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Fruit & Orchards

Do i need to replace these cherry trees? (Pics)

14 years ago

Hello, all ...

I've become increasingly concerned about what i believe to be bacterial canker on my cherry trees. I would like your opinion on whether or not these trees should be removed and replaced with some other kind of fruit trees. A bit of background:

Currently, there are 18 fruit trees in my little edible landscape, three of which are cherries. Pretty much immediately after planting, i noticed some icky ooze on the Bing, particularly in the crotch areas. I called the nursery where the tree was purchased and they told me a certain amount of "gumosis" is to be expected from a cherry, particularly in a no-spray situation like my own.

Advance time by maybe three years and the problem is getting much worse. The worst of it is on the Bing where it apparently started, but i'm now seeing it at the base of my Stella, and there are signs of it on my Lapin. Not only that, but a non-cherry tree next to it, a Puget Gold apricot, also appears to have some dried sap on one of the branches. Could it be infected now too?

I'm very worried about the spread of this ick. Should i just rip out these cherries and put some other fruit trees in the same spot? If so, must i treat the soil in some way so it doesn't spread ick to whatever is planted there?

Honestly, the birds beat me to all the cherries anyway, so in spite of what beautiful trees they are, i'm not sure they're worth the risk of disease. And i've been wanting pears. So i've been thinking of removing the cherries and planting in their place a Ranier cherry (supposedly good for this area), and two pear trees, or perhaps a pear and another peach.

Thoughts?

Here are current photographs:

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Thank you so much everyone ...

e

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Comments (7)

jean001
14 years ago
Looks serious. I doubt it has much of a future.
Embothrium
14 years ago
Gummosis of stone fruits has multiple possible causes. I have a Japanese flowering cherry that had gummosis once or twice, has since grown on to be currently approaching perhaps 40' tall.

Here is a link that might be useful: Cherry -- Gumming
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estreya
Original Author
14 years ago
Bboy, that's an encouraging link (unlike many of the things i've run across when searching under bacterial canker). It seems to imply there's hope for these trees if i cut away the hardened ooze and apply a "reliable disinfectant" (though i'm not sure exactly what that means - alcohol?).

On the other hand, my outbreak seems to be of the spontaneous variety because i'm careful about mechanical damage and i certainly haven't been overwatering this year (although i may have been guilty of that when first planted). That being the case, i don't know if i want to constantly wrestle with this issue and perhaps risk spread to my other healthy trees.

Since a good selection of fruit trees won't be back in the local nurseries till Spring, i suppose a logical start would be to treat the spots to the best of my ability and see where that takes me for now.
jean001
14 years ago
The "normal" ooze is is essentially clear.

With bacterial canker, a *very* common disease of stone fruits in this region, the ooze is colored.

Are branches dying back? If so, that indicates disease.
estreya
Original Author
14 years ago
I'm sorry to say, Jean, yes, some branches are dying back.

It's such a heartbreak to loose a tree, but i think it's better i take care of this now rather than watch them decline over the next few years.
Embothrium
14 years ago
Stone fruits are the most problematic here. Those who are less committed than passionate fruit hobbyists should probably just plant apple trees much of the time. Disease-resistant cultivars are nearly care-free on some sites, not even needing to be watered (once established).

If you have apple maggot or codling moth show up, then the situation would of course change.

Here is a link that might be useful: Extension Publishing and Printing -- Why Cherry Trees Die
hoseman
14 years ago
I lost a cherry tree last fall from cankers. It took a few years during which I would cut infected branches out. In fact, last summer it had a large crop of cherries. I saved one tree by cutting early, this tree had a canker called Botryosphaeria (Botryosphaeria dothidea). These trees were planted in an area that did not have good soil or drainage. I have two cherry trees left in this area, but I have replanted all of my cherry trees in another location where the soil is better. I would not replace these trees where you have them now because stressed trees are more susceptible to this disease. Of course, you could change the composition of the soil and keep them properly watered.

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