Higan Cherry Advice

[JoeR]

This is a 'Prunus Subhirtella Autumnalis', or Higan Cherry. It is a one gallon cutting that I am growing out that I got from Brent over the winter. The entire container is filled with fibrous roots. Paid I think $30 for it.

Pros:
-Leaves reduce to a very small size, even full sized leaves are pretty small
-New leaves come out a peach color and fade to light green
-Attractive leaf shape
-Grows fast for a cherry
-AWESOME small flowers, 2× or more a year
-Semi- contorted growth
-Branches are plyable and it is easy to wire this tree

Cons:
-Leaves get chewed up easy. Everything ignores my other plants and goes for this one.
-Little to no fruit, according to Brent.
-Doesn't have a trunk and hasn't made much of an increase at all since I have had it.
-No branches until high up on the 'trunk'.


So here are the obvious issues:
1) No trunk girth. Just a twig.
2) No branches on low trunk
3) Some of the branches need pruned
4) Could use a larger container
5) From what I can tell, there isn't much of a Nebari, although I haven't really looked.

To solve number one and two, should I graft a few branches low on the trunk and let them run wild before cutting them off? This will also increase taper. It is a feminine tree so I'm not looking to put it in the ground for a monster trunk, just something presentable.

For number three, I plan on cutting back to six leaves.

Numbers four and five will be solved with a repotting next spring hopefully.

Some pictures after I took all the wire off it:
Here is the sad little 'trunk':
New leaves coming out, the lighting made them look yellow rather than peach:

Pretty pathetic huh?


Any advice or experience welcome. If I can, I will make a virt of what I am aiming for.

 

[Cypress187]

Cons: Leaves get chewed up easy. Everything ignores my other plants and goes for this one.

You could give this plant to your neighbours then it will only have pro's

 

[JoeR]

So an update after one seasons growth.


Pretty satisfied with it; it was a lot of fun to play with for $30.


It just got done blooming heavily a week ago or so and now has dropped most of its leaves.




Not a great photo but you get a glimpse of what I am aiming for. A semi cascade that eventually will find itself in a cresent pot. There's a big gap in it after breaking two branches from a fall off the bench (cats!).


It needs to be wired and cut back to ratify further which must wait until spring.


Flowers from a few days ago:

 

[ColinFraser]

Ramification, flowers, wiring . . . I see you've given up on thickening the trunk.
I'm sure it was beautiful in flower.

 

[JoeR]

Ramification, flowers, wiring . . . I see you've given up on thickening the trunk.
I'm sure it was beautiful in flower.

I actually don't mind the feminine trunk so much but there is a branch that I am letting run currently. Also in the spring I am grafting a branch lower on the trunk to let run as well.


Should I not let it flower?

 

[ColinFraser]

No experience with this species, but in general, trees in development can be prevented from"wasting" energy on fruits and flowers - allowing for maximum growth instead.

I think most Prunus backbud pretty well, so grafting may be unnecessary. If you want the trunk to thicken, just let it run wild (maybe in a bigger pot, no pruning), and then cut back when it approaches the size you want.

 

[CWTurner]

You have a couple interesting branches on this tree. If it were me, I would air layer it just below the first branch (in your last pic from May). After that, cut the first branch and you have a nice looking (though shorter) tree. Plus you'll have the original plant in the pot.
I like the leaves, bark and flowers on this. Good luck.
CW

 

[Cypress187]

I killed my prunus now i need to convince my parents to get rid of theirs (maybe tell them it's ugly and getting to big

 

[JoeR]

I killed my prunus now i need to convince my parents to get rid of theirs (maybe tell them it's ugly and getting to big

Do it! Or airlayer it. What kind of prunus is it?

 

[JoeR]

You have a couple interesting branches on this tree. If it were me, I would air layer it just below the first branch (in your last pic from May). After that, cut the first branch and you have a nice looking (though shorter) tree. Plus you'll have the original plant in the pot.
I like the leaves, bark and flowers on this. Good luck.
CW

I hadn't thought of that before. I think that the leaves may be too large to make a convincing image for that small of a tree.


Also I should mention that I cranked those branches closer together since then.

Something to chew on; I will go take a look at it now and see what I think.

 

[JoeR]

Hmm..... It is a good option to layer there

 

[Cypress187]

Do it! Or airlayer it. What kind of prunus is it?

I think it's some big leafed, so i will need the entire thing i guess (didn't inspect the trunk/branches/thickness yet) if i want to make a bonsai from it.

 

[CWTurner]

I'd layer it at the green line.

CW

 

[GrimLore]

Also I should mention that I cranked those branches closer together since then. Something to chew on; I will go take a look at it now and see what I think.

Think about the future and natural growth of Prunus subhirtella before you do anything extreme. For example they do not get very large in the ground and are a weeping tree... That itself might determine what your plans are

It looks to be a Rosey Bud cultivar - pretty cool.
Grimmy

 

[JoeR]

Think about the future and natural growth of Prunus subhirtella before you do anything extreme. For example they do not get very large in the ground and are a weeping tree... That itself might determine what your plans are

It looks to be a Rosey Bud cultivar - pretty cool.
Grimmy

Thanks for the advice- I have nothing but time to decide

 

[Stormwater]

Thanks for the advice- I have nothing but time to decide

any updates on this tree?

 

[JoeR]

any updates on this tree?

This particular tree is long gone, and I never figured out why it died.

I do however have some very, very nice ones from a different batch I can show later this week. Grown from seed.

Cherries can and will develop quite quickly, as long as you do your best not to introduce unnecessary open cuts or wounds that allow fungus/bacteria/pests in. Things like leaving the wire on too long. I absolutely recommend if you DO wound the tree, immediately seal it with the foil ductape as it bonds really well to a dry surface.

 

[JoeR]

This is one year of training. Not sure how old they are, but they are all seedlings

Also yeah I know the wiring is horrible on the second one. It was a demonstration tree, lol