The Nanking cherry is native to a cold region and will not tolerate heat or humidity.
The Nanking cherry will struggle if you are not inUSDA zones2 through 7.
The Nanking cherry bush is not as widespread in the United States as it is in other countries.
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If you are growing individual specimen bushes, space the plants at least 15 feet apart.
Adding compost at this point is also a great idea as well.
Nanking cherry bushes grown in shady areas won’t flower as vigorously or produce as much fruit.
It prefers soil to be loamy and well draining.
After its first two seasons, monitor the average rainfall in your area.
If your area receives more than 12 inches of rain annually, additional watering is unnecessary.
This same standard applies during drought conditions because the Nanking cherry is very drought tolerant.
This bush is not hardy to USDA cold hardiness zones higher than Zone 7.
Fertilizer
Fertilizer is not needed for the Nanking cherry.
Even without fertilizer, the plant will produce abundant blooms and fruit.
Pollination
A Nanking cherry bushis not self-pollinating.
Providing more than two plants will increase the yield and health of the harvest.
If you are planting from cuttings, you will need cuttings from two different plants.
The timing is important as the berries are short-lived on the plant and have a short shelf life.
The fruit is very soft compared to other cherries and is incredibly delicate.
Each mature bush will produce a harvest of 10 to 15 pounds when grown under ideal conditions.
The pit can be removed to prolong its shelf life, and the fruit can be dried or frozen.
Prune dead, damaged, and broken branches yearly.
Pruning out old growth refreshes the bush and allows it to revitalize and produce new, young growth.
Perform this task yearly in the late fall or early winter.
It might produce few flowers and bitter fruit.
For this reason, growing the Nanking cherry from seed is not advisable.
Common Pests & Plant Diseases
The pests that bother the Nanking cherry will not do serious harm.
The insects you are most likely to see arespider mites, cherry aphids, and western cherry fruit fly.
Look for leaf stippling as a sign of spider mites and treat withinsecticidal soapdaily to alleviate the issue.
Cherry aphids can usually be washed off with a strong blast of water.
To control western cherry fruit fly, discreetly hang fly tape to attract the flies for easy disposal.
The two largest disease concerns are coryneum blight and root rot.
Blight can be treated by removing infected branches and leaves and spraying with a copper-based fungicide.
Two distinct Nanking cherry bushes must be planted in the same vicinity to get fruit.
The only state government to consider it invasive is Maryland.
