First cherry blossom tree

Hi folks. Im a new member, new to gardening(loving it) and iv come across my first problem.
Last week i bought my first cherry blosson. Prunus shirotae. When i got home i was inspecting the tree which is around 6ft. It has a few branches shooting from top of tree.all the leaves on these branches are covered with holes. Some leaves are half missing.
Also the newly sprouted leaves are slightly sticky, turning yellow/black and wilting away.
Can anybody help tell me what this is?
Can i treat it?
Thanks in advance.

 

Hi @smokeyjoe and welcome to the addiction called gardening! Are you able to show us some pictures please? Preferably both sides of the leaves in case there are some nasty critters or eggs hiding underneath. A garden centre is a buffet restaurant for bugs and they often don't keep watch for problems, so you should have a better chance of controlling things at home.

 

This is a disease called shot hole smokeyjoe
Bordeaux mixture will help control this.
I would remove all sticky and damaged leaves then spray. You will need to repeat this procedure a few times during the spring and early summer.
Feed well and mulch.
I would however return to the garden centre with photos of shot hole and sticky leaves ...maybe see if they have anything better there. Maybe you could persuade the manager to supply Bordeaux mixture for free as compensation ??
(Bordeaux mixture has had a change of composition I think over recent years but still available to the public now)
Oh, sorry smokeyjoe....welcome to the forum

 

Thanks for replys.il upload some photos

 

Heres more photos.

 

It looks like caterpillar damage to me.

 

Agree, Sheal. There's very little if any of the characteristic browning typically caused by shot hole disease. @smokeyjoe, have a look in your local garden centre for a product containing Bacillus thuringiensis. (It'll be mentioned in the tiny print on the side of the box as the active ingredient). This is a harmless (to other creatures) bacteria that targets caterpillars. You mix the powder with water and spray the affected plant. Good as prevention and cure! Or the other method is to go out with a torch at dead of night and squash the culprits

 

Thanks folks. Thats better news than i thought.