problem with cherry tree

[suep]

Last year my Cherry tree was just beautiful, covered in leaves and fruit. This year is a different matter, only about 25% of the leaves developed properly and the puds that didn't develop just dried up. Can you tell me whats wrong with it. I was digging around it and cut one of it'a roots, could this be the problem and will it come back next year?

[treaclefight]

cherry trees are a bit fragile, when they have tantrums they are best left well alone for a year (this is advice from my grandad who has beautiful cherry trees in his garden) in addition to this it is apparently a difficult year for cherries and many of them are well below their best, especially as last year was a particularly good year. i dont know what i'm talking about but i have endured a good 2 hour conversastion on the subject with my grandfather only yesterday :-)

[quattro]

Fruit trees do seem to be a bit hit and miss some years there is a good havest some years bad and perhaps by the time the harvest appears it is to late to do anything about it as a shortage of pollinating insects at flowering time may produce fewer berries . I don't think cutting it's roots will have done much damage its just something you have to live with and don't waste the years when you have a surplus of fruit by making jam , wine , cherry brandy and cherry vodka ( soak the fruit in vodka or brandy with some sugar for a few weeks then bottle it)