Tree or stick?

[ampersat]

I installed a bitter cherry tree in my front yard last fall and I'm concerned that perhaps it's no longer a tree but is instead simply a stick with some branches coming off of it. My general test for "deadness" is to bend the small limbs between my fingers; if it's still pliable it's alive, if it snaps off it's dead. The majority of the tips are still pliable, which leads me to believe it's still a tree. However, I would have expected to see buds forming on the branches by now and they haven't, so perhaps it's a stick.

[cimfl]

I wouldn't go digging it up quite yet, but it sounds like a switch to me.

[saber_jack]

Scrape a bit of bark off near the end of a branch if its alive it will be green underneath if its dead its brown.

[Rustyoar]

Yank her, cherries should be pushing some buds by now. Also push a bud off and seem if its green or brown.

[garyk]

First year trees can be slow to very slow to wake up and break dormancy. Give it a couple months.
After that, scratch the bark, should reveal green living tissue.

[wthr4d]

you just planted it last fall, give it some time. if you dont see new growth by the end of May I'd say you are looking at a failed attempt.

paul

[HiTekRdNek]

Like others have said scrape the bark with your fingernail. Green is life.

[tt3886]

We also haven't had alot of sun, which would help trigger the budding process.

[Jaws]

Most trees when planted, won't support all their limbs and branches due to lack of a strong root system. You may have to prune back some of the limbs to balance tree structure with the roots. Just cut back most of the limbs until you see a green circle underneath the bark. I think it's called the cambium.If you can't find any, You might have to prune it back to a whip.

[rowmanholiday]

Amp, I have planted trees (Japanese Maple,
Dwarf Cherry and Dwarf Pear) that were not much bigger than my thumb, wondering how in the world could this these things survive.

Just a few short years later, it takes both hands to hold the trees at the base. Give it a chance, you could be surprised how well it does.

[Duckwheat]

Ron White, the comedian does a bit about trees. He had some trees he had planted. His expectation was that they would have leaves and look green. Anything else is dead in his book.

Go with your gut on this. If it looks dead to you, it is probably dead.

DW

[Dave G]

With all this rain everything is pliable, it is a switch.