What happened to this okame?

[Eric D]

What happened to this okame? This is on the main stem about 5 ft off the ground

 

[Banguts]

I'm no expert, but could have been topped?

 

[JeffGu]

Yes, it's a fruit tree... it will have been topped at the nursery.

 

[Eric D]

I'm thinking you're right. It was topped at the nursery and it has sent up a new leader. It is a Cherry tree, but it's flowering. I bears no fruit. What nursury would top a flowering tree?

 

[ATH]

Leader may have died? May have been really crooked and they thought the better bet was to start a new leader?

Or...sometimes I scratch my head about nursery practices.

 

[JeffGu]

They do it to all kinds of ornamental fruit trees to give them a more "oriental" or "Japanese garden" look. I've seen them do it to Redbud trees, too.

 

[Jason Douglas]

Nursery growers have no concept of structural pruning.

Topping cuts = fast reactive growth = bigger tree faster = $$$$.

 

[JeffGu]

Bastards would top a Bald Cypress seedling and try to sell it as a Japanese Maple.