Brickman:

I had a 3rd season Lapins on Gisela 5 do exactly the same thing this spring. It leafed out normally in mid to late April, and even had some nice looking blossoms. Then it started to lose leaves on branches that look just like yours, followed by branch dieback. Finally, it died all the way to the graft. I thought the whole thing was finished, but it has now sprouted a few shoots from the rootstock that look pretty good. I may train one up and try to graft or bud it, but I am not very high on growing sweet cherries given my multiple failures over the years.

I have no real explanation for what happened, except for possible failure at the graft. Hope the same thing does not happen to yours, but I would not be optimistic.

Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

Thanks for the reply.
The leaves dont want to seem to start at all, the little buds came out but no blossoms then no leaves!! I read somewhere that finches will peck at the blossoms on pear trees is it possible that this could be the same? We also had some late frosts maybe this was the problem?

Here is a closer pic of one of the braches
{{gwi:115899}}

Your Cherry Tree's may have VERTICILLIUM WILT
Symptoms
Leaves at the bottom of current season growth turn
chrome yellow or reddish orange in mid-June to
mid-July (Fig. 17). Leaf discoloration progresses up
the shoot during midsummer. Leaf drop follows
(Fig. 18). By fall, only upper leaves remain. Disease
may affect only a branch or one side of a tree (Figs.
17, 18). Young trees usually are more severely
affected. A brownish red discoloration occurs in
woody vascular tissue of some affected branches.
Cause
The disease is caused by the fungus Verticillium
dahliae, and spread through soil, surface and
ground water, nursery stock, and infested potato
feed lot manure. The fungus survives in the soil for
many years, and may increase in soils infested with
certain weed species.
Control
Avoid planting in soil where susceptible crops
(potato, tomato, pepper, raspberry, strawberry,
peach, apricot) have been grown. Control weeds
in orchards (e.g., phlox, geranium, shepherds
purse, lambs quarters, nightshade). Avoid excessive
irrigation, high nitrogen fertilization, severe
pruning, or other practices that promote succulent
growth. Prune out dead branches; plant only
healthy trees.

I have found that the new farm I have purchased the last three months that the fruit trees are diseased, the farm includes Apple, Peach, Cherry trees, also the farm produce's Potatoes, Tomatoes, Sweet Corn.

I have found that this PDF http://cru.cahe.wsu.edu/CEPublications/eb1323e/eb1323e.pdf
has helped me. I hope this gives you some helpful information too!

Here is a link that might be useful: Field Guide to Sweet Cherry Diseases in Washington