Tasty, beloved cherry, quite often becomes the object of defeat by a large number of pests and diseases, due to which the productivity of trees decreases, they weaken and disappear.
Cherry pests and the control of them is an urgent problem for gardeners throughout the growing season of a tree. Timely prevention and measures taken to combat diseases and pests will help protect cherry trees from the harmful effects of external factors and get a good harvest.
The main cherry enemies are:
- cherry aphids;
- gray rot, moniliosis;
- shoot moth;
- perforated leaf spot (klyasterosporiosis);
- anthracnose;
- cherry weevil;
- coccomycosis.
Cherry pests and control: cherry aphids
This is a very dangerous enemy of cherries, its colonies can greatly harm the tree. Under the blow of such a small (about 2 mm) insect, characterized by a brilliant black (less often green) color, leaves fall, the juice of which these creatures mercilessly suck out.
The most comfortable habitat for aphids is the underside of leaves, pedicels, and tops of branches. In the summer, some insects move to young shoots growing under the tree, returning back in the fall. The appearance of aphids is always accompanied by an invasion of ants, entire hordes of which feed on its secretions. Eggs laid by aphids hibernate on young branches of a tree; the larvae appear in spring, at the initial stage of budding, and after a short period of time turn into full-fledged females, ready to continue the new generation.
Cherry pests and the fight against them (photo) is the most urgent problem when they are identified on a tree. The fight against aphids primarily consists in cutting basal shoots near the cherry and destroying the weeds that it occupies. Before budding, the effective control of pests of cherries with folk remedies is effective: this is spraying with a solution of dandelion, onion, garlic, yarrow or ash. An infusion of wormwood, tobacco and laundry soap is effective, the latter being added for better adhesion of the solution to the leaves and the formation of an airtight film under which the aphid suffocates. Under the trees, it is recommended to plant plants that will repel aphids. These are marigolds and marigolds.
With a high concentration of pests, you should resort to the use of chemicals. These are pesticides "Intavir" or "Spark", the use of a 0.1% Decis solution will be effective. Spraying is required in the evening in calm weather. The last processing time is 3 weeks before the start of the cherry harvest.
Cherry Weevil
This bronze-green beetle with a raspberry hue affects the fruits of the cherry, preventing them from even ripening. Small in size (about 1 cm), it settles on a tree during its flowering, eating buds, flowers and ovaries of cherries. In mid-summer, females gnaw through the green pulp of the fruit and lay their eggs on the bones. After a couple of weeks, larvae appear that gnaw bones from the inside. This leads to premature fall of the fruit. With a massive defeat by such a pest, you can say goodbye to the crop.
An insect hibernates in the soil, so to destroy it in the autumn, the earth around the trees needs to be dug up. Pest control in the spring will consist in regularly shaking off the beetles from the tree and destroying them.
Of the chemicals in the fight against cherry weevil, with its significant accumulation, the use of such compounds as Inta-Vir or Karbofos is effective. Processing should be done twice: after flowering and again after 7 days. Effective "Fufanon", "Kinmix", "Actellik" and "Rovikurt". Preparations require spraying trees after flowering.
Shoot moth
This pest, in the spring - a yellowish-green caterpillar, and in the summer - a motley little butterfly, chose cherry buds. Biting into them, it leads to the drying of the latter. Outwardly, the impression is that the growth is damaged by frost. Caterpillars also infect young leaves, wrapping them in cobwebs, and buds, gnawing stamens from them. Next, the ovaries of the tree suffer.
To turn into pupae, they go underground in early summer in order to please the world with butterflies in early June. Those, in turn, lay eggs near the formed kidneys.
Pests of cherries and the fight against them is a problem for many gardeners, because there are a large number of people wishing to parasitize on fruit trees. Shoot moth can be overcome by loosening tree trunks in summer, when the caterpillars massively leave for soil pupation. During the period of swelling of the kidneys and their blooming, Inta-vir, Decis, or Aktara will be effective.
Cherry slimy sawfly
It is a small flying insect of black color, the larvae of which are similar to small leeches. Winters at a depth of about 15 cm, pupates in late spring. In mid-summer, adults lay eggs in leaves, which then ruthlessly, until the veins, eat the emerging larvae. Such harmful activity leads to premature fall of damaged leaves.
Cherry pests and control measures primarily require the attention of a gardener when a tree lesion is detected. The sawfly can be overcome by Iskra, Inta-vira or Antara.
