Started Cherry Blossom at the wrong time — lessons learned

I planted Cherry Blossom at entirely the wrong point in the growing calendar and spent the first few months wondering what I'd done wrong. honey fungus affecting roots especially on stressed trees didn't help matters. Once I understood staking correctly with a low stake to allow the trunk to flex and strengthen things improved substantially.

canopy habitat for birds, insects, and wildlife is what makes this plant worth persisting with. In a garden focal point visible from the house windows it finally looks as good as I'd imagined. blossom or leaf burst in spring creating dramatic transformation redeemed the whole effort. If you're starting out: do your timing research before you plant.