Early last year I bought an ornamental cherry blossom (Prunus 'Dream Catcher') in a small quart container and planted it in my right-of-way on a quiet neighborhood street. The tree has managed to grow from less than a foot tall to nearly 10' tall in less than a year and a half. However, near the end of both summers the tree has been afflicted with a nasty leaf disease that from what I can tell is a fungal shot hole infection.

The disease appears to always start on the lower leaves of the tree while gradually spreading upward. As the lower leaves become diseased, discolor, curl and fall, new growth emerges from the tree's extremities. Last year when the tree was small I treated mostly for what I thought was an insect problem, but I believe what little insect damage there is is merely ornamental and not causing what appears to be shot hole. I began treating for with 2 different types of fungicides once the problem was full-blown this past summer, but from my research that appears to have been too late as treatment for fungal diseases should begin before the problem visibly presents itself. The presence of sooty mildew/mold gives credence to the tree having some fungal issues. Eventually the disease will knock out all but a handful of leaves, at which point it is late enough in the year that the tree goes dormant and does not put out new growth.

The turf is well-drained, and this past summer I only gave it limited watering, mostly while applying an organic fertilizer. I do not allow water to touch the leaves while watering, but the past 2 years in this part of Florida have been so rainy on a consistent basis, I have not even had to irrigate my St. Augustinegrass. It's always August when the problem becomes rampant, and I am not sure if it due to the tree becoming weakened during the height of summer, or if other conditions are right for the disease to peak at it's strongest at that time.

Right now I am applying a weekly fungicidal treatment to the tree and immediate area, and hoping that will prevent this outbreak from occurring next year. Is there anything else I should be doing? I don't mind putting forth the effort, I just hope that the fruits of my labor will be rewarded. I'm hoping this is something the tree may grow out of as it gets taller and the foliage moves further away from the source of the fungus which I assume is the ground. Japanese cherry blossoms aren't that exotic in town, and I have found many growing successfully in areas I know they are not being giving any attention (woody areas, deserted lots, etc).

Any input would be appreciated. Thanks.

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