To make the cherry orchard look healthy and well-groomed, blooming in the spring and bringing a bountiful harvest in the fall, trees are treated for diseases and pests. There are many methods and means used for the prevention of diseases and the spread of harmful insects. Properly process the trees and at the same time not harm them - the task is not easy, but even a beginner gardener is quite capable of it.
The main fungal diseases of the cherry
Over the past few years, cherry yields in Russia have plummeted. One of the main reasons for this is the massive spread of coccomycosis and moniliosis (monilial burn) in the main regions of its cultivation.
Video: The Most Dangerous Cherry Disease
In addition, cherries can be affected by such fungal diseases as:
- kleasterosporiosis (perforated spotting),
- cytosporosis
- Anthracnose
- scab
- tuberculosis.
But with good tree care and competent agricultural technology, these diseases can be avoided.
Photo gallery: fungal diseases of the cherry and their symptoms
- With kleasterosporiosis, the affected tissue of the leaf falls out and holes form in its place
- With cytosporosis, the bark of the branches and trunk becomes tuberous from the small black fruit bodies of the fungus, is destroyed and dies
- With anthracnose, light patches form on the green fruits of the cherry, turning into brown spots with a pink coating
- With tuberculosis, tubercle spores of the fungus lead to the death of cells and the drying of branches
The development of fungus-resistant varieties of cherries is one of the most effective ways to solve the problem. Although modern varieties have been obtained that have a fairly high resistance to infection by fungal infections, it is still necessary to take measures to prevent and treat these diseases. Otherwise, for 2-3 years you can stay not only without a crop, but also without trees.
Prevention and treatment of cherry coccomycosis
The development of this fungal infection is facilitated by:
- warm (20-25ºC) and rainy weather in summer,
- thickening of the crown of the tree,
- weakening of cherries due to freezing of shoots in winter or damage by pests.
Signs of lesion of cherry by coccomycosis:
- spots of red-brown color form on the surface of the leaves;
- on the reverse side, the sheet is covered in pink;
- leaves turn yellow, dry and fall.
The disease greatly affects the resistance of trees to other adverse factors and leads to a decrease in winter hardiness and productivity, slows the growth and development of shoots and flower buds.
With coccomycosis, the fungus causes yellowing and drying of the leaves, rotting of the fruit
Coccomycosis prevention measures:
- Early (before budding) spraying with a 3% solution of Bordeaux mixture or a solution of iron sulfate (170 g per 5 l of water).
- At the beginning of flowering, the treatment with fungicide Skor (according to the instructions) for buds and leaves.
- Immediately after flowering, if necessary, spraying with a solution of copper oxychloride (HOM).
- Whitewashing the trunk and skeletal branches with garden whitewashing or a mixture of copper sulfate and lime.
- Timely pruning of trees, removal of diseased and dry shoots.
- In the spring, after snow melting, thorough cleaning under the trees and the subsequent burning of fallen leaves and mummified fruits.
Video: cherry coccomycosis
If the preventive measures were insufficient or delayed and the disease was still not avoided, cherries are treated with systemic fungicides:
- Horus
- Coming soon
- Topaz.
Processing plants is carried out strictly in accordance with the instructions for the preparations. It is necessary to spray not only the affected tree, but also growing nearby, because fungal infection spreads very quickly by insects and wind. Processing is carried out throughout the summer with a monthly interval between sprayings, with the exception of 3 weeks before and after the ripening of the crop.
Regulations for the treatment of cherries from coccomycosis:
- Before swelling of the kidneys - spraying with a 3% solution of Bordeaux mixture.
- Before flowering - spraying with fungicide Horus (3 g of the drug per 10 liters of water), consumption: 2-4 liters of solution per tree.
- After flowering (after 2 weeks) - spraying with Chorus fungicide (3 g of the drug per 10 liters of water), flow rate: 2-4 liters of solution per tree.
