Cherry problems

So, we've got two bing cherry trees.

Last spring they got buds on them, then we had a hard
frost and they never ended up doing anything.

I thought the frost has wrecked the buds for that season.

Now this year, both trees got buds.
This one never did any more than that.
The other has some leaves and half of those appear
to be dying.

I got on the internet looking for cherry tree diseases.

Verticillum wilt looks to fit most of the symptoms our trees are having.

Verticillium wilt - is an airborne fungus, usually attacking
stone fruit trees. The fungus invades the root system or
through wounds in the tree. Once in the tree the fungus
produces toxins that invades the xylem (water conducting tissues)
in the tree. Basically it gums up the structures that take in
water and the tree dies.

Treatment is kind of iffy.
Some sources say there is no hope of saving the tree
others say trim all the dead stuff off and keep it watered
through the season along with fertilizing it.

I'm going with trimming it down,
which probably should have been done in the first place,
and watering it. Gonna do some tea also.
Tea is hot horse poop in a burlap bag seeping in a
55 gal drum of water for a day or so, then
watering your tree/veggies with it.

I hate to loose these trees.
Wish I'd have paid more attention to them last summer
so maybe they'd have had a better chance of recovery.

Anyhow, this is one of them before pruning.

Use your Hubby's cordless handy dandy tools and wear gloves.

Be careful of falling branches.
They WILL hit you in the head!
OUCH!

You can see the black areas in the trunk.
Apparently that is where the tree is clogged up,
not letting the water through the branches.

And all that lichen is normal. Apparently we
have nice clean air around here.

And the wood inside the cut areas was like cork or balsa wood.
Very soft and easily damaged.

After pruning.

Interestingly enough we also have a dwarf sour cherry tree
and it is not effected (yet).