughout the entire fruit. The fungus overwinters quite well and attacks young ovaries in the spring.

Control measures: destroy infected fruits, spray with 1% Bordeaux mixture.

Cherry moniliosis

A very common disease of cherry trees, it affects all parts of the tree. The fruit rots, dries out, and becomes infested with fungal spores.

Control measures: destroy diseased parts of the tree along with berries carrying fungal spores immediately, spray with Bordeaux mixture, having prepared a 3-4% solution, three times, with a gap of a couple of weeks.

Powdery mildew

A white coating on leaves and fruit indicates powdery mildew has taken hold in your garden, requiring immediate action. This fungus is especially prevalent in early summer. Infected shoots should be immediately cut off and treated with colloidal sulfur three times, every couple of weeks.

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Gummosis (bacterial burn)

A dangerous disease that causes ulcers to appear on the bark, gum to ooze from them, leaves to shrink and dry out, and shoots to wither. It is spread by tools used during pruning and grafting.

The non-infectious form of homosis clings to trees during rainy weather, when there is insufficient access of oxygen to the roots of the tree, and when the trees are damaged or injured.

Anthracnose

Have your cherries started to develop faint, light spots, and then pink bumps appeared? Your cherries have contracted anthracnose. In damp weather, it can ruin almost the entire harvest.

Control measures: Three treatments with the drug "Poliram" can save your trees, but you need to treat them three times - before, after flowering, and again after 15 days.

Diseases of felt (Chinese) cherry

This cherry variety had never been susceptible to diseases before, but now it's plagued by them. One of them is monilial blight, a dangerous fungal disease. It begins with the wilting of the flowers, followed by the leaves, and then the entire branch. If left untreated, the tree can be lost within a year or two.

Control measures: the bush must be thoroughly treated with a 1% solution of Fundazole, and all infected branches must be cut off with a margin.

Felt cherry trees are also prone to root rot if planted in a low-lying area. In winter, a lot of snow typically accumulates there, and if there are several thaws during the winter, the base of the tree becomes damaged. While the tree may bloom normally in the spring, it will eventually wither away, so it's important to choose a suitable location for planting Chinese cherry trees in advance.