How to treat cherries against diseases and pests, what to do for treatment

Cherry diseases, in the absence of adequate measures on the part of the gardener, can cause a decrease in yield or death of the fruit tree. There is a certain list of the most dangerous types of fungi and pests for crops, each of which is easy to identify and choose the right method of control. To exclude cherry diseases, it is enough to know about the first symptoms of anomalies in tree growth and disease prevention measures.

Causes of tree disease

Cherry trees are susceptible to a certain list of diseases, the occurrence of which is most often associated with violation of the rules of care or the influence of abnormal weather conditions. The appearance of signs of disease should force you to reconsider growing conditions and make adjustments.

Improper care

It is important to choose the right planting site and soil for planting the plant. The risk of poor growth and tree diseases increases significantly in the following situations:

• planting in a wetland;
• close proximity to groundwater;
• excessive fertilization;
• unsuitable soil;
• insufficient lighting;
• violation of planting technique, insufficient or excessive deepening.

Diseases can be caused by the lack of preventive spraying in the spring with drugs against fungal diseases and pests, or refusal to whitewash the trunks. Excessive watering, untimely or improper pruning of shoots can also cause diseases.

Unsuitable climatic conditions

The success of good fruiting and growth of cherries often lies in the correct choice of variety. For cold regions, you should choose only winter-hardy species that can withstand low temperatures.

Neighborhood with infected trees

Cherry is one of the “capricious” trees, as it suffers more often than others from proximity to other fruit crops. She does not like neighborhood of apple and cherry trees, is capable of quickly taking over the “infection” from a number of located shoots. At the first signs of infection, it is necessary to take active action immediately, since in a fairly short time the problem can affect all cherry plantings.

Types of fungal and bacterial infections and ways to combat them

Some of the ailments of a fungal nature can be dangerous and cannot be treated, so at the first sign of health problems, immediate action should be taken, otherwise the fruit tree plantings may die.

Clusterosporiosis, fungal disease of cherry holey spot

The disease infects trees in the spring; the first symptoms are expressed in the appearance of small brown spots with a reddish border in the border area. Formations can be observed on leaves, formed buds and inflorescences. Over time, the affected areas dry out and fall out, leaving holes instead.

Infected berries change in appearance and become ugly. The pulp of the berries stops growing and dries completely, reaching the surface of the seed. An infected tree stops developing and begins to bear fruit poorly.

To combat the disease, timely removal of foliage and branches with signs of anomaly is required. The sections must be treated with a 1% solution of copper sulfate and the wound must be covered with garden pitch. For treatment, spraying procedures are carried out with 1% Bordeaux mixture. The frequency is as follows:

• at the moment of bud ripening;
• 3 weeks after the end of flowering.

After removing the infected parts for treatment purposes, it is effective to treat with Horus. Instructions for use are always included by the manufacturer upon sale, so the rules for preparing the solution must be studied in advance.

Bacteriosis or cherry cancer

A fruit tree disease of a bacterial nature most often affects trees between 3 and 8 years of age. Microorganisms fall on fruit trees with the help of rain and gusts of wind; during the cold period they overwinter in the bark or buds. Symptoms of the disease are as follows:

• ulcers appear on the branches;
• where the bark has broken, gum is released;
• leaf blades and berries are covered with dark spots, the edges of which are framed by a yellow border;
• Brown formations appear on the stalks.

Over time, the wood of infected trees dies and the leaves fall off. The danger of bacteriosis lies in the fact that there are no means to combat the effects of bacteria. The horticultural market offers cherry varieties whose breeding qualities allow them to be more resistant to cancer. The risk of infection is reduced in warm years without excessive rainfall. Application of nitrogen fertilizers and limited watering of the fruit tree will help reduce the likelihood of the disease.

Gommoz

Hommosis manifests itself in the form of gum formation on tree trunks and fruits. The danger is that in this way the fruit trees devote all their energy to fighting the disease, as a result of which the plants wither.

