I have several flowering cherries on my property, some of which I planted myself about ten years ago. These are mostly named varieties such as Mt. Fuji and Kwanzaan (sp?) and they are doing fine. I also have planted several fruiting varietes such as Rainier and Bing and they are doing fine too. The problem is with the old flowering cherries that were on the property when I moved in. They all seem to have some type of canker that causes them to produce small clumps or "florets" of leaf growth, as well as fasciation and distorted branch growth. My questions are... is this disease treatable or are these trees beyond the point of no return? Are my newer varieties vulnerable and if so is there anything I can do to protect them? Any help would be appreciated.
Can you supply a pic of the entire tree? What I would want to know is how widespread is this condition in your trees? You say that only the older flowering Cherries are affected? I have dealt with this condition before in Bing and Black Tartarian Cherries. Jim
Hi Hungry Hippo: What really dismayed me last evening is that there is only one article online in "varied" relation to this condition on Fruit and Nut Trees and that article from our Cooperative Extension only pertains to young Almonds. The subject of this non-infectious "disease" on young Almonds sent me into another tailspin as I was taught over 30 years ago to know this physiological disorder in much older Almonds (Cherries also), generally 15-25 year olds that either had not been pruned in several years or the pruning quality was sub-standard. This condition does show up in some but not all Cherries as well as some of the older varietal Plums. Just work with me and I can supply you with a non-chemical means of dealing with it providing we have enough tree left to work with. Call it an "Earth Day special" as I have a strong suspicion the number of people online that will know what this condition is, is probably less than a handful and that perceived reality is another shocker for me. http://cekern.ucdavis.edu/Custom_Program485/Noninfectious_Bud_Failure_or_-Crazy_Top-_in_Almonds.htm Jim
The kind of distorted growth pictured (fasciation) is typical of infection by Pseudomonas syringae (bacterial canker), which is extremely common in older, (especially pruned) fruiting cherries. There is little you can do to rid these trees of the disease, as the disease becomes systemic and only in the early stages of infection can the tree successfully compartmentalize the damage. The bacteria are easily transported on infected tissue, tools, by insects, rain and wind. See this fact sheet from Oregon State Extension for more information.
Thank-you very much to both Mr. Shep and Douglas for your suggestions. I wish I had known about the resistant rootstock when I planted my trees, but I guess that is one of the hazards of growing fruit in the coastal north-west. Due to the fact that my newer (and beloved) cherry trees may be at risk from this bacterial disease, I have decided to consult with a local arborist who comes highly recommended to better assess my course of action. I will post any successful results! Thanks again.
Hi all. there is a spray mixture that I have used successfully for this problem. As it is an old wives tail that works and is non toxic to the world ( at least not to the effect of others) Assuming that the trees are not to far gone. Regards dougs I first used it in desparation in Chilliwack B.C to save a 30 year old cherry tree.
