Topic: Cherry tree, if cut now - how much risk of silver leaf?

[hellohelenhere]

Hi all,
my &%$£@*@!!! of a neighbour has radically cleared the end of his garden, and cut down the wisteria that was the only thing disguising the security fence, JUST as it was coming into bloom. What a savage! I could have cried. It only came a little onto our side, but I was trying to train it into the barbed wire - so much for that.

Our cherry tree hangs somewhat over his side, so I asked him, if he needed to cut it back, could it possibly wait till June, as I'm going to cut the whole tree then? He was churlish and said he couldn't vouch for anything on his side. I.e., wouldn't give me any assurances about him, or anyone else, cutting it or not cutting it, but did say rather ominously that is is in his way.

So, I'm thinking maybe I should cut it now so that I can at least treat the cuts with fungicide  - otherwise he might do it while we're away, leaving the cuts open and probably doing a right hatchet job as well.

Thank god he's to our north so won't be blocking our light if he does build a giant shed - I can't think of any other reason our few cherry branches would be 'in his way'.  How risky is it for the tree, to cut it now?

Photo showing the tree, a few months ago:
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IPfscUgkD74/Sc6k69c1BbI/AAAAAAAAAHc/fKhy9rtpfwg/s1600-h/IMG_3803.jpg

His garden is the one on the righthand side.

[Robert_Brenchley]

You should be OK.

[hellohelenhere]

Is it rare, for a tree to actually die from silver leaf?

[Robert_Brenchley]

That I'm not sure. I know that government guidance in the 1960's was that plums shouldn't be pruned after midsummer beause of silver leaf. It's a serious disease, but I do know that nurseries prune stone fruit in winter, when they're most likely to get it. Obviously, they're not losing their stock!

[hellohelenhere]

That's reassuring!
I tried to talk to him about the mutual wall and collapsed trellis fencing today, but he sternly tells me that he's building a 'big fence, for privacy', so it's of no interest to him what I do on our side. Hurrah! That saves me the bother of putting one up myself - I'm just glad I found out before spending lots of time and money on it. He resents having to speak to us at all, and 'doesn't want neighbours', so he says. Me neither! :D Hope he builds that fence soon...

[Robert_Brenchley]

You certainly don't want that sort of neighbour! I suppose the best you can hope for is that he stays his side of the fence and doesn't bother you. I'll never forget the one we had in Oxford, who complained to my mother that I was throwing my broken toys into his garden from my bedroom window. Apparently he had a great list of bits of childrens' toys, with dates. My bedroom didn't overlook his garden, and in any case I was away at university at the time. As if I'd have played with toys at that age!

[kt.]

he sternly tells me that he's building a 'big fence, for privacy', so it's of no interest to him what I do on our side. Hurrah!

In warmer weather when he has washing hanging out - have a BBQ when the wind blows his direction.  ;) 8) ;)  He did says it was of no interest to him what you do 8) 8)

[telboy]

Understand your concerns Helen - but look at the size of your garden?
Is the tree appropriate?
Thinking on, what about the leylandii on the left? That will be a problem! It will be yours!!!!

[hellohelenhere]

Telboy, the cherry tree will be getting a very radical haircut in the summer, I just don't want to do it till then! I don't want to remove it - there are too few bushes and trees in the neighbourhood already, which is probably one of the reasons why there are so few birds.

The leylandii hedge is undergoing steady trimming at the moment - thank goodness the neighbour to that side, whose hedge it is, is a reasonable and pleasant person who is quite happy for us to get it under control. We're aiming to keep it to around six feet, but haven't got it down to that yet - it had been quite neglected before we arrived, so that's a lot of trimming to catch up on. I think you can see in my latest blog pics, though, that some progress has been made.

[reddyreddy]

what a horrible neighbour! Poor you!

[ipt8]

It is not a good time to cut any trees just now as the initial sap rise is taking place and it will drip out like mad. Give it a few more weeks.

[hellohelenhere]

Well, I hope he won't be out there cutting anything for this next while - trouble is, I have no control over what he does on his side of the fence, and he's so extremely hostile that he's capable of doing it deliberately to spite me, just because he can. I wish he'd hurry up and build the 'big fence, for privacy' that he said he would. However, I guess I should just start myself, putting up trellises on our side. I won't be able to attach anything to the back of his fencing, in case he decides to rip it down on a whim... It's hard to second-guess these pathologically territorial types, so I'll be better off making sure that nothing whatsoever crosses the borderline.  :-\

[Paulines7]

Helen, is that your neighbours wall or yours?  If his, is that coming down too?  You will have a good opportunity to have a lovely sunny, south facing bed this side of his fence. 

We have just planted a climbing rose and a clematis up our flowering cherry.  It should provide a bit of colour after the blossom has finished.

Is yours an edible cherry or an ornamental?

My father had silver leaf on a lovely golden plum tree many years ago and it was sad that he had to cut it down.  I remember the plums from my childhood and I have never seen or tasted anything as lovely since.  They were the same shape as a Victoria but the fruit was bright yellow. 

[hellohelenhere]

The wall is jointly owned, as far as I know. He will probably put up a large fence on his side of it. I'll attach some trellis on ours, for things to climb up. There was trellis there before, above the brick, but the russian vine splintered it to matchwood, see the pic on my blog! Incredible! (Russian vine, RIP, I hope...)

I'd love to put a bed there, and will do - but first have to break up the concrete path that runs the whole length of the garden on that side, stupidly. I'd like to put the path on the *other* side instead, in the shade of the conifers, so I can have the south-facing beds that you mention. But that project will have to wait till the winter - too much else to do just now! :)