Help, The top of my grafted weeping cherry died. The tree sent a shoot off about a foot down from the graft. What should I do? I can't dig it up and return it, so that's not an option. I have heard that you can train your cherry to weep, by hanging washers from the new limbs. Arghhhhh! Here is a photo of the top.
and another picture of the whole tree.
Unless there are some living buds above the graft, you'll end up with whatever the understock tree is.
It may not only not be weeping, but it may not have great flowers either.
If there are any buds remaining above the graft, you've got to remove the suckers before they become dominant.
Of course, you can just go with the suckers and see what you've got, if you want.
In my opinion, you may be able to make a few branches weep by hanging weights on them,
but you'll never get the graceful weep of all the branches which make a weeping cherry so special.
Thanks Wee. The top graft is completely dead. I will have to let it grow for now. I planted tulip bulbs around it and they are about to bloom. Will have to wait until they are done, if I decide to dig it up. So I will be able to see what kind of blossoms I will get from the sucker.
Most of the rootstock used for weeping cherries are of a common Asian cherry. The blooms are white, the branches are ascending, and Japanese beetles absolutely LOVE the foliage. I'd just cut it down. So sad.
