Rural pty purchased Nov/05. Cherry trees full of white blossoms this spring...now fruiting nicely. However, v many leafless lower (smaller) branches, which I pruned this week. Otherwise the trees appear in good shape...all are embedded in lawn. The trees are a small-leaf variety, so quite 'airy' (ie. sufficient sunlight penetrating...I assume!) Yesterday I noticed a few - about 5/tree - yellow- ing leaves w sm black spots, which I removed (within reach). Accessed yr site & learnt about painting the trunks w white oil paint to discourage fungi/borers. Should I paint the trunks - simply as a preventative measure - and, more importantly: also paint all the cuts where I removed the dead branches??! THXS! Linda/Ontario,Canada.
Hello Linda, It sounds like your cherry trees have leaf spot. Although it is difficult to diagnose the problem with any certainty. Here is a link to an OMAFRA (Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs) website with a list of fruit tree publications which you may find useful. They are specific to Ontario and useful resources in diagnosing problems which are location specific. If you are considering a preventative measure for what sounds like leaf spot, painting white paint on your trunks is not the answer. Here is a link which provides the following information. "Avoid overhead irrigation, especially late in the day. Prune away surrounding shade-producing vegetation. Do not crowd newly planted material. Renovate older landscapes to reduce shade and plant crowding....Leaf spot diseases of trees in the landscape are generally not damaging enough to warrant chemical control." Additionally it is not recommended that you use any sort of wound dressing on your pruning cuts. The trees will form callus over the wounds in time. Callus will form only you make proper pruning cuts. Here is another link which provides some good visuals of how to make proper pruning cuts. Figure 5 is most important when trying to encourage the tree to form callus and seal the wound. Raakel
Raakel, THXSaTon for yr reply! Noticed the 1st few spotty leaves - many, many more later - but only a week afterwards noticed that the bark on sev. of the trunks was split wide open! (I had wanted to know about wound dressing to prevent borers...!) The (sour cherry) trees are probably ancient - we never did get to meet the prev. owner. Trees - in a row - don't appear too crowded & are in full sun. 5 acres of garden has kept me hopping, & many trees/mature shrubs req. serious pruning. The links U provided have there- fore been most useful. Thxs again! Linda/"Cherry".
