Thanks to breeders, cherries are grown in different regions of the country, giving gardeners the opportunity to collect juicy and sweet berries. However, mistakes in caring for the plant, diseases, and inappropriate climate may be the reasons why cherry leaves begin to wither. Having planted a tree, you need to properly care for it so that it does not become infected with diseases or suffer from harmful insects.
Why can cherries dry out?
A gardener most often notices that a tree is sick or has been attacked by pests when external signs appear, such as wilting, drying of foliage, and ovaries. The problem should be solved quickly, since external lesions lead to a decrease or absence of yield, and sometimes even to the death of the plant.
Errors during landing
The main factor influencing the fact that cherries dry out is failure to follow the correct process of planting the tree. The plant loves light and sun. It should be protected from cold winds and drafts.
When purchasing a seedling in a nursery or at garden markets, pay attention to the above-ground part of the plant and the rhizome. It is recommended to plant an annual plant, as it takes root faster.
Important: overdried roots provoke the death of the entire tree.
Timely planting remains an important factor. The hole for the seedling is prepared in advance so that the soil in it is stable, and the root collar is located at or slightly above the ground. If you stick a plant into a fresh hole, it, along with the soil, will settle, which will lead to oppression of the culture.
You cannot plant the plant shallowly, otherwise the root system of the cherry seedling will begin to dry out. It is not recommended to add a lot of mineral fertilizer into the planting hole. As a result, the tree may begin to dry out and die.
Adverse climatic conditions
Unfavorable weather has a harmful effect. A hot, dry climate leads to the fact that the leaves of cherries that have already begun to bear fruit may begin to dry out. The situation can be corrected with regular watering. It is recommended to dig a shallow ditch around the tree. After watering, the soil is mulched with sawdust and grass. The mulch layer should be at least 10 centimeters.
This crop is a heat-loving plant, so it must be carefully prepared for winter.Otherwise, next spring the young leaves will fall off and the trunk will crack and become bare. The following steps will help you avoid freezing:
- trim damaged branches;
- remove dead bark;
- in the fall, wrap the seedling with covering material;
- fertilize the rhizome well before preparing for winter;
- paint the trunk with lime or special paint.
Without protection from adverse weather conditions, the plant loses moisture, fruiting decreases or stops.
Impact of diseases
The garden needs systematic protection. Various diseases lead to crop loss, drying of shoots and leaves. Many diseases can be prevented if signs of their development are noticed in time. The most common are fungal infections, which appear mainly due to careless gardening. Bacterial infection is less common.
Verticillium
The infection causes the tree to dry out. The disease most often affects young plants and is characterized by the following symptoms:
- the edges of the leaves curl along the main vein;
- the buds bloom and fade after 7-10 days;
- The fruits stop ripening.
As a result, the foliage falls off and the trunk is completely exposed. Root feeding with wood ash, urea or potassium sulfate helps against the disease.
Moniliosis
Signs of the disease include fading leaves, drying flowers, and rotting berries. The ends of the branches turn black and look as if they were burnt, and gray growths appear on the bark.
The main measure to combat the disease is to remove infected leaves and fruits and spray with fungicides. If the tree has faded, it is recommended to spray it with preparations containing copper. Prevention is also carried out on neighboring plants.
Insect pests
Harmful insects cause damage to the plant - from the root to the berries.To figure out how to help cherries, you need to identify the attacking pests.
California scale insect
The dangerous quarantine insect surprises with its camouflage. Outwardly it resembles bark, so it is difficult to notice. The parasite sucks the juices out of the tree, gradually leading to its death.
The signs by which the presence of scale insects is determined are as follows:
- leaves turn yellow and fall off;
- the bark cracks;
- plant growth slows down.
The reason for the appearance is an excessive amount of nitrogen fertilizer and drought. It is difficult to remove pests, since they are covered with shells and chemicals do not affect them. Removed mechanically using a metal brush. After the procedure, the branches and trunk are treated with a solution of laundry soap.
Bark beetle
The insects chew through the bark and infect the tree with the fungus Monilia candida. Over time, they multiply so much that it becomes impossible to remove them. Having discovered parasites, it is necessary to clean the bark with a special scraper. After assessing the situation, treat the contaminated areas with chemicals. If the branch is seriously damaged, it should be cut off and burned.
What to do if the reasons are not determined?
After examining the tree and not seeing signs of diseases or insects, it is recommended to pay attention to the rhizome of the tree. It can be damaged by moles or larvae of the mole cricket and the May beetle.
They get rid of moles using professional preparations, the acoustic method, and repellent odors. You can protect a tree from burrowing harmful insects using a soap solution, marigolds planted nearby and various traps, as well as chemicals.
The cause of leaf wilting may be exceeding the norm of applied fertilizer. An agronomist can determine the exact cause of drying of shoots and leaves.A professional will not only identify the factor that negatively affects the tree, but will also give advice on how to restore the plant.
How to prevent drying out?
Having discovered massive drying out of branches and fruits on a tree due to disease, you need to immediately take preventive action. Namely:
- remove infected shoots and burn;
- carry out sanitary pruning to control the condition of the crown;
- lubricate the cracks in the trunk with garden varnish;
- collect fallen leaves and burn;
- dig the soil around the tree deeply;
- After flowering, treat the plant with Bordeaux mixture and copper sulfate.
Attention should be paid to caring for the crop, namely, ensuring timely watering, mulching, pruning, whitewashing and shelter for the winter. The first treatment should be carried out before the buds open. Urea and iron sulfate are suitable for this. Then mandatory autumn spraying is carried out after harvesting the fruits. Suitable for treatment are preparations that increase resistance to adverse weather - Zircon, Ecoberin biocomplex.
The most effective remedy for diseases is compliance with agrotechnical rules, as well as proper care.
It is important for a gardener to recognize signs of disease and identify harmful insects in a timely manner. This will help you choose effective ways to protect the tree and get a generous harvest.
