cherry tree

Hello there:
 
        Two years ago I constructed a small raised (about 8 inches) bed/plot (8 ft X 25 ft) in my backyard (urban grower) for growing atlantic giants.  Due to the size of my property the only location i could use was over existing lawn about 20 feet from an old rather enormous native cherry tree (trunk about 3.5 feet in diameter).  Has anybody heard of a situation like this where the cherry tree could negatively affect the growth or vigour of the pumpkin plant in the nearby plot for example, by sending roots into the plot and draining nutrients away from the plant or harming the root system of the pumpkin plant?  A couple test cores of soil around my pumpkin plant did show roots (probably from the cherry tree).  I ask this because my plant this year seemed to be growing great and a set pumpkin doing well when suddenly growth of both plant and fruit slowed down to nearly nill and the whole thing looked kind of sick.  I have been regular with foliar and drench fertilizers as well as starting to employ sytemic fungicide and systemic insecticide (benomyl and diazinon respectively), both since the plant became ill, but to no avail.  I cannot see any overt signs of disease or infestation, but may be I'm grasping at straws blaming the cherry tree !!  And no, getting rid of the tree is not an option.
 
Thanks in advance for any suggestions offered.
 
Ron Lauener
New Westminster, B.C.
Canada
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