To start growing cherries, choose which varieties to grow (popular choices include Bing, Rainier, Lapins, and Montmorency). Dig a wide hole in a sunny spot, and place the tree so the graft union is above soil level. Water thoroughly and then apply an organic mulch on top of the soil.
Prune in late winter to shape the tree and remove dead branches. In poor soil, use a balanced fertilizer in early spring. Watch for pests and diseases. Harvest cherries when they are fully colored.
Cherry growing basics
Start by selecting cherry varieties suited to your climate and personal preferences. Sweet cherries like Bing and Lapins are great for fresh eating, while sour cherries like Montmorency are perfect for baking and preserving. Check if the varieties require cross-pollination (like Bing) or are self-fertile (like Lapins).
Cherries need full sun and well-drained soil. Choose a spot in your garden that gets at least 6-8 hours of sunlight daily. If your soil is heavy clay or tends to be waterlogged, consider amending the soil with organic matter to improve drainage.
Plant your cherry trees in early spring or in the fall if possible. Dig a hole twice as wide and just as deep as the root ball. Place the tree in the hole, spreading out the roots. Ensure the graft union (lump on the trunk near the base) is a few inches above the soil line. Fill the hole with soil, gently firming it around the roots.
Water the tree very well after planting. Keep the soil evenly moist, especially during the first year after planting. Apply a 2-inch layer of mulch around the base of the tree to retain moisture, regulate soil temperature, and suppress weeds. Keep the mulch a few inches away from the trunk to prevent rot.
Prune your cherry tree in late winter or early spring to remove dead or diseased branches and to shape the tree. Pruning helps improve air circulation and light penetration, which reduces the risk of disease.
Keep an eye out for common pests like aphids and cherry fruit flies, and pathogens such as powdery mildew and bacterial canker. Use natural controls as needed and maintain good garden hygiene by removing fallen leaves and fruit. Netting can protect the fruit from birds.
Cherries are ready to harvest when they are fully colored and taste sweet. For sweet cherries, this is usually in late spring to early summer, while sour cherries ripen a bit later. Pick cherries with the stem attached to prolong their shelf life.
Cherry varieties to consider
There are two main categories of cherries: sweet and sour. Sweet cherries are most often enjoyed fresh, while sour cherries are better suited for culinary uses due to their tartness and softer texture.
Choose sweet or sour cherry varieties based on your needs. Sweet cherries are best for fresh eating, while sour cherries are better for baking and cooking. Sweet cherries like Bing, Chelan, Royal Ann, and Tieton have different ripening times.
Sweet cherries often need cross-pollination. Common varieties like Bing, Lambert, and Royal Ann do not pollinate each other, so you need a variety like Corum or Van to pollinate them. Some sweet cherry varieties such as Lapins, Skeena, Sweetheart, and Sandra Rose are self-fruitful and do not require a pollinizer.
Most cherry trees in Western North America are grown on Mazzard rootstocks, which perform well in poor soils. Dwarfing rootstocks like Gisela 5, Gisela 6, and Gisela 12 produce smaller trees and are suitable for home orchards. These rootstocks also improve disease resistance and early fruiting.
Sweet cherry varieties
Sweet cherries, such as Bing, Lapins, and Rainier, are favored for their sweet and juicy flavor, which comes from their high sugar content. They are typically larger, firmer, and range in color from deep red to yellow with a rosy blush.
Sweet cherries are best enjoyed fresh, used in salads, or included in desserts. While some sweet cherry varieties require cross-pollination, like Bing and Rainier, others like Lapins and Stella are self-fertile.
Bing cherries are a top choice for home growers due to their excellent, sweet flavor. They have a dark red color and large size, with a firm texture and round shape. However, they require a pollinator, such as Black Tartarian, Royal Ann, or Lambert, to produce fruit.
Lapins cherries are known for their excellent, sweet flavor. They are dark red, large, and have a firm texture with a round shape. They are self-fertile, making them an easier option (especially if you only want one tree).
Rainier cherries are celebrated for their outstanding, sweet flavor and attractive yellow color with a rosy blush. Medium in size, they have a firm texture and oval shape. Rainier cherries require pollination from a partner tree such as Black Republican, Sylvia, or Hudson.
Stella cherries offer a good, sweet flavor with a striking black color. They are large, firm, and heart-shaped. Stella cherries are self-fertile and serve as a good pollen source for other varieties.
Sweetheart cherries are prized for their great, sweet flavor and bright red color. They are large with a firm texture and are heart-shaped. These cherries are also self-fertile.
Sour cherry varieties
Sour cherries, like Montmorency and North Star, are known for their tart and tangy flavor due to their lower sugar and higher acidity levels. They are usually smaller and softer than sweet cherries, with bright red skin.
Sour cherries are ideal for cooking and baking, making them perfect for pies, jams, sauces, and preserves where added sugar can balance their acidity. Most sour cherry varieties are self-fertile, making them easier to grow for home gardeners.
Montmorency cherries are a top choice for their excellent, tart flavor. They are red, medium-sized, and have a tender texture with a round shape. Montmorency cherries are self-fertile.
North Star cherries also have good, tart flavor. These cherries are red, medium-sized, and tender with a round shape. And like Montmorency, North Star cherries are self-fertile.
Balaton cherries are appreciated for their excellent, tart flavor and dark red color. They are large, firm, and round. These cherries are also self-fertile.
Danube cherries offer an excellent, tart flavor with a dark red color. They are large, firm, and round, and they are self-fertile.
