Cherry tree?

Last year I had a new shed and had to sacrifice a small tree that I’d had for about 12 years. It was a grafted tree... bottom was cherry of some kind but we never managed to find out exactly what the top was (even on this amazing forum!) in one year, it has sprouted new growth from the original tree and I love it! Was just wanting to ask: should I let all of these stems grow, or should I cut some of them back? Not sure what kind of cherry it is.... I shall investigate further when it is in leaf. Have put pics of original tree and now the new growth. Thank you. Thank goodness for gardening... it’s going to get us through the next few months! The school I teach at is now closed but I am still in teaching a small number of children. Gardening all the way! Hoping to inspire some new Gardeners’!

 

It is coming into leaf now but no flowers... still wondering whether I should cut back some of the stems or wait and see what it does this year...
:-) hope everyone enjoying the extra time in the garden.

 

Looks like just rootstock growth to me.
You appear to have cut off the variety above.

 

Oh I know I’ve cut off the top part... I actually really like the bottom part. It’s definitely a cherry. I just can’t predict what will happen to all the shoots that are now growing. Don’t know whether I should cut most of them off and leave a few... or just let them all do their thing. :-)

 

well I think its up to you, do you want a bushy shape or a standard tree.

 

I really like the bush look... so will leave it :-) I suppose I can thin it out as and when. Only got a small garden so don’t want it to domineer over the coming years :-)) thanks

 

You can probably also cut it back to the stump now-and-then for a "stooled" look. Cherries bleed when cut (and then easily get infected), so best to do that at the right time of year to reduce that risk (can't remember when that is ... I'm thinking "sap rising" but maybe wrong)

As its the rootstock any flowers are likely to be disappointing.

Personally I'd have it out and plant something "choice" there instead

 

I’m not sure I could get it out... it’s well and truly rooted to the spot ha ha. Reckon the roots would go right under the new shed and wouldn’t want to upset the ground too much. I do have a lovey two year old silver birch which I’d love to plant there... my absolute favourite tree! I’ll see how it progresses this year. When you say root stock, why does that affect the flowers?

 

We have cherry tree was here when we moved in, so waiting for it flower which is a few weeks after the others, it’s a nice red coloured when it does

 

Stump grinder would make mincemeat (well ... not literally ...) of a neat circular area where the stump was, and then replanting would become an option

personal preference of course, but i think the suckers from the original Chery won't be very exciting.

Some plants (like Apples) don't grow well from cuttings, or particular varieties have been developed which control the size of the resulting tree. (Dwarf apples, Cordons, Espalliers, and socking great big Orchard sized trees.)

Those trees are grafted - take the "rootstock" from a variety designed for the purpose (and invented by the British ), and Graft onto it the actual variety of choice. The bottom half, "rootstock", controls the vigour (and often the range of soils it will grow in, and resistance to certain diseases) and then the top bit is the Variety.

Ornamental Cherries are often Top Grafted - so grow a 6 foot standard of the Rootstock, and graft the Flowering Variety onto the top. After a decade or two you wind up with a "big Lump" where the graft was made (it could be at the bottom)

Anything below the graft will sucker ... particularly if you cut the top off and will be whatever the rootstock was which, by definition, is unlikely to be very interesting as its job is to be good at roots, not flowers / fruit.

 

You’ve now inspired me to dig it out! One last quick question... if I can dig round it and get the stump out, do you think a silver birch would be ok in its place? About seven metres ish from the house... I love silver birch and the dappled light would ensure that my neighbours aren’t blocked out during the summer sun (too much) :-)

 

I think the replacement part would be fine, but I have no knowledge of proximity of trees to houses. I agree the dappled shade of Silver Birch would look good, and its a reasonably fast growing tree so you won't have to wait forever.

 

what’s happened to my brain, cherry has just started to bloom and it’s white

 

That's a pity, I was going to ask you for a cutting I've got white ones ...