Prunus AVIUM

Prunus AVIUM - Sweet cherry, Wild cherry, Bird cherry, Gean, Cerasus.

Can be grown in bonsai style!

Prunus (plum, cherry laurel, bird cherry, cherry) is a genus of evergreen and deciduous shrubs and trees in the rose family (Rosaceae), comprising about 250 species distributed predominantly in temperate and subtropical zones of Europe, Asia, North Africa, and North America. In nature, representatives of the genus occur in forest understories, on forest edges, slopes, and along rivers, preferring fertile, sufficiently moist soils.

Most species are small trees 4-5 m (13-16 ft) in height, although shrubby forms and occasional giants up to 30 m (98 ft) also occur. The crown is usually dense; shoots are elongated or shortened, sometimes with spines. The bark is brown, and the wood is hard and heavy. The leaves are alternate, leathery or thin, simple, ovate, elliptic, or lanceolate, serrate along the margin, often with glands on the petioles or at the base of the blade. In some species, the upper side of the leaf is smooth and glossy.

The flowers appear in spring, white or pink, single or double, with five petals and sepals, gathered into umbel-like clusters, racemes, or panicles. The flowers usually have 20 stamens; the ovary is unilocular, and of two ovules usually one seed develops. Flowering is accompanied by abundant nectar secretion and a pleasant fragrance that attracts insects.

The fruit is a one-seeded drupe with a relatively large stone, smooth or furrowed, oblong-ovoid in shape. The color of the fruits varies from dark blue and black to yellow and red; in some species, the fruits are edible. Ripening occurs in summer or autumn; in evergreen species, the fruits can remain on the plant for a long time.

Sweet cherry is a large, fast-growing deciduous tree reaching 20-25 m (66-82 ft) in height. At a young age, growth is particularly intensive. The crown is spreading, ovoid or conical. The trunk is sturdy; bark on young trees is brown, reddish, or silvery, with numerous horizontal lenticels that remain noticeable for a long time, sometimes peeling in thin transverse strips; on mature trees, it is dark gray or brownish.

The root system is primarily of the horizontal type; under favorable conditions, well-developed vertical roots form. A taproot appears in the 1st-2nd year of life, then branches. The leaves are ovate, oblong-ovate, or obovate, slightly rugose, serrate along the margin, short-acuminate, dark green above and lighter beneath. Petioles up to 16 cm (6.3 in) long bear two glands at the base of the blade.

Flowering occurs in April-May, before leaf emergence. The flowers are large, white, bisexual, with five petals and five sepals, numerous stamens, and a single pistil, gathered in nearly sessile, few-flowered umbel-like inflorescences. The fruits are fleshy drupes of oval, globose, or cordate shape with a juicy pericarp. The color varies from light yellow (almost white) to dark burgundy or nearly black. In wild forms, fruit diameter usually does not exceed 2 cm (0.8 in). The stone is globose or slightly elongated, smooth; seeds consist of a coat, embryo, and endosperm. Fruit ripening occurs in June-July.

Seeds are sown in autumn immediately after collection or in spring after stratification for 2-3 months at a temperature of 2-5 °C (36-41 °F) (under home conditions, placed on the bottom shelf of a refrigerator). For sowing, a light substrate based on humus, sand, and sod soil with the addition of rotted sawdust and wood ash is used. Sowing depth is 1-1.5 cm (0.4-0.6 in). Sowings are moistened from a spray bottle, covered with film, and germinated in light at a temperature of 18-22 °C (64-72 °F) with regular ventilation, avoiding overwatering and overdrying.

Sprouts appear after 30-60 days; the minimum germination period is 30 days, and the maximum possible is over 90 days. Pricking out is performed when 2-3 true leaves form, after which young plants are gradually adapted to open-ground conditions.

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The plant is preferably placed in a sunny and wind-sheltered location. Growing in light partial shade with sufficient moisture is acceptable. Under conditions of intense heat, light shading is provided. The optimal temperature during the growing season is 20-28 °C (68-82 °F). Most species withstand brief frosts down to -25 °C (-13 °F). For container cultivation in winter, maintenance at 2-8 °C (36-46 °F) is recommended. In spring during flowering, plants are sheltered from strong winds. Drought is tolerated poorly, so watering is carried out regularly. The soil is kept slightly moist, while water stagnation is avoided.

Fertile, loose, well-drained loamy soil with a neutral or slightly alkaline reaction and a fertile top layer is used. Sites with high groundwater tables should be avoided. Planting pits are prepared in advance. Two weeks before planting, the soil is dug up with the addition of humus, non-acidic peat, or well-rotted compost and ash. In spring, fertilizers with increased nitrogen content are applied. In summer, complete fertilizers are applied every 3-4 weeks. In autumn, fertilizing is curtailed, and in winter it is not carried out. Mulching the tree basins throughout the season is considered an effective practice.

Repotting is carried out in early spring. Young plants are repotted annually. Mature specimens are repotted once every 3-4 years. In autumn, trunks are sheltered with spruce branches or other materials for protection against rodents. Ripening fruits are protected from birds using nets. Weeds and tall grasses are removed around the base of the tree.

Shaping and pruning are performed in early spring before bud swell or after flowering. If necessary, central leaders are shortened, the crown is thinned out, and dry, damaged, and poorly positioned branches are removed. Shaping into a standard trunk or hedge is carried out. For better fruiting, 2-3 additional trees are planted for cross-pollination.

Propagation is carried out by seeds, grafting, root suckers, and green, root, and hardwood cuttings. Horizontal and vertical layerings or budding onto seedlings are also used. Under natural conditions, the seed method predominates.