- After harvesting - spraying with a 3% solution of Bordeaux mixture, a solution of copper oxychloride (HOM, OxyHOM).
- In the autumn before the beginning of leaf fall - if necessary, spraying with a 3% solution of Bordeaux mixture.
Experienced gardeners note that the systemic fungicide Horus is most effective in treating cherries from coccomycosis.
To save cherry orchards from these dangerous diseases, we recommend double treatment of plantings with Chorus. The first spraying is carried out before flowering, the second - two weeks after its completion. To prepare a working solution, 10 g of the drug is taken per 10 l of water. Consumption per tree - 2-4 liters of solution (depending on the size of the tree). It is noted that Chorus is most effective at small plus temperatures (from + 3º to + 18ºС). It is not necessary to carry out processing at air temperature above + 22ºС. The period of protective action is 7-10 days. The drug is rapidly absorbed by the leaves and after 2 hours after treatment is not washed off by rain
A.M. Mikheev, candidate of agricultural Sciences, Moscow
Gardens of Russia Magazine, No. 12, December 2011
Prevention and treatment of cherry moniliosis
In second place after coccomycosis in terms of frequency and serious consequences, the disease of cherry trees is considered to be moniliosis (monilial burn). The fungus also causes this infection. Favorable conditions for the development of the fungus are warm weather (15-20ºC) and light rain in the spring, when the period of vegetation and flowering of cherries begins.
In case of moniliosis, the leaves on the tree turn black and dry, and the fruits rot and fall off
The disease appears as follows:
- leaves and branches turn black and look as if they had been on fire;
- over time, these areas are covered with bright convex growths and gradually dry out;
- grayish-black growths form on the fruits;
- the affected leaves remain hanging on the branches, and the diseased fruits rot and crumble.
For the treatment of moniliosis before flowering and immediately after it, cherries are sprayed with fungicides:
- Nitrafen
- Cuprozan
- copper-containing preparation OxyHOM,
- 1% solution of Bordeaux mixture or copper sulfate (100 g of vitriol per 10 l of water).
After harvesting, trees use copper chloroxide (HOM), the fungicide Phthalan. Processing of trees with the specified means must be carried out strictly in accordance with the instructions. When spraying, personal protective equipment and gloves should be used. On trees affected by moniliosis, the bark and branches affected by the fungus must be removed and burned. It is necessary to cut the affected branches with the capture of a healthy area.
Video: cherry moniliosis - signs, prevention, treatment
To prevent moniliosis, before and after flowering, trees are treated with a 2% solution of Bordeaux fluid or a solution of copper sulfate of the same concentration. For spraying, you can use ready-made products (Nitrafen, Kuprozan, OksiHOM).
If necessary, after harvesting the trees, you can spray the trees with copper chloride.
Whitewash
In early spring (or at the very end of winter), you need to whitewash the trunks and large skeletal branches of cherry trees. This will protect them from sunburn, frost, cracks, damage by rodents and other pests. Such work should be done only at positive air temperature. For whitewashing, a mixture of slaked lime with clay or mullein is used (2 kg of lime and 1 kg of clay or mullein per 10 l of water).
The addition of copper or iron sulfate to whitewash will provide trees with additional protection against fungal diseases.
Video: preventive whitewashing of cherry trees
Cherry pests and control
In the spring with the first warming, harmful insects become active wintering in the soil of the tree circle and fallen leaves. Along tree trunks, they creep up to swollen buds. To prevent the movement of pests, use hunting belts. To make such a belt, burlap or paper 15-20 cm wide should be folded into several layers. The upper edge of the twine should be tightly tied to the stem. At the same time, the lower edge remains free so that insects crawling along the trunk can penetrate under the belt.
A belt lubricated inside with a sticky substance (for example, petroleum jelly) will become several times more effective than usual. Pests adhering to it cannot get out and die.
Hunting belts check and destroy insects caught in them several times a week.
