We planted a White Gold Cherry tree last year that put out no branches at all.
Its over 5 feet high and a good 3/4 of an inch in diameter. It put out leaves on the trunk, and now it has flowers on the trunk. Here is the description from the source:
"One of our favorite cherry trees. Self-fertile, yellow with red blush fruit. Freestone pit. Very sweet. Very cold hardy and disease resistant. A very good pollinator for other sweet cherries. Zones: 4b-7 5+ Feet Krymsk rootstock "
I pruned my White Gold by the KGB method. You can prune to the height you want branching to start. You should decide on a pruning strategy.
I got a White Gold from Grandpa’s Nursery in 2014. It came branched
I wanted to use a modified KGB pruning method. Modified in the sense it would never get taller than 7 or so feet. And I may add grafts and modify pruning.
Well first year you prune very hard with KGB method.
If you want side branching, top that leader off and force the lower buds to grow out with branches. Choose a height you want and make a cut. Branching will occur below that cut and a flush of growth will come from the area that you made that initial cut.
The reason i choose KGB is because the whole tree is rejuvenated in a 5 year span. The reasons why this is important is wood become unproductive if not renewed. If you were just to let grow taller and taller, it would not matter. On regular rootstock they will get to 40 feet. On Gisela about 20 feet. Since I’m jeeping it at 7 feet I need to replace the wood from time to time and you do with stub cuts, letting them grow out or grafting unto them. I’m adding other cherries to it and so I’m bark grafting stub cuts. Some branches I will remove. It’s super easy to lower height as these trees branch like crazy. I will eventually turn it into an open (more so, it is open somewhat) centered tree.
The last three years it has been loaded with cherries. From 2018.
Yes Gisela rootstock, not sure which one? 5 or 6. It’s a 40 foot tree kept at 7 feet, a consequence of such actions. Not just pruning but the dwarfing too. See what happens
Kym Green Bush ( KGB ) The Kym Green Bush ( KGB ) is a free- standing tree that consists of multiple temporary vertical fruiting units to moderate tree vigor, enabling the system to be grown with full-size or semi-dwarfing rootstocks. The vertical fruiting units are renewed regularly to keep spurs young and productive.
I would Winter prune it to encourage branching. Pruning it now may reduce vigor, and give you skinny scaffolds. You could also notch at strategic locations to encourage scaffold growth without topping. I am reading about the use of gibberellic acids to boost growth/branching in young orchard trees, as well as improve fruit set/quality in mature trees. The idea of forcing nature both horrifies and delights me.
