Last year I picked buckets of cherries off this cherry tree...I didn't prune anything off this year but we did spray dormant spray in the early spring. As soon as the cherries started to become ripe this year they turned brown and become cherry pits..the tree is now completely bare!!! 1. What can I do now to help it for next year 2. How much should I prune off / when ( i will do a search for info based on a previous post..i just don't know if the info will be different if my tree has some kind of disease) 3. Should i prune off all the branches with cherry pits hanging off it now? Thanks
While trying to solve my problem with my peach I came across this site: Tree Fruit Insect Pests and Diseases maintained by BC Min of Agriculture. I think your tree may have experienced either Brown rot or Botrytis Rots In any case, all the rotten fruit must be removed from the tree and ground. The web pages indicated by the links provide info on sprays and sanitation procedures to follow if your tree is infected. They also indicate that tree should be pruned to increase air flow, but I don't think you should prune until late winter, early spring.
Thank you so much for your reply... The link you provided is great! Especially the pictures of specific problems! You mentioned winter is the best time to prune...should I be cutting off the tips that had fruit now or just one big prune in the winter? Thanks so much for any more help!!! E.
Here's another informative site on cherry tree brown rot from Washington State University. They recommend removing all diseased and dead wood and keeping the tree sanitized by cleaning up any fallen cherries or debris from the surrounding ground. None of the debris should be composted. They also note that research has shown that trees surrounded by lawns fertilized with high nitrogen are more susceptible to brown rot. I wouldn't remove them unless they were clearly diseased. Your cherry looks to be a mature tree and should not require much pruning, except to thin out branches to improve light penetration and air circulation and remove any dead, diseased, or weak branches that are easy to see when the tree is still in leaf. Cherry trees should be pruned during the growing season after bud break occurs in the spring or late winter. Pruning too early in winter can leave the tree susceptible to diseases like silver-leaf and cankers. An older cherry tree such has yours can be thinned in late summer after the new grow has matured. This is a pretty good guide to pruning cherries (Adobe PDF format) that provides some good tips.
