Hi everyone, hope there is someone with all the answers I need - so here goes!
This spring I am hoping to plant 1 each of a Stella cherry tree and a Van cherry tree. I originally wanted a Bing instead of the Van but have been warned away from it due to our harsh winters (Ottawa, ON). The plan is to plant them on the north side of the house, well away from the shade the house throws, and within 2 years a cedar hedge on the North side of the cherries (over 15 feet away from them). South of the cherries are perennial beds (5 feet away) and lined up with 2 crab apple trees. The soil is somewhat loamy, I plan to amend it, but there can be large plates of broken rock below the first foot or 2 of soil, that's a junk shoot.
Here are the major questions:
~being zoned 5a, will cherries survive/produce here?
~are the cedars/perennials/crab apples too aggressive of feeders for cherries?
~is there something I can do to ensure life past our winters?
Any and all advice is deeply appreciated so don't be shy! I can't think of any other pertinent information so let me know what I missed.
Thanks in advance and happy surfing!