Yardadori Black Cherry

[Baron von Smoogle]

I have lived in my current house for 24 years. I just noticed, last month, that there was a large Black Cherry (Prunus serotina) growing in the wild area of the backyard. Yes, my powers of observation are exceptional!! I just rolled my eyes so hard, I saw my brain for a moment while typing that last sentence.
The tree was broken over about four feet up but I could see some buds starting to grow on a branch. I dug it up and found it had very few feeder roots. I potted it up in a 20"X20" grow box with a pumice/Turface/pine bark/biochar mix.
It is currently sitting,covered with a black bag over it. About 15 years ago I dug another Black Cherry that had about the same number of feeder roots as this one. I dug it in July and planted it in 100% Turface without a bag over it. The next year it had filled the pot with feeder roots. I am hoping for the same type of recovery for this tree.
The trunk is 4.5" in diameter and I originally chopped the trunk at 40" but then chopped the trunk to about 20" tall.
Some moss that was on the bark has started to grow, so I hope buds will start to show and roots will start to grow.

 

[Gabler]

Be sure to stock up on fungicide.

 

[Baron von Smoogle]

This tree has started popping buds. I currently have 9 breaking through the bark.

 

[just.wing.it]

Dude, that's cool. Great bark. They do get beaten up by bugs and fungi, but so what, its worth some fun.

 

[pandacular]

Nice trunk, and killer mustache. Good luck in the growing season, I wanna see some fat canes!

 

[Baron von Smoogle]

.........and killer mustache.

Haha. It gets trimmed twice a year when I go to the dentist.

 

[Desert O'Piñon]

Haha. It gets trimmed twice a year when I go to the dentist.

I prune my hair annually, when I prune my trees. But it really does a job on my concave cutters.

Great find! I'm unlikely to ever find something like that in my region. It will be interesting to see what you and your new acquisition do together.

 

[pandacular]

Haha. It gets trimmed twice a year when I go to the dentist.

I can’t do it, I just always find myself chewing on my hair and I don’t love it.

Though if I’m backpacking, it doesn’t make the worst field clipper…much better than concave cutters!

 

[Baron von Smoogle]

I think this tree just might make it. The black bag trick seems to have worked. I removed couple of suckers that were down on the big main root but have left the rest to grow wild this year and build some fine root mass.

 

[Desert O'Piñon]

Very nice. Those new shoots and leaves look strong and healthy. Let us see it again as it grows!

 

[Baron von Smoogle]

This is what the tree looks like a month and a half after the last photo I posted. It is still doing great.

 

[rockm]

Collected one of these 25 years ago. Developed it as bonsai in a pot for 17 years. Worked pretty well but has quirks. Hates to be pruned after wood hardens off on shoots. It will drop entire branches that too ten years to develop in favor of pushing new shoots from the root crown.

Tent caterpillars LOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE them and wil defoliate them in three hours. Or less if the tree isn’t large. They attract borers like a magnet

One other thing is that in a pot mine developed an extremely weird root mass very tiny fibrous roots tha would crumble and drop off if handled roughly

 

[rockm]

On the plus side they are extremely easy to collect and are tough.

They’re a “pioneer” species that grow fast . they can sacrifice older growth in favor of younger when they’re disturbed (pruning old growth at the wrong time of year can count as a disturbance as can root work )

 

[Baron von Smoogle]

On the plus side they are extremely easy to collect and are tough.

They’re a “pioneer” species that grow fast . they can sacrifice older growth in favor of younger when they’re disturbed (pruning old growth at the wrong time of year can count as a disturbance as can root work )

Thanks for the info. I will keep it in mind.