Prunus avium 'Merchant' (F)

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  The RHS Award of Garden Merit (AGM) helps gardeners choose the best plants for their garden.
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  RHS Plants for Pollinators plants

  This plant will provide nectar and pollen for bees and the many other types of pollinating insects.

  It is included in an evolving list of plants carefully researched and chosen by RHS experts. Divided into 3 groups these lists, linked below, are maintained by a team of RHS staff and are reviewed annually.

  • Garden Plants
  • Wildflowers
  • Plants of the World

Cultivation

The ideal position for sweet cherries is deep, fertile, well-drained, slightly acid soil in full sun. Cherries are best suited to fan-training so they can be netted against bird damage and the early blossom protected from frosts, though they can also be grown as small, open trees. See sweet cherry cultivation

Propagation

Propagate by chip budding or grafting on clonal rootstock for fruit. Named cultivars will not come true from seed

Suggested planting locations and garden types

• City and courtyard gardens
• Cottage and informal garden
• Patio and container plants
• Wildlife gardens
• Wall side borders

Pruning

Train fan-trained trees in spring. Prune established fans and carry out routine pruning on established cherry trees when harvesting the fruits in summer

Pests

Protect trees from birds that can damage buds and eat fruit. May suffer from cherry blackfly and other aphids, leaf-mining moths, pear and cherry slugworm, winter moth and other caterpillars. Spotted-wing drosophila, a fruit fly, is likely to become an increasing problem

Diseases

May be susceptible to peach leaf curl, silver leaf, bacterial canker, blossom wilt and honey fungus