A 24 inch container isn't large enough to grow a fully productive black cherry, but (as Resin mentioned) you could certainly keep it root and top pruned and enjoy it for many years. I'd not suggest that you need to comply to some of the rigors of true bonsai, but careful root pruning and re-potting will be absolutely essential to the survival of your tree. May I suggest something a bit smaller for you? Many people enjoy growing blueberries in containers. You'd likely have enough berries for you AND the birds. Butterflies love the flowers, too. Again, you would need to root prune and re-pot occasionally, but you'd be able to grow a nice sized blueberry plant in a 24 inch container.

you all miss my point ... moving a household is insanity ... moving a household plus a garden is double insanity ... been there.. done that.. what was i thinking .... especially in the high heat of summer ... [i moved when it was all dormant in january] so your plan.. as i understand it.. is to move everything you own.. into a new house.. and abandon the house.. while you plant a garden ... and i am presuming the tree is not the only thing you are taking ... maybe i am wrong ... i was glad to have 4 months to put the household back together... before i had to start messing outside .... painting.. cleaning.. unpacking .... etc ... so all i am trying to say.. is this tree really a priority ...???? now.. why do you know about the house and all already ... building??? .. is there an option to go plant it now... are there facts we dont know ... when i moved.. between the accepted offer in oct. .. and the closing in late dec ... we were allowed to deliver 1500 potted hosta to sit outside the barn ... also i had many local friends who adopted garden plants ... plant sitter if you will .... which gave me the luxury of 'time' .... at least it sounds like your move is local .... mine was 65 miles ... this is not a rare tree.. and there are much higher priorities in moving... sacrifice the tree if need be ... BTW... you cant plant it in august... it will have to be held ove, until the next proper planting time.. in fall good luck.. whatever you decide ... ken PS: just cuz the nursery would leave it in the pot until sold.. does not make it right.. they most likely have hirelings to water them 2 or 3 times per day ...

hairmetal - do you mind sharing the name of the nursery in Purcellville? BTW - went to Susanna Farms for the first time in donkey's years. OMG they are expensive. But being in MoCo like that, I can't really blame them. Charge what the market will bare. Oddly they had some wierd bargains that almost felt like they'd forgotten to add a 0 to a price. Unfortunately they were too big to fit in my car, like a nice Juniperus rigida pendula, that I think was only $79. It was huge. I really wanted to get something but just couldn't hold my nose tightly enough. I can understand pricing something like a showy Japanese maple high. But they had some little Trochodendrons that were no more than 20" high. Sure they are slow growing when small...but $120? Who's going to buy that? At that size they are about the most anonymous, bland, broad leaved evergreens imaginable. They look like scrounged up bunches of English Ivy. I maybe could have gone up to $65 out of the kindness of my heart, but, $120? Nope. But if they get rich suckers from Potomac to pay those prices, good for them. They do have a nice selection of what I'd call the standard upscale plants...which is getting harder and harder to find. For example also took a quick walk 'round Merrifield's Merrifield location (haha), was disappointed with their selection of similar stuff. If it's showy and marketable, like the Encore Azaleas, they make room for it. Otherwise, overall a more utilitarian, albeit slightly less expensive, selection. And still heavily pushing Leyland Cypresses which is a questionable business practice IMHO. This post was edited by davidrt28 on Wed, Oct 16, 13 at 23:46

Try bird feeding departments or stores. I use the tree hooks (really big s-hooks), one close to the trunk and another as far out as can bear the weight (or on two different limbs) with a chain connecting them. I hang the plants from the chain.