our Cherry Stella Gisela 5

[Peppo]

Hello all,

we planted a cherry Stella Gisela 5 bare rootstock at the back of the gaden, reasonably bright spot, at the end of winter. I selected the rootstock that (is supposed to) remain semi-dwarf. The plant was 1yr old.

Before planting I dag a hole much deeper than necessary and filled with green kitchen waste. Than added some compost from the garden shop as the hole was still too deep. Then planted the tree. It seemed a job very well done.

Now late June and nothing has come out of this cherry: not leaves, no fruit, otherwise it appears healthy.

What's up? Is it dead? Can I still hope for next year or later this year for it to show sign of life?

Thanks,

[veggiechicken]

Now late June and nothing has come out of this cherry: not leaves, no fruit, otherwise it appears healthy.

Sorry Peppo but without any sign of leaf it doesn't sound very healthy to me!!
Scratch your nail along the bark and see if the wood underneath is green or brown. If Green, you're in with a chance..........

[kiwiman]

I have a cherry Stella also. Been planted for 4 years in neutral ph soil and is not making any growth at all.

Tried pruning to encourage some growth but the small amount of foliage it produces seems to get immediately infested with aphids, looking very sorry for itself. Anyone have a vigorous Stella?

[FB.]

Gisela is a dwarfing rootstock. Like most dwarfing rootstocks it requires perfect growing conditions to thrive. Deep, fertile, moisture-retentive soil which doesn't waterlog and with no plants under the spread of its branches which will steal nutrients from its weak roots.

From keepers nursery:
"Gisela 5 (Semi-dwarfing 8-10ft / 2.4-3m)....Good fertile soil. Ground should be cleared of weeds and grass....."

So if it is grown in good fertile soil and with no competition, and no aphids/caterpillars/etc munching the leaves, it will reach 8-10ft. In less fertile soil, or with other plants under its branch spread, or when having to fight pests, it will be much smaller and slow-growing.
In my area, even Colt struggles; reaching about the same size as Gisela should "according to the books".
Commercial apple orchards use M9 rootstock. But the "organic" growers (who still use certain chemicals) tend to go for the usually-much-more-vigorous MM106 to give extra vigour in the more difficult growing conditions where full chemical sprays can't be used.
Link to rootstock guide here:
Keepers Nursery

If more growth is needed, do as many of the following as is practical:

Remove all competing plants within 3ft each side of the trunk.

Apply regular thick manure or compost mulches over the 3ft radius around the trunk, although not touching the trunk - about six inches away.

Water occasionally but heavily during summer - but water should not be within six inches of the trunk, to avoid splashing and rotting the trunk and to encourage roots to grow outwards.

Use large quanitites of high-nitrogen fertiliser (lawn feed or urine).

Spray to prevent aphids sucking the sugars out of its leaves and depriving it of its energy source.

Or to save all the hassle - don't buy dwarfs.

Fruit trees, as a rule, are rarely more vigorous than plants usually used for hedges, such as hazels, hawthorns etc. Even wild roses will grow as quickly as fruit trees.
So fruit trees are really just bushes which most people don't bother to prune and then complain abut the size and straggly growth.

[Peppo]

Thank you for the answer, very insightful!

[orangepippin]

If there are no leaves by now, the tree has probably died. When planting 1-year bare-root trees on dwarf rootstocks it is almost always a good idea to cut the stem back to about 1m. If you don't do this the tree can fail to establish, which might be what has happened here.

[Kleftiwallah]

I'm not gloating you understand, but my Stella/Gisella is storming along as an espalier. Three laterals to the East and three to the West with one more coming on. A few cherries but not many. Cheers, Tony.

[kiwiman]

Thanks FB. I will have to remove some of the competing bushes, sounds like it is the problem with mine, next to an established bay tree.