Lapins Cherry Tree

The Lapins cherry (Prunus avium ‘Lapins’) is a low maintenance tree, that adds beauty and color to your landscape for several months out of the year as well as providing sweet cherries. Bursting with white blooms in the spring, loaded with red cherries in the summer and a beautiful fall display of red, orange, and yellow foliage. Growing in USDA zones 5-9, this cherry tree can also tolerate a much broader range of temperatures and produce cherries in more southern areas as it requires less than 400 chill hours. The lapins cherry is self fertile making it great for a small landscape as it also only reaches 15-20 feet tall/wide and only requires minimal annual pruning to aid in fruit production the following year. Since it is self fertile, you will only need the one tree for the fruit to grow.

Location: Choose a sunny spot that will give your cherry tree a minimum of 6 hours of direct sunlight per day. Although it will thrive in almost any kind of soil, avoid locations where the soil will remain soggy for prolonged lengths of time.

Planting Instructions:
1) Dig a hole that is as deep as the root ball and three times as wide.
2) Position the tree in the hole and fill it about half-way with soil, tamp to remove air pockets, then fill the hole completely.
3) Water to secure the tree and remove any additional air pockets in the soil.
4) Add more soil if necessary after settling.
5) Spread a layer of mulch over the soil around your cherry tree to help keep the soil moist, encourage healthy growth and protect your tree against competing growth.

Watering: During the growing season, if your tree receives at least an inch of rain every 10 days then no additional irrigation is necessary. If the season is hot and dry then you may need to provide some additional water. The best way to water is by using a slow trickling garden hose left at the base of the tree. This will allow the water to penetrate the soil more deeply and prevent it from running off over the soil surface. Make sure the ground is fully moisturized all around the root system. Mulching will greatly assist in maintaining soil moisture.

Pruning: A year after planting your cherry tree, prune your tree in the late to end of winter while dormant. Shape the tree to encourage horizontal branch growth with space between branches. Prune once a year as necessary to remove weak, drooping branches. These are usually poor fruit bearing branches and removing them will encourage positive air flow and healthy growth. Also make sure light can penetrate the center of the canopy.

Fertilization: Good, nutrient rich soil should only require the addition of nitrogen. Fertilize in the spring and midsummer using nitrogen fertilizer twice annually applying 2 weeks after planting and 4 weeks after the first application. Use a complete fertilizer such as 10-10-10 and apply at the rate of 0.05 pounds of actual nitrogen per dose. Fertilizer application ratios vary upon the formulation so be sure to follow package directions. When applying, be sure fertilizer is 6 to 8 inches away from the trunk around the tree to prevent the roots from burning. Organic fertilizers such as manure or blood meal are highly discouraged as their nitrogen levels cannot be measured. Keep in mind that cherry trees require high levels of nitrogen early in the season and lower levels during the late summer.

Pests: Cherry trees can be susceptible to brown rot. The best prevention for this problem is proper pruning to provide good air circulation. Be sure there is ample room between branches. Remove any infected blossoms, fruit or leaves and inspect your tree continuously to catch any early signs of the disease. To spot brown rot, look for brown, soggy flowers or mummified looking fruit on your tree. For control once the disease is recognized, use a sulfur spray 4 times: when flower buds are pink, when flowers are open, right after petal fall, and 2 weeks after petal fall.