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Hi
I think that probably it is just that they weren't settled in properly before an awful winter but it does seem strange that its all your Prunus. I would suggest digging them up and making sure all the root is out just in case its something root-borne and making sure anything you plant in their places has fresh earth/compost around it. I tmight be worthwhile contacting the supplier too- they may have had problems with whole batches, particularly if they were sourced overseas. Let me know how you get on.
Yes they were quite newly planted. I did give them all mulches of cocoa shell. But although i have a sandyish soil, plants that need a lot of moisture do well in my garden. One was an unknown small thing, possibly bird cherry, one was a "czar" and one a Morello cherry. They were all staked. I am worried that if it a disease it could spread to my other trees.
Were they newly(ish)planted? If so it could have been the appalling winter weather. What type of Prunus? It could have been some kind of root rot caused by too much water sitting around the roots-if you dig them up and the roots are brown all the way through then that shows a root death problem. It could also have happened if the plants were unsteady and were rocking in the soil- the small new roots never would have gotten time to settle before they were broken by the rock. But some Prunus species are more vulnerable than others-I work with trees so let me know what type they were and we may be able to establish the cause more reliably!