Summary of cherry varieties
Table 1: Popular cherry tree cultivars:
| Cultivar | Type | Flavor | Color | Size | Texture | Shape | Pollination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bing | Sweet | Excellent | Dark red | Large | Firm | Round | Requires pollination |
| Lapins | Sweet | Excellent | Dark red | Large | Firm | Round | Self fertile |
| Rainier | Sweet | Excellent | Yellow with rosy blush | Medium | Firm | Oval | Requires pollination |
| Skeena | Sweet | Very good | Dark red | Large | Firm | Round | Self fertile |
| Stella | Sweet | Good | Black | Large | Firm | Heart | Self fertile |
| Sweetheart | Sweet | Very good | Bright red | Large | Firm | Heart | Self fertile |
| Sylvia | Sweet | Good | Dark red | Medium | Firm | Heart | Requires pollination |
| Tieton | Sweet | Very good | Dark red | Large | Firm | Round | Requires pollination |
| Van | Sweet | Excellent | Dark red | Large | Firm | Round | Self fertile |
| Balaton | Sour | Excellent | Dark red | Large | Firm | Round | Self fertile |
| Danube | Sour | Excellent | Dark red | Large | Firm | Round | Self fertile |
| Montmorency | Sour | Excellent | Red | Medium | Tender | Round | Self fertile |
| North Star | Sour | Good | Red | Medium | Tender | Round | Self fertile |
Cherry tree pollination
While many cherry tree cultivars are self-fertile, there are some that do require a pollinator partner to set fruit. A single tree of a self-fertile variety (Lapins, Stella, Van, most sour cherries) can set fruit even if there are no other cherry trees for miles. But other varieties need a nearby tree of a different variety – that flowers at roughly the same time each spring.
Here are some commonly-used pollinator partners for the trees listed above that require a pollinator partner tree.
Pollinator cultivars for ‘Bing’ cherry trees
- Black Tartarian
- Lambert
- Royal Ann
- Stella
Pollinator cultivars for ‘Rainer’ cherry trees
- Black Republican
- Hudson
- Sam
- Sylvia
Pollinator cultivars for ‘Sylvia’ cherry trees
- Hudson
- Rainier
- Stella
- Van
Pollinator cultivars for ‘Tieton’ cherry trees
- Bing
- Burlat
- Celan
- Royal Ann
Unless your next-door neighbor has an appropriate pollinator partner, plan on planting two different trees if you’re expecting a decent crop down the road.
How to plant a cherry tree
Plant cherry trees in deep, well-drained soil with at least 4 feet of soil above any impenetrable layer. Ensure full sun exposure. Space trees adequately, considering their rootstock and growth potential. Dwarf trees can be planted closer together.
Roughen the sides of the planting hole to prevent roots from becoming “pot-bound.” Keep the graft union above ground to maintain the dwarfing effect of the rootstock.
Prune cherry trees during the dormant season to shape them and remove any dead or diseased wood. Sweet cherry trees can be pruned in August to reduce the risk of bacterial infection.
Water young trees regularly and deeply to encourage deep root development. Mature trees need deep soaking every 7 to 15 days during the growing season. Avoid over-watering or letting water contact the foliage and trunk to prevent diseases.
Pruning and caring for your cherry tree
Some varieties of cherry trees need pruning to produce good crops. Prune trees with scissors or a sharp hand saw in the early spring before they bloom, which is usually after March 1. Wait until the growth has hardened off before pruning.
Inspect the tree and remove any sucker growth, crossing branches, dead wood, and branches close to the ground. The University of Minnesota has further tips on caring for your cherry trees through the seasons.
Cherry tree pests
Cherry fruit flies are a serious pest. Use traps, cover sprays, and a complete (tidy) harvest to manage them. Monitor for signs of infestation and apply treatments as needed.
Cherry fruit flies and mites are the insects that most affect cherries. In May, cherry fruit flies will lay their eggs on budding cherries. Damaged fruit will appear shriveled once matured and occasionally have a few cream-colored maggots within.
Damage caused by cherry fruit flies varies from year to year. Instead of attempting preventive control, it is more practical to endure some damage and the loss of edible fruit. spray the tree with a labeled organic insecticide to prevent larvae from developing. Do this when the adults appear before the females deposit their eggs inside the young fruit.
Early in May, keep an eye on fruit flies by hanging yellow sticky traps from the tree. After catching the first flies, check the traps daily. Spray until no more flies are visible. Look for organic home orchard sprays and other insecticides.
Cherries are a favorite food of birds. Give the fruit to the birds or drape plastic netting over the trees. To keep birds from entering from below, fasten the netting to the ground or tree trunk. If netting is not an option, hang aluminum pie tins or balloons from the tree to deter most birds.
Cherry tree diseases
Cherry leaf spot, caused by a fungus called Blumeriella jaapii, is the most prevalent disease. Round, light brown spots appear on the fruit, eventually rotting the cherry. Practice adequate disease management through good cleanliness. Remove fallen leaves and any mummified fruit.
Harvesting cherries from your own tree
Pick cherries with a sour or acidic flavor when they are juicy, tender, and full of flavor. Harvest sweet cherries once they have reached the ideal size, have consistent color, and have flavor.
Harvest cherries when they are ripe, indicated by their color change. Harvest cherries with stems attached to preserve quality.
Handle cherries gently to avoid bruising, and store them in cool conditions immediately after picking to prolong freshness. Keep cherries in the refrigerator at 32 to 35 degrees Fahrenheit in perforated plastic bags.
Longevity of cherry trees in the landscape
Cherry trees often have a short life span, especially in unfavorable locations. Rarely do sweet cherries live longer than 15 years and remain healthy and fruitful. Cherries that are sour/tart can live for 20 to 25 years. That said, there are very old cherry orchards in the countryside that still produce fruit.
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