Dying Tree?

[Dan]

Several weeks ago I used Preen to weed my beds before mulching. Unfortunately I used too much around my 3 year old flowering cherry tree. Within a few weeks every leaf turned brown and dropped off. Now it is August 1st in PA and my tree has no leaves. However, it does have what appear to be small buds. The branches are healthy and we've had lots of rain. Will this tree survive to next spring without a single leaf? If not, is there a way to 'trigger' its buds to produce leafs?

Thanks

Dan

[Cereus-validus]

Better living with chemistry?

What did the manufacturers of Preen say when you emailed them about your problem?

[Frank Logullo]

Did the Preen do it or a fungus? My cherry dropped its leaves as did 2 of neighbors trees across street. I've seen this happen before. Figure very wet season conducive to fungus. It will probably survive, but I intend to cut mine down since I don't like finicky trees ;)

Frank

[Vox Humana]

I sort of doubt it was the Preen. How much did you use?

[Pam - gardengal]

You need to look further than the Preen - Preen is a pre-emergent herbicide with the active ingredient of trifluralin, which disprupts the germination of seeds ONLY - it has no effect on existing plant material, large or small. Even broad based nonspecific herbicides like glyphosate will have minimal impact on an established tree unless sprayed directly onto the foliage or applied in concentration to the root zone.

Flowering cherries and their botanical cousins are notorious for being extremely problematic trees with a huge repetoire of insect and disease susceptibility. In the eastern portion of the country that has experienced an unnaturally wet spring and summer, I'd put my money on a fungal problem of sort. If there are viable buds and the weather is conducive, the tree should attempt to refoliate. But it may be best to have its problem accurately diagnosed by a qualified arborist. You may be looking at a problem which has far reaching consequences, but I'd be extremely dubious that you can make a direct correlation to the use of a very common and rather benign pre-emergent herbicide.

pam - gardengal

[Dan]

Thank you everyone for your replies. Pam - thank you for your perspectives on Preen vs Fungus - that is very encouraging. I will have an arborist look at in within the week.