Blistering and wilting leaves on cherry tree

[sweets154]

We have a cherry tree which I would generally say has improved in health in the time we have had the house and grown well year on year but it still has a problem that I hope someone can help me with. At some point after flowering the leaves begin to blister, distort and discolour. Then then die but do not fall off the tree - ever - you would have to pull them off. Last years leaves are still there now (it's about 12ft tall). The new growth is unaffected but by the following year these will be affected too, although the oldest part of the tree goes manky first. We have some spray - for peach curl - which is says to use before the blossom comes out and although I think this makes a bit of difference by the end of summer it still looks terrible. The branches all seem sound. The fruit are small and the birds eat them green so I don't really know how well it fruits. Any leaves which do come off we take off the ground.

Any ideas what I can do to get it back to health?

Thank you!

[Cotham Marble]

Originally Posted by sweets154

We have a cherry tree which I would generally say has improved in health in the time we have had the house and grown well year on year but it still has a problem that I hope someone can help me with. At some point after flowering the leaves begin to blister, distort and discolour. Then then die but do not fall off the tree - ever - you would have to pull them off. Last years leaves are still there now (it's about 12ft tall). The new growth is unaffected but by the following year these will be affected too, although the oldest part of the tree goes manky first. We have some spray - for peach curl - which is says to use before the blossom comes out and although I think this makes a bit of difference by the end of summer it still looks terrible. The branches all seem sound. The fruit are small and the birds eat them green so I don't really know how well it fruits. Any leaves which do come off we take off the ground.

Any ideas what I can do to get it back to health?

Looks like no one is keen to try answering this.

It sounds very much like a fungal infection of the same family that causes Peach Leaf Curl. The problem is usually worse in years following a hard winter, and this likely means that the fungus is exploiting cold damage at the very early stages of leaf formation long before the buds actually emerge - this means that fungicides are unlikely to have a major impact. There is little else you can do other than remove the infected leaves before they fall to the ground - by that stage spore spread will be active.

Pruning immediately following flowering, and then using a copper based fungicide may help reduce the problem in the following year, but I would not be overly hopeful.

CM

[sweets154]

Thank you very much for your helpful reply. It seems like there is no wonder cure! Will try pruning after flowering as we haven't done that before. Will have a look what the main ingredient of the spray is, and get a copper one if needed. As it was another bad winter I feel grim about how it will end up

[artdemole]

I read about this once and the advice was the same as Cotham marble.Also the advice was to add some tree root fertilizer to the base.

[sweets154]

Thank you for the additional information. Will get specific tree fertilizer.