What to do?
I have a small garden and have been gifted a bare root Morello cherry tree. I'm not sure what to do with it and have done a web search I'm still confused about how to grow it, how big it is likely to get and how much influence I could have on how to control it so that it doesn't get too big - if this is possible.
I've looked on the net and they seem to get way too big for me to plant in my small garden.
Has anyone planted one from scratch in a small garden who could give me any advice. I don't understand the 'bush maiden' and 'standard' descriptions as described on the net.
As it was a gift I must find the most suitable way to plant it in a sensible place and I'm just not sure about it. If anyone has experience of these I would love any advice available.
Many thanks everyone.
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When you say 'bare root' I take it that it's now been planted in a pot or at least planted somehow
Any tree with bare roots at this time of year is unlikely to survive
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Ah Dove....no it hasn't been planted. Was given it yesterday and believe it was bought on very cheap offer from Asda and apparently they have loads of them sitting around with a plastic bag type thing around the roots. I think they have been in the shop for some time. It was evening when it came my way and I thought that if it had been sitting around in the shop for some time like this, that it must just hold on somehow until it's planted!!!!!!! So being in this plastic bag thing might mean it's not bare root? I know nothing about trees,.
To be honest, I can't find a place for a tree of any sort in the garden and if I'm to try and plant it and come what may...I'm going to have to remove quite a lot of things to make room for it.
Oh dear!
Well yes, it's a 'bare rooted tree' until it has been planted - but that's the way that trees can be sold when they're dormant through the winter - your poor little thing is presumably struggling to stay alive and grow with no moisture or nourishment.
I've been doing a bit of googling and the consensus of opinion on various forums is that the Aldi cherries are unlikely to be on the most dwarfing rootstock, so my best suggestion is that if you want to have a go at growing it (and I'm by no means certain that it's going to survive) then you should start it off in a container and see how it goes. That will restrict the growth a bit.
If it grows and in a few years' time it looks as if it's going to be too big for you, then at least in a container it's transportable and if you don't want to keep it you could donate it to someone else who has the space for it.
But for now plant the poor thing in a container with some decent compost and a stake and give it some water!!!
It probably ought to go in a sheltered shady corner too for a while, the poor thing, if it has any leaves at all, won't be used to bright sunlight!
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.