Kitchen Garden Forum

My cherry trees have had very poor crops this year and have clumps of shriveled dead leaves at the ends of the branches.

Several other gardens in this area have the same problem. I've looked it up and there doesn't seem much you can do to treat it.

Have any other areas had this problem this year, and have you any suggestions as to treatment? It would be difficult to pick the dead leaves off without climbing ladders and risking life and limb.

PP mine had that problem a couple of years ago. Someone at lottie id'd it but can't remember the name. He basically said it was doomed but I struggled through cutting off bits but fruit aborted & it got worse & worse so donated it to my neighbours bonfire night.

Westi
PS - hope you've got something different.

Its not Silver Leaf is it?

It isn't silver leaf, but it is fungal. RHS isn't terribly helpful. Suggests it isn't fatal but looks a mess and offers no particular treatments apart from removing shriveled leaves. Might just give them a very good feed and a bit of pampering and see if they improve. Otherwise I might resort to the chainsaw. I must say I quite enjoy chainsawing. I found it very therapeutic when I was getting divorced many years ago