I would guess it's the dreaded Brown Rot. Once that starts it moves rather quickly. I had it a few years ago and some of the experts here on GW pointed me to a product called Monterey Fungi Fighter. I was unable to locate that locally (in a very short time that I had to get it applied) so I found a product from Bonide called Infuse that had the same active ingredient. It worked just like they said it would! I want to say it was Harvestman or Fruitnut who had guided me on this one, but they had said you can even use it in a rescue operation. In other words, if you have spotted early signs of Brown Rot you can spray with MFF (or in my case Infuse) and it'll stop the BR and you'll have saved some of the crop anyway. It worked for me. Going forward from that experience, I was much more diligent in making sure I collected and discarded any of the "Mummies" (the shriveled up fruit with the nasty moldy looking spore things, etc) as well a keeping things really clean under the tree. And then being diligent in a spray schedule with regard to applying a Fungicide. Now when I harvest my cherries, one of the last things I do after picking for the day is to go around the underneath of the tree and pick up all the drops or bird pecked ones that I discard so that there's nothing under my tree except for grass. Even if I'm dog tired after a day of harvesting I find the energy to get the drops off the ground and thrown away. I think it really helps. Others may have a different take on your cherry problem, but if it is BR the products noted and keeping a clean area may help out going forward. This post was edited by iowajer on Mon, May 26, 14 at 9:08

It looks as if I have at least 50% of the fruit just drying up on the tree. About 20% of the rest have insect marks. I read that I should pick out all the mummified and affected fruit but there are so many, I think I would rather remove the tree. I purchased in about 5 years ago. On a positive note, since it is a Rainier Cherry and the ripe cherries are mostly yellow with only some red, will that trick the critters into believing that they are not ripe yet and they might leave some for me? (-:

I see my neighbor stealing some of the raspberries between the houses (kind of a shared spot). Not a big deal, as I steal some beans on my side of the fence, and she also gives me some food as well. I have gotten her addicted to blackberries! I do grow more plants then just fruit - like castor beans, and I had to chase down some teens who a bunch. I managed to track them down - they thought it was weed, and man would they have gotten a shock when they smoked it....... I had to tell them what it was. OF course they didnt believe me. I had to use one of their phones to show them the differences. Ive had cops stop and ask what it was as well.

Brandon, thank you for the detailed response. Now that I know more about the "Dans default" comment, as an outsider I would say it made me feel inadequate. I do not take offense of the saying as it is true. I read and sometimes post here because I am learning. I planted five trees last year, (three cherries, a maple, and a Gingko. This year I am planting shrubs. I know I am no landscaper, but I am having fun doing the research and the work. I look forward to watching them grow. That is why I surf this site frequently. As for the drainage guess, the three cherries are lined down the side of my backyard. They are on a slight incline. The tree in question is in the middle, with one slightly higher and one slightly lower. I looked through the link. It was very informative, thank you. I used peat moss and a fertilizer when planting the trees. I dug the hole twice as big as the root ball. I used a hand cultivator on the sides and bottom of the hole to make smaller holes for "roughen the edges of the planting hole." The one thing I can think of that I may have done incorrectly is the part about teasing the root ball. I did try to loosen the roots but wasn't sure how much was enough. So maybe I didn't tease enough? Not sure. I tried to make sure the ground was level with the surface of the dirt that was in the pot. So the same amount of trunk was sticking out of my yard as it was when it was in the pot, if that makes sense. As for improper planting, I really did do a lot of research when I planted them. Most of it was on this site. But I definitely cant rule it out as like I have said before, It was my first time. I will get a picture of the trunk going into the ground for you guys. I'm not really sure what I'm looking for with the graft union, so I'll let you guys decide. Thanks again for all the reply's, and sorry for the lengthy post.