Cherry Tree Blight - Ask Extension
Can anyone suggest what to do about my cherry tree? It started with a rust on the leaves and now the cherries are coming in black and rotted. Would an...
Knowledgebase
Cherry Tree Blight #648379
Asked June 09, 2020, 2:37 PM EDT
Can anyone suggest what to do about my cherry tree? It started with a rust on the leaves and now the cherries are coming in black and rotted. Would an antifungal spray next spring before it starts budding help? We had 2 pear trees with rust, but cut those down over the winter.
Baltimore County Maryland
Expert Response
Hi- it is likely that the leaf spots you observed were cherry shot hole diseases, very common and made worse this year by cool, wet weather:
https://extension.umd.edu/hgic/topics/cherry-shot-hole-flowering-cherries
The fruit rot is most likely brown rot, a common disease of stone fruit in Maryland. Remove all infected fruit on the ground and on the tree to reduce the amount of disease inoculum carried over to next year:
https://extension.umd.edu/hgic/topics/diseases-stone-fruit
Yes, spring fungicide sprays starting at bloom are necessary to prevent this serious disease. Learn more about the disease and how to manage it in VA Tech's home fruit pest management guide (see section 3):
https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/content/dam/pubs_ext_vt_edu/456/456-018/ENTO-336.pdf
Jon
https://extension.umd.edu/hgic/topics/cherry-shot-hole-flowering-cherries
The fruit rot is most likely brown rot, a common disease of stone fruit in Maryland. Remove all infected fruit on the ground and on the tree to reduce the amount of disease inoculum carried over to next year:
https://extension.umd.edu/hgic/topics/diseases-stone-fruit
Yes, spring fungicide sprays starting at bloom are necessary to prevent this serious disease. Learn more about the disease and how to manage it in VA Tech's home fruit pest management guide (see section 3):
https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/content/dam/pubs_ext_vt_edu/456/456-018/ENTO-336.pdf
Jon
