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This is the first year my new tree has produced cherries. Quite small but there, non-the-less. The worry is that most of the leaves on the tips are a mass of black-fly. To spray or not to spray, that is the question??

If it's as bad as you say, probably yes. Check your chosen spray carefully to make sure you can use it on crops - it'll probably be a contact insecticide, so you'll need to make sure that you wet as many of the aphids as possible.

I have to spray my cherry and my plum or I get no fruit, it's either that or dig 'em up ???

You should be able to get something that is organic approved if you do need to spray.  Also spray last thing at night so you take out as few of the beneficial beasties as possible - possibly pick off any ladybirds etc that you find before you spray.

Why do you assume he's organic? ??? ???

Always assume someone is organic and let them say otherwise.  That's my motto - always assume the best in people.

(now that last statement might get me in a bit of trouble)

This is how bad.

When I was a kid we had a morello cherry growing outside the back door which was always covered in aphids; the leaves used to look just like that. We never got a crop off it; the birds had it all, and my parents used to insist you couldn't eat it anyway. But the tree grew well and seemed healthy despite the aphids.

I planted our cherry tree early last spring and this year its leaves are covered with black mites just like the ones kenkew described. I am brewing up a couple of litres of garlic-based spray, having found the recipe on this site (6oz garlic whizzed up in 3tbsp linseed oil, filtered and mixed with around 2ltrs of rainwater) - I hope this will do the trick - it's supposed to be good against aphids and mites.

It's not my lucky year for fruit trees, the apple tree is shedding many of its leaves after a heavy pruning session last year. I fear we went too far, and it's now going to take at least a year to recover!

My mums morello is always covered in blackfly like that, and every year there are masses of cherries, and every year it is a race who can get the cherries first, mum or the birds!  The amazing thing is, the birdies eat the fruit, and leave the stone hanging there in the tree on its little stem! 

I am currently the owner of a huge tub of cherries in the fridge.  Now, make jam, or scoff them????

Scoff 'em!!  ;D
You know you want to!  ;)

When should I net off my cherries to stop birds? At what colour/stage of development?

They will eat them before you'd consider them fully ripe, so I guess you'd be talking about when they start to show red.
EJ - my starlings used to leave the bare pips suspended on the tree, too  ;D

yum yum, cherries gone, and no jam for my toast this winter!  :'(