How to Care for Yoshino Cherry | How to, tips, and tricks for fertilizing, pruning, etc.

[@beckysteffka2434]

Thank you for this video, I live in Michigan, zone 6A. I have three of these trees that are just now in full bloom. They do great in our area!

[@Dr.Warren]

That's great to hear. They are beautiful in full bloom. I'm glad I could help.

[@umaumalei14]

Hi Dr. Warren - Excellent video. Well-orgnanized and packed with helpful tips. I live in the Bay Area, Northern CA, zone 9b and have a 15 year-old Akebono Yoshino cherry about 20 feet high x 30 feet wide. For the past several years, it has gotten more leggy with most of the leaves at the tips of the branches and new sprouts on the horizontal branches close to the trunk. It''s on a raised 1 ft bed in well-draining soil and gets watered from the drip irrigation for the shrubs and perennials underneath for about an hour once a week. The leaves look healthy overall but some turning brown with the change in seasons currently. I typically only feed the flowering shrubs underneath with compost. The bed overall is well mulched with chipped prunings. The tree gets several hours of morning and midday sun and gets shaded in the afternoon. I would like to encourage it to be bushier and less leggy. My tree pruner recommended watering it more and fertilizing. I am considering feeding with Espoma Organics Tree Tone (6-3-2) this fall and next spring and pruning back the tips of the branches about 1-2 feet as well to stimulate growth. What do you think? Thanks for your advice!

[@Dr.Warren]

It is always difficult to diagnose over chat exchange on KZbin but I would tend to go with what the tree pruner recommended because they have seen it. On a different note, the bay area is one of the last areas of the country I have not been to. I am wanting to come see the red woods, Golden Gate, Alcatraz, etc. Best of luck to you.

[@Marshall5386]

The lighting looks fabulous on them!! I also love them for the pollinators too!

[@Dr.Warren]

Thanks!

[@sreykimsear]

I have young Yoshino growing in a pot. This information from this video is so helpful. Thank you!

[@Dr.Warren]

Thank you for watching and leaving a comment

[@rainz62]

Love it! I'm also in North Alabama and have been watching all types of videos, wondering and hoping, a Yoshino tree will do well here. I absolutely love the shape and appearance of this tree and was excited to see that they will do well here. Our neighbor has a few in their yard and I noticed the leaves dropping before all the other trees and this concerned me that maybe they have issues and wouldn't do well in North Alabama. I searched the internet and even reached out to a Nursery here but couldn't get a good answer on whether it was typical for a Yoshino to lose its leave so early compared to most trees. Thank you for such an informative video.

[@Dr.Warren]

They do awesome here!!! They will drop leaves early but all cherries do this regardless of cultivar or species. Thanks for watching and leaving a comment.

[@Imsigma2]

Thank you for your infos. 🙏

[@Dr.Warren]

Thank you for watching and leaving a comment.

[@ZachBAkron]

Hello, I just purchased one of these from a local nursery that’s closing. How can I over winter this tree so I can plant it in the spring? It is in a 5 gallon container, we are in NE Ohio. Thank you!

[@Dr.Warren]

If the ground isn't frozen do it now. Ideally the best time is fall. But early spring wouldn't be bad.

[@Belladonna90]

I bought one of this because I always wanted a cherry blossom tree. Kinda impossible here in South Florida. We're I got it it say it can hold the heat of the South. I was skeptical but I got it anyway. It was a Stick when I got it. Now is all green and it bloomed a little be. Not sure how long will it last now that spring is up and eventually summer. But they are gorgeous.

[@Dr.Warren]

Good luck with the south Florida heat. Let us know how it does!

[@tiffineyandrews7059]

Thank you for the video. I just purchased one from a big box store, it's looking really sad. I'm going to plant and hope for the best. The top looks dead should I prune it? Also it has a few sparse limbs with green leaves.

[@tiffineyandrews7059]

I forgot to mention I'm in Michigan. Zone 6 will be planting in front yard full sun.

[@josephanthony392]

I just planted one as well. Leaves were brown but it has some green buds still. Friend of mine said he planted one in the fall one time, looked dead but in spring it came to life nicely. He always said he bought a stick in a bucket.

[@privateamerican2634]

I have a young tree that was bare root planted in the fall and has grown beautifully. However, the branches are really long now. Should I prune them at all to get them to shoot new branches?

[@Dr.Warren]

It will definitely help it fill out.

