Bing Cherry Trees

Question

I purchased some Bing Cherry Trees this spring. I followed the planting instructions but the trees appeared stressed and the leaves were dying. I watered them often and used a “root stimulator” product to help them along. They died anyway. I visited a number of nurseries and home improvement stores and noticed the Bing variety seemed to suffer more stress than say, apple, peach, plum or pear. Is there something about that variety that makes it more susceptible to stress than other cherry trees? I planted some Montmorecy cherries at the same time and they’re doing great. I will plant Bing again!!!

Answer 1

All plants have the potential to suffer from transplant shock (which is what your bing cherry had), but yes, some plants are more susceptible to it than others.

Transplant shock happens when plants cannot cope with being moved. Some things you can do to help keep it away are to make sure that the plant you buy has a healthy root system and has been well cared for while it was in the container.

When you move it from the container to the ground, you may want to make the hole you plant it in twice as large as usual and then back fill it with a combination of the original soil from the hole and a potting medium similar to what the tree is growing in when in the pot. This will help with transitioning from one soil type to another.

Also, try not to disturb the roots when moving from the container to the ground. If a plant is not as susceptible to transplant shock, then a good roughing up can help stimulate root growth, but for plants that are likely to go into shock, this treatment can make it worse.

This article will also have some other suggestions to help prevent and then treat transplant shock if it happens:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/environmental/learn-how-to-avoid-and-repair-transplant-shock-in-plants.htm