Cherry Morello (dwarf) lack of leaves.
somapop
Posts: 71
Hi all.
We purchased a couple of Cherry Morello trees a couple of years ago. A few months in they seemed to adopt a bacterial canker: advised the nursery of this issue and they immediately sent two new trees to us (we destroyed the old trees). These were lovely specimens, producing a decent crop of cherries last year.
Going off RHS advice on pruning cherry trees, I gave them a good cut last autumn (mainly cross/inturning branches). Come this spring however, and they're really struggling to produce leaves. We had a fair bit of blossom, but these were mainly situated on the ends of the branches. Over the past week, small sprouts are appearing lower down the branches but as you'll see on the picture, it's hardly flourishing. I planted two apples (different varieties) on the other side of the garden and these are thriving. Our next door neighbour has at least three cherries and they are fully of leaves (given the size of the trunks, these are pretty old trees). I remember a few years ago (in a different house) having trouble growing cherry trees...I've managed to grow pretty much everything else successfully.
Do you think I should leave them to it this summer (and not prune any further this year) or do you think they're on the their last legs? If they are I don't think I'll take a chance with Cherry trees again, which would be a shame as they're a lovely looking tree in the garden.
The trees are close to a fence and are east facing (thereabouts).
Many thanks!
Posts
I think they're too close to that Leylandii hedge - we've had a dry spring and Leylandii are notorious for sucking all the moisture out of the soil around them. Your trees don't stand a chance having been planted there
Give your cherries a jolly good soaking - three buckets full of water each today, and then a bucket-full each every other day through the summer unless the soil gets boggy or we get a really wet summer.
Then find and prepare a better spot for them and move them in the winter when they're dormant - or get rid of the Leylandii - or both!
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Thanks folks. Perhaps there's a chance of saving them in that case.
I was worried that a heavy pruning and overdose of copper spray late last year may have harmed them. Or perhaps they were not getting enough potassium from the soil?
I've just given them three buckets each of water (although we've had a much needed bout of rain at the start of this week) and will continue as advised. Yes, the leylandii are a bit 'green elephant in the room'. Was hoping they might not be an issue with trees/other plants close by, but part of me suspected.
I'll transplant them in the winter (Nov/Dec?). There's just one spot they can go, around six feet in front of them (close to a shed). They'll have a bit more sun here too (will then be south facing but protected from the north by the shed) so perhaps a better spot anyway (they lost a bit of their sparkle as they blend into the background of those conifers). Always a bit of conundrum wanting a nice garden but having kids that need space to play and with an eye on any future house extension work. I enjoy it mind (not being particularly green fingered).
When we moved in here 2 1/2 half years ago the back 'garden' was pure concrete and paving slabs (all 200 of them!). Ended up planting around 150 new plants (handful of trees - fruit/acers etc) and it's finally starting to come together. Around the perimeter I wanted a 'green wall' hence the leylandii down two sides and laurels on the other. When they're all at the right height I'll square them off (side and heights). Do quite like my geometric gardens (possibly a bit OCD)!
So - with a good watering and eventual transplant do you think I should be able to recover them? Despite their current state, I've noticed a few cherries already on the few branches that have leaves.
Many thanks!
Don't let them produce more than a few cherries - pick most of the embryo ones off soon and discard them if you can bear it - the less the trees have to do the better they'll cope with their situation.
If they've not had any yet this year, I'd give them some Fish, Blood & Bone (as directed on the pack) as the Leylandii will be taking all the nutrients as well as all the water out of the soil.
Well done on getting rid of the concrete! You're getting there
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
And just a tip re the hedge - I think the sides need trimming back now. A leylandii hedge needs it's sides trimming right from the start to encourage it to form a dense hedge. If you let it get wide then cut it back it will not regrow from the inner layers of the trees and you will be left with dead brown branches.
You probably know this but I thought I'd mention it.
