Author Topic: Mature 14 foot Cherry Tree died.  (Read 5590 times)

ClayMango

  • MangoHunter
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1358
    • Zone 9B Ca
    • View Profile
Mature 14 foot Cherry Tree died.
« on: February 17, 2015, 11:58:15 AM »
Sad to say I just lossed a Mature Cherry tree that was already on my Property before I bought my House. I had many dreams of incredible cherry harvests that vanished in a season... What in the hell causes a  Cherry tree do die like that? The tree was neglected for a about a  year while the house sat on the market, but it flowered and flushed last spring. The Leaves did look extremely unhealthy and it dropped almost all the fruit as well, but everyone else on the forum reported lots of  fruit drop as well for the Socal area... I'm assuming some sort of desease hit my Cherry tree considering everything else on my property is happy. Whatever the case is, it's extremely unfortunate.
Thinking about joining a Fruitaholics anonymous support group...Fruit addiction has taken over my life!

nullzero

  • Zone 10a
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3768
    • View Profile
Re: Mature 14 foot Cherry Tree died.
« Reply #1 on: February 17, 2015, 12:31:22 PM »
Could be hungry moles and other rodents eating the roots. Or it could be the intense drought conditions killed it off.
Grow mainly fruits, vegetables, and herbs.

ClayMango

  • MangoHunter
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1358
    • Zone 9B Ca
    • View Profile
Re: Mature 14 foot Cherry Tree died.
« Reply #2 on: February 17, 2015, 01:10:22 PM »
Could be hungry moles and other rodents eating the roots. Or it could be the intense drought conditions killed it off.

Nullz I have a  serious Gopher/mole issue on my Lot, nut sure which...but they literally uproot my Rosebushes with nothing but the Bud onion left on the bottom. Still it's surprising they can kill an entire tree? Also I'm sure it suffered from an extreme lack of water as it set on the market for so long in Socal where water rain is an illusion.

Now I need to figure out how to chop this big thing down and dig up the massive trunk along with it...Maybe I'll leave the stump and just plant another cherry tree next to it?
Thinking about joining a Fruitaholics anonymous support group...Fruit addiction has taken over my life!

nullzero

  • Zone 10a
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3768
    • View Profile
Re: Mature 14 foot Cherry Tree died.
« Reply #3 on: February 17, 2015, 01:39:21 PM »
Could be hungry moles and other rodents eating the roots. Or it could be the intense drought conditions killed it off.

Nullz I have a  serious Gopher/mole issue on my Lot, nut sure which...but they literally uproot my Rosebushes with nothing but the Bud onion left on the bottom. Still it's surprising they can kill an entire tree? Also I'm sure it suffered from an extreme lack of water as it set on the market for so long in Socal where water rain is an illusion.

Now I need to figure out how to chop this big thing down and dig up the massive trunk along with it...Maybe I'll leave the stump and just plant another cherry tree next to it?

I would plant something besides a cherry perhaps (since the conditions of whatever killed it, drought, disease, gopher, etc. may still exist at a future time). Perhaps you want to get a metal cage barrier in the ground around the root ball of the new plant, so it deters moles/gopher damage. I would consider a fig tree if you don't already have a bunch in your yard (drought tolerant and pretty disease resistant).
Grow mainly fruits, vegetables, and herbs.

ClayMango

  • MangoHunter
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1358
    • Zone 9B Ca
    • View Profile
Re: Mature 14 foot Cherry Tree died.
« Reply #4 on: February 17, 2015, 01:58:48 PM »
Could be hungry moles and other rodents eating the roots. Or it could be the intense drought conditions killed it off.

Nullz I have a  serious Gopher/mole issue on my Lot, nut sure which...but they literally uproot my Rosebushes with nothing but the Bud onion left on the bottom. Still it's surprising they can kill an entire tree? Also I'm sure it suffered from an extreme lack of water as it set on the market for so long in Socal where water rain is an illusion.

Now I need to figure out how to chop this big thing down and dig up the massive trunk along with it...Maybe I'll leave the stump and just plant another cherry tree next to it?

I would plant something besides a cherry perhaps (since the conditions of whatever killed it, drought, disease, gopher, etc. may still exist at a future time). Perhaps you want to get a metal cage barrier in the ground around the root ball of the new plant, so it deters moles/gopher damage. I would consider a fig tree if you don't already have a bunch in your yard (drought tolerant and pretty disease resistant).

Already in the works...Looking to score a "Smith" and an "Excel" fig tree... These 2 seem to be place in a God Tier when compared to the 100 plus Fig varieties out there according to reports on FIGS4FUN. The only thing that sucks is it's going to be hard to get these trees if i can't find them in CA...Seems like every place I'vewent to online is restricted from shipping to CA.....FML
Thinking about joining a Fruitaholics anonymous support group...Fruit addiction has taken over my life!

nullzero

  • Zone 10a
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3768
    • View Profile
Re: Mature 14 foot Cherry Tree died.
« Reply #5 on: February 17, 2015, 02:42:49 PM »
I have heard ok things about Smith and Excel, nothing incredible. I have heard the following produce excellent top tier figs; Marseilles vs black, Col de Dame, Paradiso, JH Adriatic, Nero600, Violet Sepor, Vista (strain of VdB), Ronde de Bordeaux, Black Madeira, and a bunch others I did not list. A lot of these were mentioned a bunch in past threads on figs4fun, on taste reports and best figs of the year for xyz person etc.
Grow mainly fruits, vegetables, and herbs.

