Pest identification
What's eating my chinese bush cherry?
Aphids
Signs: Colonies on shoot tips cause leaf curl, honeydew, and sooty mold; weakens young growth.
Control: Spray with insecticidal soap or neem oil; water jets to dislodge; encourage natural predators.
Scale insects (San Jose scale, Quadraspidiotus perniciosus)
Signs: Flat, grey-brown armored scales on bark cause branch dieback and overall decline if unchecked.
Control: Apply dormant horticultural oil in late winter before bud break; scrub off scales with a soft brush; use systemic insecticide in severe cases.
Plum curculio (Conotrachelus nenuphar)
Signs: Egg-laying scars on developing fruit; larvae inside cause premature fruit drop.
Control: Shake branches over a tarp at petal fall to collect adults; apply kaolin clay barrier on fruit.
Rabbits
Signs: Gnaw bark at the base in winter, ringbarking and potentially killing young shrubs.
Control: Fit spiral plastic tree guards or wire mesh cylinders (at least 45 cm high) around each stem through winter.
Keep chinese bush cherry pest-free
Healthy plants resist pests best. Get the basics right:
Chinese Bush Cherry pests — FAQ
What is eating my chinese bush cherry?
Chinese Bush Cherry (Prunus japonica) is attacked by aphids on young shoots, scale insects on woody stems, and plum curculio damaging the small fruits. Rabbits and deer browse young canes in winter. Aphids are the most reliably encountered pest throughout the growing season.
How do I get rid of aphids on chinese bush cherry?
Colonies on shoot tips cause leaf curl, honeydew, and sooty mold; weakens young growth. Spray with insecticidal soap or neem oil; water jets to dislodge; encourage natural predators.
How do I get rid of scale insects (san jose scale, quadraspidiotus perniciosus) on chinese bush cherry?
Flat, grey-brown armored scales on bark cause branch dieback and overall decline if unchecked. Apply dormant horticultural oil in late winter before bud break; scrub off scales with a soft brush; use systemic insecticide in severe cases.
How do I get rid of plum curculio (conotrachelus nenuphar) on chinese bush cherry?
Egg-laying scars on developing fruit; larvae inside cause premature fruit drop. Shake branches over a tarp at petal fall to collect adults; apply kaolin clay barrier on fruit.
How do I get rid of rabbits on chinese bush cherry?
Gnaw bark at the base in winter, ringbarking and potentially killing young shrubs. Fit spiral plastic tree guards or wire mesh cylinders (at least 45 cm high) around each stem through winter.