Hi, I'm in Zone 6b/7, and every year after the heavy rain during the Summer, the Cherry tree in my yard gets leaf spot. Needless to say I want to do something about it, is there something I can treat my lawn with to fight the fungus that's causing the spots? I know it won't help this year, but I'd like to plan for next year.
Also, could powdery mildew on the euonymus hedges underneath the tree be related to the leaf spot? The leaves fall on the hedges and the surrounding lawn constantly.
I'd like recommendations on what works best to prevent/clear up fungus, I also need to know what would be safe for my pets that like to graze in the lawn.
Cherries and most members of the Prunus genus are prone to a whole host of insect and disease problems, including a great many fungal problems. Leaf spot or shothole fungus is extremely common and there are no cherries that are particularly resistant. Sanitation is the primary means of control as the spores overwinter on fallen leaves. Rake up and destroy ALL the leaves from this tree. For non-commercial growers, repeated chemical treatments are not typically advised, as the problem is generally not serious enough to cause defoliation or damage to the fruit. If you feel you must spray, I'd recommend a dormant season spray of horticultural oil to smother any remaining spores on the tree itself and this can be followed by a registered fungicide at petal drop and at periodic intervals during the season if monitoring warrants. The spores tend to proliferate with damp weather in the spring and with summer humidity, with the largest development occuring when temperatures are in the 60-68F range.
You don't need to spray the lawn and it's certainly not advised if you have pets or small children around. Powdery mildew on the euonymus is not related to the leaf spot and is typically a late season disease associated with dry soil and humidity and lack of air circulation. Clean the leaves out of the hedge as they fall, water the root zone deeply when you do water and thin to improve air circulation. Spraying down the hedge with a strong stream of water can actually wash off a good portion of the mycelia, as this fungus is primarily topical and can be removed if caught early by washing or even wiping the foliage. Powdery mildew on woody plants is usually only cosmetic in nature.
We just started raking the leaves this season, before that I used to just run the mulching mower over them, which I now know was a big mistake.
I've seen horticultural oil online, I'll do that this year, and with any luck that'll do it. The weather you described is exactly when the spots start, one year we had mild weather and the tree lost all of its leaves in August, of course my brainy solution was to mulch all the fallen leaves. D'oh!
Will the area around the tree be safe for the pets if I spray with horticultural oil? I know they won't be sitting under the tree while I'm spraying, but they like to sit under the tree and wait for squirrels most of the time.
Great! I was worried I'd be transferring all kinds of fungus to my aunt and uncle's yard, I have some smaller euonymus cuttings that I've been growing for them under the big ones, and they all have powdery mildew right now, most likely because I've been over watering the cuttings, they're all in the shade of our shed too, so I'll try cleaning off as much as I can, and then if that doesn't work, I think I read on here that diluted baking soda or milk helps treat it?
Thanks very much, you put my mind at ease, I thought all our plants were doomed. :)
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