We have a cherry blossom. It still has many flowers, but it looks like it is getting sick
(I can post pics if needed) I am not sure but maybe fungus, anyway is there a way I can fix this without knowing exactly what is wrong with it? How can I get an acurate diagnosis
On the net?

workerbee :confused:

They often get fireblight. It makes the bark turn black with a lot of little white growths on the dead branches that makes them look like a stick that has been burned in a fire. It's spread by insects carrying the fungus that spread it by visiting the blossoms on your tree then suddenly a whole branch starts to wilt. Only solution is to cut off affected branches to keep it from getting to the main trunk and killing the tree. Also don't burn dead branches that might have fireblight spores on when your healthy trees are in blossom.

Thanks for your quick reply, I do not see what you descibe, I just took a peek at it. Looks like rotting in some areas on main trunk, some of the branches snap off easily.Sorry I can't describe it better These pics shoul help.

workerbee

Your tree has rot in the main trunk and is in serious trouble. You still have a few options. Try to take cuttings from healthy branches and graft them on to new rootstock from any other cherries. You might be able to cut down the dead wood on the existing tree back to the ground and it will grow a new top on the old trunk. Try to train the new top so as to get one that does not have a v shaped crutch too close to the ground that can collect water and attract this kind of rot. If you go for the drastic pruning don't do it any later than 4th of July you want the regrowth to be a little hardy and not winter kill and give your tree time to store leaf made food down in it's roots to survive the winter.

I finally got arborist to look at the tree he says the main problem is carpenter ants. Thats' what is causing the main problem. He wants to put something called safari which absorbs into the tree to kill the ants and is expensive. This is my question Can I get safari so I can apply it myself or do I have to get it through a company?

workerbee

A lot of the strong chemicals, you need to attend classes and apply for a pesticide applicator's licence to apply them. Since it's ants maybe an exterminator could give you a cheaper rate. To find out about a specific pesticide in the state you live in look in your blue pages of your phone book for the Dept. of Agriculture, Coooperative Extension. These are trained educators and all their advice is free. They can even mail you many publications or you can go to their office and pick them up. As far as I know carpenter ants simply eat already dead wood for instance the framing lumber your house is made of but they prefer hardwood not softwood like pine. They can hitch a ride to your place in bags of hardwood mulch so use pine bark mulch only or stones or something. Yor tree will still have dead heart wood in the center even if you spray. Be careful of that if a windstorm could break it in this weak spot and knock it onto your car for instance.

The arborist also wants to put some growth chemicals ( I think kelp) first kill the ants then kelp , and finally if we want he will trim and use cables so the tree will stand strong.

workerbee