are these cherry trees collectable?

stevesick

Sounds like good advice Myrtle.

I need to do some more close investigation before I come up w/ a game plan.

I'll report back on what I find.

Thanks,
Steve

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TCTNY

Steve:

Generally speaking flowering cherries [not fruit producing varieties] make the better bonsai - flower size, leaf size etc. That does not mean that these cannot be used. The second tree with the large base - has some trunk damage. If this is rot or insect damage then you will have to deal with these conditions. If these are wild cherrys there will be no graft union - if these were planted by someone - the trees are likely grafted varieties - so the graft union will have to be checked out for appearance and location....

You can dig these this Spring, wash off the native soil, plant in a larger tub, bucket or box in well draining soil mix. You should see alot of new growth as a result.

You wil probably have to spray for mildew, fungus, etc. as Prunus sp. are very prone to these diseases - but your climate and location will determine this...

If you wan to collect these go ahead and have fun. It will take time to grow out new branches and develop a trunk line - but have fun...Tom

stevesick

Thanks for the advice and encouragement Tom - I figure these will be a good learning opportunity for me to practice collecting techniques. I'm going to survey them some more this weekend.

Steve

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stevesick

I took a much closer look at these trees on Sunday and discovered the massive amount of oozing gel pictured below. I'm assuming that this is the canker type of disease mentioned previously in this thread.

I also learned from my father in law that these trees are over 30 years old and have always looked like they were suffering - they still produce flowers and fruit each year despite their state. They are fighters. I'm thinking that they should be put out of their misery ASAP, and from what I've read, the remains should be burned or buried deeply to prevent the disease from spreading.

Can anyone confirm my assumptions?

Steve

Attached Images

	IMG_4220.jpg (73.0 KB, 40 views)
	IMG_4219.jpg (68.9 KB, 33 views)
	IMG_4218.jpg (68.5 KB, 22 views)

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BarbaraM

yep. Burn em.

You were wise to be cautious. You prevented future issues. You should treat yourself to a nice healthy plant at a nursery.

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"What I like about bonsai is that it has a beginning but no end. A bud today becomes a branch tomorrow. It is like searching for the rainbw's end; the farther it is pursued, the farther away it is." John Naka

rockm

The ooze might be from borers in the trunk, or possibly some form of infection to the tree. I don't think whatever is causing this is likely fatal at this point. Cherries produce this kind of sap to close wounds and overwhelm insect infestations, sometimes. The native black cherry (prunus resinosa) even has the name to prove it. "Resinosa" was given to it for its thick gummy sap produced at injury points. The sap has been basic ingredient for cough syrup for over 100 years. I have a collected black cherry bonsai and it sometimes produces large gummy secretions when borers attack it...Doesn't seem to affect it dramatically--the sap that is. The borers can be fatal if left alone to girdle the tree.

I think your cherries are collectible, but you're going to hae to find out what is causing the oozing sap...

BarbaraM

Rockm that is interesting about prunus resinosa. When our cherrys were sick I never read that. Everything said ooze=disease. Steve, you could experiment with chemicals for one season and let us know if they actually recover. If they stay in the ground at your FILs they won't infect your trees. You (and I) might be suprised.

__________________
"What I like about bonsai is that it has a beginning but no end. A bud today becomes a branch tomorrow. It is like searching for the rainbw's end; the farther it is pursued, the farther away it is." John Naka

stevesick

..The plot thickens! Thank you for chiming in here Rock. I will read up on what borers look like and see if I can locate some on the tree. I have some oil spray and soap spray that might help get rid of them if they're present.

Thanks again,
Steve

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rockm

You won't be able to locate them ON the tree . Borers dig into the trunk and live by chewing through dead wood to tunnel along the live cambium layer from the inside. This makes them very hard to physically find and impossible to kill with topical sprays. What you will find is sawdust underneath "buckshot" holes in the trunk. That's a telltale sign of borer activity.

The buckshot holes (usually about 1/8 to 1/4 inch in diameter) contain the borer insect larva. To kill them you can poke them with wire inserted into the hole (Which is kind of inefficient because some holes can be deep and twist and turn in the trunk and along the cambium, but satisfying when you pull the wire out and there is bug goo on the end of it.) I have also used insecticide soaked cotton wads stuffed into the hole and left for a few days, or a dose of lime sulphur injected into the hole. This can kill the bugs, but you have to watch closely for any more signs of them, i.e. sawdust and beetles(which are the mature form of the borer). Borer larvae will also poke their heads out of the holes at night. You can search for them with a flashlight after dark sometimes and squish them.

Borers are a common pest for cherries around here. This may also be some kind of bacterial or fungal attack. Don't discount those possibilities. Even if it is a microbial attack, you may have some success in digging the trees up and planting them in better soil. Fungal attacks are usually associated with weak trees. Providing better growing conditions may allow them to grow past the infections. Good luck.