OT: Flowering/fruit tree disease

[00Dawg]

Okay, so a couple of years ago our Yoshino cherry trees started getting lots of leaves turning from green to yellow and falling off in late June and into July (often with holes in them), and were nearly barren by September.
I thought I identified it as shot hole disease, and started a rotation of myclobutanil and captan (spray one, skip a week, spray the other, repeat every 6 weeks). That slowed the spread so that there were a lot more leaves left when fall came, but didn't solve the problem. Along the way, I realized a couple of my neighbors' trees had the same problem, at least one which was a different type of flowering cherry. They didn't treat them, and they were nearly barren by September.

This year, I did more research, removed as many of the old leaves from under the trees as possible, and went with a rotation of Neem Oil extract and chlorothalonil, starting when the trees were flowering as recommended by a TAMU study available online. I honestly think last year's rotation may have been more effective.

However, I took a deeper look around and realized that my mulberry trees were also effected, as were some other non-cherry flowering trees around the neighborhood and other spots along my daily drive to work.

So now I'm left to wonder if:
1. It really is shot hole disease.
2. I have any chance at getting rid of this, since it appears to spread by air from other infected trees...which might be how mine got it in the first place.

Any opinions are wanted and welcome.

 

[PBRME]

Do you ever see caterpillars crawling around? Or see web in your tree limbs?

 

[00Dawg]

Not really, no.

I had them show up on one of the 4 affected cherry trees a month or so ago, but I quickly removed the one affected limb.

 

[Digging dog]

Yoshino cherrys are susceptible to bores and root rot (if you have poor draining soil)

 

[PBRME]

Ok. I had a problem with tent caterpillars that sounds similar to your description. I got pretty proactive with my tree. My neighbors didn’t. My tree looks healthy and full. Theirs look like the Charlie Brown Christmas tree.

 

[Allday.sixpack]

Try talstar systemic insecticide.
If it’s a bug, that will control it

 

[00Dawg]

Pretty sure it's not root rot.

They're in various locations of slope, sun exposure, and surrounding foliage.
I do have one tree that got what I think are borers, but that damage is different (leaves go brown, but don't fall off). It has started recovering, and I treated all four to prevent further infestation (and will do so again next spring).

Anyway, neither would explain the same symptoms on the mulberry's.

 

[Beretta.sixpack]

Catepillars have been horrible last 2 years....

Ok. I had a problem with tent caterpillars that sounds similar to your description. I got pretty proactive with my tree. My neighbors didn’t. My tree looks healthy and full. Theirs look like the Charlie Brown Christmas tree.

And they will take down just about any tree, fruit tree, Oak....etc....I lost 2 trees before I knew what was going on....my neighbor too....but they have been bad in north ms the last two years....Ive sprayed a few times this summer and kept them at bay, but i live on 3 acres and back up to the national forest....Talstar will certainly help

 

[00Dawg]

Update for posterity

I still have some yellowing, but after the last spray of chlorothalonil, the speed of the disease's spread to new leaves dropped dramatically.
My neighbors' trees now look sickly with so few leaves left, and mine are still going strong.
I am a little concerned that a severe dry spell with low humidity was also a factor in slowing the spread, but will stick with Neem Oil extract and chlorothalonil rotation next year.