black cherry

[Curtis Koth]

it seems most of my young black cherry trees have crooked stems. i have several downed from logging, and am going to cut them off at ground level. can i stake and train these to grow straight, or is it the way they grow? only nice straight ones are 12 inches plus DBH

Curt

[Ron Scott]

Have they experienced any other vegetative competition, heavy snows, ice damage, wildlife chewing or browsing, insects, etc? Normally, they should be growing staight with the world.

[OneWithWood]

The only straight black cherrys in my woods are the ones surrounded by other trees.  Competition causes a tree to grow straight and tall.  The BCs in the open areas are all crooked and die young.

[Curtis Koth]

The BC in my woods were crowded, it seems I always had to take fallen oak branches off the crowns of the BC. The oak overstory was huge, and branches seemed to die and fall, the spread crown of the cherry would catch these. Maybe in the winter with the snow and ice, this would cause leaners with the added weight on the bendable BC's.
So maybe now with the release I gave them, and i cut the knocked over saplings at ground height, i will have some straight growing BC's.

Curt

[OneWithWood]

Speaking of oak and cherry.  I was on the back ridge the other day and came accross two trees growing from a common stump - well maybe not a common stump but it sure looks like it.  On the left is a nice black cherry on on the right is an equally nice red oak.  The next time I am back there early in the morning I will take the digital camera so you all can see.  Only bad thing is the logggers scuffed the cherry pretty bad.  I will probably need to harvest it sooner than I want.