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Sour Cherries Rotting on the Trees While Others Aren't Ripe yet #875417

Asked June 30, 2024, 11:04 PM EDT

We're having to throw away most of our sour cherries this year because it's rotting on the tree before many of the cherries are ripe. Most have brownish spots and holes, and many have little worms in those holes. This is the first time we've had this problem. We're picking everything and throwing it away to keep the rotting fruit from staying on the ground beneath the trees. Is there anything else we can and should be doing to try to resolve this problem for future cherry seasons? I've seen some information on brown rot and fungicides, but does that apply when there are little worms in the cherries and small flying insects on the fruits as well (like the size of gnats)? And did our warmer than usual winter and wet spring have anything to do with this problem, too, perhaps? Thank you so much for any help you can offer. What a disappointing year, especially since all four of our trees are loaded with fruit this time.

Hennepin County Minnesota

Expert Response

Thank you for your question to Extension. I'm sorry you are losing your crop of sour cherries after all the work you've put into growing such a valuable fruit crop. Extension has been getting many complaints from people who notice their cherry trees affected with spotted wing drosophila, an insect that lays its eggs in the cherry, then the larvae hatch and burrow out. There are several things you can do to control SWD, but the important thing to do is to clean up the ground of infected fruit, which you are doing. I hope this publication will help you in getting rid of this insect pest:

Spotted wing drosophila | UMN Extension

An Ask Extension Expert Replied July 01, 2024, 8:59 PM EDT

Thank you so much for your help. Though this sounds awful, we're glad to know what it is, and we'll keep cleaning up the cherries and throwing them away so that we can then consider what further steps to take to hopefully get rid of this insect pest for future seasons, Lord willing...We are so grateful for the extension service and the help you have offered us over the years. This is a valuable service to the community. Thank you!

 

 

On 2024-07-01 19:59, Ask Extension wrote:

The Question Asker Replied July 02, 2024, 1:25 PM EDT

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