How to grow cherry trees successfully?
Written by
Michael Sullivan
Reviewed by
Prof. Martin Thorne, Ph.D.Knowing how to grow a cherry tree proceeds with selecting a method. You'll need to simulate winter's freezing and thawing with seeds by putting them in damp vermiculite for 10 weeks of cold stratification. Saplings bypass this process, but you'll need to find the right orientation of the rootstock. In my experience saplings are the best option for impatient gardeners; you'll see fruit in 3-5 years!
Soil Preparation
- Test pH levels (6.0-7.0) annually with a $10 kit.
- Mix 30% compost into sandy or clay-heavy soil.
- Ensure drainage by checking water absorption (2+ inches/hour).
Sunlight and Spacing
- Plant in full sun (6+ hours daily).
- Space standard trees 35-40 feet apart.
- Dwarf varieties need 8-10 feet between them.
You can prune in late winter to remove dead wood and shape the canopy. Use sanitized shears to avoid spreading disease. After I had my first pruning mistake with my fruit trees getting fungal infections, I started dipping tools in 70% alcohol between cuts. Thin the branches to allow sunlight to penetrate.
For saplings, water them 5-7 gallons twice a week. For a mature tree, it is approximately 10-15 gallons every 7-10 days. You might think it is hard to overwater a tree, but overwatering is the biggest cause of rot. Yellow leaves are a sign of too much water. Be sure to put UV-resistant bird netting on before the fruit ripens. To keep aphids away naturally, I plant marigolds with my cherries.
Record the major growth milestones. You can journal the date of bloom or even when pest problems arise with the yield. The photos in the journal can be a source of your observations and patterns, such as squirrels or other critters targeting the specific unprotected trunk. Share your observations with local gardening groups; they might have the answers to solve a problem that you've been fighting for a couple of seasons.
Read the full article: How to Grow Cherry Trees From Seed or Sapling
