Response of Young, Fruiting Sour Cherry Trees to One-time Trunk Injury at Harvest Date

The influence of increasing levels of trunk damage on vegetative and reproductive capacity of 3- to 5-year-old `Montmorency' sour cherry (Prunus cerasus L.) trees was determined for three seasons. Removal of or damage to bark up to halfway around the trunk circumference minimally affected growth and productivity. The total wound callus produced per tree was related to wound size. Wound repair was variable depending on the type or extent of injury. Removal of damaged bark greatly reduced wound repair. Girdling 75% or 100% of the trunk circumference resulted in no tree mortality at one site and 17% and 50% mortality, respectively, at another. Differentiated phloem in wound callus of trees with 100% bark removal and survival 4 years following injury indicated that vascular reconnection occurred across wounds.