Prunus avium advice please

[wales1000]

hello i am new and i am not a great gardener, but i have been sorting my garden out and two years ago i planted a prunus avium, but it hasn't grown really since and i would like some advice if possible on how on to help this tree grow. I planted another tree at the same time which is a sorbus alcuparia, which seems to be growing fine. Excuse the weeds - I moved the tree the other day and need to clear all the weeds away.

many thanks.
natasha

[Dorts]

Hi natasha
Normally Wild Cherry grows at an alarming rate, (if those seedlings around my garden are anything to go by!).
I wonder if it has suffered with the drought this spring. Did you plant it deep enough? The soil must be at the same level as it was previously, in the pot or ground. Did you keep it well watered after planting? ( Mind you, I would think by now it will be well watered after the drenching we have just had here in Wales.)
Consider puting plenty of mulch around the roots, that will help to conserve the moisture. If it is still reluctant to grow after another season you may try moving it to a new home, it sometimes works as it may be 'root bound'.
Dorts.

[wales1000]

Thank you for your reply.

I have always watered it well since I planted it - I have actually moved it to a different spot last week to see if it will help and I also put some of our home made compost around it to see if that will help. I am sure I have planted it deep enough, well I hope I have anyway. It literally only has 3 main branches and there are a few leaves coming off them and stands roughly 4 foot, if that - the leaves have developed this year like it did last year so it cant be completely not growing. I did read somewhere that they should pretty quick, so that's why I was a bit concerned.

I'll see what happens now next Season.

Many thanks for your reply.

natasha

[Dorts]

Natasha
You appear to have done everything that could be asked of you to give it a good chance. If by this time next year there are still no signs of improvement, call it a day and get another one, the younger, the better.
If you purchased it from a Garden Center, tell them what has happened, as you should be given a replacement, though they may wish to see it.
Dorts.

[tomomoto17370]

When planting new trees I was always taught to go wide and not deep, as most native trees employ the sinker root system, scrafe any grass away from the plant site and consider installing a water pipe which will get moisture straight to the root ball, check the drainage of the medium your planting into and it wouldn't be a bad idea to check soil pH, idealy somewhere between 5.5-6.5 is good for most tree species. A mulch mat is a good idea to, which will prevent root competition from other plants and will hold moisture in. Consider using supports for the first few years of formative growth, but dont use tanalithe or pressure treated wood as supports. If you follow these hints and your Prunus is still struggling then you may have a nutriant deficancy in your soil.