I'm not sure what the reason is that you'd want to cut off the second trunk, unless it is aesthetic and you are willing to risk pathogen infection from the open wound and transplant shock combination. As far as encouraging branching, presumably you mean farther down the trunk. Maybe that's partly why it was 'gifted'. Branches from latent buds are usually poorly attached.

Dan

I might remove the second trunk/tree for a variety of reasons including possible better structural stability. I might or might not wait until after the tree was established. As always, good pictures might shed more light on the situation.

Check to determine which stem is coming from below the graft. Then remove it.

When you say a cherry tree 'sapling' I am wondering where it originally came from. If your donor dug one up from near their Kanzan tree it is possible that it was a sucker from below the graft, in which case it will not be a Kanzan itself. Only time will tell. However, if it was bought as a gift then it is probably a genuine Kanzan.

If the 2nd stem is a separate tree, as you surmise, then you should be able to tease them apart before planting.

A picture would help a lot.

Kanzan's are virtually always grafted, so the second trunk is likely a sucker from below the graft and should be removed. Of course, its hard to tell for sure without a photo.

A lot of flowering trees are grafted (the pretty top part was melded with a less attractive but hardier root part, to simplify), and have this branching from the base phenomenon. If that's the case, rather important to cut this part off, as it is coming from the rootstock and will not have the same characteristics as the main part of the tree. It will also sap energy away from the other parts that you want to grow.

Just to recap my being obtuse and failing to include my standard 'pix help', maybe the 'gift' was purposely potted with two trunks. We don't know where the second 'trunk' originated, and whether the 'second' trunk has a better chance at success.

Dan

boy you guys are meandering around it all ... lol ..

lets make it clear...

we need a picture to give any valid info for you ...

did it flower for you.. were the flowers the same on both??? often it is grafted.. and the good part will have different color flowers than the root stock, if any ... and that would be another clue ...

was it from a nursery .. or a friend dug it out ...

presuming both are the proper cultivar.. named plant... it would be up to you whether you want one or two trunks.. regardless though.. it will be stressed enough from the transplant.. that we probably wouldnt want you removing half the food making machines for a year or two ... leaves make food to grow the roots so the tree will live.. if you take away half of them.. the tree will suffer .... so even if you would prefer one trunk.. now is probably not the time to remove the other ...

we need a pic and more info ...

ken

Oh gosh, I didn't see all these responses until just now. Thanks!! Here's the scoop--the tree was a gift, but I think it was dug up from near this person's mature tree so it is an offspring of whatever their tree is--I'm guessing then it may not flower because it is really the baby of whatever the flowering tree was grafted on to. As for the second trunk, I tried to get a good look as I transplanted it and it is a real fork, just below the ground, not two saplings, so I just let it be. Again, no pics (since I am at work!) I guess I will just wait and see what happens.

The sapling is about an inch in diameter--At what age will the tree flower if it is going to flower at all?

Whether the original tree was grafted or not, and whether it was grafted on Prunus avium (commonly used rootstock for these) or not, it will still flower. Flowering may not resemble the parent (scion) tree (Kansan/Kwanzan/Sekiyama/whatever).

At what age will the tree flower if it is going to flower at all?

Of course it will flower - it is in its genetic nature to do so. It will flower when sexually mature, which, as brandon infers above, is hard to tell as it is a sucker from the rootstock.

So to reiterate: it is very likely not - not - a Kwanzan. It is from the rootstock. Kwanzan (sorry Resin et al Kanzan) do not bear fruit.

Dan

here is my BEST suggestion ....

if this was from a good friend... destroy it now.. and go buy one at the bigboxstore.. and plant it instead.. you will always have the story of the generosity of the gift.. and a great plant besides ....

and then invite the friend over next year.. and tell them how great it is... lol ...

since it is a root sucker .... it might not even be kwanzan.. and frankly.. i would have no interest in investing 3 to 5 years.. to find out if it is ...

if it is not a good friend.. get rid of it ....

not all gifts are worthy of keeping.. no matter what the intent ...

i can not tell you.. how many things that dad brought to my first house ..... that mysteriously 'died' ... rotflmbo ....

you cant be rude and tell him to quit bringing stuff ... but hey.. they all dont need to live.. in my yard anyway ... lol ...

BTW ... it is borderline reliable in its flowering in my zone 5 ... subject to frosts and freeze in early spring.. all subject to your micro climate ... mine is only supreme.. MAYBE every other year .... some years nothing.. other years.. its OK .... it really is one of the hard ones.. for a newbie .... not that it will die.. but that you will be happy about it all ...

ken

go buy one at the bigboxstore.. and plant it instead.. you will always have the story of the generosity of the gift

There's a good solution, right there.

Dan

What can i do with the cherry tree?

Will it grow as is or should i trim some of the limbs?

Do you intend to keep it potted indefinitely? If you're going to plant it out or up pot it this spring then it would be a nice idea to excavate down to the graft and see where those trunks are coming from.