Bubble bursting needed? nanking cherry

grog

Shohin
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Today I picked up what I thought was a pretty exciting nursery find in the form of a rather large trunked nanking cherry, prunus tormentosa. I'm going to cut the pot back to get a pic as soon as I can sneak out for a few minutes. The only useful info I've found on their use as bonsai says they are fairly short-lived(pretty vague) and they can suffer branch dieback in landscape use. Judging from info on their leaf, flower, and fruit size they seem like this would be worth a shot. Does anyone have any experience or info particular to this cherry? Thanks!
 

grog

Shohin
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Doh!!! Must've forgotten to pull that one off the camera. Will dig it out tonight or just take another pic. Thanks for the reminder :eek:
 

grog

Shohin
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I'm practicing with the photography I promise!
 

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grog

Shohin
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Obviously a ton of branches needing to come off but I think repotting will be first priority.
 

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grog

Shohin
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Future plans for this guy are pretty basic as of now. Keeping it alive being my number one challenge :D The pot is huge and the roots look to be using it all. My initial thoughts have been that I need to get it repotted but now I'm not so sure. The large amount of room the roots have to run should equal tons of energy for new growth.. at least in my horticulturally challenged mind. Perhaps the better route to take would be to start removing some of the masses of excess branching and looking to the form the tree should take in the long run. I see a pretty obvious potential trunk line running to the left hand side.
 

bonsainotwar

Sapling
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I have one.Like all prunuses,they are virtually carefree,and a joy to work with.They do not suffer dieback,as bonsai,at least mine hasn't in the now three years I have had it.They fruit earlier than other cherries,mine had two little cherries on it,up until a few days ago,when they just dropped off.Mine is an upright single trunk,with a kink near the bottom.A little weird,but interesting all the same.
 

grog

Shohin
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Any chance of a pic? I've done some pruning on mine, still have more to do, I'll get some pics done soon.
 

grog

Shohin
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This was planted in the bottom of a 55 gal drum and wasn't going to be able to sit where it was all winter so it came out today. Spent about a half hour with the hose spraying clay off the base and put it in a pond basket. The low branch on the right will be coming off in the spring, not sure if I'll pick some branches to keep then or not. Still a long ways to go.

That's one ugly little stump isn't it?
 

HumbleTrees

Yamadori
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Updates

I just sperated an airlayer off of a Nanking in my yard this spring and it is taking off. You you guys have any updated photos of yours to share? Any tips?
Thanks!
 

Beng

Omono
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Nanking cherries are great I have an old one i've been working with for years. I still don't have the nack of getting it to flower though.

Ben
 

HumbleTrees

Yamadori
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How soon would be too soon to start cutting branches off of them after being seperated? I wasn't planning on doing anything to it until at least next fall, but the vigor of this thing is fantastic.
 

milehigh_7

Mister 500,000
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I have one and love it. Brent @ evergreengardenworks describes them this way:

7660 Prunus tomentosum (Nanking Cherry) -40F. An extremely tough and hardy shrub to 6-8 feet. White single flowers are followed by scarlet 1/2 inch edible cherries. Exfoliating cherry bark on younger branches turns black and very rough on the older stems. A traditional bonsai species, the bright fruits are a real plus. Seedling grown.
 
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