Cherry - what disease and how to treat??
 

Last year I planted a dwarf peach and a dwarf cherry (from Miller's as
I recall.) The peach took off like gang-busters, but the cherry
didn't do so hot. The buds broke but the leaves didn't grow beyond
that, and then the whole trunk died part-way through the summer
despite the best care.

Not long after the problems with the new tree started, all the cherry
trees in the area, including a choke cherry in our yard, came down
with a severe disease. The leaves turned yellowish with brown spots,
and by July 4th, they were dropping leaves like mad. About 75% of the
leaves would eventually drop. They did not grow back during any part
of the season (as with caterpiller-denuding.) All the other new
cherry trees I observed being planted locally also died.

So, the big questions are, does anybody know what this disease sounds
like? Will it come back this year? And how do I prevent/treat it? I
just planted a replacement tree that was sent to me (in a different
hole,) and I don't want to see it go down like the last one! I'd like
to know if there's a treatment I can put on it now to help prevent the
problem from occurring again.

Thanks for any help,

Kristen