The main pests of cherries include:
- goldfish,
- hawthorn
- cherry slimy sawfly,
- cherry weevil
- ringed silkworm,
- cherry moth
- cherry aphids.
Processing Cherries from Caterpillar Damage
Some of the insects inflict the most dangerous damage to cherry trees while in the phase of caterpillars or larvae.
Table: Processing Cherry Trees from Pest Caterpillars
| Type of pest | View tree damage | Type of insecticide | Method and Period tree processing | Mechanical pest control |
| Ringed silkworm | Caterpillars eat young leaves, growth and flower buds. |
| Spraying after budding, before flowering. | Remove and destroy caterpillar nests from branches, cut small branches with egg-laying. |
| Hawthorn | Caterpillars eat buds, buds, flowers and leaves. |
| Spraying in spring after budding, at the end of summer when new caterpillars appear. | Remove and destroy caterpillar nests from branches. |
| Goldfish | Caterpillars eat buds, buds, flowers and young leaves. |
| Spraying in spring after budding, at the end of summer when new caterpillars appear. | Remove and destroy caterpillar nests from trees. |
| Cherry Weevil | During flowering, the beetle eats flowers. With the appearance of the ovaries, it lays eggs in their flesh. Caterpillars feed on the contents of fruits and seeds. |
| Spraying immediately after flowering and 10 days later. | In the fall - digging the soil in near-trunk circles and row spacing. Installation of hunting belts before budding. |
| Cherry slimy sawfly | Larvae eat cherry leaves, "scraping" tissue from the upper side of the leaf. Then the sawfly switches to the berries, damaging their skin. |
|
| In the fall - digging the soil in near-trunk circles and row spacing. |
| Cherry moth | Caterpillars eat buds, buds, flowers, leaves and young shoots. |
| Spraying during the budding period, then in the pink bud phase. | In mid-June - digging the soil in near-stem circles. |
In addition to ready-made insecticides with chemical and biological effects, gardeners in summer cottages and household plots often use environmentally friendly folk remedies for the destruction of harmful insects.
Immediately after the flowering of the cherry against the cherry weevil, spraying with a decoction of tomato tops is used:
- Finely chop 1.5 kg of fresh tomato tops;
- Boil 30 minutes in a bucket (10 l) of water;
- add 40 g of grated soap or green soap;
- mix thoroughly and strain.
To destroy aphids, weevils, hawthorns, cherry moths, you can spray the cherries with a decoction of bitter wormwood:
- dried stems of bitter wormwood (400 g) are finely cut;
- day insist in 10 liters of water, then boil for half an hour;
- add 40 g of grated soap or green soap;
- filter and with this infusion spray trees.
Processing trees from cherry aphids and ants
Cherry (black) aphids is a very small piercing-sucking insect (2-3 mm long), which is found almost everywhere in gardens. Larvae and adult individuals of this pest live and breed at the tops of shoots, sucking juices from young foliage and ovaries. Damaged leaves fold into a tube, turn brown and fall off. A weakened tree is affected by other pests and diseases, as a result of which it can die.
The insect promotes the formation of soot fungus on the leaves and shoots of cherries, which disrupts the normal process of plant photosynthesis and slows its growth and development.
Sucking juices from leaves and young shoots, cherry aphid causes damage and death
Methods to combat cherry aphids can be divided into chemical (treatment of trees with insecticidal preparations) and environmental.
Environmental methods include:
- If the seedling is young and the aphids are small, it is useful to wash it off with water from a hose under strong pressure 1-2 times a day. In hot weather, this should be done in the morning and evening to avoid sunburn of leaves.
- You can spray the places of accumulation of aphids with soapy water with the addition of various infusions and decoctions with a pungent odor:
- dry orange peel,
- tobacco leaves
- hot pepper pods
- tops of solanaceous crops,
- wormwood.
- It is necessary to destroy weeds in a timely manner and cut the root growth of cherries, because it is there that the insects winter.
