My two year old Black Gold cherry is off to a good start, but then today I noticed this sap on the trunk, seeming to be in about the same place two feet off the ground on both sides of the trunk?
Any idea what could have caused this or what I should do would be much appreciated.
John in Kentucky
Could be bacterial canker. I can’t grow a sweet cherry tree to save my life because of canker. Black Gold is supposed to have some resistance though, so if it is canker maybe it won’t be fatal.
Could also just be a physical injury that’s weeping a bit. I’ll defer to the cherry experts though.
It could be gumming from mechanical damage or it could be bacterial canker. If it’s canker you will want to cut out the affected area. Here are two guides on gumming and canker.
Thank you for the information!
Well, I see it could also be a number of things, and I am hopeful that it probably isn’t Bacterial Canker.
We have had a hard spring with weeks of warm weather, but then cold drops every week as well with night time temps regularly between 27 to 32 a couple days a week, just when the tree is trying to put on a lot of growth, and with lots of rain as well making the ground saturated, and me also giving it fertilizer since I read Cherries need lots of fertilizer in February.
So, I will give it some time, I think all the cold days are behind us now, and the ground will be drying up as well, so hopefully it will be ok.
John in Kentucky
Look for a hole under where the sap originates. It could be a borer
And if so, poke a pin in there!
Thank you for the advice on borers. If it were a borer, how large would the whole be? Like 1/16 inch, or ???
I cleaned off all of the sap/ gum with a moist rag, but didn’t see any obvious hole, unless it is pin size.
John in Kentucky
Mine are literally pin sized holes
Just want to thank everyone for their input and suggestions regarding my sweet cherry when in the spring I thought for sure it was going to die.
It looked quite bad with sap coming from four different places on all sides of the little trunk, and with the wood feeling soft under its thin layer of bark.
I hit those spots heavily with a pin to kill any grubs that were in there, and I also used a syringe with a few different products in it to kill disease.
The tree still didn’t look good for a while, but I wrapped it up to protect it from further injury or attack, and at least from the outside the tree seemed to do ok throughout the summer.
I just removed the rapping that I had put on it, and it looks totally healthy and strong, and I can’t get over also how much growth it put on!
I am so pleased, and so I just wanted to celebrate this with you all and thank you once again!
The tree is only going on three years old, but who knows we might get a couple cherries in 2025.
John in Kentucky