If you’ve ever dreamed of harvesting cherries at home, it’s easier than you think. With a little patience and know-how, fruiting cherry trees can flourish. Stick around to find out how to get started.
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Types of Fruiting Cherry Trees
Selecting the right cherry tree depends on your climate, available space, and taste preferences. Differences in sweet and sour cherries, recommended varieties, and climate fit are all critical for success.
Sweet Cherry vs. Sour Cherry
You will find two main types of fruiting cherry trees: sweet cherries (Prunus avium) and sour cherries (Prunus cerasus). Sweet cherry trees produce larger fruit that you can eat fresh. The flavor is milder, with high sugar content. These trees are often quite tall, sometimes reaching up to 40 feet.
Sour cherry trees yield smaller fruit with a more tart flavor. Home bakers often prefer sour cherries for pies and preserves. You can usually manage them at a shorter height, around 15 to 20 feet. Sweet cherry trees typically need more than one variety for pollination, while most sour cherry trees are self-pollinating.
Best Varieties for Home Gardens
You will see certain cherry tree varieties perform better for home growers. For sweet cherries, look for ‘Bing’, ‘Stella’, or ‘Lapins’. Sweet varieties can require cross-pollinators, except for self-fertile types like ‘Stella’. Disease resistance and fruit size make these choices reliable for backyards.
Sour cherry types such as ‘Montmorency’ and ‘North Star’ work well in small spaces. ‘Montmorency’ is widely grown for its consistent yields. ‘North Star’ is naturally dwarf, so it fits smaller yards. Always check what is popular for your area to increase your chances of a good harvest.
Choosing Based on Climate and Space
Mild winter regions support sweet cherry trees, as these varieties need warm temperatures but are sensitive to late frosts. If you live somewhere with unpredictable spring weather, sour cherries have better cold tolerance. Their blossoms handle frost better, often resulting in more reliable fruiting.
Your available planting space matters. Standard sweet cherry trees require plenty of room, as they can grow tall and wide. Dwarf rootstocks allow you to manage tree height and fit more trees in a small space. Sour cherries, because of their smaller natural size, work better for limited gardens or urban yards. Always give plenty of sunlight and well-drained soil for any cherry type you choose.
How to Plant a Cherry Tree
Proper planting helps ensure your cherry tree gets off to a healthy start. Pay close attention to timing, placement, soil depth, and watering for strong establishment.
When to Plant
You should plant cherry trees in early spring, once the ground has thawed. This timing lets roots establish before summer heat arrives. In colder regions like the Upper Midwest, early spring or as soon as the soil is workable is best.
Avoid planting in late spring when temperatures rise quickly. Trees planted later may struggle to establish. Bare-root trees do best when planted in spring. Container-grown trees offer more flexibility, but spring is still ideal for most climates.
Early planting helps roots grow before hot, dry weather. Watch local soil conditions and avoid planting into wet or soggy soil. Mild, stable weather during early spring minimizes stress.
Spacing and Depth
Choose a spot with full sun and well-drained soil. Sweet cherry trees need more space than dwarf or sour types. Standard sweet cherries usually need 20 feet between trees. Dwarf types need about 10 to 12 feet. Tart cherries can sit 15 to 18 feet apart.
Dig a hole as deep as the roots but twice as wide. Place the tree so the graft union sits a few inches above ground level. Use the original soil to backfill, breaking up clumps and gently firming as you go.
Avoid planting too deep, which can stunt growth. Proper spacing and depth let roots spread and help prevent disease. Trees crowded together get less sun and airflow, leading to more problems.
Watering After Planting
Right after planting, water the soil deeply. This settles soil around the roots and removes air pockets. Young cherry trees need consistent moisture during the first growing season.
Use enough water so the root zone is moist, but not soggy. About 5 to 10 gallons per tree is usually enough for the initial watering. Check the soil regularly over the next weeks and keep the area damp but not waterlogged.
As the tree grows, reduce watering frequency but make sure roots never dry out completely. Mulch is helpful to retain moisture, but keep it several inches away from the trunk to prevent rot. Proper watering helps roots take hold and gives your cherry tree the best start.
Caring for Cherry Trees
Cherry trees grow best when you follow a steady care routine. Healthy soil, regular pruning, and effective weed control lead to more fruit and stronger growth.
Watering and Fertilizing Schedule
Your cherry trees need steady moisture, especially during their first years. Newly-planted trees should get about one inch of water each week through rainfall or irrigation. Water deeply so that the soil stays moist, but do not saturate it.
Once your trees are established, you still need to water during dry periods. When fruit starts to develop, consistent watering helps the cherries ripen evenly and prevents fruit drop.
Fertilize cherry trees in early spring before bud break. Use a balanced fertilizer such as 10-10-10, but follow package directions to avoid overfeeding. Too much fertilizer pushes leafy growth at the expense of fruit. Skip fertilizer if your trees had good growth the year before.
Pruning for Growth and Shape
Annual pruning allows light and air to reach the inner branches and helps keep trees strong. Prune cherry trees in late winter or very early spring before new growth begins. Remove dead or damaged wood first.
Shape the tree by thinning crowded branches to encourage a healthy, open canopy. Focus on keeping a strong central leader or a modified central leader system. This helps prevent branches from breaking under heavy fruit.
