Why are my fruit trees dying? - Ask Extension
A Gold Beach resident has a few fruit trees that are dying. they don’t know what is going on and they reached out to our extension to see if we are ...
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Why are my fruit trees dying? #870763
Asked May 30, 2024, 12:52 PM EDT
A Gold Beach resident has a few fruit trees that are dying. they don’t know what is going on and they reached out to our extension to see if we are able to help them or send them the information to see what is going on with her fruit trees. They have lived in her residence for over 30 years, and they said they have always produced fruit for her. They live upriver in Gold Beach.
Below is a list of questions they were asked, along with their answers.
What specific symptoms are the fruit trees exhibiting?
-- They are no longer producing or only producing 1 or 2. They did well in previous years but recently have declined.
How long have you noticed the trees declining?
-- Pretty recently. within the last year or so.
What kind of fruit trees are they, and how old are they?
--- a variety of fruit trees, Nugent cherry trees, Santarosa and Spright plum trees, William's apple trees, Peaches
What is your watering and irrigation routine for the trees?
--- watering system in use so well-watered.
Do you use any fertilizers or pesticides on the trees?
--- Fertilizers stacks in the spring. Copper stray pesticide was used years back.
What is the soil condition like around the trees?
--- She doesn't know. Will be purchasing a PH test for her soil locally.
Have there been any recent weather events or environmental changes that could be affecting the trees?
---- other than lots of rain, no significant changes.
Are there any nearby construction projects or changes in land use that might be impacting the trees?
----- No, not changes there.
-----
They provided a handful of photographs along with the email below...
**Included to this question**
6230- Gage Plum & Three grafted Cherry (the cherry dropped its leaves and fruit wondering why?)
6231-Gage Plum close up-Lots of plums this year, not so many in the past
6226-Close up of Three Grafted Tree that looks dead but is limber with no leaves or fruit
**Images from email but unable to include in this question. Can provided if needed. **
6229-Nugent Cherry Tree-Has some cherries but they always fall off.
6227- Williams Apple Tree
6228- Sprite Plum Tree (Big tree used to have lots of plums. This year one or two??)
6225-Three graft tree (another view)
6224-Orchard-peaches, plums, cherries, apples
Hello,
Please find enclosed pictures of our orchard and the three grafted cherries I discussed with you by phone.
Can you find the cause of the leave and fruit droppage on the three grafted cherry? Haven't had a chance to get the soil testing kit but I will. These trees are watered daily with underground pop-up sprinklers for the lawn, which you can see is green. We placed fertilizer tree spikes on all trees approximately 2 months ago.
Curry County Oregon
Expert Response
Sorry about the delay in answering. Just received this question 6/13.
Excessive water can negatively affect tree health, especially if it is enough to smother roots. Your notes indicate they have received "lots of rain" and that they water daily. Cherry trees are susceptible to too much water and poor drainage situations. The cherry tree's loss of leaves may indicate a root problem of some kind that has prevented water uptake. There may be a fungal disease involving the roots. The only way to identify any potential fungal disease would be to submit a plant sample for analysis. The Oregon State University Plant Clinic provides this service (for a fee). Here is the contact info - https://bpp.oregonstate.edu/plant-clinic/submit-sample/services-and-fees
Recommend checking the viability of the cherry tree. Scratch the bark with a knife in various locations. If the tissue underneath is bright green, then the twig/branch/trunk is alive. If it is brown, it is dead and should be pruned out. If the trunk doesn't show green tissue under the bark , the tree should be removed. If you do that, don't put another cherry tree in this location as any soil-borne pathogen may persist in the soil.
The high amount of rainfall could also have overlapped with bloom times and that may have negatively affected pollination and subsequent fruiting on some of the trees.
Here is an OSU Extension publication that should be helpful - "Managing Disease and Pests in Home Orchards" - https://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/pub/ec-631-managing-diseases-insects-home-orchards
There also might be some nutrient issues involved. Check out this OSU Extension article -"Fertilizing Your Garden: Vegetables, Fruits, and Ornamentals" - https://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/pub/ec-1503-fertilizing-your-garden-vegetables-fruits-ornamentals. Check out Table 2 in the section on Fruit Trees.
Excessive water can negatively affect tree health, especially if it is enough to smother roots. Your notes indicate they have received "lots of rain" and that they water daily. Cherry trees are susceptible to too much water and poor drainage situations. The cherry tree's loss of leaves may indicate a root problem of some kind that has prevented water uptake. There may be a fungal disease involving the roots. The only way to identify any potential fungal disease would be to submit a plant sample for analysis. The Oregon State University Plant Clinic provides this service (for a fee). Here is the contact info - https://bpp.oregonstate.edu/plant-clinic/submit-sample/services-and-fees
Recommend checking the viability of the cherry tree. Scratch the bark with a knife in various locations. If the tissue underneath is bright green, then the twig/branch/trunk is alive. If it is brown, it is dead and should be pruned out. If the trunk doesn't show green tissue under the bark , the tree should be removed. If you do that, don't put another cherry tree in this location as any soil-borne pathogen may persist in the soil.
The high amount of rainfall could also have overlapped with bloom times and that may have negatively affected pollination and subsequent fruiting on some of the trees.
Here is an OSU Extension publication that should be helpful - "Managing Disease and Pests in Home Orchards" - https://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/pub/ec-631-managing-diseases-insects-home-orchards
There also might be some nutrient issues involved. Check out this OSU Extension article -"Fertilizing Your Garden: Vegetables, Fruits, and Ornamentals" - https://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/pub/ec-1503-fertilizing-your-garden-vegetables-fruits-ornamentals. Check out Table 2 in the section on Fruit Trees.
