Thanks all! We're in the SF Bay Area (Oakland, so not in the fog belt---pretty mild/moderate). We do have very heavy clay soil and have been amending it where we've planted new trees to try to mitigate drainage issues after losing two avocado seedlings to root rot. As far as the second cherry, if this is bacterial canker, is it likely to spread to other fruit trees? We have aging apples, persimmons, and figs (one fig is ill with something too, but our local nursery noted that it may just be at the end of its life). We also have younger plums, avocado, and citrus. All are in close proximity (entire yard is maybe 1200 square feet?). It's obviously a little late for dormant spraying in our area, but is there anything I should be using in the spring/summer season to prevent the spread of the canker, if it can spread to other nearby trees? It does seem to have been eating away at the cherries for some years now, as the previous owner had taken off large chunks of both trees. Also, we would like to replace the cherry (though maybe in another part of the yard, it sounds like!) I've seen cherries on both Gisela5 and Mazzard rootstock. (Am guessing the current trees are on Mazzard or something similar as they're huge.) Is one more resilient than the other, or should I just choose based on size/fruiting? Thanks!

Well, first things first: it's a Dracaena fragrans. I think. The reason why it hasn't attempted to grow back any of the lost leaves is because it can't. All you can do when you're a Dracaena is get taller or branch, and branching would only be likely if it had grown mostly horizontally for a period of time, or if it had flowered. So it gets taller. Is there a way to regrow? Well, kinda. You could cut the plant back, at which point it would be forced to sprout new growing tips. Or you could air-layer (.pdf file) and start over again with the tops of the plants. The more interesting question to me is why you're losing so many leaves in the first place. Granted, keeping your plant alive for two years is an accomplishment in and of itself, but the leaf drop looks like a fairly extreme case of something or another, too. It would like more light, though that's not why it would be dropping leaves. Soil breakdown is a possibility, as is over- or under-watering, fertilizer buildup, and temperature. Pests are an outside possibility, but these aren't really known for having pest problems, and most pest problems would have progressed well beyond obvious by now. So. When you water, do you pour water in until it starts running back out, or do you only add a little bit at a time? Does the plant ever have to stand in a saucer full of water? Is the plant in a draft? Is the plant in the path of an air conditioning or heating vent? How long has it been since the plant got new soil? Is the water in your area naturally high in fluoride? How do you decide when it's time to water? (by schedule? by feeling the top couple inches of soil? by weight of the pot? whenever you remember?) Are there roots coming out of the bottom of the pot? I'm going to go ahead and bet $10 on soil compaction and/or rootbound: that's a lot of plant for the size of the pot it's in. Unlike saucer, I think I would go up a pot size unless you're planning to cut it back, and if it's as potbound as I suspect it is, I might move it up to the next largest size regardless. If it were my plant. Which it is not. Look at the roots first, like saucer said.

Flowergirl, except for clematis crispa which is sometimes referred to as bog clematis, clematis do not like to sit in water. If your planting hole was full of clay and you dug a 2 foot square hole and amended it well, then you in essence planted your clematis in a swimming pool that collected water when you watered or it rained. I think, like you, that most probably the clematis rotted due to too much water. In my garden, I have high clay soil. As a result, if I am planting a clematis, I add a little soil conditioner to the hole and mix it with the native soil. I do not go overboard augmenting the soil because I know that I will end up killing clematis due to the swimming hole effect. I then add compost, horse manure, or any organic material including grass clippings around the plant (this might be more grass clippings or wood chips/ground hardwood mulch. As these materials break down, they will add organic matter to the soil but not give you a swimming hole for the plant to sit in. If I am preparing a large bed or raised garden area to plant clematis in, I go hog wild and add all sorts of amendments since the larger area will drain well and not cause the problems associated with planting a clematis in a hole that has been overly prepared.

Replant issues are typically restricted to established orchards and far less common with home fruit production. And it is not a disease but most likely the result of a depletion of soil nutrients from many years of tree growth. And depending on when the previous tree died, there could also be a build up with the soil biology that takes care of digesting the underground portions of dead plants that can slow establishment of new plants. Other than dealing with whatever remaining roots might be present - a concern with planting any tree in the same spot previously occupied by another tree - I would not hesitate to replant in the same spot or as close to it as I could manage. Replant ssues are almost always overstated :-)