- It is recommended to plant flowers with a strong smell (nasturtium, marigolds) or herbs (dill, thyme, horseradish, fennel, etc.) in the trunk circle of cherries.
- Do not use a lot of nitrogen fertilizers. Abundant young growth of cherries attracts aphids in spring and summer, and pest eggs winter on annual growths.
- It is desirable to attract natural aphids' enemies to the site - birds (tits and hemp), insects (ghosts, ladybugs, wasps).
Video: environmental ways to kill aphids
One of the measures to combat aphids is the fight against ants. They spread aphids on fresh shoots, settle them there and feed on the bed - sweet aphid secretions. There are a number of ways to get rid of ants in the garden. You can pour boiling water into the anthill or spray it with the Absolute insecticide. A good effect is achieved by installing sticky hunting belts on the cherry stem. Climbing up the trunk, ants fall on a sticky surface and lose their ability to move. But in addition to the harm that the ants inflict when propagating aphids, they bring certain benefits, being the orderlies of the garden. In order not to disturb the ecological balance, you can try to just move the anthill out of the site, saving the life of ants.
One way to combat ants is to install sticky fishing belts on the trunks
If these methods of combating aphids were insufficient or its colonies are too numerous, take radical measures - spraying with insecticidal drugs. They are divided into groups:
- contact agents (instantaneous agents that are absorbed into the body of the insect through its outer integument and paralyze it):
- Arrivo
- Fufanon,
- Novaction
- Karbofos,
- Kemifos;
- intestinal drugs (getting into the body of a pest during food, the active ingredients of the drug lead to its poisoning and death):
- Spark,
- Confidor
- BI-58 New,
- Inta Vir;
- systemic insecticides (very effective drugs that have a long duration of action (from 2 weeks to 2 months, becausepenetrate plant tissue gradually, as well as resistance to washing off):
- Aktara
- Commander
- biological agents (their action is purposeful and affects only certain types of insect pests):
- Fitoverm,
- Iskra Bio
- Actarin.
Contact and intestinal products should not be used during the flowering of cherries (this can lead to the destruction of pollinating insects) and a month before the harvest. Biological agents are used in the spring before and after flowering, as well as during fruit setting.
Video: insecticide treatment of aphids from cherries
Cherry Fly Cherry Processing
The cherry fly is a dark brown, shiny, with a yellow head and black longitudinal stripes on the back of the insect. The outbreak of the pest coincides with the period of formation of the ovary in the cherry. When the fruits begin to stain, the fly lays eggs under their skin (one female - up to 150 eggs). After 6-10 days, larvae are born that feed on the pulp of the fruit. Damaged cherries darken, rot and fall. Larvae complete their development within 15-20 days, then go into the soil, where they pupate.
The fight against the cherry fly is carried out by deep digging of the soil in near-stem circles in early spring and autumn after leaf fall. Unpicked fruits should not be left on the branches. Damaged and mummified cherries must be collected and burned. As insecticidal preparations for spraying, it is recommended:
- Lightning,
- Spark,
- Karate
- Inta Vir.
They should be used according to the instructions. The first spraying of trees is carried out in mid-May, the second - in early June.
Video: cherry tree treatment
Protective measures against the cherry fly are: digging the soil in near-stem circles 15-20 cm in autumn and spring, full harvest. Spraying with any permitted insecticide is mandatory: the first - 10-12 days after the fly, the second - 10-12 days later.
T. Alexandrova, fruit grower
Household Management Magazine, No 2, February 2010
Seasons and dates for processing cherries from diseases and pests
The end of winter or early spring is the most suitable time for carrying out preventive work in the garden before the start of a new summer season. The trees stand bare; in the absence of foliage, dry leaves entwined with cobwebs are very clearly visible, in which the larvae of the silkworm, sawfly, weevil, gold-winged fly, and cherry fly winter. Damaged by insects, young shoots of cherry are the gateway to various infections and fungi that penetrate the tissues of the tree and destroy them. The most dangerous consequence of these processes may be a disease of the tree with black cancer, which leads to the death of the plant.
