Dead Ornamental Cherry trees

Palustris

Any thoughts on what may have killed off some of our Flowering cherry trees. We have lost 4 of them over the last couple of years, Kanzan, a dark leafed one, and two others. We still have Prunus serratula, Amogwana(spelling?) the winter flowering cherry and some dwarf species. No sign of Honey fungus. The trees ranged in age from well over 25 years to 10 or 12 years old and in different parts of the garden. No other trees seem affected.

DampGardenMan

Silver leaf disease? Had they been pruned at the wrong time?

[Deleted User]

The user and all related content has been deleted.

treehugger80

sounds like an environmental change rather than a disease, any new builds nearby or major changes in land usage?

Palustris

No pruning. No change in circumstances. Long way from the road. Soil is very well drained. Only change and only for one tree, is the 500 tons of chicken muck in the field next to us. We seem to lose one tree each year. Kanzan went first, then the following year the big old one (at least 100 metres away from Kanzan). Last year it was the dark leaf one and this winter another one. All the trees are separated by a fair distance. As I said, no other trees affected. The death is slow by the way. Very little leaf growth for a season then nothing the following spring.

Lizzie27

Are you a member of the RHS? They run a helpline department for members and may be able to help. We've also have lost cherry trees over the last ten years but think it was silver leaf disease because we pruned at the wrong time of year.

DampGardenMan

Cherry Wilt?

DampGardenMan

Lizzie27 said:

We've also have lost cherry trees over the last ten years but think it was silver leaf disease because we pruned at the wrong time of year.

"Prune in June" is what a tree surgeon told me.

Palustris

Should add, no sign of resin weeping from the trunks either, which is a sign of Cherry canker. Just snapped off a branch and no staining on the inside either.

Blue Onion

Ahh.. I was wondering about Fire Blight.. probably not that then.  

Palustris

If it was Fire blight (not sure that affects Cherry trees) then surely there would be other shrubs with signs of it? It is very odd. Hopefully whatever it is will not get our edible cherry trees.