Jessaka, cherry trees can get brown rot, but since they fruit early in the year they are not as prone to it as are peaches and plums. You do need two varieties for pollination. 50' or less apart. The big problems on cherries are fruit cracking, bird stealing, leaf diseases and pests, and bacterial canker. Cherry fruit fly can also be a problem. For your Bing the main problem is cracking, it is highly prone. Very few people grow Bing in the east and that is probably the main reason. Adams County Nursery, the main commercial nursery on the east coast, doesn't even sell Bing for example. So I would consider removing the Bing and getting two other varieties instead. I made the same mistake as you did, starting off with a Bing. I know how to graft so I topworked it. The real deal-breaker problem on cherries is bacterial canker. It will kill the tree. I have so far been lucky, my trees have gotten cankers several times but I have cut out the cankered limbs and saved the tree every time. For the leaf diseases cherries are not used to heat so the leaves get unhappy. I have my cherries planted in part shade to decrease their heat intake. Overall sweet cherries are somewhat hard to justify growing, they don't taste any better than a good grocery store cherry either (very much unlike peaches and plums which are a million times better tree-ripened in the backyard). Scott

Ford: If you purchased your cherry tree locally, it is probably on a full-size rootstock rather than a dwarf. The difference in growth habit is profound. Left on their own, sweet cherry trees on standard rootstocks can grow up vertically very quickly, making it impossible to care for the trees even from a ladder. Consequently, I would agree with what fruitnut recommends: Cut the tree off at about 3 feet and force it to form side branches at a lower altitude. When branches appear, spread them out so they receive lots of sunlight and try to achieve a roughly vase shape. It will not be easy for you to grow Bing in your location. Bing is a West Coast cherry, subject to cracking before it ripens, and difficult to pollinate. The trees themselves are also susceptible to a number of bacterial diseases. I don't know why they sell these trees at Home Depot and other bigbox stores in the midwest, since they are so difficult for a beginner to grow successfully. However, keeping the tree low and small will give you the best shot. Birds are another issue, but one I won't raise since you are still a long way from having actual cherries on a newly planted tree. Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

red2225, I made "all fruit" preserves with some of my Bing's, I just crushed the fruit, squeezed a fresh lemon over the top, added a little bit of water and cooked it until it was thick, then sweetened with a bit of Equal for Cooking to taste. You could use splenda too, but Dad likes Equal better. I added the sweetener right at the end, then jarred it up and canned it. It set up fine, unlike the stuff with the Sure Jell for no-sugar which never did set. I hate commercial pectin. As Ken pointed out, a lot of people use Pomona's and love it. I'd rather just cook mine thick, I find Pomona's to be a bit bothersome to mix and use and I can only buy it via mail order, so I just cook mine. I did think of adding some white grape or apple juice for the additional pectin, in place of the water but that's another experiment. Annie

there is a very active fruit forum.. where you might get advice on pruning .. especially if you insert a pic of the whole tree.. right in the post ... the concern on the fungus.. in my world.. warped as it is.. is whether it is coming from a gaping wound.. or just on bark surface.. and not even knowing what it is/was ... surface stuff.. just wouldnt have bothered me.. beyond wondering ... ken