[@octaviawalker823]

Thank you so much for the tips and care for the Yoshinos. I have two of these beauties and I would like to know how far apart shall I plant them.

[@Dr.Warren]

I think these were planted in 15 ft centers to create a mass. If you don't want them touching at maturity I would put them at least 25 ft apart.

[@candace_g666]

Will you please make a video on young 7 foot yoshino tree? It's so hard to find information on young Yoshino trees 😣

[@Dr.Warren]

I will put it on the list for sure.

[@AeriyaValkyrja]

Can you bonsai these type of trees? I got a sapling from a festival.

[@Dr.Warren]

Potentially? Bonsai is a science and art in and of itself. Technically you can bonsai anything. It is a topic I am not well versed on and feel uncomfortable answering questions about.

[@markn26]

Yes, that's what I bought mine for

[@trishatataryn8751]

Hello, Thank you for the video. I live in Kansas City Missouri (zone 6) I planted a weeping yoshino cherry tree last spring. The tree is sprouting leaves like crazy! The problem is it appears that it is grafted and is not growing up but has many weeping limbs that are laying on the ground and continuing to grow outward not upward. I think I need to prune it, so that the energy goes towards growing taller not wider. It is very full. Thank you in advance for your guidance🙏

[@Dr.Warren]

It sounds like they should have used what is known as a "high graft". This is where the scion is attached to the rootstock several feet above the base. You can prune to keep the limbs off the ground but I am not sure how much this will encourage vertical growth.

[@trishatataryn8751]

@@Dr.Warrenthank you for your help and quick response.

[@Betruetoyou4444]

Ok so we had a YC planted about 3 weeks ago and it lost all of its leaves same week - is this because the tree is in shock? What should we do? I think maybe 2 branches has green on it. I’m in Zone 7 - TN.

[@Dr.Warren]

Perhaps. Did they come home in the back of a truck not covered up?

[@susanwiggins6760]

I live in North Carolina and I am trying to save my Yoshino Cherry tree. Half the tree has died out and the other half has some dead limbs coming on however there is new growth at the bottom with sprouts I have hired someone to trim the tree but not sure if this is a good idea. I am desperately trying to save the tree it is full grown and been established for 20 years. I was thinking this might be a canker worm problem. Not sure. I wanted to see if you had any suggestions. Thanks Susan

[@Dr.Warren]

The shoots coming from the root may not even be yoshino. It could be from rootstock if the tree is grafted. It could be a canker like cytospora.

[@markn26]

I have a small one going fine in zone 10, SWFL

[@Dr.Warren]

That's awesome! Afternoon shade?

[@jeffthomas8925]

I just planted 4 of these trees, how often should I water the newly planted trees? Thanks much and this video was great!

[@Dr.Warren]

Jeff I would saturate every other day and pull back slowly to twice a week,etc. once established you shouldn't have to water at all unless you have a drought.

[@Energizer35901]

Hi Doc, We're in Huntsville. The Yoshino Cherry was planted in the Spring of 1992, so it is now 32 years old. The parking lot island where it was planted was not designed with a sprinkler system. This hearty tree has survived on rain for three decades. Alas, July of 2024 has created terrible stress. Nearly 2/3 of its leaves have become brown. The clay soil has become very hard packed. What will revive this old tree? What NOT to do, would also be helpful.

[@Dr.Warren]

I'm less than an hour away from you. Cherries typically don't live long to begin with. See if you can loosen up the clay with some type of rod and try not to hit roots. Also, a well balanced fertilizer might help it. It sounds like due to where it's at it has our grown it's root space and it will be an uphill battle.

[@Energizer35901]

@@Dr.Warren Yes it has outgrown its little island. Will try to make its final years as comfy as possible. Thanks for the tips. Will let you know how it looks during autumn.

[@gayrodriguez9541]

Hi! I planted this in my yard really small in memory of my pup. I planted a perennial bed around it and next to it. Limelight hydrangeas and salvias and sun other full sun perennials like Shasta daisies and catmint etc. I’m concerned if it grows taller and bigger and shade my other plants. Do you think I should move it? Thank you.

[@gayrodriguez9541]

It’s about 3 yrs old now

[@Dr.Warren]

You can limb up the canopy. If you elect to move it wait until it is completely dormant.

[@electricvehicle465]

After 7 years I have 6 of these trees first year they had dark cherries on them and the birds are fighting over them. But 7 years wow

[@Dr.Warren]

That's awesome. Thanks for sharing