An extract from my website;
* Week 5; Shorten the leaders of all young trees by half in winter.
* Week 12; Mulch sweet cherries with well rotted manure in spring and feed with 15gms (1/2oz) of sulphate of potash per sq. metre.
Apply sulphate of ammonia at 40-50gms( 1 1/2-2oz) and Sulphate of Potash at 15gms (1/2oz) per sq.metre each spring, and 60-70gms (2-3oz) Superphosphate per sq metre every three years
n.b. Give slightly smaller amounts of fertiliser to fan-trained trees, where less growth is required.
* Week 14; Protect flower buds in winter and the developing fruits in summer from bird attack, particularly sweet cherries.
Where only a few trees are grown, protect them with nets.
* Week 21; As the trees mature, pruning of sweet cherries can be less severe and after four years entails only the removal of dead wood and unwanted branches.
Prune acid cherries annually throughout their life.
Prune out any badly placed or damaged branches
Timing of pruning is important to avoid silver leaf disease.
* If silver leaf infected branches are removed, ensure that they are cut back 100-150mm(4”-6”) behind the point where the inner wood is no longer stained.
All wounds are best painted with a wound dressing. e.g. 'Arbrex'
* Week 22; Ensure regular water supplies in summer to acid cherries growing on walls.
Leave the fruits on the trees until fully ripe.
n.b. Acid cherries are best cut off the tree with scissors to prevent diseases entering into torn bark.
* Week 44; Plant out fan trained trees when they are four years old.
Plant out bush trees, standards and half-standards when they are two years old.
Sweet cherries require a deep, well-drained,slightly alkaline loam.
Acid cherries grow satisfactorily on most ordinary well drained soils .
Avoid planting out in areas susceptible to late frosts
