One of the hallmarks of the healthy cherry tree is its lush green foliage. If individual leaves turn brown in spring or summer, an attentive gardener will rightly suspect that this unnatural coloring is due to a disease.
Most diseases of cherry trees are fungal diseases. The infestation often affects not only the bark, flowers and fruits, but also the leaves. These discolor, get holes, dry up and fall off or get stuck on the tree, depending on the disease that caused the leaf coloration. In question:
- monilia peak drought,
- shotgun disease,
- Gnomonia leaf tan.
Monilia peak drought
This disease becomes noticeable when the flowers begin to wither. As the infestation progresses, the shoot tips and leaves turn brown and dry up. The dried flowers, leaves and twigs remain on the tree and must be removed and destroyed to avoid further infection. Otherwise, the pathogens of the Monilia peak drought can overwinter in the infested areas and spread further in the following year.
shotgun disease
Leaves affected by shotgun disease only look brown from afar. Seen up close, the leaves are dotted with small spots that are initially crimson and later turn dark brown. In the middle of the spots, the eponymous shotgun holes develop over time. The damaged foliage is shed from the end of June. The fungus hibernates in the affected branches, which must therefore be cut back radically, and additional spraying measures may have to be carried out before the next flowering.
Gnomonia leaf tan
Gnomonia leaf blotch only affects sweet cherry trees. The first signs of this can already be found in winter in the form of leaves left on the branches. The fungus overwinters there and infects the young leaves that sprout in spring. These initially get patchy brightening, which slowly turn brown towards the end of July. The affected leaves should be removed. In the case of a severe infestation, chemical control measures with suitable agents are sometimes unavoidable.
tips and tricks
Before starting to determine the disease, you should make sure that the wrong location and unfavorable weather are not responsible for the premature browning of the leaves.