Extract from http://www.leylandii.com/faq.html
"Will Leylandii grow back from brown wood ?No. Always leave green growth on the sides of the hedge. If you cut back into the brown, leylandii will not re-shoot. This is not a problem if you keep your Leylandii No. Always leave green growth on the sides of the hedge. If you cut back into the brown leylandii will not re-shoot. This is not a problem if you keep your leylandii hedge trimmed from the start and you trim it back once a year to the same point. It is only a problem if you let it get over-grown or move into a property with an untrimmed Leylandii hedge. We have seen someone cut back one side of a very wide hedge back to the trunks. The green shoots from the other side of the hedge grew back through but this took five years. It would depend on how wide the hedge is and how far the green has to grow back through so is a bit risky. The only other alternative is to start again with a new hedge and keep it narrow from the start. If a leylandii hedge is cut back to the width you want immediately after planting and then cut back to the same width once a year, every year, you can keep it as a dense but narrow hedge."
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
We never seem to garner a great haul of cherries anyway (and the birds find a way in the netting, which is also a pain to put up!) so no biggy to pluck the embryonic morellos!
I have actually fed them with fish blood & bone but can happily feed them more. I also throw my coffee & tea grounds on plants - not sure if that ever helps?
I did a trim on the hedges last year (sides and top) but I think you're right in that they need doing again soon (will give them a whirl tonight). Such is the size now, it's perhaps time to get the electric hedge trimmer out! I do want a nice, tight hedge so I'll keep an eye out on it.
Thanks for the all the helpful info - really appreciated. I'll update this thread if required.
BTW - they were purchased as dwarf cherry morello trees, but is there an approximate height I can expect them to grow?
Thanks again!
The ultimate height will depend on which rootstock it's on.
Some info here on cherry trees, rootstocks and controlling the size etc.
http://www.chrisbowers.co.uk/guides/cherry-trees.php
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Excellent - thanks for the tips
For the record, the trees are as colt rootstock.
Reading about them (as pasted below) it suggests permanently staking them?
Also, from your link, there's a method for tiring the branches down which I may or may not do. Probably after a height (if they survive!) of around 8 feet, which would be just about right for that pocket of garden. One will encroach on a small patio I will be building, but I think it will add to it (will have to sink it in a hole in the paving slabs.
Name of rootstock: Colt (semi-vigorous)
Suitable for: Bush, half standard, fans
Start fruiting: After three or four years
Ultimate height as trained as bush: 6m (20ft)
Growing conditions: Many soils tolerated including clay and light, chalky soils
Staking: Permanently
Spacing: 6m (20ft)
Many thanks!
We never seem to garner a great haul of cherries anyway (and the birds find a way in the netting, which is also a pain to put up!) so no biggy to pluck the embryonic morellos!
I have actually fed them with fish blood & bone but can happily feed them more. I also throw my coffee & tea grounds on plants - not sure if that ever helps?
I did a trim on the hedges last year (sides and top) but I think you're right in that they need doing again soon (will give them a whirl tonight). Such is the size now, it's perhaps time to get the electric hedge trimmer out! I do want a nice, tight hedge so I'll keep an eye out on it.
Thanks for the all the helpful info - really appreciated. I'll update this thread if required.
BTW - they were purchased as dwarf cherry morello trees, but is there an approximate height I can expect them to grow?
Thanks again!
Hey folks.
I've been drenching the base every other day (since I posted this) and lo and behold they're starting to look a lot more healthier (one more than the other).
Many of the old branches are completely bare (but they bend so I'm assuming they're not actually dead?) though initial tiny sprouts along some of these 'bare' branches have now turned into foot long new branches! It's almost like a new tree is growing out of the old one. On the tips of some branches, new branches have grown...it looks a little odd as if it has really long arms (think Mr Tickle).
I'll be moving these to new spots in the winter, but do you think I should prune them (the shape is a bit odd now) or leave them till next year?
Many thanks!
Glad things are improving. Poor things were really thirsty!
I think I'd wait and see what it does this year, and follow the advice here https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=253 for the second and third spring, as the trees are behaving as if they are at that stage and need formative pruning.
Other people may have other ideas?
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.