[Kleftiwallah]

Good morning everyone,

just spent an hour on the P.C. trying all combinations of words trying to find out what is ailing my espalier Stella cherry.  absolutely no joy (i.e. I was sent to a site dealing with home made fireworks)!

I'm finding dead leaves glued to cherries and a black powder on the fruit, stalks and leaves which is difficult to remove.  There is a substantial number of tiny ants running over the tree, could these little beggers be the cause?

Cheers,  Tony.

[hasbeans]

Aren't the ants usually a sign of some pest they are devouring?  Could it be cherry blackfly and the mould forming on honeydew?
https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=488

[Kleftiwallah]

Good morning hasbeans,
                                      I certainly think you have hit the nail on the head there with aphids and sooty mould, not many distorted leaves as we cut off the affected clusters earlier when we first noticed something wrong.  Many thanks for directing me to that information.  I'll let the divvils enjoy the last of the cherries, then start a spray scheme early in the new year.

Cheers,  Tony.