Weeping cherry tree with no leaves

[Maggie Mobley]

We planted a weeping cherry tree, following the directions on the tag, last spring/summer. It was healthy when we planted it and remained so until fall, when the leaves naturally fell off. This season, it budded out line all the other plants and trees in our yard. THEN we had a slight frost. The little buds were killed. However, have a little experience, i knew this was normal and i expected leaves soon. however, we still have no leaves. I STILL didn't worry, because if I broke off a small piece of one branch, the heart is still very green!. But this week, I went to my moms house, who also has one that she planted 2 years ago, and hers has leaves all over it! can you help me? The tree has no evidence of disease, we have NOT been watering it extra, as it has been kind of wet in our area. (zone 7-8) We also have red mulch around it. I had read where it might be planted too deep or something, but we planted it as it said on the directions ( i can't remember exactly what they were) but we didn't account for the mulch, which was added later. Any help you can give would be appreciated.
Mags
Chester, SC

 

[sac-climber]

MM,
At what point did the frost hit? Did you get any blooms? If vegetative buds were killed also, the latent buds will begin to push new growth unless there is another issue at hand.

What does the soil look like under the bark chips? Also look up at the top of the graft union where the weeping branches are attached...is there any gummy yellow or brown looking material or does the bark look stained dark, cracked, or split?

Pics would be great!

 

[Raintree]

Pull the mulch away from the stump & see if rodents have girdled the tree. If not it may need more time to reset new buds.

 

[sac-climber]

Pull the mulch away from the stump & see if rodents have girdled the tree. If not it may need more time to reset new buds.

Raintree,

Are you suspecting voles?

 

[Maggie Mobley]

The frost hit about 2 weeks ago now, it wasn't a really hard frost. only got down to about 32 ish, and it was pretty dry the day before. I covered smaller plants but still had some burned leaves on tomato plants and such. but my vanilla strawberry hydrangea, which already had some leaves on it, didn't suffer any at all, and is on the same side of the house as the weeping cherry.. they are about 20 feet apart, but the hydrangea is up against the house. Here are some pictures. I did pull away some of the mulch just now, and to my surprise found new growth.. which i promptly knocked off trying to get the mulch away! but i read in another thread, where this is new off shoots of the parent tree and not of the "weeping" part. SO.. no biggie I guess. The ground was moist and I could see no evidence of any rodent/critter damage, or any yellow or brown material where the grave was.

 

[sac-climber]

MM,
It looks like your particular tree is called "double working", meaning you have two separate graft locations. So you are correct that the new growth is from the rootstock. Don't worry about knocking it off. The fact that the frost was only two weeks ago gives hope that you should start to see some new buds appearing in the near future. Do keep the rootstock graft union free from soil and mulch though. You want to keep it dry and open. Everything else looks ok to me from your pics. Keep us updated!

 

[Maggie Mobley]

Thanks.. for the info and advice. I really hope this tree lives and thrives. I fell in love with it and really want it to be the statement tree in our front yard. I assume "rootstock graft union" means the place where the 2 trees were "joined".. if so, that part is about 4 feet up in the air. Should I watch for and knock off the new growth at the bottom from the rootstock, to keep the tree from focusing growth energy towards those?

 

[sac-climber]

Thanks.. for the info and advice. I really hope this tree lives and thrives. I fell in love with it and really want it to be the statement tree in our front yard. I assume "rootstock graft union" means the place where the 2 trees were "joined".. if so, that part is about 4 feet up in the air. Should I watch for and knock off the new growth at the bottom from the rootstock, to keep the tree from focusing growth energy towards those?

The rootstock union is the area at the soil level that sort of looks like a bulge...the area where the new growth is popping up.

FYI and just for fun...the variety of your tree is most likely a mazzard rootstock grafted to a paperbark cherry inter-stock which has the weeping cherry grafted to the top. Three trees in one!

 

[Maggie Mobley]

oh!!! ok.. Thanks! I will definitely keep that cleared away then, before today, it was covered up

 

[Raintree]

M&M not seeing the root flare. Be more aggressive in excavating the stump area. We want to see the buttress roots. Why dose your lower trunk look discolored? It may be just the lighting.

 

[Maggie Mobley]

i think the discoloration you see, may be the red mud/dirt that is around it. it all looked the same, but as I brushed away the mulch and dirt. It got on the trunk
I will be brushing more away. We are having storms this week.. the way my luck goes..

 

[Maggie Mobley]

the yellow you see, is the lighting ..

 

[Raintree]

Thought it mat have been the lighting, when you get a chance expose that flare & post up a pic.

 

[Maggie Mobley]

will do! Our yard is a soggy mess right now! :-(