Cherry tree likely won’t need fertilizer
Burlap screens protect from winter winds
Q: I’m writing regarding a hardy Romeo cherry tree (Prunus x Kerrasis) my mother purchased this spring. What type of fertilizer is best to use and when should it be applied? What is the best method of protecting it over the winter? A: In 2004, the University of Saskatchewan Romance series of dwarf sour cherries was made available to the public. The series included Juliet, Romeo, Cupid and Crimson Passion. Romeo cherries are excellent for fresh eating as well as for canning. They are one of the best for making juice. They grow moderately, making them easy to contain with few suckers.
These dwarf sour cherries were bred in Zone 2b to survive temperatures in the -40 C range, so winter protection is not really needed. If the cherry is in an area exposed to winter winds, you might erect a burlap screen in front of it to offer protection while it is young.
Water the tree well for the first three years until established. Fertilizer is probably not needed — the U of S warns that these trees should not be fertilized unless a soil test indicates a deficiency. Adding compost when planting or using compost or manure tea will work well. Compost or manure tea is made by adding compost to water and allowing it to steep until the water colours. Use the tea to water any and all of your plants. Q: A wild vine has invaded our beautiful Peking cotoneaster hedge and I cannot get rid of it. No matter what weed killer I use, the vine keeps growing back. Any suggestions? A: Use Round Up on the offending weed, but paint it on using an artist’s brush rather than spraying it, to keep it from coming into contact with your cotoneaster. Cover as many of the leaves of the weed as you can. This will ensure that the Round Up works its way down into the roots and kills the invader once and for all. Q: We have had a maple tree (not sure what kind) for seven years. Last year it grew approximately three feet. This year it has no leaves on the growth from last year. Do I trim off the branches with no leaves? How do I prevent this from reoccurring? A: It sounds like the new growth may have died. This is commonly called ‘tip kill’ and can happen over the winter because of a number of factors. Some of the common causes are drying winter winds and sunscald. The new growth is especially prone to the effects of the winter. Yes, you should cut off any dead branches.
As for preventing this from happening again, if the tree is large, there is little you can do to protect it from the ravages of winter. You can, however, prepare it by watering it in well in the fall, as lack of moisture can make the tree more prone to winter damage. Watering in well means leaving the hose at the base of the tree and allowing the water to trickle out slowly for an hour or two. Q: Only half of my dwarf cranberry bush leafed out this spring. Should I prune it back or dig it out? It fully leafed out last year and looked healthy. A: Dieback is fairly common in these cranberries. Yours could have been caused by a disease such as verticillium wilt, or it could just be a normal winter dieback. Prune out the dead branches and watch the plant carefully during this growing season. If it looks like the leaves are showing signs of wilt, it’s time to dispose of the plant.