Weeping cherry leaves turning brown - Ask Extension
6 year old weeping cherry, the leaves are turning brown. Is it due to disease or the frost we had a few weeks ago.
If it is due to disease is there a...
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Weeping cherry leaves turning brown #314705
Asked April 19, 2016, 5:41 PM EDT
6 year old weeping cherry, the leaves are turning brown. Is it due to disease or the frost we had a few weeks ago.
If it is due to disease is there a spray or other treatment I can use.
Baltimore County Maryland
Expert Response
Our pathologist finds no symptoms of disease or insect problems in the photos you have provided of your cherry tree.
The problem is most likely environmental or cultural. For example, we cannot see the base of the tree in ;your photo, but the trunk formation suggests that there are actually three main trunks emanating from a central location. This can result in occluded bark if the trunks are too close together at the base and can disrupt the vascular flow of water and nutrients to portions of the canopy. The multiple trunks can also result in competition within the root zone for available water and nutrients. This decreased moisture availability can result in foliar burn during periods of cold, dry winds.
If the tree is heavily mulched, there could be some suffocation of the small feeder roots near the surface of the soil. Also, some small roots will grow into the mulch and result in foliar dieback due to dry mulch.
The best recommendation from what we can see would be to increase supplemental irrigation in order to ensure that the tree receives the equivalent of one inch of rainfall per week. This can be done by placing a garden hose near the base of the tree and allowing it to trickle for about 1 hour when we have periods of dry weather.
LS
The problem is most likely environmental or cultural. For example, we cannot see the base of the tree in ;your photo, but the trunk formation suggests that there are actually three main trunks emanating from a central location. This can result in occluded bark if the trunks are too close together at the base and can disrupt the vascular flow of water and nutrients to portions of the canopy. The multiple trunks can also result in competition within the root zone for available water and nutrients. This decreased moisture availability can result in foliar burn during periods of cold, dry winds.
If the tree is heavily mulched, there could be some suffocation of the small feeder roots near the surface of the soil. Also, some small roots will grow into the mulch and result in foliar dieback due to dry mulch.
The best recommendation from what we can see would be to increase supplemental irrigation in order to ensure that the tree receives the equivalent of one inch of rainfall per week. This can be done by placing a garden hose near the base of the tree and allowing it to trickle for about 1 hour when we have periods of dry weather.
LS
