Hi All,
Zone 5b (Ontario) my cherry tree's cherries this year all rotted and die from what I believe is/was "blue mold rot".
Now all the leaves are browning and curling up. The brown areas are hard and crispy they fall off the tree easily. Is there anything I can/should do?
To confirm my research into blue mold rot I can spray a sulfur mix after the last frost and before the first buds correct?
[img]https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v150/roelof1/leaf3.png[/img]
[img]https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v150/roelof1/leaf2.png[/img]
[img]https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v150/roelof1/leaf1.png[/img]
Hi Hutchic.
Re your cherry problem.
Sulphur is normaly applied to cherries in a Lime sulphur mix.
This is so that the Sulphur does its job as a fungicide and the Lime protects the tree a little against the harshness of the Sulphur.
If you have a bad infection then I would be tempted to spray the tree before all the leaves had dropped after harvest.
It may well cause a bit of leaf burn but the good would outweigh the damage I think. You must however be certain that the tree has shut down all bud growth and so be carefull.
A good spray in the spring before bud burst will help enormously, but not once you have burst as it could cause severe damage to young opening leaf.
It is possable to use a weakened mix once the tree is in full leaf but the danger of scorch would mean taking a calculated risk. You would have to spray in cool weather and in the early morning to avoid danger to bees and birds.
The Mold is a real pest and damaged fruit is the most vunerable....so rain split will make the problem all the more wide spread.
It does help to clear all fallen debris from the tree in the autumn ( soryy...fall ) and remove any damaged wood from the tree and burn.
Good luck.
Re your cherry problem.
Sulphur is normaly applied to cherries in a Lime sulphur mix.
This is so that the Sulphur does its job as a fungicide and the Lime protects the tree a little against the harshness of the Sulphur.
If you have a bad infection then I would be tempted to spray the tree before all the leaves had dropped after harvest.
It may well cause a bit of leaf burn but the good would outweigh the damage I think. You must however be certain that the tree has shut down all bud growth and so be carefull.
A good spray in the spring before bud burst will help enormously, but not once you have burst as it could cause severe damage to young opening leaf.
It is possable to use a weakened mix once the tree is in full leaf but the danger of scorch would mean taking a calculated risk. You would have to spray in cool weather and in the early morning to avoid danger to bees and birds.
The Mold is a real pest and damaged fruit is the most vunerable....so rain split will make the problem all the more wide spread.
It does help to clear all fallen debris from the tree in the autumn ( soryy...fall ) and remove any damaged wood from the tree and burn.
Good luck.
-
rainbowgardener
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 25279
- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
- Location: TN/GA 7b
Hi Hutchic.
There are two possables with your leaf curl.
Blue Mold Rot ( Penicilium expansum ) will caues the leaf to curl and dessicate and one of the treatments is as I have said.
There is however another fungus...( Taphrina deformans )..the same one that causes Peach Leaf Curl...... that can affect cherry as well.
This one makes the leaves curl tightly and often tinges the ends in a red colour.
The spores are carried by water in the spring so keeping the tree as dry as possable up to the flowering stage helps enormously.
A practical possability on trees grown against a wall but not so easy for large open trees in a garden.
Sprays of Copper Sulphate ( Bordeaux Mixture ). are the normal method of treatment from bud burst to flower bud.
There are two possables with your leaf curl.
Blue Mold Rot ( Penicilium expansum ) will caues the leaf to curl and dessicate and one of the treatments is as I have said.
There is however another fungus...( Taphrina deformans )..the same one that causes Peach Leaf Curl...... that can affect cherry as well.
This one makes the leaves curl tightly and often tinges the ends in a red colour.
The spores are carried by water in the spring so keeping the tree as dry as possable up to the flowering stage helps enormously.
A practical possability on trees grown against a wall but not so easy for large open trees in a garden.
Sprays of Copper Sulphate ( Bordeaux Mixture ). are the normal method of treatment from bud burst to flower bud.