Picked up 5 Cherry trees from a cherry orchard today

[Josh]

So I started a new job last week. I am developing a 4 acre property into public gardens and commercial grow beds for medical herbs. Anyway, it is located between (read surrounded by) U pick cherry farms. I was walking around the back of the property this afternoon with the boss working out our growing beds and saw a pile of rubbish to be burnt. I asked who it belonged to and he said the neighbor (thankfully the one he is good friends with). There were several Cherry trees amongst the pile. I made a comment tot he boss that I would love to get a hold of trees like that. So we headed up to see the owner and got permission to take whatever from the pile. They had been pulled out about a week earlier but still had big clumps of dirt around the root ball and there had been a fair bit of rain so I figured it was worth a go. I bought 5 home. There was one there that would have 60-80cm across the base but decided to go with something more manageable. So here's what I ended up with.
First tree

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Second tree

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Third tree

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Fourth tree

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Fifth tree

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There was apparently some die back on the trees which is why they were pulled out so will have to wait and see what shoots but I think there is still reasonable amount of live wood in them and hey, we bonsai people love dead wood
The roots are awesome. They basically had two points of roots. One radial set close to the surface and then another set lower down on the trunk, so a quick cut with the saw and I had a great radial root spread. Don't think I could have grown them that good.

How well do these heal over on big scars or you better to carve them
I have them soaking in seasol now as I just don't have time to pot them just yet. Will be a couple of daysbefore I get to pot them but that won't hurt as it's bare root season anyway.

Any comments/advice welcome as usual.

Josh

PS. Also got told I mat have access to more yet so

PPS. PLEASE don't tell my wife

[alpineart]

Hi Josh , mate thats a great score . They grow like noxious weeds when dug and re-planted even after a severe cut back . Any idea what type of cherry they are ?, red , black , sour . I have 3 different types here and all are growing like weeds . I hope to start digging very soon as times a wasting .

Good luck with them .

Cheers Alpine

[cre8ivbonsai]

Once again nice haul! Ripper root spreads. Hope they all bud for ya mate! I'll take one off yr hands, you know just to help yr home life

[kcpoole]

Well Done Josh. Looks like your digging was easier than mine today

Ken

[Isitangus]

Nice score-and I'm pretty sure the mrs will notice those...they aren't little Shohin to hide!

[lackhand]

Jealous. That is all.

Great find, look forward to seeing how they do in the spring.

[treeman]

Prunus dulcis will not make a good bonsai. You will end up throwing them all away eventually so do it now instead. Hope that's not too blunt?

[longd_au]

And the reason is?

[lackhand]

Prunus dulcis will not make a good bonsai. You will end up throwing them all away eventually so do it now instead. Hope that's not too blunt?

Then it's a good thing he said they were cherries, and not almonds!

Prunus dulcis

[Rory]

After continually seeing all your 'finds'. You must have a massive number of large bonsai Josh.

I think your 4th one of that stock has the best potential... nice

[treeman]

Prunus dulcis will not make a good bonsai. You will end up throwing them all away eventually so do it now instead. Hope that's not too blunt?

Then it's a good thing he said they were cherries, and not almonds!

Prunus dulcis

Ha Ha MY Bad! I meant P avium sorry...

[Ninegrain]

Look good mate, and in particular, I like the first tree. I hope you don't mind but I did a virt of where I would like to cut it for movement and taper if it was my tree. Though it may be different if I saw it in the flesh...



I really like the Prunus family, so I may be biased, but I think they can make great bonsai. If nothing else but for their winter nakedness and when they are in flower, as I have to admit, their foliage can be a bit course.

[Josh]

Hi Josh , mate thats a great score . They grow like noxious weeds when dug and re-planted even after a severe cut back . Any idea what type of cherry they are ?, red , black , sour . I have 3 different types here and all are growing like weeds . I hope to start digging very soon as times a wasting .

Good luck with them .

Cheers Alpine

Thanks Alpine,
I'm not sure what variety they are. I'm seeing the guy again this week so will ask if he knows. He has about 40 different varieties so I have been reading the post on the tree you collected recently and will be watching it's developement so please keep it updated.

Once again nice haul! Ripper root spreads. Hope they all bud for ya mate! I'll take one off yr hands, you know just to help yr home life

Funny Ryan as when I was picking these up my first thought was "bet Ryan would like one of these, ya just never know"

Well Done Josh. Looks like your digging was easier than mine today
Ken

This was the easiest dig I've ever had. Just wash the dirt of, shorten the top and put them in the car. The hardest part was getting them past the wife Nice score on your wisteria too

Nice score-and I'm pretty sure the mrs will notice those...they aren't little Shohin to hide!

Isitangus, we have a saying in our house..."oh, that old thing"

Jealous. That is all.
Cheers lackhand, there are more where these came from too .

Prunus dulcis will not make a good bonsai. You will end up throwing them all away eventually so do it now instead. Hope that's not too blunt?

Not blunt at all treeman...totally wrong but not blunt

Prunus dulcis will not make a good bonsai. You will end up throwing them all away eventually so do it now instead. Hope that's not too blunt?

Then it's a good thing he said they were cherries, and not almonds!

After continually seeing all your 'finds'. You must have a massive number of large bonsai Josh.

I think your 4th one of that stock has the best potential... nice

Great find, look forward to seeing how they do in the spring.

Yes bonsaibuddyman my backyard is filling up quickly. Think I'm driving my wife crazy It's hard to tell from the photo but they all have great movement except the last tree which I really only got cause it had amazing root spread, to good to leave.

Prunus dulcis will not make a good bonsai. You will end up throwing them all away eventually so do it now instead. Hope that's not too blunt?

Then it's a good thing he said they were cherries, and not almonds!

Prunus dulcis

Ha Ha MY Bad! I meant P avium sorry...

Not sure this quantifies or justifies the first comment any better Firstly you make a comment to just throw them out, then name the tree wrong, then again name the tree wrong (Prunus avium, commonly called wild cherry,sweet cherry, bird cherry,or gean) Of which these are none of Why do you assume they are P avium..

Look good mate, and in particular, I like the first tree. I hope you don't mind but I did a virt of where I would like to cut it for movement and taper if it was my tree. Though it may be different if I saw it in the flesh...



I really like the Prunus family, so I may be biased, but I think they can make great bonsai. If nothing else but for their winter nakedness and when they are in flower, as I have to admit, their foliage can be a bit course.

Hi Ninegrain, that is most likely where I'll chop although I'm not doing anything yet. They will get potted and left to throw buds, then I'll pick my leaders. The reason these were removed was some branches had died off so only 1 or 2 branches were growing. This makes the tree very unproductive for commercial cherries. I'll till I know exactly what alive before cutting back any harder but your on the same thought as I am with this one

Now I just have to find time to pot them.

Josh

[Elmar]

Nice score!

I've seen awesome pictures of Cherie trees in bonsai pots (not sure what species they are) and they look amazing!! Good luck and please keep us posted!

[Jb1]

Hi Josh,
Cherry trees are mostly grafted onto Mahalab root stock. Other root stock can include Colt. I have acquired cherry trees under the same geographic circumstances, with trunks up to 20 cm thick. My experience with yamadori cherry trees is that that will go crazy with growth, then die. I have tried many times, managing as many variables as possible to no avail. The trees that survived the longest had the least work done on them.
My advice is leave them alone and not to fiddle with them, and sorry to say, mate, don't get your hopes up.
Sorry to be such a handbrake
John