Cherry Trees

Was there a heavy frost just as the flower buds were about to burst? If so, that probably did for 'em.

Its been a cold spring, but I have a small cherry tree thats 3 years old and it flowered so I don't think that happened to the large trees.

Difference in height can have an effect on the freezing of the blossoms. The ground could have given off just enough heat to keep blossoms on the smaller tree from freezing. Those on the large trees they were not so lucky.

You may want to pick up some smudge pots for next season.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gardeners%27_Question_Time

In Wisconsin, Cherry blossoms usually are around Memorial day....... but in Chicago you're in the same zone as we are (Zone 5) ...... I know its warmer in Chicago but a freeze still can happen though.........

But this spring was pretty crappy. I was on Vacation the past (2) weeks and Chicago has some cold snaps......... you could have been froze out at a critical time......

(been a bad year for maple syrup also)

I suggest you try a blog site that has more experience with this.

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/fruit/msg111649418610.html

Probably the cold got to them....A good freeze after blooms have begun to form can kill the pistils....Poorly performing pistils prove plunging preseason presence...

I have two cherry trees as well. Both had a short spell of half hearted blossoms that seemed to disappear quickly. It has leafy me wondering. The worms in my dirt garden seem to be arriving late as well. It has me wondering how much damage the winter's extreme cold has done to my living dirt. My garden has been planted for a couple weeks and thongs aren't doing bad, but they aren't thriving either.

Looks like they are on holiday.

I would say it is related to the nice winter you had. Not every year can be a good year. Not for cherries, Sherries nor apples.

Wait for next year or another ice spell . . .

..I'll keep you posted.. Fortuatly my grapes just starting to unfurl their leaves.. ..the sad news is that my large cherry tree has never produced. I wonder if it was not the variety I thought or if the partial shade of the massive black locust Nearby has anything to do with it.

Some cherry trees are self polinating others need a polinator. Even if partialy shaded should still produce cherries.

oilcan13

Holy Cherry!

Post deleted because self polinating and self fertile goes in the same direction.

...and how many bees have you seen lately? Colony Collapse Disorder is sweeping the nation. So far I've seen one bee, and it was three days after the blossoms had already fallen.

That does depend on the tree. Cherry as Oil pointed out are self pollinating.

Bees are actually not really needed. But of course it has to be one of the sorts that actually does this.

Amazing what we dont know. I was sure self pollination was a myth or something happening only in the human realms!

It still might be the bees. Who knows!

CCD has to do with managed colonies for commercial use....not your everyday wild bee's....there has been a decline in bee populations though, and the causes are many....to say a pesticide is killing insects is like saying fertilizer is making the plants grow, yes that is it's intended purpose....both seem to have unintended consequences though...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pollinator_decline

You might consider using gibberellic acid on your cherries.

Assuming it was a frost, then look forward to a "double Load" next year (assuming no frosts at blossom time in 2015!!)

We see few Bees here the last few years, but winds and other insects do a reasonable job of pollination it would seem on our Apple trees at least.

...the two cherry trees are different varieties, and we're both selected for the fruit. The last couple of years I did the pollination on the big tree to no avail. I swear the thing only makes little crab apples.. I will likely dig it up and replace. Nice wood to burn or smoke some grub As for the bee's? I've seen a few. There will be more. I saw a recent news clip that attributes CCD to certain pesticides. I wouldn't mind a small rooftop hive of my own. The honey producing variety would be nice, but that's another project for another day.. ..like the hens..

You should consider trying out an application of gibberellic acid before you chop it down. It is a natural plant hormone that has been in use for quite a while and very commonly for various fruit crops including citrus, grapes and cherries.

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Inducing fruit production is one of the common uses in cherry trees.

That sounds like it's on my timetable. I can wait a couple years and see what happens.

Nice one.. As it happens I was able to see many little cherries starting on my small tree. So I thinks it survived!

I make a pile of own rich compost and spread it here and there a couple of times each year.. If the worms are happy I'm happy.

...great thread oilcan.. sorry to hijack.. more similarities? I grew up about 20 miles so of chgo

If you are working in rich compost and worms are thriving, it seems unlikely the lack of fruit would be related to soil deficiencies.

Gibberellic acid is pretty inexpensive, especially when you consider the amount it needs to be diluted prior to application. As an added bonus, if you have a mischievous side, GA avails some interesting opportunities to mess with neighbors. While it is uses to great effect in production of citrus, and cherries and grapes, when applied to some other plants the effects can be profound. As an example, when applied to young cabbage plants, instead of developing into skull sized oblate spheroids, they morph into 8 to 10 foot tall things unrecognizable as cabbage. A number of other common ornamental/yard plants also show bizzarre changes with application of low doses on new growth.

