The increasing availability of nucleotide sequence data from plant pathogenic fruit tree viruses led recently to the development of nucleic‐acid‐based detection methods as a routine tool for diagnosis. We present a simplification and modification of the previously described test procedure for the two closteroviruses Little cherry virus 1 and 2 (LChV‐1, LChV‐2). For LChV‐1, a single tube reaction reduced unspecific amplification that led to false positive results. For the detection of LChV‐2, a primer set was developed for the local isolates of the area ‘Altes Land’ in the northern part of Germany. To determine the optimal sampling conditions for a reliable detection of both viruses different types of tissue (bark, bud, leaves) were tested in monthly intervals.