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How to Grow Cherries: The Complete Guide

Cherries are much better picked off a branch at home than from the supermarket.

Botanical Name
Prunus avium (Sweet Cherries), Prunus cerasus (Sour Cherries)
Grown as
Perennial
USDA Zones
4a
4b
5a
5b
6a
6b
7a
7b
Toxicity
Toxic to Dogs and Cats
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Water Needs
High
Height
10–20 feet
Spread
6-10 feet
Soil pH
Neutral
Bloom Time
Summer
Flower Color
Pink
White
Special Features
Container-Friendly
Fall Color
Winter Interest
Attracts Pollinators
Attracts Songbirds
Resilience
Cold Hardy
Plant Type
Fruit
Written By: Catherine Boeckmann Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

Cherry trees are gorgeous all year long, from their spring blossoms to their luscious fruit in midsummer. 

Learn how to grow and harvest both sweet and tart cherries. Also, be sure to protect your cherries from bird damage!

  • Sweet cherries are the variety most often found in markets. They have a thick, rich, and almost plum-like texture. Sweet cherries grow in hardiness Zones 5 to 7; they are self-sterile and best for an orchard or a large garden. You’ll need at least two or three trees, as they’ll need to pollinate each other. If space is limited, consider the dwarf self-pollinating cultivar ‘Stella’.
  • Sour cherries are not usually eaten raw, but are widely used for preserves and other cooking uses. Sour cherries are much smaller than sweet cherries and all varieties are self-fertile. They grow in Zones 4 to 6.

Cherry trees generally start bearing fruit in their fourth year; dwarf trees bear fruit a year earlier. One mature, standard-size tart or sweet cherry tree will produce 30 to 50 quarts of cherries each year; a dwarf tree, about 10 to 15 quarts.

Plant cherry trees in early spring or late fall (when the ground is soft and has a higher moisture content) in a sunny site with good air circulation and deep, well-drained soil. Apply mulch and water well. After flowering in a fruiting year, you’ll need to drape trees with wildlife-safe netting to protect the fruit from birds.

Planting

Plant cherry trees in a sunny site with good air circulation; avoid planting near larger trees or buildings that will shade the cherries. Ideally, cherry trees should get at least 6 hours of sunlight each day.

Cherry trees do best in deep, well-draining soil that has a pH of 6.0-7.0.

Space sweet cherries 35 to 40 feet apart; dwarfs, 5 to 10 feet apart. Space tart cherries 20 to 25 feet apart; dwarfs, 8 to 10 feet apart.

When to Plant Cherry Trees

  • Plant cherries in the late fall or early spring (when the ground is soft and has a higher moisture content).
  • When selecting sweet cherries, make sure the different varieties will pollinate each other.

How to Plant Cherry Trees

  • Trees on standard rootstock should be planted with the graft union a few inches below the soil level. Trees on dwarf rootstock should be planted with the graft union several inches above the soil level, which will prevent the graft from growing its own roots and bypassing the rootstock.
  • When planting fan-trained trees, construct the necessary supports before planting. Plant fans only 12 to 15 feet apart.
  • For bareroot trees, place the rootstock on a small mound of soil in the center of the planting hole, and spread the roots down and away, trying not to bend the roots. Backfill with soil.
  • For container-grown trees, first remove the rootball and set the tree on its side; cut through any pot-bound or encircled roots with shears. Don’t cover the top of the root-ball.

Check out this video to learn more about how to plant a bare–root fruit tree:

Growing

  • There is no difference in care between sour and sweet cherries.
  • Apply mulch around the tree to retain moisture, but leave several inches of bare earth around the trunk.
  • Drape netting over trees to protect the fruit from birds.
  • Water routinely in dry areas.
  • Thinning the fruit is not necessary for cherry trees, as they typically thin naturally in early summer.
  • Prune trees every year in late winter to encourage the growth of new fruiting wood. Don’t prune in the fall.
  • Fertilize early in spring with a low-nitrogen fertilizer (such as 5-10-10) a few weeks before trees start to flower, then fertilize as necessary (check soil fertility by testing the soil) until cherries are harvested. Do not fertilize after mid-summer, as new growth needs time to harden off before fall and winter.