Hello. Here in Lubbock, TX, we are at 3320 ft. elevation, and winter and spring are almost a good approximation to the midwest at times. We are used to springs where it warms up enough to induce budding as early as late March to first week April, but last freeze is on or around tax day, rarely later. (Also the date of Abraham Lincoln's death, regrettably).

This year we were goint to lose all our apples, but decided to cover the blooms with black trash bags, and amazingly this worked in spades. We have trees loaded with apples, in fact, had to pinch a few off, to enhance the rest.

I think the best option for you is to contact your state agricultural office. I'm in Louisiana and I contact my state ag guy at least a couple of times a year. I usually send pictures along with an explanation and I usually get a response in a day or two. Good luck.

They should have a local county extension official......... hopefully its not a Hank Kimball type

Did you fertilize the tree?If so,when and how much.?

If you fertilize too early in spring, tree will bloom too early,and be succeptable to frost.

If you fertilize too much,foliage will grow rapidly,but the tree will bear no fruit.

If you do not fertilize enough, the tree will not produce fruit.

Amount and timing of fertilizer is important.

Check with your local Ag Agent,he knows more than anyone else in your area about local weather ans soil conditions.

I have never found a need to fertilize. When trees were young 1, 2, 3, years old I fertilized. but not since. I don't think fertilizing at this stage of a trees life is necessary. My opinion.

oilcan13

.....and you base that on...? _{anecdotal evidence wouldn't be that strong if you had it, but in light of the fact that your trees are not producing...you don't even have anecdotal evidence.}

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Mild fertilizing using something with all micronutrients would probably be a good idea and almost certainly would not hurt. Gibberillic acid is something to consider as well.

I base it on the fact that I have had cherry trees since i was a kid, never fertilized and I can't remember never having cherries.

oilcan13

Yes, I guess it is possible...it could be your memory. quick, go snap a picture of where you now suspect there are no cherries and upload it to CR-4 so that we can verify at least that portion is still functioning properly.

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I was just kidding you a little above, but honestly, if this problem has you stumped even though you have had cherry trees since you were a young child, doesn't it make sense that the problem/solution might be outside your collection of experience?

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WWGWDWTCT?

^{....What Would George Washington Do With These Cherry Trees?}

I don't have an orchard, Its just a couple of cherry trees that I received from the arbor day foundation. This was just a question I posed to see if anyone else is having the same problem.

I did google fertilizing cherry trees and one of the sights that came up was US agricultral department, They say unless the surronding area is covered with weeds or other invasive plant life (which mine is not) fertillization probably is not necessary. they also suggest a nitrogen based fertilizer if fertilizing is required.

Thanks to everyone for responding.

oilcan13

having work for orchard growers in the 70's during harvest. (they normally also run a dairy farm) They noticed the difference on fertilizing. (Spreading manure, and swear by it)..

The 48" x 48" x 42" steel Pallets where the cherries go are full of water. It wasn't uncommon for us to pick out dried manure and straw out of the pallets.

This was prior to the out breaks of e' coli

Is there a national standard for how many poo particles per cubic meter of cherries? There is a standard on wheat, as to the number of allowed rat pellets.

Actually, in grains they probally do.

I know that to make the grade in cherries there is an allowable amount of foreign matter....... but poo I don't believe is on it. It's a don't asked what it is, just pick it out. This was back in the 70's.

Secondly, when we take the tare on the cherries, we basically just look at the quality of the berry, (Bruising, brown rot, color, etc...... but with the outbreaks of e'coli from cattle runoff, I'm sure they tightened the requirements.

As far as vegetables, you're allowed a certain amount of protein matter in it, (frog legs, worms and such)........ can't remember the criterium though.

Soil around a plant gradually becomes depleted of nutrients.

In order for a tree,any tree to bear fruit, there must be enough sugar stored in the root system.

If reserves are not adequate, it will not bear fruit or nuts until the energy reserve is built up.

Some trees will bear every other year if not fertilized every year.(pecan trees come to mind).

A particualrly heavy crop can deplete the surplus and result in low or no yields the next year.

The problem with plants is they do not respond quickly to soil amendments.

Fertilzer applied this year will have more effect next year, so there is a lag in response time,therfor it is nescessary to fertilize every year,at the right time,and in the right amount.

Since you have never fertilized these trees,they may have depleted the available nutrients and are trying to bulid up energy in their root system.

As I stated previously,consult your local ag agent.

He can help you determine the right type of fertilizer,and the timing of application.

Or,alternatively,buy some and books become an expert yourself.

As always, it takes the perfect blossom. More or less quoted from The Last Samurai.