Sour cherry died - Ask Extension
Sadly, a sour cherry tree we got in 2020 has just died. It appears to have had bacterial canker (it had a sunken spot on its trunk with sap coming out...
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Sour cherry died #876102
Asked July 06, 2024, 12:51 PM EDT
Sadly, a sour cherry tree we got in 2020 has just died. It appears to have had bacterial canker (it had a sunken spot on its trunk with sap coming out) - we’ve been concerned about this tree for several years, but it had held on until now. We were wondering - if we still want a sour cherry tree, do we need to wait to plant it from concern of infecting the new one? Should we plant it in a different spot, or plant a different variety (I think this one was North Star)? If we shouldn’t plant another sour cherry in that spot, what might we plant as a replacement?
I’ve attached a picture of the sap and sunken area from about a few weeks before it died (notice how much fatter the trunk is at the top relative to the middle).
Montgomery County Maryland
Expert Response
Hi- we can't tell from the photo what may have caused your tree to decline. Canker diseases are common and often lethal.
Stone fruit canker diseases are widespread in the environment and infect weakened trees. We would not recommend re-planting in the same area especially if it's likely that the tree will experience stress from crowding or limited direct sunlight.
If you decide to plant another sour tree consider purchasing one grafted on Gisela dwarfing rootstock.
Jon
Stone fruit canker diseases are widespread in the environment and infect weakened trees. We would not recommend re-planting in the same area especially if it's likely that the tree will experience stress from crowding or limited direct sunlight.
If you decide to plant another sour tree consider purchasing one grafted on Gisela dwarfing rootstock.
Jon
