Hello,

The sap being extruded from your peach and cherry trees is called gummosis. It is a symptom that indicates the trees are under stress. Gummosis is a general, nonspecific condition of stone fruits (peach, nectarine, plum and cherry) in which gum is exuded and deposited on the bark of a tree. Gum is produced in response to any type of wound, regardless of whether it is due to insects, mechanical injury or disease.

Examine your tree carefully and look for signs of injury, insects or cankers which may be caused by cytospera canker. A canker is a dark, sunken spot on the trunk or limbs.

Refer to the following link for more information on cytospera: http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/crops/02953.html

If you don't see any injury or cankers, then most likely the gummosis is due to environmental stress. Last spring was a difficult one for woody plants. Temperatures were warming up and then we were hit with snow and cold in mid May. This contributed to the stress many trees were under because of a relatively dry winter. The mid-July dryness and heat have not helped.

To be sure your trees are getting enough water, monitor them periodically by inserting a screw driver into the soil surrounding them. The soil should be evenly moist but not too wet. A deep watering at least once per week with an inexpensive frog eye sprinkler should be helpful.

Also, I noticed on the first picture, a limb has been removed leaving a stub several inches long. Because improper pruning cuts never actually "heal" over, this could be an avenue for insects or disease if it is not properly pruned. It is important to cut that stub out correctly so that area can repair itself. Here is some information on pruning fruit trees:

http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/garden/07003.html

Lastly, following is a link with information about caring for your fruit trees:

http://www.ext.colostate.edu/mg/Gardennotes/771.html