Weeping Cherry Tree ooze

[pgigac]

I need help to save my tree. I have a weeping cherry tree, planted 3 yrs ago. The trunk is approx 7-8" diameter at the base. There is currently mulch around the base 4 feet out. The base of the tree looks good and has never been injured.

I noticed yesterday that there are HUGE globs of clear jelly like substance on the trunk. Not at the base of the tree and not at the base of the graft. It's pretty much clear and very slimy, not sticky, without any obvious odor. I don't see obvious cuts in the bark. There are some leaves w/small holes in them but the leaves aren't curling. I don't see insects or mildew. Just huge blobs of goo.

I don't want to lose this tree. It was my mothersday gift from my children. Any help and advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[BCMA]

Check this out- Cherry Bacterial canker.

http://plant-disease.ippc.orst.edu/disease.cfm?RecordID=270

We see this quite often in the Northwest.

 

[S Mc]

pgigac, please post pictures. You mention that the gumosis your tree has is clear. Per the link supplied by BCMA this would lead me to think about a reaction due to overwatering or fertilizing rather than a bacterial infection. However, a stressed tree is always open to pathogenic invasion.

Pictures will allow us to see what is going on more clearly. If you can, show the whole tree, including the base, also showing the gumosis and then a closeup of the area of concern. Describing any cultural factors, such as aspect in relation to structures, north, south, east, west exposure, anything you can think of will be of help.

Thanks.

Sylvia

 

[pgigac]

pgigac, please post pictures. You mention that the gumosis your tree has is clear. Per the link supplied by BCMA this would lead me to think about a reaction due to overwatering or fertilizing rather than a bacterial infection. However, a stressed tree is always open to pathogenic invasion.

Pictures will allow us to see what is going on more clearly. If you can, show the whole tree, including the base, also showing the gumosis and then a closeup of the area of concern. Describing any cultural factors, such as aspect in relation to structures, north, south, east, west exposure, anything you can think of will be of help.

Thanks.

Sylvia

The weather here today is pretty nasty but I was able to get some pictures that might help. Once I went out to take pictures I realized that the ooze isn't exactly clear. The tree is in our front yard with Southeastern exposure. Its approximately 30 feet from the house and 12-15 feet from the country road. The pictures of the tree base aren't the greatest, its raining pretty hard. There's approx 3 inches of mulch I tried to remove as much as I could without getting drenched. The grass you see is blown from the mower yesterday, not growing. After viewing the link provided from BCMA and searching the web I'm thinking my tree is in serious trouble.

Tree

Tree Base

Tree Leaves

Tree Graft Area

And Finally the ooze

 

[BCMA]

Yes, your tree is in trouble. Before a treatment can be recommended we need to get a positive diagnosis. There may I cannot say for sure that this is bacterial canker. There may be some qualified arborist in your area that can give a positive ID and treatment recommendation. Your other options are to go to the county extension office and talk with a master gardener.

There is another disease called “crotch gummosis.”

Try these links:

http://www.ca.uky.edu/agcollege/plantpathology/ext_files/PPFShtml/PPFS-FR-T-8.pdf

http://plant-disease.ippc.orst.edu/disease.cfm?RecordID=281

http://cru.cahe.wsu.edu/CEPublications/eb1323e/eb1323e.pdf

 

[Ed Roland]

I would suspect bacterial or borer.

With a bacterial issue I might look for sunken elliptical lesions. The pics look more like borer activity.

Have a pro out to diagnose.

 

[Ed Roland]

pgigac,

Look for small particles of frass (tiny bits of wood displaced as the borer emerges) and you may have peachtree borer.

Look for sunken, elliptical lesions for a bacterial issue.

Know: gummosis defines a response not a cause. Cherry trees love to exude. Its an indication of stress.

I was once part of a crew that installed several trees, many of which were cherries, in a test plot for one of the good doctors @ BTRL. The experiment was actually to test a root barrier product so we poured concrete around these trees to simulate a sidewalk. The cherries did not respond well to all the handling and promptly began oozing. Later, as I stood there adorned in my full PPE with a backpack full of ONYX (nasty chemical control) I recieved a small lecture from an industry heavy.
Hard lesson learned.

and welcome to the site.

 

[pgigac]

Thank you so much for the "welcome" and the great advice!

Look for small particles of frass (tiny bits of wood displaced as the borer emerges) and you may have peachtree borer.

I just went out and looked. There is no frass anywhere.

Look for sunken, elliptical lesions for a bacterial issue.

It stopped raining and I was able to get some more images. Here they are. I also came across a caterpillar that looks[\I] like it might be eating the sap. ??? Its pretty cold and miserable here so I'm a little shocked to see a caterpillar. Any idea what this guy is and could it be causing my problem?

One thing I did notice and thought might be worth stating is that ALL the ooze in on the direct East facing side of the tree.

Close up of what I think is a bacterial lesion w/ooze.

Lesion?

Another lesion starting to ooze

Here's the caterpillar

 

[IgnatiusJReilly]

What does the ooze taste like? That could be very importa...okay, no it couldn't. I just wondered if anyone else but me would be compelled to taste it to see if it tasted like cherry syrup.

