Bird cherry

Family Rosaceae (Rosaceae) Name: the genus was named after the river Padus, now the Po River.

Description: includes about 20 species, mostly distributed in East Asia and North America. Deciduous trees with alternate, large leaves; abundant, fragrant flowers in racemes.

Location: tolerates shade, but a beautiful openwork crown is formed only in open sites. Winter-hardy.

Soil: grow on fertile soils with excessive and free-flowing moisture, along forest edges and in shrub thickets. Bird cherry is an undemanding species regarding growing conditions. It has a powerful root system, so it tolerates temporary waterlogging as well as soil and atmospheric drought.

Planting: bird cherry establishes well both in autumn and spring. The planting pit should be sized so that the roots fit freely. Apply mineral fertilizers according to the usual scheme indicated on the packet, and organic ones, but do not overdo the latter. Their excess and high soil moisture can lead to darkening of the wood and wilting of individual branches. Water plants abundantly at planting and then 2-3 more times during the growing season. Afterwards, it is better to water only during drought. Mulch the soil with sawdust, humus, or cover it with film. When planting, take into account the height of the plants and their dense crown, which casts a lot of shade. Since most cultivars are cross-pollinators, it is better to plant several cultivars on the site. Common bird cherry is planted at distances of 4-6 m from each other, and Virginia bird cherry at distances of 3-4 m.

At planting prune the plants to a height of 60 cm so they set their first scaffold branches low. In the following year cut the leader shoot at a height of 50-60 cm from the first tier of scaffold branches — then the second tier will form, and so on. For an adult bird cherry thin the crown to prevent it from becoming too dense. Seal cuts with garden pitch or paint.

Propagation: by seeds, suckers, layering and cuttings. Sow in autumn so that seedlings appear in spring. If you did not manage to sow in autumn, seeds must be stratified for 4 months, and for some species up to 7-8 months (common bird cherry, Maack's bird cherry, late bird cherry). They are buried in clean moist sand placed in a container and kept in a cool place. When seeds begin to germinate, the container is immersed in snow. Usually many seedlings form under the crowns of fruiting plants as a result of self-seeding; these can be planted in a permanent place at the age of two years. For propagation by cuttings, take them in spring during sap flow and plant them for rooting.