Just Got a Nursery Prunus Cistena, And I Am Lost

[Malt_Meister]

Hello there,

As the title says, I just picked up a lovely Purple Leaf Sand Cherry and I am quite lost on how to care for it.

I have done some online searching and I know the tree is quite hardy, so wintering should not be an issue, but what I am struggling with right now is how much can I cut back, and how much can I root prune (this year and at what time?) ?

There is healthy new growth, and the blooms are quite far along and beginning to drop petals so because I have never had a flowering tree before, and especially not a cherry, I was hoping someone with some experience could help me out. Thanks!


PS. I have attached some pictures for you all to look at and maybe make some structural suggestions? I have no idea what forms best exemplify this species so I don't know exactly how I might go about styling it, what do you guys think? Sorry for the not-so-good pics

 

[GrimLore]

This article has a lot of good care information including when to prune and how. It is not a Bonsai article but the same "general" rules apply and it should get you off to a good start

Grimmy

 

[Malt_Meister]

This article has a lot of good care information including when to prune and how. It is not a Bonsai article but the same "general" rules apply and it should get you off to a good start

Grimmy

Great! Except that I don't see a link or anything in your post on my phone... Am I missing something?

 

[jk_lewis]

Maybe this will help (thanks to Google): http://treesandshrubs.about.com/od/commonshrubs/p/PurpleLeafSandC.htm

 

[Malt_Meister]

Maybe this will help (thanks to Google): http://treesandshrubs.about.com/od/commonshrubs/p/PurpleLeafSandC.htm

Thanks! I searched through Google a fair bit last night but I don't think I came across that page... Well that answers my question about when to prune so that's good, but I am also curious how much I can root prune in the same year because I want to get it into its bonsai pot this year too... Maybe that's too much stress for these trees but hopefully someone can chime in on that...

 

[GrimLore]

This article has a lot of good care information including when to prune and how. It is not a Bonsai article but the same "general" rules apply and it should get you off to a good start

Grimmy

OOOOOOOOOPs -

http://homeguides.sfgate.com/prune-purpleleaf-sand-cherry-44376.html There it is, sorry!

Grimmy

 

[jk_lewis]

but I am also curious how much I can root prune in the same year because I want to get it into its bonsai pot this year too..

PATIENCE! Generally speaking you don't want to do both the first time. Slip pot, or bareroot and cut no roots and put into a larger-than-ideal bonsai pot. No more than that.

 

[GrimLore]

Also, I just copied and pasted these notes to another member that I quoted for reference a long time ago -

"Pruning cherries, or any fruit tree for that matter, is of paramount importance. The primary reason for trimming cherry trees is to ensure the most optimal access to sunlight. Cherry tree pruning allows for aeration, allowing light channels to penetrate the tree, thus, culminating in better fruit set, ease of harvest and the ability to battle or thwart disease."

And

"The rule of thumb when pruning fruit trees is to do so when the tree is dormant during the winter. Cutting back sweet cherries is an exception to this rule. Sweet cherries are susceptible to fungal and bacterial diseases, especially on recently cut limbs, so it is best to prune them in the late summer. Keep in mind that summer pruning reduces the tree’s energy for fruit production as well as its growth, so this should be minimal using only thinning cuts."

But

"Early spring is also prime time for pruning young cherry trees, shaping and training the young tree before it blossoms. Pruning should begin as soon as buds emerge, but should be started once the vegetative growth is several inches long. Mature cherries can be pruned in early spring too, or after they bear fruit."

Grimmy

 

[Malt_Meister]

PATIENCE! Generally speaking you don't want to do both the first time. Slip pot, or bareroot and cut no roots and put into a larger-than-ideal bonsai pot. No more than that.

Thank you for the advice, I'll be sure to just bareroot it at the very most because the pot I got for it is rather large as I want to develop it into a nice twin trunk larger bonsai. To get it to fit though I'm going to need to cut off a little of the nursery pot root ball it has now probably leaving 75% or more of what's there. That ought to be fine I hope but I may be able to fit all of it if I rake it all out as a whole root ball.

 

[Malt_Meister]

Also, I just copied and pasted these notes to another member that I quoted for reference a long time ago -

"Pruning cherries, or any fruit tree for that matter, is of paramount importance. The primary reason for trimming cherry trees is to ensure the most optimal access to sunlight. Cherry tree pruning allows for aeration, allowing light channels to penetrate the tree, thus, culminating in better fruit set, ease of harvest and the ability to battle or thwart disease."

And

"The rule of thumb when pruning fruit trees is to do so when the tree is dormant during the winter. Cutting back sweet cherries is an exception to this rule. Sweet cherries are susceptible to fungal and bacterial diseases, especially on recently cut limbs, so it is best to prune them in the late summer. Keep in mind that summer pruning reduces the tree’s energy for fruit production as well as its growth, so this should be minimal using only thinning cuts."

But

"Early spring is also prime time for pruning young cherry trees, shaping and training the young tree before it blossoms. Pruning should begin as soon as buds emerge, but should be started once the vegetative growth is several inches long. Mature cherries can be pruned in early spring too, or after they bear fruit."

Grimmy

Thanks! Lots of good information there