BACTERIAL DISEASE ON PRUNUS AVIUM 'STELLA'

Sadly, after growing my lovely Prunus avium 'Stella' cherry tree for three years it has contracted a bacterial disease (identified by the Royal Horticultural Society) in a place that makes it difficult, if not impossible, to cure or control.  There is no (legal) spray for such a disease in the U.K. as such chemicals have been banned by the E.U.   My tree (as luck would have it) has developed the bacteria in the crook of the tree, right at the top of the trunk where the branches fork out.  Although attempts can be made to cut out such diseases, to cut out the disease on my tree would compromise the stability of the surrounding branches.  You can see the orange/brown gum exuded in the image below.  The first time I spotted the disease, however, there was a mass of bright orange at the infection sight.  I should have taken a photograph of it.  Sorry.

Bacterial disease on Prunus avium 'Stella'
revealing itself in the discharge on an orange gum

You can also see signs of problems on the cherries which do not seem to be developing properly although that could be down to the dreadful weather we have had most of this June on the Pennines of West Yorkshire.  Sadly, the only remedy for my tree seems to be the destruction of it by burning to control the disease from spreading elsewhere.

Bacterial problems revealed on cherries

This is a YouTube trailer of a man attacking a bacterial problem on his apple tree by cutting out the disease on the trunk of his tree with a sharp knife.