Growing a Cherry Tree

A cherry is a small, sweet or tart, edible stone fruit produced by a cherry tree. Cherry trees originated in Asia minor, near the Black Sea, and were spread to Greece and China via animal droppings. Since then cherries have been cultivated by humans for centuries in many forms both edible and ornamental.

There are over 600 varieties of cherries so picking the right one for your area intended use is important. Edible cherries are usually divided into two groups: Sweet cherries (Prunus avium) or sour cherries (Prunus cerasus). Sweet cherries are typically favored for fresh eating and drying, while sour cherries are superior for cooking, baking, and canning.

Choosing a Variety

Type

Sweet Cherries

Sweet cherries are the most popular form of cherries, prized for their large size, crisp texture, and sweet flavor. Sweet cherries are meant to be eaten fresh, but are also good for drying. Additionally sweet cherries have a longer shelf life than other cherries, making them a regular feature at markets and fruit stands.

Pie Cherries

Pie cherries, also called sour or tart cherries, are not very good eaten fresh, but are excellent when cooked. As the cherries are heated the sour flavors break down and the sugars develop and concentrate, resulting in a powerful sweet-tart cherry flavor that can't be beat! Pie cherries are usually much softer than sweet cherries and do not have a long shelf life, and aren't often seen in stores, making them that much more coveted by baking enthusiasts!

Ornamental Cherries

Ornamental cherries, of which there are many varieties, have special significance in many countries around the world. In Japan cherry blossoms are a symbol of renewal and new life so are highly prized in landscape plantings. Cherry blossoms are also edible and ornamental cherries are featured in some cuisines as a seasonal ingredient that is available for only a short period.

Size

The size of your cherry tree will depend on both the variety and rootstock that is grafted onto. Most modern sweet cherries are grafted on on commercial Gisela rootstocks. These faster growing and heavier bearing rootstocks are very popular with home growers for easy of care and harvest. Gisela 5 stocks can be maintained at 10' to 12‘ tall and wide. Gisela 3 rootstocks can be maintained at 8' - 10’ tall and wide. It should be noted that tart cherries are generally less vigorous than the sweet cherries and can be managed a couple feet shorter and smaller than sweet cherries on the same rootstock.

Pollination

Cherries vary in their pollination need. Some cherries are self-fertile, while others are not self-fertile and require a different variety as a pollinizer to produce fruit. In general, unless you have exclusively self-fertile cultivars, you will need another variety of the same type to pollinate your cherries. Sweet cherries pollinate other sweet cherries, while pie cherries pollinate other pie cherries.

Sweet cherries and pie cherries do not usually bloom at the same time so are not good pollinizers for each other.

As with most fruit tree, cherries are insect pollinated and benefit from mason bees, bumble bees, and honey bees in addition to native pollinators. When planting your cherry trees make sure that pollinizers are planted no further than pollinators will fly, with no line of sight obstruction, to ensure proper cross-pollination. Distance varies with different pollinators, but within 100’ should be a good average distance.

Ripening Time

Cherry fruits ripen early to mid-summer, depending on variety. Choosing sweet cherry cultivars from different ripening times can extend your fresh eating cherry picking season. Choosing pie cherry cultivars that ripen at the same time will ensure you have a large enough harvest to bake pies and make syrups or other goods. Below is a list of common cherries we carry and their ripening order.

USDA Hardiness Zone

Unless otherwise listed, cherry trees are hardy to USDA zones 5-9, unless otherwise noted, making it possible to grow them all over the United States! The USDA zone rating tells you the minimum winter temperature at which the plants typically survive when properly hardened off. On the USDA website you will find a USDA Hardiness Map which provides information on the average minimum winter temperature in your location, by zip code.

It should be understood that a USDA zone only refers to winter low temperatures and not the overall growing conditions for your area, such as rainfall, summertime temperatures, season length, soil quality, or any other factors that go into successfully growing your blueberries.

Chill Hours

To regulate hormones and produce healthy flowers and fruits all plants must undergo a period of dormancy. Dormancy, which is like a kind of sleep for plants, is triggered by what we call "chill hours" or "chilling hours" - a period of time where the temperature is between 32 and 45 degrees Fahrenheit. Different varieties of plums will require different amounts of chill hours, with cultivars requiring less than 600 hours being considered "low-chill".

Sweet cherries typically have standard to high chill hour requirements at 700-1100+ for most varieties with a few exceptions.

Sour cherries typically have high chill hour requirements, with many varieties requiring 1200+ chill hours.

If you have questions about the chill hours in your area contact your local Agriculture Extension Office to find out!

