Cherries

Planting

Plant cherries in full sun in well-drained soil. Space trees on Gisela dwarf rootstocks 10 feet apart and allow 12 feet between rows. Semi-dwarf trees should be planted 18 feet apart and 24 feet between rows. Plant with the top of the root mass just at soil level. Make sure that the graft is at least 1 inch above the soil level.

Feeding

Feed cherries in the fall or winter. You can use fertilizer stakes or a good all-purpose fertilizer with a high phosphorus (high middle number – 4-8-4 for example). If lower grade mulches are used like bark or sawdust be sure to add more nitrogen as they deplete nitrogen as they’re broken down.

Pruning

Young cherry trees should be pruned to encourage a favored shape. As they age remove the leader (dominant top-most branch) and the inner branches should be thinned to keep it open. In older trees it is important to remove center sprouts and old fruiting wood. Dwarf trees will need a bit more attention initially to develop scaffold branches. There are entire books dedicated to the subject of pruning, investing a good one can ensure you have strong vigorous trees that will continue to produce heavily for it’s lifetime.

Disease and Pest Control

Cherries often get Blossom Blight, Leaf Spot, Brown Rot or Bacterial Canker. Insects like Scale, Leaf Roller, and Aphids can also affect cherries. For most of these scheduled sprays are required to keep the pest/disease in check.

See a Spray Schedule to best target your efforts.

See a list of Cherry Varieties.

Download a complete information sheet on cherries, including cherry varieties, cherry ripening chart and cherry general reference chart.