What to do about a weeping cherry tree that doesn't want to weep (growing, magnolias)
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this tree was planted about 18 months ago. i've already cut one branch that was vigorously growing upward, and tied down a second one - which is still trying to grow upward.
but still the fastest growing branches want to reach for the sky. any ideas?
should i tie weights to the ends? cutting them off entirely doesn't seem like a good option.
Play sad songs? Maybe make it watch Steel Magnolias.
Seriously.... you're cutting things off way too soon. It's a very small tree. They will grow straight up, because that's where the light is... until they become too long and heavy to hold their own weight and then they droop. Your tall ones are doing that. Don't tie them down, you're probably just stunting them.
Some of these early branches will need to be the strong tall branches that later branches branch off from. Let it be.
Play sad songs? Maybe make it watch Steel Magnolias.
Seriously.... you're cutting things off way too soon. It's a very small tree. They will grow straight up, because that's where the light is... until they become too long and heavy to hold their own weight and then they droop. Your tall ones are doing that. Don't tie them down, you're probably just stunting them.
Some of these early branches will need to be the strong tall branches that later branches branch off from. Let it be.
are you sure they'll droop downward when they get heavier? i have no experience with these trees, so i've never seen them go thu a non-weeping phase.
are you sure they'll droop downward when they get heavier? i have no experience with these trees, so i've never seen them go thu a non-weeping phase.
Look at it. I can tell it's going to weep. You have a lot of new growth there on those skinny tall branches, and they're starting to bend. As they keep growing longer, or get side branches, yes, they'll droop.
Here's a mature weeping cherry. Look at the structure.... First of all, many branches had to grow UP to give the tree it's shape.... but the long weeping branches are very very long. They have to grow long to weep like that.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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Because the weeping variety is more subject to diseases, the weeping cherry trees are "created" by grafting weeping stock onto a more hardy variety of cherry tree at about 4-5' tall. Some are even grafted onto hardier root stock, so the branches are a 3rd variety. If you inspect the crown, you may find that one or more of the branches is not grafted, but a sprout from below the grafts. That/those will not weep, but will take on the upright habit of the "mother" tree and should be cut off flush. If you tie those down they will loop back up. If they are grafted branches, then someone may have taken the wrong stock when they did the graft or they just reverted.
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