Help with weeping cherry

[culsnj]

Hello. I recently bought this kiku shidare-zakura cultivar from a nursery and wish to convert it to a bonsai if possible. Would like to get some feedback before I do anything later.

It's currently about a meter tall and still in the pot it was sent in. First I was planning to repot to a bigger pot in the fall. I read it's best done in spring before flowering, but it has just flowered. Then I'm wondering if I should let it grow for now as the trunk is still rather thin or cut it down. I found in this thread it was suggested to let it keep growing freely, although mine is older already.

I would guess my biggest worry now to be whether it lives however. It's on a glass balcony and summer's approaching. The winters here in Finland can get pretty cold (I live in zone 5a), but from what I've read these are quite hardy. As it's not in the ground however, I was thinking of getting a thermo pot. It would maybe be possible for me to plant it in the ground but that would be in zone 4a.

Thank you!

 

[culsnj]

Brief update: the cherry has been growing well. I repotted it in a 40cm thermo pot. Shortly after posting I realized that the upper part was grafted and so cutting the tree one day would possibly result in a different cultivar So I've taken a few cuttings and planted them, afaict they're still alive at least. I guess another possibility would be to cut near the base and try to regraft from the top.

 

[Shibui]

Weeping varieties are almost always grafted high on a strong growing root stock. The root stock will not be weeping type and almost certainly not a double flowering type. Mazzard (a cultivar of Prunus avium) or Mahaleb (Prunus mahaleb) are 2 common stocks used for cherry grafts. Both flower but not as profusely as the selected types designated 'flowering' cherries.
These grow easily from root cuttings so you may get some new stock to graft onto after repotting time if the cuttings don't work out.

If you want to reduce the stock section it should layer really easily. Then, after removing the top, the root stock should sprout new shoots which you could graft bits from the top onto.

 

[sorce]

Sorry to have left you hanging since April!

Welcome to Crazy!

Sorce

 

[Ininaatigoons]

Don't know much about cherry, but its beautiful

 

[Bonsai Nut]

The best thing you can do is to let it grow freely for now. Be careful about pruning too late in the year or the tree may push new growth, but it may not have flower buds on them. If you want blooms every year, leave the tree alone in the second half of the year, even if it gets a little leggy. Prune in the spring right after it finishes blooming.

 

[dr.tenebris]

Brief update: the cherry has been growing well. I repotted it in a 40cm thermo pot. Shortly after posting I realized that the upper part was grafted and so cutting the tree one day would possibly result in a different cultivar So I've taken a few cuttings and planted them, afaict they're still alive at least. I guess another possibility would be to cut near the base and try to regraft from the top.

Would love to see an update on this lil fella