Question I can't seem to figure out what wrong with this sour cherry

[Geo]

A bit of backstory: We bought a new property 5 years ago with some young fruit trees already on it.

Among those fruit trees, a small sour cherry tree. The first 2 years it produced as if the fruit was more plentiful than the leaves. Then for the past 3 years it flowers less and less and the fruit gets attacked? and ruined way before ripening. I have not applied any treatments to it whatsoever but he had no treatments before either (the couple we've bought the property from had left the country for 5 years at the time and no one was tending the house/trees etc.

Does anyone know what causes this and how to counter it (see attached pictures - sorry for bad focus)? I want to also mention that I prefer as natural and as organic solutions as possible. If the only solution is to spray it with chemicals or flood the soil with some sort of next-get goo mixed in a lab then I'd rather change the tree

 

[bizhat]

nb: I'm no expert! - just my ideas, perhaps wait for more replies

does the tree get enough sunlight?
+
I would suggest to ensure the tree receives sufficient nutrients from the ground - perhaps this sickness is due to something in... the ground..
> like so: remove the grass around the tree (with a spade for the outer perimeter and a hand hoe - as not to damage any existing roots), since it is a small tree, perhaps 30cm in diameter of the trunk, and fill it with good earth / mix some compost to the existing earth.
eg. sweet cherry tree


**what you can also do, my Ma does this and it seems to work wonders!, is add nutrients in the form of water diluted 'epsom salt' (the stuff usually used for health/sore muscles - it's relatively cheap and should be available in any supermarket)
fmi: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/epsom-salt-gardening.htm

 

[Geo]

Hi Bizhat!

Thanks for the reply, it is on the lines of what I'm looking for, as natural a solution as possible. The tree is in full sunlight all day, except 1-2 hours in the morning when it's sitting in the shade of a nearby cherry tree (which is doing great by the way, a bit infested with some pest insect - I'll post about those when I manage to take pictures of the pest and damage done - but a very healthy tree in itself).

Epsom salts are not easy to come by here, but I did use them for health reasons some time back and I know where to get them - I will try that as well.

 

[Mark]

The blemishes on the fruit look like stings from some kind of insect. It's very similar to the fruit fly sting I see on our stone fruit here in Oz.

Fruits are usually quite sensitive to stings or bites from sucking insects when developing this can cause poor growth or even fruit drop and loss.

Perhaps try netting the tree with an insect net or netting the fruit branches etc after flowering next time and see if the fruit develops better then you will know if it's an animal or disease.

 

[bizhat]

I sometimes forget my market-privilege here in Germany..

> I pinpointed your tree issue; it's a fungal disease calle 'shot hole'
> I've looked through a couple of sites concerning the treatments, this is the best I've found (it's in German... gotta use a translator program)

Schrotschusskrankheit

Die Schrotschusskrankheit ist eine Pilzerkrankung, die vor allem an Steinobst wie Kirschen und Pflaumen auftritt. Hier lesen Sie, wie Sie die Schrotschusskrankheit rechtzeitig erkennen und bekämpfen können.

www.mein-schoener-garten.de

> all sites I've looked through have in common that some kind copper complement should be applied

Good luck!

 

[bizhat]

fruit fly sting I see on our stone fruit here in Oz.

^we've been having massive problems with maggots in our cherries in the past years - if you still have issues..
> I solved it to a big extent (~75%) by hanging up yellow-paste boards (they are rather expensive, but can be made easily (and cheaply!) by oneself using rosin, olive oil and turpentine) -> basically the flies in the vicinity get stuck to those boards and dont lay their eggs.
- if interested, I'll fish out the exact details, names, and recipe

 

[Geo]

The blemishes on the fruit look like stings from some kind of insect. It's very similar to the fruit fly sting I see on our stone fruit here in Oz.

Fruits are usually quite sensitive to stings or bites from sucking insects when developing this can cause poor growth or even fruit drop and loss.

Perhaps try netting the tree with an insect net or netting the fruit branches etc after flowering next time and see if the fruit develops better then you will know if it's an animal or disease.

This is a really good idea and plan. Netting isn't really easy to come-by here, people spray their fruit trees like crazy (which I'm really trying to avoid) - but I can makeshift a couple of small nets for 1-2 branches next year and at least I'll know what I need to do further on. I also am worried that I've 'caught' some fruit fly infestation. I've been trying to take photos of the insects on the tree and on the cherry tree nearby to but so far I've missed them - I'll open a new thread once I have clear pictures.

 

[Geo]

I sometimes forget my market-privilege here in Germany..

> I pinpointed your tree issue; it's a fungal disease calle 'shot hole'
> I've looked through a couple of sites concerning the treatments, this is the best I've found (it's in German... gotta use a translator program)

Schrotschusskrankheit

Die Schrotschusskrankheit ist eine Pilzerkrankung, die vor allem an Steinobst wie Kirschen und Pflaumen auftritt. Hier lesen Sie, wie Sie die Schrotschusskrankheit rechtzeitig erkennen und bekämpfen können.

www.mein-schoener-garten.de

> all sites I've looked through have in common that some kind copper complement should be applied

Good luck!

Very informative article, I "devoured" it. I will try the suggested methods, one by one as instructed. Thank you!

 

[Geo]

^we've been having massive problems with maggots in our cherries in the past years - if you still have issues..
> I solved it to a big extent (~75%) by hanging up yellow-paste boards (they are rather expensive, but can be made easily (and cheaply!) by oneself using rosin, olive oil and turpentine) -> basically the flies in the vicinity get stuck to those boards and dont lay their eggs.
- if interested, I'll fish out the exact details, names, and recipe

Fly traps I was working on a similar solution recommended for us already, thank you!

 

[ClissAT]

Fruit fly traps, foliar feed trace elements for added vitality, a fresh application of fertilizer around the base of the tree.
All the above things will help.
Your tree has probably simply run out of soil nutrition so it is now not as healthy as it was in it's first few years of life.
If you want a tree to keep fruiting or flowering, it's nutrition in, flowers and fruit out!