bird cherry

For Bird Cherry (Prunus avium) plants, water them when the top inch of soil is dry to the touch. Initially, water deeply and regularly to help the root system become established, but watering frequency can reduce over time. During the summer and spring, water every 7 to 10 days or whenever the top inch of soil becomes dry. During the winter, reduce watering frequency to once every 2 to 3 weeks or when the top of the soil is dry.

Bird cherries need at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day in order to thrive and produce viable fruit. In the northern hemisphere this means that they should receive direct sunlight from about mid-morning until late afternoon - when the sun has started setting. In the southern hemisphere, they should aim for the sun being higher in the sky during its course, which means it should start a little bit earlier, at about 9am, and finish a little earlier too, at about 3pm. While it is possible for bird cherry trees to grow in less than 6 hours of direct sunlight, they may not produce a viable crop as a result.

Bird cherry (Prunus avium) should be pruned during the early summer months, usually between late May and early July. Pruning should involve removing dead wood, rubbing branches, and selective thinning of overcrowded branches in order to encourage the development of good structure and a healthier canopy. Pruning should be moderate, as this species is an aggressive grower and can become overgrown if pruned too much. When pruning, remove branches that are growing inward, crossing over 1 another, or dead. Be sure to remove any deadwood or diseased wood. It is also important to retain strong scaffold branches and maintain an open structure. Pruning should generally be limited to no more than 25-30% of the total branch volume and no more than 10-15% of the canopy.