Why does cherry turn yellow

Everyone loves cherries, it is one of the most popular garden trees. In the spring, we observe stunningly beautiful blooms, and in the summer we harvest a delicious harvest. But all this is possible only if the tree is healthy, it has enough nutrients, sunlight and moisture. Therefore, if you find that the cherry turns yellow at the height of summer, then there is probably something wrong with the plant and you need to immediately identify the cause of the ailment. First of all, exclude the possibility of contracting serious diseases. If the leaves are uniformly yellow, there are no dark spots and holes on them, the leaves do not curl or dry, then most likely the cause of yellowing is not infection, but improper care of the plant. Now it remains to analyze the situation and solve this problem.

Why cherry leaves turn yellow

Yellowing and partial fall of foliage called chlorosis, it, in turn, can be infectious (as a symptom of a disease) or non-infectious (a consequence of violations of the rules of care). Chlorosis occurs due to a violation of the processes of photosynthesis and insufficient production of chlorophyll. If the likelihood of infectious chlorosis is excluded, then let's consider what violations could lead to yellowing of the foliage.

Freezing of roots, especially young ones, perhaps if the winter was frosty and there was not enough snow. This will not destroy the entire tree, but the cherry will throw all its strength into growing new roots, respectively, the aerial part will not have enough nutrients, which will lead to yellowing of the leaves.

Wrong watering regime can get you into trouble too. Moreover, both a lack of moisture and its excessive amount can be dangerous. In a rainy summer, the soil does not have time to dry out, it becomes dense and air access to the roots stops. The result of this can be rotting of the roots, yellowing foliage, and if measures are not taken in time, then the death of the tree. In case of insufficient moisture, the tree cannot absorb nutrients from the soil, as a result, the leaves turn yellow.

Soil compositionundoubtedly has the greatest impact on the health of plants. And if you have ruled out the possibility of freezing of the roots and a violation of watering, then the matter is most likely in fertilizers. For the production of chlorophyll, iron is needed, and if you added lime or chalk under the cherry, then due to alkaline reactions, iron is in the composition of compounds that the cherry is not able to absorb. Therefore, do not abuse lime, carry out timely fertilizing with complex mineral fertilizers.

At the end of spring there is still the likelihood of recurrent frost, so the cherry also turns yellow due to the temperature difference between the day and night.

Cherry turns yellow - what to do

After you have identified the cause of the yellowing of the leaves, you need to consider options for eliminating it.
Of course, if you do not live in the southern regions, then you should choose frost-resistant cherry varieties for planting on your site. Well, those trees that are already growing and bearing fruit should be additionally insulated by mulching the trunk circle and throwing as much snow as possible under the tree. It is very important not to forget to spread poisonous baits for rodents in mulch so that they do not gnaw the tree trunk in winter.
In dry summers, do not forget to water the tree, in rainy weather, make drainage grooves and loosen the soil regularly. This will save the cherry not only from chlorosis, but also from all kinds of fungal infections. When planting new seedlings, choose an elevated location and make sure the groundwater is deep enough.

If the soil in your area is alkaline, then be sure to carry out additional fertilizing with iron vitriol, and apply organic fertilizers to the trunk circle or plant siderat plants (white mustard, rye, alfalfa, clover), which will enrich the soil with nitrogen. It is necessary to apply fertilizers under the cherry in early spring, before the buds bloom, or in the autumn, when the leaves have already fallen off, the ideal option would be to use well-rotted compost. From mineral dressings, give preference to potash and phosphorus fertilizers, they are necessary for flowering and fruit formation.
Observing all the necessary care rules that can hardly be called impracticable, you can not worry about yellowing of the foliage. The leaves of healthy, well-groomed cherries will remain green, and the fruits will be tasty.