Dwarf juliette cherry tree

(Question)

my family bought this for me for father’s day a number of weeks ago and i have put it in some black soil/potting mix. the pot faces east and gets the morning and late morning sun. It was water daily for several weeks before I stopped, noticing the spots. The tree has now lost some leaves but more with holes that start out as white fungus spots. Is there a way to save this tree?

I have linked an album with two additional photos.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/euR8jSjvv6vuL1uK7

(Answer)

The Juliet Cherry is a hybrid variety that was developed at the University of Saskatchewan, as apart of the Romance series of dwarf sour cherry varieties. It blooms earlier than the other varieties in the same family, and produces dark red fruit, and has high production yields.

From your photo I believe the fungus that you are seeing is Powdery mildew caused by (Podosphaera clandestina). Powdery mildew is one of the most common cherry tree diseases, causing both fruit and leaf damage. It is a biotrophic fungus that coats cherry trees with a white powdery substance, and in severe cases, can cause leaves to curl, twist, and become brittle. Washington State University has an indepth article on Cherry Powdery Mildew

According to the book, What’s Wrong With My Plant (And How Do I Fix It?) by plant pathologist David Deardorff, PhD, and naturalist Kathryn Wadsworth, the best approach is prevention by removing infected plant material (and putting it in the garbage, not the compost), mulching to prevent water from splashing around and spreading the fungal spores, providing air movement around the individual plant, and choosing resistant cultivars.

When you water your plant make sure to water only the roots of the plant, keeping the foliage dry and water early in the day so that the water has a chance to evaporate. You can treat a powdery mildew by spraying healthy leaves with a fungicide available from your local garden center. Make sure to follow directions on the label. It should be applied early in the season. The plant will likely need repeated applications every week or ten days but be guided by close observation of your plant.

Lastly, we have an earlier post on Growing a cherry tree in a pot which contains helpful information on the proper soil for containers and when and how much to fertilize your container grown plant.

Good Luck with your cherry tree

07/06/2022