Video: processing trees from mosses and lichens in early spring
It is recommended to treat the bark in the spring, since with the beginning of the growing season and active sap flow, it is easier for a tree to heal wounds and to heal the damage with new plant tissues. During the life of the tree, the upper layer of its bark gradually dies, covered with cracks and furrows. Mosses and lichens settle on them, which do not harm the health of the cherry. But under lichens, the larvae and oviposition of insect pests can winter. They clean off dead bark and moss with hard metal brushes and special scrapers. This should be done carefully, trying not to hurt the cambium and not injure the tree.
It is advisable to clean the bark after rain, when the moisture-saturated dead layers are easily removed.
It is recommended to lay a tarp or film under the tree so that the pests that have fallen from under the bark do not fall into the soil. Then all pieces of exfoliated bark are collected and burned. The treated cherry stalk and skeletal branches should be washed with one of the aqueous solutions:
- green soap - 400 g of soap in 10 liters of water;
- copper sulfate - 100 g of vitriol per 10 liters of water;
- soda ash (alkali) - 400 g of soda per 10 liters of water;
- wood ash - boil 2.5 kg of ash in 5 liters of water, dilute with 1 bucket of water.
All branches affected by pests or fungal diseases are cut and burned. Slices are treated with garden var.
Video: processing cherries from pests and diseases in the fall
In autumn, in addition to top dressing, water-loading irrigation, sheltering trees from frost and protecting them from rodents, it is necessary to dig deeply and loosen the soil in near-stem circles and thoroughly spray cherry trees. When digging the soil, you can find in it cocoons of cherry weevil caterpillars, mucous sawfly larvae, cherry flies and moths that have fallen from a tree and have already prepared for wintering. They should be collected and be sure to burn along with damaged leaves and fruits that have remained under the tree since the summer. You also need to remove from the trunks and burn the hunting belts in which the pests remained.
In order to prevent fungal diseases, cherries need to be sprayed with a 3% solution of Bordeaux mixture (300 g of the mixture per 10 liters of water) or 0.4% HOM, and the soil in trunks should be treated with a 5% solution of urea (urea) from calculation of 500 g of urea per 10 liters of water. After 2 weeks, treatment is preferably repeated. If during the summer season on the trees there were numerous signs of damage to leaves and fruits by pests or fungal diseases, it is necessary to treat them with a tank mixture of solutions of the fungicide Horus and the insecticide Actellic.
Video: cherry and pest treatment scheme
Types of preparations for processing cherries from diseases and pests
There are many ways to prevent cherry diseases or damage by pests. Maintain tree health by:
- sufficient watering;
- regular top dressing;
- weeding and loosening the soil with the destruction of weeds;
- annual pruning.
Preventive measures also include periodic processing of cherries with special substances that help trees survive in adverse weather or other conditions.