ClayMango

  • MangoHunter
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1358
    • Zone 9B Ca
    • View Profile
Re: Mature 14 foot Cherry Tree died.
« Reply #6 on: February 17, 2015, 02:46:40 PM »
I have heard ok things about Smith and Excel, nothing incredible. I have heard the following produce excellent top tier figs; Marseilles vs black, Col de Dame, Paradiso, JH Adriatic, Nero600, Violet Sepor, Vista (strain of VdB), Ronde de Bordeaux, Black Madeira, and a bunch others I did not list. A lot of these were mentioned a bunch in past threads on figs4fun, on taste reports and best figs of the year for xyz person etc.


Thanks for the report Nulz... Do you have any feedback on the common Fig virus that many fig trees carry, especially those coming from Socal Nurseries?
Thinking about joining a Fruitaholics anonymous support group...Fruit addiction has taken over my life!

nullzero

  • Zone 10a
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3768
    • View Profile
Re: Mature 14 foot Cherry Tree died.
« Reply #7 on: February 17, 2015, 03:27:19 PM »
I have heard ok things about Smith and Excel, nothing incredible. I have heard the following produce excellent top tier figs; Marseilles vs black, Col de Dame, Paradiso, JH Adriatic, Nero600, Violet Sepor, Vista (strain of VdB), Ronde de Bordeaux, Black Madeira, and a bunch others I did not list. A lot of these were mentioned a bunch in past threads on figs4fun, on taste reports and best figs of the year for xyz person etc.


Thanks for the report Nulz... Do you have any feedback on the common Fig virus that many fig trees carry, especially those coming from Socal Nurseries?

FMV is in a lot of the fig cuttings including a lot of those strains. Reportedly most figs will do ok with FMV and will out grow the infection without much affect on the trees health and yield. FMV is not like citrus greening, figs can survive a long life with it and still produce nice crops. If you want figs that don't have FMV then you need to get Tissue cultured figs, and insure you have no other figs or mulberries planted in the yard. Its not that big of a deal for a virus, though you should assume any cuttings not from TC plants may carry it.
Grow mainly fruits, vegetables, and herbs.

Doglips

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 980
    • Houston TX 9A
    • View Profile
Re: Mature 14 foot Cherry Tree died.
« Reply #8 on: February 18, 2015, 07:02:42 AM »
If you are referring to the Moasaic (fmv) virus, I think it is everywhere and I from what I've seen it doesn't do much harm beyond making the leaves ugly.  I'm sure they would be happier without it.  It hits mulberries too.  Can't do anything about it and the trees still seem to thrive.  Non-issue in my book.

amadioranch

  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 43
    • Phoenix Arizona
    • View Profile
    • Amadio Ranch
Re: Mature 14 foot Cherry Tree died.
« Reply #9 on: February 19, 2015, 09:37:10 AM »
I absolutely cant understand people who let gophers coexist with your fruit trees. Kill them! Dont use metal cages, get proficient at using gopher traps and just eliminate them. Yes its a chore, if you didnt want the chore then you should have bought another property that was gopher free or give up growing. Its not that hard, my 1.5 acres was infested when I bought it. I have trapped and killed hundreds. Its not that hard.

Pancrazio

  • Off Tropic
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 910
  • Florence, Italy, USDA 8
    • Growing fruits in Florence, and Pratovecchio, Italy
    • View Profile
    • FruttAma.it
Re: Mature 14 foot Cherry Tree died.
« Reply #10 on: February 19, 2015, 10:01:49 PM »
Usually when a tree dies overnight, that's a fungus. I'm not familiar with moles and gophers damage, but seems to me a bit hard that they are capable of killing an established tree overnight. But, as I said, I'm not familiar with them.
Italian fruit forum

I want to buy/trade central asia apricots. Contact me in PM if interested.

goosteen

  • Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 152
    • Los Angeles CA, 10a
    • View Profile
Re: Mature 14 foot Cherry Tree died.
« Reply #11 on: February 20, 2015, 01:42:22 AM »
I have heard ok things about Smith and Excel, nothing incredible. I have heard the following produce excellent top tier figs; Marseilles vs black, Col de Dame, Paradiso, JH Adriatic, Nero600, Violet Sepor, Vista (strain of VdB), Ronde de Bordeaux, Black Madeira, and a bunch others I did not list. A lot of these were mentioned a bunch in past threads on figs4fun, on taste reports and best figs of the year for xyz person etc.


Thanks for the report Nulz... Do you have any feedback on the common Fig virus that many fig trees carry, especially those coming from Socal Nurseries?

I've got 7 figs growing on my property, all common nursery varieties.  My top are Pinache and violet de bordeux.    There used to be a gopher problem as well, but I put up owl boxes, and made my place a welcome home for predatory birds.   Now I hardly ever see them.