Prunus cerasus "Studencheskaja"

• Type: Sour cherry tree
• Latin name: Prunus cerasus
• Cultivar: Studencheskaja
• Ripening: late July
• Light: sunny
• Winter hardiness: USDA 4–7

Planting Plant in spring (late April – May) or autumn (September) in a sunny, sheltered spot with fertile, well-drained soil; wet spots with standing water are unsuitable. Dig a 60×60 cm hole, mix the excavated soil with compost or a soil improver, set the tree so that the graft union stays 5–8 cm above soil level and water generously. Many sour cherry cultivars are partly self-fertile, but the crop is heavier when another cherry that flowers at the same time grows nearby. Space trees 3–4 m apart.

Watering Water young trees regularly for the first two years – 20–30 L once a week and more often in dry spells. Established trees need water after flowering, during fruit growth and before winter (a deep autumn soak). Mulch around the trunk, keeping mulch away from the bark.

Pruning Prune in spring before bud break or in summer after harvest, not in autumn or winter – this lowers the risk of disease. Build the crown from 4–5 main branches, remove dead, crossing and inward-growing shoots and keep the crown open. On a columnar cultivar keep the central leader and shorten overly long side shoots. Never remove more than a quarter of the crown a year and seal large cuts with tree paint.

Feeding and winter care Feed in spring with nitrogen (compost, organic fertiliser), in June–July with a balanced fertiliser, and in August–September with a potassium-phosphorus fertiliser; do not give nitrogen in autumn. Protect the trunk of a young tree for winter with whitewash, spruce boughs or netting against hares and frost cracks; in autumn clear away fallen leaves and any mummified fruit to reduce disease spread.