 

[rbtree]

pgigac,

Look for small particles of frass (tiny bits of wood displaced as the borer emerges) and you may have peachtree borer.

Or cherry bark tortrix....

the problem here certainly appears to be gummosis.....perhaps caused by cytospora canker

do a google search. There are some treatments.

 

[Rookie1]

My grandparents had a cherry tree in their backyard that would get those lumps of ooze. When we were there we would poke it and rip it off the tree. I was always weirded out by the stuff.

 

[S Mc]

As Woodweasel stated, gummosis is the tree's response to some kind of stress be it a mechanical injury or pathogen. And the list of pathogens and insects that hit this genus is nothing short of staggering. Some are opportunistic meaning they require an avenue to become a problem; some stressor to weaken the tree and make it susceptible to attack.

So as BCMA suggested, I would get somebody out to your site or take a sample to a qualified extension service for a positive ID. Your one picture that you state may be a canker does look like it may be one starting. Again hard to be absolutely sure from pictures alone.

I will reiterate that many of these problems are caused or exaccerbated by cultural practices. Be sure you are not overwatering and do not fertilize. Trees in lawn areas are often the inadvertent recipient of chemicals whether or not they were the intended target. Even though you have a mulch ring (which is really good) the absorbing roots are out in the lawn. So what you apply to the lawn is going to have an affect on the tree as well. It was hard to tell, as you said the rain made things difficult, but I don't see a graft so I am thinking this may be planted too deep also.

Sylvia

 

[treeseer]

I don't see a graft so I am thinking this may be planted too deep also.

Sylvia

FINALLY someone notices the deep-planting problem. See "Buying" and "Planting" in the link below and then find the trunk flare. :Eye: is the first part of diagnosis; theorizing comes later, and :chatter: of treatments after that.

Data--Analysis--Conclusion

No Rx without an RCX! (Root Crown Examination)

:kilt:

 

[BCMA]

FINALLY someone notices the deep-planting problem. See "Buying" and "Planting" in the link below and then find the trunk flare. :Eye: is the first part of diagnosis; theorizing comes later, and :chatter: of treatments after that.

Data--Analysis--Conclusion

No Rx without an RCX! (Root Crown Examination)

:kilt:

Guy, I saw it and I'm sure many others did also. I'm a little tired of writing about it. I'm confident in saying that deep planting is the worst cultural practice from coast to coast that will be affecting our urban forest for years to come. This issue needs to be addressed regularly. Other cultural culprits that are affecting our urban forest are mechanical damage due to turf against trees and sloppy lawn care, and improper pruning. I’m not going to mention the “T” word. Much of this comes from the greens industry and does not necessarily involve arborists.

I think I’m going to write some copy on deep planting so I can just cut and paste.

 

[Ed Roland]

FINALLY someone notices the deep-planting problem. See "Buying" and "Planting" in the link below and then find the trunk flare. :Eye: is the first part of diagnosis; theorizing comes later, and :chatter: of treatments after that.

Data--Analysis--Conclusion

No Rx without an RCX! (Root Crown Examination)

:kilt:

It was mentioned 3 times by 3 different people to have a pro come to the scene. It is just like you to swagger into the thread admonishing us for theorizing cause/mitigation as you suggest your own.

FINALLY someone notices the deep-planting problem.

:chatter:

Just bustin your chops. I hope the pruning with TreeCo went well over the weekend.

 

[treeseer]

Just bustin your chops. I hope the pruning with TreeCo went well over the weekend.

Yup it sure did--cabling and lightning protection too. Nothing but the best for our veterans.

re deep planting, it's just mho that finding the flare and finishing the inspection comes first. Yeah Tim it is boring as Hades but we gotta be systematic. Good idea on writing the template for reuse--fire away!

 

[SLlandscape]

It's just a thought, but did you get any hail with the recent rain storms in your area. Quit often I see smaller trees similar to the size of your cherry get hail damage. Most of the time it makes a cut that looks very much like the lesions on your tree. If this is the case, it will heal over but it does leave a scar on the tree for several years.

 

[pgigac]

Thanks for all the info, suggestions and laughs!

I know we had heard not to plant a tree too deep and what to look for when planting. I'm pretty sure its not too deep but honestly can't say for absolute.

I've contacted a local certified Arborist and they're going to diagnose my tree tomorrow morning. Here's hoping.

 

[Ed Roland]

I'm pretty sure its not too deep but honestly can't say for absolute.

I've contacted a local certified Arborist and they're going to diagnose my tree tomorrow morning. Here's hoping.

Your tree is planted too deep and it, apparently, has a disease. Did the deep planting predispose the tree to disease? Yes. Stresses weaken trees to attack from opportunbistic organisms.

Please keep us posted as to what the certified pro tells ya.

Good luck.

 

[pgigac]

Super nice and informative Arborist helped me out yesterday.

Yes, the tree is too deep. But not so deep that we can't dig some soil & mulch away to help.

He diagnosed borers. His advice is to enlarge the mulch ring, remove soil & mulch from base of tree and spray the trunk in March or April with an insecticidal product and then again around a month later. He felt we caught it soon enough that we should be able to successfully save the tree.