Reduced To Tears, But Hopiing For The Best

When i looked out my front window Saturday morning, i was looking to see if any more orange day lilies had bloomed; they're starting to make their appearance. Then i couldn't believe my eyes. I was in SHOCK. The top half of the Yoshino cherry blossom tree that i had planted in the front yard two years ago was hanging to the ground! Something had broken it off! Did i say i was in shock?

Here's what the tree looks like.

About halfway up the tree, there is a "V" where all the branches start growing out of the trunk. The tallest part of the tree, the top, grows out of the left side of this "V," and it was this part that was hanging all the way down to the ground. One small piece of the bark hadn't broken so the top half hadn't fallen to the ground, but was just hanging there.

What to do? Buy a beer and sit there drinking and crying? That would do nothing to help, so instead i went to the garage and dug out a bamboo stake and lots of twine. Using two pieces of bamboo and about 20 meters of twine i spliced the two pieces back together. I pulled the twine so tight that i broke it several times but in the end the two side of the "V" were back together again. Wrap, wrap, half hitch, wrap, wrap, half hitch, wrap, wrap, half hitch,... 20 meters worth. Just before the last of the cut disappeared under the twine i could see that the split was completely sealed, i could see no opening in the bark, just a line where the spit had been.

Is this going to save my tree? It's been two days now and the tree shows no signs of change. All the branches are still pointed up, nothing is drooping, and none of the leaves show signs of wilting. Is this a good sign? I don't know. How long before any signs of problem will show up? Or, conversely, how long do i have to wait before i can say there is a good chance it is going to heal itself?