Topic: A very sick tree - help with ID please.

[telboy]

Hi all,
I have a 'flowering cherry' (I think) which I planted some years ago and I believe it was fused onto rootstock. During this last autumn & winter it has flowered profusely for some 5 months. Suddenly, within the last few days, the leaves have fallen from the bottom up. The pic. shows what appear to be clusters of very small eggs or virus spore infestation which are occurring at the junctions of the smaller branches. I have further pics. if required. I fear the tree is doomed.
Could anyone assist in identifying the problem? I thank you in anticipation.

[goodlife]

Haven't seen that before...but looks like cluster of mites??..just much larger..

Viruses don't do 'spores'..and fungal fruiting bodies what I have come across have been different colour.
Usually disease associated with cherries would cause amber/reddish colour liquidy stuff oozing out from the damage area/cracks.
What makes me think of mites...is that they usually harbour together in cracks in wood or just under bark where it has come loose..just like in your photo.

[goodlife]

I did a little bit of googling..and it could be eggs..

"Fruit Tree Red Spider Mite (Panonychus ulmi)
Overwintering occurs as bright red winter eggs, normally laid from August to September on the underside of spurs and smaller branches."
more from here.... http://apples.hdc.org.uk/fruit-tree-red-spider-mite-additional-information.asp  http://www.dowagro.com/uk/fruit/redspider.htm ...and plenty of more on web ...

[Robert_Brenchley]

Would they kill a healthy tree? I wonder if there's some other problem. One of my plums died over the winter; I think that was root damage from waterlogging followed by a dry spell. Are you by a stream or anything like that? Or maybe there's another cause again. I don't like the look of that wound on the branch at all.

[jennym]

Probably aphid eggs, overwintering in the crevices of the bark formed by the wound shown.
Use grease bands to help prevent ants, which attack aphid predators.
You could try spraying the eggs with a horticultural oil, or try veg oil with a little soap mixed 1 part oil to 4 water, well shaken.
Don't think the leaves dropping are anything to do with the aphid eggs, more likely lack of, or too much of, water. Cherries like it reasonably well drained, they seem to like their roots to search out water (a long way!) which is why they can be a problem getting under house foundations, walls, pulling up paths etc etc.

[telboy]

I do thank you for your replies.
From your info. supplied I am guessing it's a sort of mite. I don't suffer from flooding Robert or near a stream. However the house roof rain water goes into a soakaway but i haven't got a clue where it is in relation to the tree, interesting thought though with all the rain we had last winter!
Spraying would be very difficult due to properties in the vicinity. If it is a variety of flowering cherry, the root system gives me concern jennym as 'suckers' do pop up.
I'm gonna bite the bullet and get rid, I hate to do it but the tree has grown a lot lot more than expected.
Many thanks again.