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Disease Resistant Sour Cherry Trees

Sour cherry trees (Prunus cerasus) are not Related Articles
only attractive in the garden, but also the tart Personal Care of a Cherry Tree
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sour cherry tree is smaller than the sweet Damage

cherry tree, typically reaching 20 feet in height Tell if Cherries Are Ripe

unless it is grafted onto dwarfing rootstock. Propagate Cherry Trees

Make Cherry Cuttings
While most sour cherry trees are best grown in
How Far Apart Do Cherry Trees Need to
U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness Be Located?
zones 4 through 6, several varieties do well up
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to zone 9. While it is possible to find a sour
The Best Cherry Tree Variety
cherry tree that is resistant to certain
disorders, cherry trees are not completely
1 Growing & Caring for Sour Cherry
Fruit Trees for Zone 9b
Trees
Dwarf Cherry Plants That Are Disease-
disease resistant. Resistant
Common Cherry Diseases 2 Cherry Tree Diseases & Cures Propagation of Sour Cherries
Root From a Cutting of a Blossoming
The more common sour cherry tree diseases, Cherry Tree
such as the fungal diseases brown rot 3 How Long Does It Take Cherry Leaf Curl Disease in Cherry Trees
Trees to Produce?
(Moniliniafructicola), leaf spot (Coccomyces
hiemalis) and bacterial canker (Pseudomonas)
4 Insects and Sour Cherry Tree
are controlled with fungicide and copper Disease
sprays. Necrotic ring spot and cherry yellows
are the most common viruses in sour cherry
trees. Both are transmitted by bees. The only way to control these diseases is to establish
a new orchard with new trees. This is why purchasing certified trees is so important.
Rootstock

The rootstock to which the cherry tree is grafted has a lot to do with the tree’s resistance
to soil-borne pathogens. Although this resistance won’t stop an infection in the tree’s
canopy, even if many of the limbs are affected the tree can regrow from its healthy roots.
Research into sour cherry tree rootstock is ongoing. So far, scientists know that the two
most resistant rootstocks are mazzard (Prunus avium) and mahaleb (P. mahaleb).
Although mazzard does best when grafted onto sweet cherries, growers have had good
results with the Balaton variety grafted onto mazzard. It’s resistant to to oak root fungus
and exhibits tolerance to phytophthora, although it is susceptible to bacterial canker and
crown gall. It is the better choice of the two for heavy soils. Mahaleb, a slightly dwarfing
rootstock, is drought-tolerant but susceptible to phytophthora, oak root fungus and root
knot. It resists bacterial canker, root lesion and crown gall and is intolerant of wet soils.
Mahaleb does best when grown in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4
through 9, while mazzard should be grown in zones 5 through 9.
Varieties

Some sour cherry trees are more susceptible to fungi, bacterial disease and viruses than
others. “North Star” (P. cerasus “North Star”) is not only disease-resistant, but also it
grows from 6 to 12 feet in height, making it ideal for small gardens and making harvest a
snap. “North Star” grows best in USDA zones 4 through 8. “Montmorency” (P.cerasus
“Montmorency”) is the most commonly grown sour cherry tree in the United States. It
bears large cherries with yellow flesh, it is cold tolerant and disease-resistant. Both
“Montmorency” and “Balaton” (P. cerasus “Balaton”), bred by researchers at Michigan
State University, do best when grown in USDA zones 4 through 8.
Culture to Avoid Disease

Even the certified disease resistant sour cherry tree may succumb to disease brought
about by improper care. Avoid pruning the tree in winter when it is more susceptible to
canker. Remove mummified cherries from the tree and the soil around the tree to avoid
brown rot. Avoid leaf spot by keeping the soil under the tree free of leaf debris. This is
especially important in the weeks leading to bloom.

References (7)
Willis Orchards: Montmorency Cherry Tree
Organic Gardening: How to Grow Cherries
Good Food Grower: Wide Scope for Rootstock Research
Stark Bro’s: Balaton Pie Cherry
New York State Agricultural Experiment Station: Sweet and Tart Cherry Varieties –
Descriptions and Cultural Recommendations
California Master Gardener Handbook; Dennis R. Pittinger
Rootstocks for Fruit Crops; Roy C. Rom

About the Author

Based in the American Southwest, Bridget Kelly has been writing about
gardening and real estate since 2005. Her articles have appeared at
Trulia.com, SFGate.com, GardenGuides.com, RE/MAX.com,
MarketLeader.com, RealEstate.com, USAToday.com and in "Chicago Agent" magazine,
to name a few. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English with a concentration in creative
writing.

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