Maintenance for Cherry Bushes

Planting Location

• While they will tolerate some dappled shade, all cherry bush species require at least six hours of full sun each day to grow and bear fruit. Drainage, too, is an essential consideration when attempting to maintain productive cherry bushes since they will not tolerate soggy soil. Immediate transplant to a sunny, well-draining bed is the best course of action for cherry bushes that appear leggy or especially slow-growing as a result of less than ideal growing conditions.

Soil Needs

• Unlike standard cherry trees, cherry bushes will tolerate and even thrive in poor soil. Loamy, somewhat sandy soils best suit the needs of cherry bushes since they provide adequate nutrition and the excellent drainage cherry bushes require for good health. However, the texture of the soil is not the only consideration when growing cherry bushes. The acidity of the soil is also important and must offer a pH of between 5.0 to 7.5, which is moderately acidic to neutral.

Watering Needs

• All cherry bush species tolerate drought conditions and require little supplemental water during the summer months. However, watering to a depth of 1 inch once a week is best when growing cherry bushes for their fruit since the results will be sweeter and more palatable. When watering cherry bushes, avoid splashing water onto the leaves since excessive moisture on the aerial parts of the plant can contribute to wood rot.

Nutritional Requirements

• When cultivating cherry bushes for fruit in very sandy soil, it often becomes necessary to feed them during the summer months to help the fruit develop normally. A low-nitrogen, 10-15-15 ratio fertilizer applied once a month from April until September, will help the cherry bush produce an abundant crop of fruit, but it must be added to the soil at half the strength recommended on the label to avoid harming the cherry bush's roots.

Pruning Needs

• Under most conditions, cherry bushes do not require pruning to correct their shape. However, it is best to remove dead branches as needed throughout the growing season to keep the bush healthy and tidy looking. When pruning off dead branches, cut them near their point of origin just above the bark collar at the base of the branch. Do not cut the branch flush with the trunk since it will open up the bush to fungal infections.

Disease and Infection

• Cherry bushes possess a chemical compound that naturally repels insect pests, but they are still susceptible to a range of fungal infections. Verticillium wilt, branch canker and fireblight are a few of the diseases that commonly plague cherry bushes. Early signs of disease include noticeable wilting or curling of the leaves, bare branches and weeping lesions on the bark. Most infections in cherry bushes are treatable with commercially available fungicide if caught early, but it might become necessary to remove affected bushes to keep them from spreading the infection to nearby shrubs.