Cherry Tree Sudden Death: Brown Rot Blight

Your cherry tree fruited heavily, then leaves browned and fell in days; black sap on branches. Classic brown rot blossom blight.

Check for Life

Scrape bark: green = alive; brown = dead. If all brown to trunk, tree is dead.

If Dead

Remove immediately to reduce inoculum for nearby trees.

If Alive (Unlikely)

• Prune dead wood, sanitize, fungicide at bloom stages next spring (chlorothalonil, copper, myclobutanil).
• Avoid overhead water; remove mummies.

Protect Nearby Cherries

• Sanitation: remove all mummies, fallen fruit/leaves.
• Fungicide program at bloom.
• Prune for air flow.

Bottom Line

Sudden post-harvest collapse = brown rot. If dead, remove. Protect neighbors with sanitation and bloom sprays.