How to Grow Prunus Tomentosa

Prunus tomentosa is the botanical name for a shrub more commonly known as Nanking cherry. It reaches heights of 6 to 10 feet and is adorned with light pink blooms during spring. The blooms are replaced by edible, deep red fruits in summer. Prunus tomentosa is extremely cold hardy and survives winters as far north as U.S. Department of Agriculture zone 2. The shrubs thrive in full sun exposure and nutrient-rich soil with proper drainage.

Spade
Organic mulch
5-10-5 fertilizer
Pruning shears
Bird netting

Instructions

- 1
  Dig a hole two times as wide as the container the Prunus tomentosa was purchased in. Make the hole just deep enough to set the shrub's roots at their prior level.
- 2
  Place the roots into the hole carefully and cover them with loose soil. Water until the soil feels very moist.
- 3
  Add 3 to 4 inches of organic mulch under the Prunus tomentosa shrub.
- 4
  Provide 1 inch of supplemental moisture each week during the first growing season after planting. Once established, water only when the weather is dry.
- 5
  Fertilize each spring by sprinkling 5-10-5 fertilizer beneath the shrub, at a rate of 2 lbs. for every 100 square feet of planting space. Begin broadcasting the fertilizer approximately 3 inches from the base of the shrub and extend it outward to the dripline. Water deeply after feeding.
- 6
  Prune the shrub during late winter or early spring to maintain the desired form.
- 7
  Cover Prunus tomentosa with bird netting when fruits set to protect them from wild birds.

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