Tree branches losing leaves Golden Cherry - Ask Extension
Hello
I have 3 trees in my yard that are losing leaves on some branches. I will send 3 separate emails showing each tree since they are all 3 differ...
Knowledgebase
Tree branches losing leaves Golden Cherry #798526
Asked June 29, 2022, 11:20 AM EDT
Hello
I have 3 trees in my yard that are losing leaves on some branches. I will send 3 separate emails showing each tree since they are all 3 different types. This tree is a Golden Cherry tree. Please advise is you can diagnose the insect or disease and what I can do to not lose these trees
Genesee County Michigan
Expert Response
If your cherry tree has leaf loss in the late spring or summer, then it’s probably stressed. Cherry trees can lose their leaves early when the tree is stressed from over-watering or from drought. As a general rule, cherry trees should only be watered when the first 2-4 inches of soil are dry. If the soil stays sopping wet, more drainage is needed. To combat heat and drought, provide shade, compost, and mulch.
Since cherry trees need different watering based on soil, climate, tree size and more, the best rule to follow is to only water when the top 2-4 inches of soil are dry. A good way to measure when to water cherry trees is to push a finger, up to the second knuckle, into the soil under the canopy. If it’s dry, provide water. If it’s sopping wet an hour or more after watering, hold off on the water and consider amending the soil for better drainage.
Additionally, clay soils are dense and can hold too much water. Sandy soils are loose and can have too much drainage. Rich, loamy soil is the best medium for growing cherry trees. It has enough drainage but retains moisture to keep the plant’s roots cool and hydrated. If you need to provide your planted cherry tree with better drainage, you can amend its soil with compost.
Compost improves the soil's richness and water retention, while mulch reduces evaporation and weed growth. Compost can also reduce and remove the need for chemical fertilizers. Simply add 2 inches of compost under the canopy and 2 inches of mulch on top of the compost. Do not pile either up the trunk of your trees. Keep a distance of at least 3 inches from the tree’s trunk to prevent diseases from entering the tree.
Cherry trees also can lose their leaves early if they don’t have sufficient nutrients to provide their leaves. Generally, cherry trees do best with a low-nitrogen fertilizer such as an NPK of 5-10-10. Alternatively, you can use 2 inches of compost every 1-2 months.
Another reason for leaf drop could be the pH level of your soil. When a cherry has soil that is either too alkaline or too acidic, it’s unable to properly absorb nutrients. Sweet cherry trees prefer a soil pH of 6.3-7.2. If you have not done so, you may wish to conduct a soil test to ascertain the pH level of your soil. Self-mailer soil test kits from the Michigan State University Plant and Pest Diagnostic Lab are available. You can obtain them at the link below. Full instructions are there and also come with the kits. The cost is $25. The Lab will make recommendations for any needed soil amendments.
https://shop.msu.edu/product_p/bulletin-e3154.htm
If your trees appear healthy other than the limbs you have pictured in two of your photographs, you should prune off the non-productive limbs as they are likely dead. If you’re not sure if the limbs are alive, you can use your fingernail to scrape off the outer layer of thin bark. If the branch has any green inside, it is still alive.
There are also a few diseases that can cause your cherry trees to drop leaves, but I cannot diagnose diseases from your pictures. Your best resource for diagnosing and treating your trees is to consult a certified arborist. An arborist is a certified and generally insured expert in trees and their problems. He or she can examine your tree and make recommendations regarding the health of the tree, any needed judicial pruning, and whether or not (in his opinion) it should be removed. You can find a certified arborist in your area here:
http://www.treesaregood.org/
Click on "Find an Arborist" at the top of the page; then click on United States from the pull-down menu. Then enter your State and City. This should bring up a list of certified arborists nearest to you. Or you may be able to locate one under "Tree Services" in your local Yellow Pages.
Since cherry trees need different watering based on soil, climate, tree size and more, the best rule to follow is to only water when the top 2-4 inches of soil are dry. A good way to measure when to water cherry trees is to push a finger, up to the second knuckle, into the soil under the canopy. If it’s dry, provide water. If it’s sopping wet an hour or more after watering, hold off on the water and consider amending the soil for better drainage.
Additionally, clay soils are dense and can hold too much water. Sandy soils are loose and can have too much drainage. Rich, loamy soil is the best medium for growing cherry trees. It has enough drainage but retains moisture to keep the plant’s roots cool and hydrated. If you need to provide your planted cherry tree with better drainage, you can amend its soil with compost.
Compost improves the soil's richness and water retention, while mulch reduces evaporation and weed growth. Compost can also reduce and remove the need for chemical fertilizers. Simply add 2 inches of compost under the canopy and 2 inches of mulch on top of the compost. Do not pile either up the trunk of your trees. Keep a distance of at least 3 inches from the tree’s trunk to prevent diseases from entering the tree.
Cherry trees also can lose their leaves early if they don’t have sufficient nutrients to provide their leaves. Generally, cherry trees do best with a low-nitrogen fertilizer such as an NPK of 5-10-10. Alternatively, you can use 2 inches of compost every 1-2 months.
Another reason for leaf drop could be the pH level of your soil. When a cherry has soil that is either too alkaline or too acidic, it’s unable to properly absorb nutrients. Sweet cherry trees prefer a soil pH of 6.3-7.2. If you have not done so, you may wish to conduct a soil test to ascertain the pH level of your soil. Self-mailer soil test kits from the Michigan State University Plant and Pest Diagnostic Lab are available. You can obtain them at the link below. Full instructions are there and also come with the kits. The cost is $25. The Lab will make recommendations for any needed soil amendments.
https://shop.msu.edu/product_p/bulletin-e3154.htm
If your trees appear healthy other than the limbs you have pictured in two of your photographs, you should prune off the non-productive limbs as they are likely dead. If you’re not sure if the limbs are alive, you can use your fingernail to scrape off the outer layer of thin bark. If the branch has any green inside, it is still alive.
There are also a few diseases that can cause your cherry trees to drop leaves, but I cannot diagnose diseases from your pictures. Your best resource for diagnosing and treating your trees is to consult a certified arborist. An arborist is a certified and generally insured expert in trees and their problems. He or she can examine your tree and make recommendations regarding the health of the tree, any needed judicial pruning, and whether or not (in his opinion) it should be removed. You can find a certified arborist in your area here:
http://www.treesaregood.org/
Click on "Find an Arborist" at the top of the page; then click on United States from the pull-down menu. Then enter your State and City. This should bring up a list of certified arborists nearest to you. Or you may be able to locate one under "Tree Services" in your local Yellow Pages.