Avoid cutting large limbs unless they are diseased or a hazard. Pruning less severely than with other fruit trees reduces stress and supports healthy fruit production. Always use clean, sharp tools for every cut.
Mulching and Weed Control
Applying mulch around your cherry trees keeps soil cool, conserves water, and stops weed seeds from sprouting. Spread a layer of mulch 2-4 inches deep in a wide ring, but leave space around the trunk to prevent rot.
Pull weeds by hand or use shallow cultivation so you do not damage roots close to the surface. Mulch controls most weeds if you maintain it each season.
Check the area around cherry trees every few weeks. Remove any competing grass or weeds right away. Keeping the ground clear protects the health of your trees and encourages better harvests.
Pollination and Fruit Production
Getting cherries to set fruit depends on both proper pollination and picking the right type of tree. Some cherry varieties need help from bees and other trees to produce fruit, while others can set fruit on their own.
Do You Need More Than One Tree?
If you plant tart cherry trees, you usually only need one for fruit. Most tart cherry types are self-fertile, so their flowers can pollinate each other.
For sweet cherry trees, one tree often is not enough. Many sweet cherry varieties do not produce fruit with their own pollen. These trees need cross-pollination from a different sweet cherry variety. If you only plant one sweet cherry tree, you likely will not get fruit. You must plant at least two compatible varieties nearby, making sure they bloom at the same time.
Honey bees are the main pollinators for both types. Flowers are most often visited by bees in the morning, which helps carry pollen between blossoms. Orchard planning should consider which types can pollinate each other and their distance apart, usually within 100 feet for the best results.
Self-Pollinating vs. Cross-Pollinating Varieties
Tart cherry trees, like Montmorency, can usually set fruit with their own pollen. These self-pollinating types give you more options if you have limited space. You can grow one tree and still get cherries, since the flowers accept pollen from the same variety.
Sweet cherry trees mostly require cross-pollination. This means you must plant a second variety nearby because many sweet cherries are self-incompatible. The two varieties must flower at the same time for bees to transfer pollen.
Choosing the right pair of sweet cherry varieties is important. Check to see which types are compatible before buying trees. If you choose only self-incompatible types without a pollinizer, you will not harvest much fruit. Make sure you know the pollination requirements for your specific cherry variety to ensure good yields.
Protecting Trees from Pests and Disease
Cherry trees face unique threats from insects, wildlife, and several infectious diseases. Effective care demands identification, prevention, and timely treatment to ensure healthy growth and a reliable harvest.
Common Issues to Watch For
Sweet and tart cherry trees attract birds and squirrels, which often damage both fruit and branches. These animals are difficult to exclude because of their climbing and jumping skills. Netting can reduce some damage, especially if you only have a few trees.
Diseases such as bacterial canker, gummosis, Coryneum blight, and cytospora canker hit cherries hard. Fungal issues like leaf spots or blights appear if air movement in the canopy is poor. Insect pests, including peach tree borers, cherry slugs, and bark tortrix, may harm fruit, foliage, bark, or roots.
You should also look for signs of oozing sap or sunken, dead areas on the bark, which may signal cankers or insect activity. Regular monitoring lets you act quickly before problems spread. Pruning for sunlight and airflow can reduce most disease pressure.
Organic and Chemical Control Options
Use tree netting or cages to limit bird and squirrel access, though complete protection may be difficult to achieve. Sticky barriers on trunks can sometimes stop crawling insects but have little effect on flying or burrowing pests. Sanitation, such as cleaning up fallen fruit and pruning, removes overwintering disease and insect sources.
Copper-based sprays help manage bacterial diseases when applied at bud break or just after harvest. Insecticide treatments work for peach tree borers if sprayed on the lower trunk in early July. Apply fungicides from blossom time until harvest to prevent fungal problems.
Organic growers often rely on dormant oil sprays, neem oil, or beneficial insect releases as alternatives. Always follow directions for timing and coverage. Healthy trees are less likely to experience major pest and disease outbreaks.
When and How to Harvest Cherries
Knowing when to pick cherries can make a big difference in taste and storage. Using the right technique protects both the fruit and tree.
Signs of Ripeness
Cherries reach their full flavor and sweetness only on the tree. Wait until cherries turn their deep, mature color for the variety. Sweet cherries should feel firm, have a glossy shine, and taste juicy when sampled. Sour cherries also brighten in color and feel slightly softer when ripe.
Check the fruit for full, uniform coloring and a good flavor before picking a large amount. Green stems that are still flexible signal that the fruit is mature and well-hydrated. If cherries look dull, feel soft, or come off too easily, they may be overripe.
If you harvest too early, cherries will not ripen or sweeten off the tree. For best results, pick when daytime temperatures are mild and the fruit is dry. Wet cherries can spoil more quickly.
Best Harvesting Techniques
Harvest cherries with care to protect both the fruit and the tree. Gently grasp the stem between finger and thumb and pull upwards with a twisting motion. Avoid pulling hard on the fruit or bending branches sharply.
Leave the stem attached to lengthen storage and prevent tearing the skin. If you plan to use cherries immediately, removing stems is okay. Damaged spurs can reduce future harvests, so move slowly around the tree.
Collect fruit in shallow containers to prevent bruising. Once picked, place cherries in the shade and refrigerate soon after harvest. Cherries last longer and taste better if cooled quickly. Handle as little as possible to reduce damage.