Table: main types of drugs for the prevention and control of diseases and pests of cherries
| Name the drug | Processing method and amount of drug | Pests and disease | Note |
| Fungicidal preparations | |||
| Blue vitriol | Spraying with a 1% -3% solution (100-300 g per 10 l of water). |
| 1% -2% solution in spring, 3% solution in autumn. |
| inkstone | Spraying with a 5% solution (500 g g per 10 l of water). |
| Wash hollows and wounds with a brush after removing rotten bark residues. |
| Bordeaux mixture | Spraying with a 1% -3% solution (100 g of copper sulfate + 200 g of quicklime). |
| 1% -2% solution in spring, 3% solution in autumn. |
| Urea (urea) | Spraying with a 5% solution (500 g per 10 l of water). |
| Spring treatment - before budding, autumn treatment - after leaf fall. |
| Copper Chloride (HOM) | Spraying with a 0.4% solution (40 g per 10 l of water) |
| 4 treatments for the growing season. Toxic to pollinating insects. |
| Horus, Skor | Apply strictly in accordance with the instructions (depending on the age of the tree). | Fungal diseases (mainly coccomycosis) | 2-4 treatments per growing season. Do not apply 3 weeks before harvest. |
| Nitrafen, Kuprozan | Apply strictly in accordance with the instructions (depending on the age of the tree). |
| Single treatment - in early spring or late fall. |
| Insecticides | |||
| Karbofos | Spraying with a solution of 70-90 g per 10 liters of water. |
| 2 treatments - before and after flowering. Toxic to pollinating insects. |
| Rowikurt | Spraying with a solution of 10 g per 10 l of water. |
| 2 treatments - before and after flowering. Toxic to pollinating insects. |
| Entobacterin | Spraying with a solution of 50-100 g per 10 liters of water. | Caterpillars:
| 2 treatments with an interval of 7 days during the growing season. Safe for bees. |
| Actofit | Spraying with a solution of 4-5 ml per 1 liter of water. |
| 2 treatments - before and after flowering. Toxic to pollinating insects. |
| Fufanon | Spraying with a solution of 5 ml in 5 l of water. |
| 2 treatments - before and after flowering. Toxic to pollinating insects. |
| Spark M from caterpillars | Spraying with a solution of 5 ml in 5 l of water. | Caterpillars:
| Processing during the growing season, until the crop ripens. Safe for bees. |
| Iskra Bio | Spraying with a solution of 3 ml per 1 liter of water. | Caterpillars:
| Processing during the growing season, until the crop ripens. Safe for bees. |
| Inta Vir | Spraying a solution of 1 tablet in 10 liters of water. |
| 2-3 treatments - before and after flowering. Do not use during flowering. Toxic to pollinating insects. |
| Aktara | Spraying with solution 1 pack (1.4 g) per 10 l of water. |
| 2 treatments with an interval of 2 months during the growing season. Safe for pollinating insects. |
| Arrivo | Spraying with a solution of 1.5 ml per 10 l of water. |
| 2 treatments - before and after flowering, with an interval of 20 days. Toxic to pollinating insects. |
| Aids | |||
| Gibberellic Acid GK3 (Gibberellin) | Spraying the fruit with a solution of 10 mg per 1 liter of water. | Improves the storing of fruits, prevents rotting of berries during storage. | Processing is carried out 20 days before harvest. |
| Diamond solution green (green) | Spraying the fruit with a solution of 5 drops in 2 liters of water. | Promotes better fruit setting. | Inflorescences are treated after cherry blossoms. |
| Tincture of iodine | Spraying with a 1% solution (2 drops in 2 liters of water). | Against:
| Mix with a solution of laundry soap (40 g per 10 l of water). |
In addition to the classic cherry care products, non-standard substances such as gibberellin and medical preparations have been widely used recently: alcohol tincture of iodine and a solution of brilliant green (brilliant green). Gibberellin is a phytohormone, plant growth stimulator. In the country and household plots, its variety is used - gibberellic acid GK3. The use of gibberellin allows you to extend the preservation of the fruit during transportation and storage. Gibberellic acid is available in the form of ready-made preparations:
- Pollen,
- Ovary,
- Bud.
A solution of greenery is used after flowering cherries for better and faster fruit setting. Having spilled the soil under the tree with a solution of green greens (20 g per 10 liters of water), you can destroy the larvae of the cherry mucous sawfly. Iodine tincture is used to process cherries from:
- cytosporosis
- tuberculosis,
- scabs
- rotted fruit.
If a tree is healthy, its root and vegetative system develops correctly, it is able to withstand and cope independently with a fungal disease or a small invasion of harmful insects. To maintain cherries in good shape, normal development and sustainable fruiting, it is advisable to constantly prevent diseases and pests. In the arsenal of the gardener, a large number of tools and preparations.
