I am curious what everyone thinks is going on with my sweet cherry tree. I had a huge hail storm come through about a month ago and pretty much defoliate my tree. I was thinking these marks all over on the newly formed limbs were hail scars, but now I’m wondering if it is canker? This is a Benton sweet cherry. This tree was planted last spring and all old wood looks good. Any help or ideas would be much appreciated.
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It looks like it could be canker, with those spots on the leaves. It can even be on fruit. Most say to remove infected wood. Copper spray after pruning etc.
Anybody know for sure? I always had canker on older wood.
@fruitnut you have had hail damage any opinions here?
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It looks very similar on some of my peach trees too. I did notice one open looking sore on one piece of old on one of the cherry trees, nothing on any old wood on the other cherry tree. It also seems to be on the older new growth from this year. The last 5 to 6 inches of growth from this year is clean, no spots like this on those limbs. @Olpea @clarkinks @39thparallel did you guys have any bad hail this year? Do any of your stone fruit have any limbs that look like this?
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That’s hail damage. It may be a place for canker to start but what’s there now is hail damage.
Don’t get overly concerned about those scars turning into canker. I just mentioned that as a possibility. No idea how likely it is.
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@fruitnut would you do anything at this point to keep the canker from starting? Maybe a low dose of Kocide 3000 (1tsp/gallon water)?
It won’t hurt. It may be too late. They are mostly healed up.
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Thanks for the info! That is good news for CT. I never seen it. We do not get hail like that, more the size of coarse salt! Once every 20 years we get some decent sized pieces.
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We get a little hail every year, but generally not too much damage. In 2014 we had a severe hail storm at the orchard. It defoliated trees and chewed up bark, as your pictures show. It took several years before all the bark looked normal again.
You’re right to be concerned about canker forming on those scars. That’s one of the hazards of hail damage. The good news is that your aren’t in a super wet climate, which fosters canker.
Be careful with the copper. It can easily damage foliage. Your tree needs all the foliage it can in order to close those wounds. Remember the first rule in tree doctoring is to “do no harm”. 
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Looks like hail damage. I would not worry about it.
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