Where to Plant Your Tree

Cherry trees need to be planted where they receive at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight as measured in early summer (late June to early August). Sufficient sun exposure triggers the initiation of new flower buds for the next growing season, without which there will be no fruit. Fruit ripening and flavor development are also benefited by the carbohydrate production stimulated by the sun, as well as it’s heat.

Cherry trees require a well-drained sandy loam soil at a pH of 6.5. Due to modern rootstocks and a vulnerability to root rot, cherries should not be planted in heavy clay or otherwise poorly draining soils. Improve your soil where you intend to plant by mixing an inch or two of plant based organic matter, peat, or coconut coir into an area 2 times the diameter of the planting hole and up to a foot deep. A 2-4” deep layer of mulch (straw, leaves, or wood chips) applied after planting will continue to improve the soil and maintain moisture.

Allow sufficient space for both the top of the cherry tree and it’s root system when selecting the planting location. Refer to size descriptions for each variety, keeping in mind these are generally managed or pruned sizes, not maximum potential sizes. If you are planting an orchard be sure to include enough space between rows for transporting your supplies in and your fruit out.

Growing in Containers

A combination of modern rootstocks and naturally dwarfing varieties makes growing cherry trees in containers a possibility! Mini-dwarfing rootstocks, such as Gisela 3 and Newroot, will allow you to grow most cherries in a large container. A 22-27 gallon container, such as a half wine barrel, are suggested as the minimum size for growing a cherry tree in a container.

As with any potted plant you will need to provide supplemental water more regularly than for a plant that is planted in the ground. Pots are hotter and drying environments than soil and so your plant will require more attention than it might otherwise. Additionally we suggest that you do not use soil from your garden in the pot, instead use a potting soil mix with some added compost to help with moisture retention and improve available nutrition.

Care and Maintenance

Watering Your Tree

This is the most important and often the most difficult part of successfully growing plants. There are many factors, including the humidity, temperature, soil type, wind, and amount of direct sun that affect how much and how often water should be applied.

A general rule of thumb for plants in the ground is to ensure they receive an inch of water per week over the root zone. An inch of water is equivalent to about ¾ to one gallon per square foot of soil surface area. The typical three foot diameter planting hole would need 7 ½ to 10 gallons of water per week provided by rainfall or by the gardener.

Apply this water once a week, two times per week if soil is fast draining. This will of course depend on your own conditions and the plants you are growing! DO NOT water lightly each day because this results in a wet surface and dry root zone area. The soil should be moist but not soggy to a depth of about a foot for most growing plants. The top inch or two can feel dry, and the plant still be well watered. The trick is to have the water available where the roots are. In hotter and sunnier areas, a mulch of straw, bark, etc. can greatly ease the burden of summer watering. For plants in containers, water until the soil is saturated and water comes out of the drainage holes. Let the container dry until the soil is dry to the touch 1-2 inches down and the container is lighter in weight. A plant that has wilted can be receiving either too much or too little water.

In rainy areas, like the Pacific Northwest, most of the plants that we offer will need relatively little supplemental irrigation ONCE THEY ARE WELL ESTABLISHED in the ground and have had a chance to develop a good root system. However even here it is important to make sure plants have regular, deep watering during the first couple of growing seasons, and the first summer is especially critical. In drier areas, permanent irrigation is essential. Remember that you don’t want your trees to just survive, but rather to thrive. Make sure they get the water they need.

One method is through drip irrigation. We use half- inch flexible plastic pipe with punch-in emitters for trees in the ground. For each young tree, we use two emitters, spaced one foot from the trunk. The pipe can be put on the ground, under the ground with risers, or tied loosely from the trees. We use emitters that drip one gallon per hour. There are many different styles of drip systems, some controlled by timers and others by hand. Or, each tree can be watered with a hose deeply about once a week. Sandy soils will need more frequent watering than clay soils. For smaller plants, like strawberries or raspberries, soaker hoses work very well.

Fertilization

For good steady growth and high productivity, your blueberries need to have adequate amounts of various mineral nutrients. Many people are fortunate and have naturally rich fertile soils with the neutral to acidic pH that fruit trees need to thrive. Some soils are deficient in some nutrient or another and use of fertilizers, organic or chemical, can be highly beneficial if you want your bushes to grow well.

For fruit trees you will want to use a balanced fertilizer containing nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorous with a neutral pH. A couple of inches of wood chip mulch is also recommended as it will not only conserve moisture and help in weed control, but also keeps your soil healthy by building up humus and maintaining an acidic pH for your blueberries to grow strong and healthy.

Injury occurs during pattern of warm days followed by freezing nights. Sap gets stuck in trunk, freezes, then rapidly thaws in the warm sun the next day, rupturing cells.