Having trouble with your cherry tree leaves falling off prematurely? You could have been shot with shot hole disease! This fungal infection has nothing to do with a gun but can do damage far worse to the magnificent bloomers starting in spring and proliferating throughout the summer until the leaves fall off prematurely in July. This year hasn't been too bad due to the prolonged favorable growing conditions in the spring of 2015 in the mid atlantic region.
The cherries in these pics have looked far worse in year's past but the disease is still easily identified. No known spray is a curative but if preventative fungicide sprays are started at bud break a healthy happy tree will get less disease. Most homeowners cannot pull this intensive spray program off so its probably not worth the resources being spent. Call or e-mail me if you need some consultation on this matter. I will come have a look and tell you my opinion of how things can be improved.
