Why is my cherry tree dying? - Ask Extension
The cherry tree began to sag in June. We had a lot of water at that time. My neighbor's clematis (about 5 feet away) also died at that time, although ...
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Why is my cherry tree dying? #876467
Asked July 09, 2024, 10:17 AM EDT
The cherry tree began to sag in June. We had a lot of water at that time. My neighbor's clematis (about 5 feet away) also died at that time, although his garden immediately surrounding it is thriving. The bark near the bottom of the tree appears to have been stripped by the lawn service's weed whacking, so I've put the black fence around it. I've added fertilizer, but my dog was eating it, so the stones have been placed on top of the area where it was fertilized.
Oakland County Michigan
Expert Response
The way the tree is failing all at once like this is indicative of an issue transporting water and nutrients from its roots. Cherries are thin barked trees and the layers right beneath the bark of trees conduct all their water and nutrients. Damaging these layers around the entire trunk will girdle the tree, essentially cutting off the critical flow of food and water that a tree needs to survive. You are right to try to protect the trunk from weed-whacker damage. However, it sounds like the damage may have already occurred.
Additionally, cherries generally do not prefer wet soils, so excessively wet/poorly drained soils could be a contributing factor as well.
