Japanese Flowering Cherry Trees are also known by the names of some of the varieties such as Kwanzan, Kanzan, and Sekiyama, are flowering trees that originate from Japan as the name implies and produce one of the most amazing, beautiful, and elegant flower blooms by springtime.

In Japan, the cherry blossom tree is a very common tree that can be found in various places like schools, public places like parks and gardens of offices and interestingly, the first day of both school and work in a year usually marks the start of the blooming of the Japanese Flowering Cherry Trees. Numerous varieties of the Japanese cherry trees abound with the most popular and most common one to which most people are accustomed to seeing being the Kanzan Cherry Tree loved for its ability to produce blooms of double flowers by spring which is very amazing.

Other varieties to take note of are the Kiku Shidare Sakura variety, the Hokusai, and the Accolade variety. All of which are way smaller in size compared to Kanzan getting to a height of about 20 to 26 feet (6 to 8 meters) tall, and being cover with the most beautiful flowers by spring.

Planting A Japanese Cherry Tree

The best time to plant this tree is in fall just before the ground starts getting frosted. This will give it enough time to develop roots. The Japanese cherry tree can also be cultivated in winter but it is very risky because there is a high possibility of it getting frozen.

This tree can be planted directly into the soil or into containers or pots which can then be transplanted into the soil by spring and not summer to prevent hot spells. For the first planting year, the tree needs a lot of water regularly as well as full but not the scorching sun and well-drained soil.

Due to the fact that this tree is easily attacked and defeated by pests and diseases, it has a very short life span of 15bto 25 years. But to extend this life span, one has to be really observant and quickly remove any firm of pests noticed and keep the tree well-nourished to avoid it easily getting overpowered by diseases.

Required Growth Parameters For Planting A Japanese Flowering Cherry

To survive and produce its beautiful blooms, The Japanese cherry tree requires the following:

#1. Light

Planting the Japanese Cherry Tree in the full bright sun does it a whole lot of good. This tree requires nothing less than six hours of direct, undisturbed sunlight each day. Although the tree can still manage partial shade a bit, providing this requirement of full and undisturbed sunlight will lead to bountiful blooms when the time arrives.

#2. Soil

This tree does well in whatever kind of soil it is planted in, be it in soils with a pH that is acidic or alkaline, or loamy soil, sandy soil, or clay soil. But what it does love or require is adequate moisture for whatever soil type is being used. Mulch can be added to the topmost part of the soil to retain moisture and keep it insulated in the colder season.

#3. Water

This tree requires adequate moisture which means water should be added regularly. And although it can tolerate drought to some extent, this must not be extreme. If rainfall is not available, water can be supplied to this plant through irrigation.

#4. Temperature

The mature Japanese Flowering Cherry Trees have the ability to adapt to both heat and humidity. In fact, alk varieties of the Japanese cherry tree are very hardy to the cold and freezing, since they hold to temperatures as low as 5° to -4°F (-15 to -20°C).

#5. Fertilizer Application

Fertilize this tree only once every year and this must be carried out in spring. Fertilizers made especially for cherry trees are available and this is what must be used.

#6. Pruning

Pruning a Japanese Flowering Cherry tree is done majorly to remove dead and damaged branches. Pruning before blooming should never be done because it will lead to fewer amounts of flowers produced, rather pruning after blooming is the best. Pruning does not have to be done all the time except occasionally when this deadwood is observed.

Caution needs to be exercised when pruning. This is because if this is done carelessly or dirty and infected tools are used, the freshly cut bark of the tree could become infected as well by plant diseases, this tree is very fragile and vulnerable to many diseases.

To avoid the occurrence of disease after pruning, the following must be strictly adhered to:

• All pruning tools must be disinfected with 90 percent alcohol or any other antiseptic before pruning.
• The tools must also be disinfected between each cut.
• And then the wounds from cutting should be clotted or covered with pruning paste.

#7. Pests

The Japanese Cherry Tree harbors some pests such as the peachtree borers and other smaller pests as scale insects, spider mites, and aphids. These smaller pests can be removed from the leaves with a strong spray from your garden hose. Tent caterpillars will eat the leaves, so remove their silky nests as soon as you spot them before much damage can be done.

The issue of pests has made the cherry tree one of the trees that has the shortest life span ever. They are easily overcome by pests. But these can be conquered by regular watering nutrients deep into the soil and feeding with organic fertilizer.

#8. Diseases Management

Bark-splitting is a condition in which large cracks begin to surface in the trunk of this tree. This crack can be an entryway for diseases and insects to attack this tree. And since the tree is very fragile, it gets weakened easily and decays. To solve this issue, a knife should be used to trace the split just outside the split in the trunk, and then remove the bark from inside the traced area.