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Prunus ' Kanzan ' problem with blossom

Dilly3Dilly3 Posts: 91
in Problem solving

Hello

I hope someone can help, we have had this tree growing in the garden for 30 years and since 2012 the blossom that appears in the spring has got less and less. This year there were hardly any blossom. The leaves are quite sparse  and just seem to be on the ends of the very twiggy branches.

Do you think this tree is coming to the end of it's life or is there hope for it yet ?

Thanks for reading.

Posts

  • UnknownUnknown

    Sounds like it needs to be pruned back hard so you can get new shoots to grow.

  • Dilly3Dilly3 Posts: 91

    Thanks very much  for your reply tinatina 

    I was hoping the answer to my problem wouldn't be so drastic. The tree does give character to the garden so if it was pruned very hard it would change the look of the garden.

    I have 2 clematis that are trying their  best to climb the trunk and one of the branches so I wonder if I should encourage them or something else to take over. 

    I'm sad to see the lack of flowers in the spring as they were always something to look forward to. 

    Do these trees have a short life span? 30 years doesn't seem long. 

  • Dilly3Dilly3 Posts: 91

    Hello,

    sorry but   it's me again,

    has anyone else maybe   got an answer to my problem, are there any tree experts out there that could offer some advice  please ? 

  • Alina WAlina W Posts: 1,445

    Hi Dilly, just tracked this back, thanks for pointing it out.

    Have tried feeding mine today, so will wait and see :-)

    Last edited: 18 June 2016 21:46:50

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,143

    Have the cherries been fed each spring? Clematis are greedy feeders and will be taking a lot of nutrition from the soil. 


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Dilly3Dilly3 Posts: 91

    I've never fed the tree and the clematis is planted about 3 foot from the trunk and I do feed the clematis often . 

    If I fed the tree how would I know if it's got down to the roots as they must be quite deep and have spread wide after 30 years and  what would you recommend I use? 

    Thanks for your help. 

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,143

    Clear the soil around of any weeds, grass etc, cultivate the top couple of inches (avoiding any cherry tree roots or you may find they sucker) and apply Fish Blood and Bone in the amounts shown on the pack, a good sprinkling now and again in early spring - water it in well - that'll get it down to the roots.  


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Dilly3Dilly3 Posts: 91

    I will do that very soon as I've got a box of that stuff and  see what happens next spring. Hopefully it will make a difference to the amount of flowers the tree produces . And if it doesn't it might be time for the chop. Don't really want to lose it but a tree without flowers and a poor display of leaves is not a good look. 

    Thanks again. 

  • Dilly3Dilly3 Posts: 91

    The tree has been chopped down now. The tree man said it was poorly and couldn't be saved.

    It  will be missed but plenty more to look at and one less tree to shed it leaves, gotta look on the bright side. 

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,143

    If it's gotta go it's gotta go ....... and every felled tree is a new planting space ... or three image


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





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