Cherry

cship4885

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I collected a cherry from my parents yard in early summer. It is very thing and I plan on planting in the ground at the beginning of next season. It has a long scar on the trunk and some natural trunk movement. I think once it puts on some girth and the scar heals a bit more it could one day make a nice bonsai.
 

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cship4885

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a couple more
 

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Colorado Slim

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I love cherry bonsai, you know what kind?

I have a couple in my yard I want to airlayer off branches next year, so excited to see what happens to this guy.

One fair warning, since the main leading trunk has been cut, it will be a long time for this guy to put some real girth on the trunk, so be aware. Also, if you want it to grow faster and fatter, perhaps a larger pot or in ground for a few years.

Other than that, in the shape it's in, perhaps a nice mame tree? How big is it now?
 

cship4885

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I will be honest that I do not know The variety of cherry. Seems to be very similar to wild trees growing in many PA woods though it produces fruit and I feel like most wild cherry in PA do not.

The plan is to let this grow in the ground for several years starting next spring. I cut back the trunk because the upper 4-5 ft of the trunk died back after it was collected and new growth sprouted out low. I believe the tree is only 2 -3 years old.

A question regarding the future of this tree, I feel that if the final height of the trunk of this tree is above the scar, the tree will look fatter above the scar, thus reverse taper. Is it possible, layer down the road obviously, to chop somewhere at the scar and develop branching at the top of the scar?
 
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Zach Smith

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I will be honest that I do not know The variety of cherry. Seems to be very similar to wild trees growing in many PA woods though it produces fruit and I feel like most wild cherry in PA do not.

The plan is to let this grow in the ground for several years starting next spring. I cut back the trunk because the upper 4-5 ft of the trunk died back after it was collected and new growth sprouted out low. I believe the tree is only 2 -3 years old.

A question regarding the future of this tree, I feel that if the final height of the trunk of this tree is above the scar, the tree will look fatter above the scar, thus reverse taper. Is it possible, layer down the road obviously, to chop somewhere at the scar and develop branching at the top of the scar?

This may be black cherry, prunus serotina. I have never had much luck collecting them, as those I've tried have first died back, later weakened and then just croaked. It could be me, or it could be the species just doesn't like being lifted. Keep up posted if your tree makes it. I think black cherry would make a great bonsai.

Zach
 

Mike423

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Good luck, with your cherry project. I too love cherry trees, especially the Japanese varieties. There's a nice cherry tree I'm planning on trying to collect next spring, which looks like it might be a Yoshino Japanese cherry tree. The only problem is its sitting right on the bottom of a edge right over the water and a little drop off at a pond. I'll have to lean over the edge while I try to collect it and try not to fall over head first into the water. Don't know how I'm going to accomplish it but it should be fun to see I f I can and how I do.

Cant say how well it works but (once the tree is healthy and growing vigorously of course) I heard that if you cut the wound along the edges repeatedly allowing it to heal in between that the wound will heal over quicker. I think it has something to do with binging more energy to the area or something but cant remember. Maybe someone reading this thread has experience with or has heard about this technique more and can chime in on it.
 
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discusmike

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If it were mine,my worry would be inverse taper down the road with the large scar,you might eventually want to air layer the tree once it has grown for 5yrs or so,or find another if they are prevalent,and lift it in spring,for all the years that are involved with getting a tree to the point to where it can be trained,it would suck to not have something really nice.Good luck
 

Brian Van Fleet

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To give a little perspective on how quickly they can grow (at least here) in the ground, this is a Yoshino flowering cherry volunteer seedling that popped up in '06. The shots are from:

'07 (snow shot), container-grown for 2 seasons
'08 summer in the ground (interesting that the leader I wired lagged WAY behind the others)
'08 after the growing season in the ground (note wired leader vs. non-wired shoots)
'10 had to dig it up...the cut at the back rotted, and the back was roughly carved away...should be fine.
'11 in the ground, adding a 3rd section of trunk, and branches in the right places. This shot doesn't show the nice nebari, but it's going in a pot next spring and will look pretty nice. Trunk is about 5" wide above the nebari; top chop is about 11" high.

I think if you plan to grow yours out for a couple years, that scar will be completely gone and shouldn't be considered in your design. Enjoy!
 

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Mike423

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Great Cherry thanks for sharing Brian. Yoshino and Kwazan cherry's are my favorites:) The Chicago Botanical garden has a japanese rock garden with a huge breath taking yoshino cherry tree looming over it that i get great enjoyment out of every year.
 

cship4885

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Brian, the scat extends about 1/2 the diameter of the tree, will it really completely heal all the way around? I imagined it might close a bit, but if it completely heals over won't tree atleast be a seam from the old wound? It's rolled over already at the eyes of the wound as it sits right now.
 

Mike423

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Since your tree is so young and a new cambrian layer grows every year, the trunk will thicken covering the wound and slowly will remove all evidence of the scar. It will work the same way a trunk chop scar will slowly be closed and then smoothed over after years. Like Brian said cherry's grow quickly so you should have it pretty much gone in a few years if you put it in the ground.
 
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