Konrad, I have so far not lost a cherry to canker and have done several major cuts on cankers. But maybe I have just been lucky. One reason why I do it is there is nothing to lose, the tree is going to die in a few years if you do nothing. Well I just googled and several sites recommend cutting out cankers like I have been doing. See one below. It recommends to use a knife but many cutting tools could be used. I use a hand saw which is challenging to keep the depth correct on, it can go too deep easily. If you have woodworking tools there are many options there that could work well. Scott Here is a link that might be useful: cankers - cutting out

All nice but the song I that hits home to me is the testament ... Remember when you were young, you shone like the sun. Shine on you crazy diamond. Now there's a look in your eyes, like black holes in the sky. Shine on you crazy diamond. You were caught on the crossfire of childhood and stardom, blown on the steel breeze. Come on you target for faraway laughter, come on you stranger, you legend, you martyr, and shine! You reached for the secret too soon, you cried for the moon. Shine on you crazy diamond. Threatened by shadows at night, and exposed in the light. Shine on you crazy diamond. Well you wore out your welcome with random precision, rode on the steel breeze. Come on you raver, you seer of visions, come on you painter, you piper, you prisoner, and shine!like the best is the testament song ... "Shine on you crazy diamond"

Wow, you guys are great! I now have a starting point or at least an idea of one - LOL. I've been told R. Californica grows up on Mt. Baldy and since we live in the foothills of the mountain it would be a good starting point. I now also have a list of roses 'recommended' to me by the best enablers I have ever known! Hoovb- You might not remember when we lived in OC but I was the one with the tiny yard and had a GW party? After that we moved to a ranch but it was too far from doctors so we are now living in an amazing Lemon Orchard in Upland and while I have to respect the trees I can garden to my heart's content. So acres we have, and in the middle of the city too!! Roseseek (Kim), Expect for the escaping, how did the Minutifolia do in pots? Do all of them sucker or just some of them? How do they like being pruned or do they differ based on type like other roses? My soil is wonderfully rich and my roses grow big - I mean really BIG here and I haven't had to fertiliz since we moved in. I truly do welcome all your suggestions, ideas and growing advice. GardenWeb has always been my favorite source of rose information! Having never grown Species I am now learning something new and exciting. And I thank all of you for your exciting suggestions and ideas. I will go check out HMF and look around. My favorite book botanica's roses got my pulse going and now that I have the space I'm ready to give it a go. I am starting my "wish" list, feel free to add to it!

Absolutely. Cherry is pretty easy to graft. Now is the time of year that you would typically use t-buds or chip buds with actively growing wood. If you wait until the trees go dormant you can do more traditional grafting with dormant scions next spring.