There are many reasons for the appearance of gommosis, so to combat the disease it is important to find out the root cause. Possible options include:

• cold damage;
• excessive application of nitrogen fertilizers;
• excess growth regulators;
• passion for phytohormones;
• mechanical damage.

To fight, mechanical extraction of the affected area is used, after which the wound is treated with copper sulfate and covered. Such work must be carried out several weeks before the onset of cold weather in the fall, which will allow the tree to recover.

Chlorosis

Trees growing on soils with an excessive content of chalk and calcareous rocks are most susceptible to chlorosis. Groundwater lying close to the surface of the earth also increases the risk of disease. Infected plants grow poorly and, as a result of a lack of minerals, have poor chlorophyll synthesis. The result is a decrease in fruiting and, in extreme cases, the death of the fruit tree.

The first signs of chlorosis are the following:

• leaves begin to curl;
• the green mass changes color and acquires a light shade;
• the plant begins to look weak and sick.

Problems of this kind arise when excessive application of manure, superphosphate, and potassium fertilizers to the soil, so you should work with such fertilizers carefully. The situation can be corrected by nitrogen-containing preparations, compost and peat. It is enough to apply such products into the soil 2 times a year at the rate of 5 kg per square meter.

For prevention, in early spring, the tree is sprayed with a solution of iron sulfate, dissolving 300 g of the product in 10 liters of water. In mid-July, re-treatment is carried out, reducing the concentration of the active substance to 30 g.

Powdery mildew

The fungal disease mainly affects young cherry shoots, and the risk of infection is high during the cutting procedure. The consequence is a slowdown in crop growth and early leaf fall. Description of the fungal influence process:

• a white coating appears, localized mainly on leaves and shoots;
• gradually the mealy formation acquires a grayish tint;
• the leaves change their appearance and dry out over time.

Today, a fairly large number of different targeted drugs are available to combat fungus. The most common ones include:

• "Strobe";
• "Topaz";
• "Phytodoctor"

A good effect in the fight against the disease is shown by three-time treatment with a 15-day break with a 2% solution of colloidal sulfur or a 2% lime-sulfur decoction.

Coccomycosis or reddish-brown spot of cherry

The first symptom of coccomycosis infection is the appearance of spots on the leaves that have a reddish tint. After some time they become brown, the green mass begins to fall off. During the first years, the fruit tree gets sick, then stops producing berries. Numerous spots on the leaves, weakening the plant, can ultimately cause the death of the tree.

The fight against the fungus begins in early spring, the possibility of carrying out work is indicated by the beginning of the process of swelling of the buds.

The first treatment is carried out with copper sulfate; a solution is prepared at the rate of 300 g of product per 10 liters of water. At the moment of flowering, Bordeaux mixture is used. For treatment purposes, drugs are used to counteract coccomycosis - “Chorus” or “Hom”. For better adhesion of the solution to the liquid, experienced gardeners add laundry soap; the treatment is carried out carefully in those places where dark spots are concentrated.

Moniliosis or gray rot of cherries

The first signs of a problem are changes in the color of cherry shoots and twigs, which turn brown.The black spots spread quickly and a fire effect appears on the surface of the bark. In some places, gray growths form and cracks form, from which gum is actively released. Chaotically located formations also form on the berries. Symptoms of the disease are the following:

• fruits crack;
• the process of rotting berries begins;
• drying out of the cherries occurs.

The causative agent of moniliosis is a fungus that lives in dried fruits during the cold period. Getting rid of the disease is possible only if the infected foliage and shoots are destroyed in a timely manner. Prevention is done by autumn whitewashing, and fungicides are used to combat the fungus.

Brown spot, phyllostictosis

A fungal disease manifests itself in the form of small brown spots on the leaves of the tree. Numerous black dots cause the green mass to dry out and fall off. To counteract such a fungal infection, you should collect fallen leaves and burn them. During the gardening season, the tree is treated several times by spraying with special preparations. For these purposes, solutions are used:

• 1% Bordeaux mixture;
• 1% copper sulfate;
• "Nitrafen".

