Buy sweet cherry (syn. Prunus avium Sunburst) cherry 'Sunburst'

cherry 'Sunburst'

sweet cherry (syn. Prunus avium Sunburst)

A vigorous tree, which is upright at first but later spreading as it matures. The white flowers appear in mid-spring and these are followed by very large, near-black cherries (darker than Stella) from mid July. It is a popular, self-fertile, sweet cherry - and the large fruit have a gorgeous flavour.

How to care for cherry Sunburst:

When planting your cherry tree, prepare a hole up to three times the diameter of its root system. Fork over the base of the pit in readiness, incorporating plenty of organic matter into the backfill and planting hole. Avoiding frozen and waterlogged soil, trees should be planted out and staked as soon as they arrive. If you've ordered a bare root tree, soak the roots in a bucket of water for half an hour prior to planting, or if this is not possible, they can be heeled in temporarily, covering their roots with soil, or potted up. Protect from cold, drying winds. Apply a balanced fertiliser in early spring to support growth and fruiting. Lightly prune in summer to reduce the risk of silver leaf and bacterial canker, to retain an open ‘goblet’ shape and remove any damaged, diseased or broken branches.

Flowering period:

Position:

Full sun

Rate of growth:

Average

Soil:

Moderately fertile, moist, well-drained soil

Hardiness:

Fully hardy

This plant is deciduous so it will lose all its leaves in autumn, then fresh new foliage appears again each spring.