Cherry is one of the most common crops in our gardens. Many people mistakenly believe that the trees do not require special care and grow independently, and the task of the gardener is only to harvest. However, this is not the case, they are often exposed to diseases, many of which are dangerous, and cherries are no exception. One of the most common and dangerous of her ills is coccomicosis. Let's talk about this disease of the cherry and about the fight against it, as well as in the photo you can get acquainted with the external signs coccomycosis.
Did you know? Cherry leaves are often put in canned jars as a spice. This is another reason to keep them healthy.
What is this disease?
Coccomycosis - Fungal disease of stone trees. Mostly it affects cherry, but it can also threaten apricot, plum. Despite the fact that the leaves usually suffer, the disease affects the quality of the fruit, the yield, or even the death of the tree. Therefore, it is important to use adequate measures to combat cherry coccomycosis at the slightest signs of this disease.
Signs of appearance on fruit
The disease is easy to recognize visually. In late spring - early summer on the leaves are found tiny dots of reddish-brown color. 
In the middle of summer there are a lot of them and they merge with each other. On the back you can see bgray or pinkish bumpsin which spores of the fungus are located. Next happens yellowing leaves, they curl up and fall off. 
It happens that with a strong infection spots appear on shoots, petioles and even fruits. In the affected plant, fruiting is reduced, and the flesh of the fruit becomes watery. In winter, such a tree can freeze. 
Causes and pathogen
Kokkomikoz affects mainly weakened trees. The causative agent is the spores of the fungus Blumeriella jaapii, which were recorded in our climate zone in the 60s of the last century. Due to the deterioration of environmental conditions and climate change, he firmly settled in domestic gardens. The fungus multiplies in a warm and humid environment, and mass infection usually occurs in rainy summer, with strong and frequent fogs. The source of the disease is usually the fallen leaves that are not cleaned in time, in which the fungus spores live.
Did you know? Cherry berries can improve appetite.
Resistant varieties
Unfortunately, to date, there are no varieties that are completely resistant to illness, but the highest rates are observed in the following:
"Nord Old": low tree with sourish fruits. It is considered the most resistant cherry to coccomycosis, but susceptible to another fungal disease - moniliosis. 
"Robin": trees of medium height with large sweet-sour fruits. Resistance is average. 
"Dessert Morozova": medium strong tree with large cherries and excellent taste. Resistance increased. 
"In memory of Vavilov": tall trees with large fruits of a light color. Stability is good, but is affected by moniliasis. 
Learn more about such varieties of cherries: "Molodezhnaya", "Mayak", "Vladimirskaya", "Black Large", Zhukovskaya, "Uralskaya Ruby", "Izobilnaya" and "Chernokorka", "Kharitonovskaya", "Shokoladnitsa", "Turgenevka" and "Lubskaya".
Protection and fight against coccomycosis
When coccomycosis is detected, treatment should be carried out immediately, because the more neglected the cherry is, the more difficult it is to save it from death. Below we describe how to deal with this disease with the help of fungicides and folk remedies.
Important! Felt cherry, as well as a hybrid of bird cherry and cherry, are not susceptible to this fungus.
Fungicide use
To begin with, it should be noted that fungicides are used not only in the presence of the disease, but also as a preventive measure, starting from early spring. Before blooming buds, trees are sprayed with copper sulphate or Bordeaux mixture. Re-processing is carried out at the end of flowering. Next, the trees are sprayed after harvest and leaf fall. The first and third spraying spend Bordeaux liquid, and the second and fourth - copper sulphate. When signs of coccomicosis are found, the following drugs are used:
- "Kaptan";
- "Zinebrom";
- "Flatan";
- "Nitrafen";
- Penconazole;
- Tiofan-methyl;
- "Fitosporin".
The last three drugs are biofungicides.
Do folk remedies help?
Folk remedies can not completely save the trees from the disease, and can only improve their immunity. Such compounds are used mainly during flowering and fruiting, when chemicals are hazardous to health, as they penetrate the fruit. The most common remedy is a solution of soap and wood ash. In 5 liters of water dissolve 1 kg of ash and about 30 g of soap. Plants are treated starting from the end of May, once a week.
Prevention
The complete cure of the disease is a rather complicated process; therefore, it is easier to prevent it by regularly using preventive measures. It is important to properly care for the garden, namely the cleaning of dried leaves and grass, their destruction, timely treatment of trees.
Important! Spores of the fungus are spread by wind, so it is important to clean not only under the trees, but also the entire surrounding area.
In the spring, always dig up the soil in the garden. Disease resistant varieties. Since the causative agent of coccomycosis likes dampness, it is not recommended to plant trees in lowlands or marshy areas. It is also necessary to carry out timely pruning of trees, avoiding the thickening of the crown. Each branch should be well ventilated.
Do not forget about timely preventive measures in your garden and the risks of spreading the disease will be minimal.