The first spraying is done before the buds open. The second procedure is repeated 2 or 3 weeks after the cherries have completely faded. To enhance the effect in case of severe infection of the plant, after 2 weeks it is advisable to treat it with the fungicide “Hom”. When using chemicals, it is important to follow safety rules, work only in special clothing and protect mucous membranes from contact with the solution. Autumn spraying with 3% Bordeaux mixture after the leaves have completely fallen will allow you to consolidate the result.

Scab

The disease manifests itself in the form of numerous dark spots on greenery and fruits; the leaves curl into a tube and dry out. At the same time, the affected berries rot and lose liquid. Mechanical and chemical methods are used for control. In the first case, the affected areas are removed and destroyed by fire.

To combat and prevent further infection, three times treatment with 1% Bordeaux mixture is used - at the time of bud formation, at the end of the flowering process and a month before harvest.

Cylindrosporosis, white rust

Rust causes leaves to fall, and yellow crowns thin out already in the middle of the gardening season. A fungal disease affects the layer of wood, ulcers form on it, from which gum is released. The bark of the cherry tree becomes black-brown in color. The plant weakens and cannot tolerate low temperatures, as a result it dries out in the spring.

To prevent disease, diseased branches must be removed. It is necessary to promptly treat emerging wounds by cleaning, disinfecting the affected area and covering the wounds.

Mosaic ringing of cherries

Mosaic disease is viral in nature and leads to a decrease in the immunity of the fruit tree. Formations appear on its leaves in the form of yellowish stripes, localized along the lines of the veins. As the infection progresses, the plates begin to curl, turn brown and fall off.

Mosaic ringing leads to the formation of small light rings on the leaves, which subsequently crumble and holes form in their place.

Infection with the virus occurs as a result of the activity of harmful insects, due to grafting with a diseased cutting or pruning with tools that have not been previously disinfected. The disease cannot be treated, so only preventive measures are used to combat it in the form of pest control and eliminating the main causes of the appearance of mosaic ringing.

Gum discharge of cherries

Gommosis and gum disease are the names of the same disease, so the reasons for their appearance are the same. If there is a problem, a gum appears on the tree, which resembles glue and has a bitter taste, with a consistency similar to resin.

Such formations can appear on fruits and leaves, but are more often observed on the surface of the wood of the trunk. Most often, this situation is caused by the inability of the tree to survive frost or mechanical damage. Resin deprives the tree of vital juices and attracts harmful insects, which negatively affects the growth of cherries.

Ways to prevent diseases

For prevention purposes, it is important to monitor plant growth and take timely action when the first signs of an anomaly appear. Good preventive measures are:

• cleaning and destruction of foliage, pruned branches and rotten berries by burning;
• timely pruning and proper formation of the tree crown;
• loosening of the root area;
• carrying out preventive spraying before flowering, after flowering and after harvesting;
• increasing plant immunity.

Treatment with special preparations – Ecoberin, Zircon – can help increase the plant’s resistance to various diseases and environmental influences. An important factor in preventing diseases is compliance with the rules of growing and caring for the plant.

What pests are cherries susceptible to?

Many gardeners have encountered wormy cherries; pests can affect not only the fruits, but also the leaves of the tree. The main dangers include infestations of the following insects:

• fruit mite;
• aphid;
• weevil;
• leaf beetle;
• leaf roller.

You can get rid of worm infestations using special targeted drugs. Spraying is carried out several times a season, following the manufacturer's recommendations.

Insecticides and preparations for insect control

Treating a fruit tree against pests involves spraying. To do this, prepare solutions that treat the entire plant. In most cases, irrigation three times a day is sufficient, following a schedule.

The first is carried out before the formation of buds, the second after flowering has completed, and the last no more than 20 days before the berries are collected.

The peculiarity of modern insecticidal preparations is that the preparations allow you to combat several pests at once. It is enough to perform one preventive spraying to protect the tree from the invasion of various types of insects. Recommendations for use and information about the direction of action of the drug are always indicated in its instructions. Popular products include Karbofos, Kemifos, Fufanon, Inta-Vir.