Hello! 
I live in Sterling, Ak, latitude 60N, approximate zone 3b, though recent years have been much warmer. I have two cherry specimen which once had healthy grafts. During the last two winters, the five foot tall, 1" diameter sweet cherry grafts died back to the Gisela 5 rootstock. In years prior the winters were mild enough the trees did well. The Gisela 5 is coming back strong from new growth nodes just below the grafting point. I plan to graft again in the future. I have looked around online for examples of what sort of production, if any, I should expect from just the Gisela 5 rootstock, as that is essentially what I am left with now. I read a historical account of the German scientist that created Gisela 5, but that detailed it’s effectiveness as a rootstock. Does Gisela 5 produce? Is it just an ornamental blooming cherry? Any insight would be helpful.
welcome Dustin! don’t know much about your cherry. im in z3b n.maine and the only cherries I’ve seen grow well here are the nanking ,if you can keep the damned voles away! don’t know if nuseries will ship to you but you might try the univ. of saskachawan cherries . they’re hardy to z2 and stay farily small. from what I’ve read are pretty disease resistant. lots of people on here grow them. i just put in 2 juliets and a carmine jewel. 1 of my juliets was sent to me by accident last dec. and survived in a pot in my unheated garage thru the coldest winter we’ve had in 10 yrs. -35f most of jan. all my other potted plants died. they’re a tough bush! honeyberryUSA is one of the vendors. some of them sucker more than others so if you want more bushes off of therm, choose the suckering ones.
Thanks, bud.
I’ll keep my eyes peeled, there are a couple of local orchards. Getting saplings or vines from Canada to Alaska is harder than pulling teeth.
Bumping this thread. I’ve had some of my cherry tops die back to the rootstock as well. Anyone know what kind of fruit the Gisela 5 will produce (if any)?
I had a Gisela 5 plant that was not pruned for a few years. It bloomed profusely for 2 or 3 years, but never set. That is no surprise considering it’s parents. Even if it sets I would expect the fruit to be of inferior quality if edible at all.
Dustin, have you considered a sour cherry? They are hardier than the sweet, self-fertile and can be grafted to Gisela 5. I’d recommend North Star.