Moniliosis
In other words, gray fruit rot is a fungal disease that manifests itself in early July and affects flowers, leaves and shoots of a tree. High humidity and high temperature are comfortable conditions that contribute to the active development of the disease. On the fruits gray-ash pads are formed, which increase and cover the berry completely. Sometimes rotten cherries become dark bluish, as if mummified, making them look lacquered. The pulp of the affected cherries gains a loose structure, completely losing their taste. Most of the fruits fall, some become black, dried up, remain hanging until the coming spring, with the onset of which spores develop on sick fruits, which pose a danger to healthy cherries.
Pests of cherries and the fight against them is a problem that acquires the greatest relevance during the ripening season, when the number of people who want to try a delicious fruit increases significantly.
The mushroom hibernates in dried ovaries, inflorescences, dry fruits and branches, therefore, to get rid of the sources of infection, these parts of the plant need to be collected and destroyed. Sick branches need to be cut, while capturing 10-15 cm of healthy tissue, and then burned.
Cherry care in the spring - pest control during budding, consisting in the treatment of trees and soil around with iron sulfate or Bordeaux fluid. In the spring, before flowering, it is recommended to sprinkle cherries with Topsin M fungicide, and immediately after flowering with copper chloride.
Kleasterosporiosis
This is a holey leaf spot, which is a fungal disease; it extends to leaves, shoots and fruits of stone fruit crops. Sick trees are characterized by the appearance on the leaves of red-brown spots up to 5 mm in spring. Sometimes spots are framed by a red border. After 1-2 weeks, the tissue in the affected areas begins to crumble, falls out, forming through holes. Reddish spots also appear on the shoots, crust cracking and gum secretion are observed. The fruits dry out and become deformed. Warm, humid weather is the most comfortable environment for the development of this disease.
The pathogen tolerates wintering on annual growths and branches in the form of mycelium, so diseased branches must be cut and destroyed. To localize the sources of infection, it is necessary to collect and destroy fallen leaves and fruits. Trees are recommended to be treated with the same drugs as in the treatment for moniliosis.
Coccomycosis Cherry
This is a fungal disease, most often affecting leaves, less often - the fruits of such a garden tree as cherry. Pest and disease control while caring for the plant is a priority to save the latter. Cherry coccomycosis manifests itself as follows: first, on the surface of the leaves, the appearance of red-brown dots is observed, which merge, growing into solid spots. On the underside of the leaves, spores of the fungus form in the form of a white-pink plaque. The leaves fall off prematurely, and the fruits become ugly, remain immature and become unfit for consumption. The pathogen tolerates wintering in fallen leaves. Coccomycosis reduces the winter hardiness of the tree, which can lead to the death of the latter. The spores of the fungus become active in the spring, when the tree begins to bloom.
Therefore, at the end of summer, pests of cherries and the fight against them (see the photo in the article) are the main things that the gardener should focus on to save the tree. Fallen foliage near diseased trees needs to be collected and burned, the soil around the trees should be dug up. Of the chemicals, the use of a 4% urea solution is recommended, in the spring treatment with Bordeaux fluid is desirable. After flowering, the drug "Topsin-M" or copper chloride should be used .
Anthracnose Cherry
This disease mainly affects fruits, on which dull spots form during ripening, gradually developing into dark small tubercles, on which pink plaque subsequently occurs. In dry weather, the fruits are mummified, it seems that the sun dried them. During the wet and rainy summers, the number of fruits affected by this disease can approach 80%. Sick fruits must be collected and destroyed.
Treatment of the disease is carried out with the Polyram preparation, which needs to sprinkle trees three times: before and after flowering, then 14 days after the second treatment.
Rust
In hot weather with high humidity on plants, this problem often arises. The top side of the sheet is covered with rust-like stains. Gradually, they increase, which leads to the fall of the sheet. The tree weakens, its winter hardiness decreases. Fruiting is reduced. Fallen sick leaves are collected and burned. The tree is sprayed with copper chloride.
Plum moth
Almost all varieties of cherries are affected by the plum moth, the butterfly of which is characterized by a leaden hue, while the pupa, which is 7 mm long, has a yellow-brown color. The greatest damage to the tree is caused by the caterpillar. The defeat of the fruits by the plum moth can not be determined immediately; on the berries, nothing but a dark spot barely visible on the thin peel of the speck is not noticeable. The control of pests of cherries and plums consists in the processing of such drugs as Anometrin, Ambush, Sherpa, Citkor. The second time it is recommended to spray the trees after 14 days.