| Pests and Diseases |
| Kelly Givens explains some of the problems that can plague cherries. |
From "Fresh From the Orchard"
episode DFFO-105 |
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Kelly Givens shares information on the diseases, pests and weather conditions that can adversely affect cherry trees. Early spring frosts can damage cherry blooms, but an old real estate adage ("location, location, location") can help keep Jack Frost's dangers at bay. We also lean how to minimize bird damage to a cherry crop, discover the benefits of good sanitation practices in an orchard and find out the secret to harvesting cherries at their peak of ripeness.
Insects and DiseasesAs with all fruit crops, it's important to control insects and diseases on cherry trees. Selecting disease-resistant cultivars will help minimize potential problems, but you'll still need to monitor your trees and keep an eye out for potential problems.
Cherries with insect damage
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Fly-infested cherries
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Common problems with cherry trees include leaf spot (figure A), bacterial canker (figure B) and brown spot. Remove any signs of diseased foliage, dipping your pruners in full-strength rubbing alcohol or a 10 percent bleach solution between cuts and taking the diseased foliage out of the garden area for disposal.
In many areas of the country, you'll need to stick to a spray schedule in order to get a good harvest. Spray schedules for insecticides and fungicides are available from your local cooperative extension service.Protecting the Harvest From Birds Birds love sweet cherries (figure C); the only real solution is bird netting (figure D). Cover the trees with the netting when the cherries start to ripen, and secure the netting to the ground. Birds can also be a problem on tart cherries, but usually not to the same degree as with sweets.
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