Tree help needed!

gairloch · 7 Sep 2008

Hi folks,

Have this tree in my garden, not sure, but have been told that it's a weeping cherry or something. Anyway the things not dead, every year in spring it comes up great, lots of leaves, looks very full and generally healthy. Very soon after however, it loses a large proportion of its leaves over a short space of time, and it remains looking pretty much as it does just now, until autumn when the remaining leaves fall and it does it again next season. The tree could be said to be exposed to wind etc, but not more so than anybodys eleses trees I guess.

So, my questions are, can anyone confirm what type of tree this is and how to properly care for it? Should it be pruned annually, and if so, how? Why do the leaves fall off in summer - is it not getting enough water? (Unlikely in Scotland, I know!).

Lorena · 7 Sep 2008

Hello,
the leaf looks like a flowering cherry and I'm guessing it might be Cheal's Weeping Cherry, aka Prunus Kiku-Shidare-Zikura.

They are prone to silver leaf disease which I don't think is curable but I wouldn't like to be sure this is the reason for your leaf drop.

In the Spring when it flowers does the tree look like this one?
http://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/tr...prunus-kiku-shidare-zakura/itemno.TR00007235/

gairloch · 7 Sep 2008

Hi Lorena, thanks for replying!

The picture in the link you provided, does look my tree in the spring, although I don't think it's quite as full with blossom as that one, but it is similar

Lorena · 7 Sep 2008

ok..lol..well we're getting somewhere. Sorry I can't help with what the problem is exactly. Perhaps a balanced fertilizer feeding in early Spring might help. Have you ever fed it?

gairloch · 7 Sep 2008

Hi again!

And no, i've never fed it, actually never even gave it a thought. I mean I've put miracle gro and fertiliser on plants and grass and things, but never crossed my mind to do something to help the tree out!

Is there any particular product that you might recommend, for early spring use?

Thermo · 7 Sep 2008

are the roses planted under it suffering from anything?

it could also do with a damn good prune to open it up and let the air and light get in to circulate.

Lorena · 7 Sep 2008

hi gairloch,
I use Vitax as it's a slow release fertilizer, one feeding in Spring is all you need do. Vitax Conifer and Shrub Fertilizer. It says for Azaleas and Rhododendrons, but it's good for all trees and shrubs and it won't hurt your little roses in front there too

Your local Garden centre should have it, or any similar tree and shrub 'slow release' fertilizer will do.

gairloch · 7 Sep 2008

Thanks for the product advice Lorena, I'm going to diy shop tomorrow, so I'll have a look for it.

Also Lorena or Thermo (or both

), can you advise the best way to give the tree a prune, ie. am i just shaping th eform of the outside of the tree, taking away any wayward stems, or do you mean that I should prune right from the inner branches, and kind of 'thin it out'?

Thanks again

Lorena · 7 Sep 2008

..if it was mine, I would just thin it out. Wait till it's finished flowering next Spring [don't do it now or you'll lose next years flowers], feed it, and then thin it removing dead or diseased wood, perhaps criss crossing branches, and just shape it so it looks nice and airy, it does look a little tangled at the moment.

I wonder about those boulders at the base, perhaps it's on a very windy site and they were placed there to stabilise the tree in it's earlier days. The trunk looks solid enough and I don't think they enhance it's appearance, but that's just a personal view gairloch

the garden across the road looks lovely, you're very lucky to be looking at that too.

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Tree help needed!

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