Flowering Cherry Hedge Plants
The sand cherry (Prunus besseyi), a deciduous flowering shrub, is cold hardy to U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zone 2. The shrub has dark green leaves and grows to a height of 6 feet. You can plant several sand cherry shrubs together to produce a flowering hedge. In the spring, the sand cherry is covered with white blooms later replaced by dark purple edible cherries. Sand cherry resides about 20 decades.
Propagation by Seed
Sand cherry seeds have to undergo cold stratification before planting. The seeds come from ripe cherries, and also are removed, cleaned and dried. They are then placed in moist sand and maintained in a humid atmosphere for 30 to 60 days. After being washed, the seeds should be placed in a plastic bag with a moist paper towel and kept in a refrigerator at 36 to 41 degrees Fahrenheit for 60 to 90 days. After stratification, the seeds are ready for spring sowing.
Propagation by Reducing
Semi-hardwood or softwood cuttings taken in the summer are used to root the sand cherry from cuttings. Several inches are cut from the tip of a stem. The close of the cutting ought to be dipped in rooting hormone and also placed in a small number of well-draining soil to root. Regular misting keeps the soil moist. The cuttings are maintained at 65 to 70 F for four to six weeks before the roots have grown along with the cutting edge can be planted.
Planting Conditions
Cherry shrubs need full sun to correctly set fruit. They won’t grow in the shade. The shrubs endure many soils, however, the very best is a well-draining sandy, loamy soil with a pH between 5.0 and 7.5. They have low water needs and tolerate dry soil. The shrubs should be planted from seed sown 1 to 2 inches below the soil or from cuttings as early in the spring as possible after frosts are no more a threat. A few seeds spaced 2 to 3 inches apart in each location will raise the odds of a thriving plant, and extra plants may be moved or thinned as necessary. Fertilizing having an all-purpose fertilizer according to the label directions will increase plant growth.
Flowering Hedges
For numerous hedges, a 4-foot spacing between plants will provide you shrubs which grow together. Just one shrub is necessary for fruit production, and it’ll begin to bear fruit after about three decades. Insects pollinate the spring-appearing blossoms, and the cherries ripen in the summer. The deep shrub roots can help stabilize sandy soils; the plant is wind-resistant and may be the windbreak. Sand cherries are deciduous, so that they are dormant in the winter months.