Harvesting

  • Pick fruits only when FULLY ripe (dark red, black, yellow); the sugar content rises the few days before fully ripened.
  • Be ready to harvest within a week’s time. Eat or cook immediately.
  • Pick fruits when firm if they are to be frozen.
  • Be sure top pick with the cherry stem so you do not tear into the fruit, however, take care to lead the fruit spur to produce fruit next year.
  • Hand-picking may injure the shoots and cause infection; cut the stalks with scissors.
  • Remember that cherry trees do not typically bear fruit until their fourth year. Thereafter, they should produce about 30 to 50 quarts of cherries each year.

Pests and Problems

Birds are common pests, especially with sweet cherries (versus tarts). To avoid bird damage, you can drap nylon mesh netting over dwarf trees, but it’s difficult to cover the larger standard-size sweet cherry tree. Distracting objects such as pie pans can help, but birds can get used to them. 

Another solution is to grow a fruit tree nearby that will ripen before and during the cherry season, such as mulberry trees. (Avoid planting ‘Illinois Everbearing’ mulberry which ripens too late.)

Learn more about keeping birds out of the garden.

Other pests that attack cherries include fruit flies, apple maggots, peach tree borers, and caterpillars (specifically the larvae of the plum curculio). Ask your local garden center about approved sprays.

Brown rot and cherry leaf spot affect both tart and sweet cherries. Black knot and powdery mildew are potential problems for some areas.

Types

Sweet Cherries

  • Early - ‘Black Tartarian’
  • Midseason - ‘Bing’
  • Late - ‘Stella’

Sour Cherries

  • Early - ‘Early Richmond’
  • Midseason - ‘Montmorency’
  • Late - ‘Meteor’

Wit and Wisdom

A cherry year, a merry year.

There is a famous myth that President George Washington cut down a cherry tree and then admitted his wrongdoing to his father. This myth was invented by a biographer of President Washington, who hoped to display his honesty. We still think it’s a great idea to commemorate President’s Day with a delicious cherry pie recipe!

Fruit

About The Author

Catherine Boeckmann

Catherine Boeckmann

Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

Catherine Boeckmann loves nature, stargazing, and gardening so it’s not surprising that she and The Old Farmer’s Almanac found each other. She leads digital content for the Almanac website, and is also a certified master gardener in the state of Indiana.

Read more from Catherine Boeckmann

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Comments

<span>Vernae Floyd</span> Thu, 02/11/2016 - 19:15
I want to purchase a dwarf stellar cherry tree. Will it grow in the US Virgin Islands? Can I grow it in a large container
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Sat, 02/13/2016 - 07:30

The Dwarf Stellar Cherry Tree grows in Plant Hardiness Zones 5 to 9.  Your zone would be more tropical and best suit tropical trees. That said, we've never grown this plant in the U.S. Virgin Islands so we would suggest you check with a local garden nursery! 

 <span>Peter Liu</span> Thu, 12/24/2015 - 18:45
I had two Rainier trees for many years. I just learned 2 years ago that I need another type for cross pollination. I did that but the fruits from the two trees were too small although they have the color of Rainier cherries. The ph value of the soil was measured to be 6.5. I would like to seek your advice to improve the size of the cherries. Regards, Peter Liu
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Mon, 01/04/2016 - 09:44

Hi, Peter: This is tough to answer without knowing what your cross-pollinator is and where you are, but certainly a pH of 6.5 should be fine. Do some research and make sure that you have a cross-pollinator that works well with Rainier (Bing is a good one). Make sure that you are pruning/trimming the trees (in late summer) such that you are encouraging one main trunk stock with fruiting branches coming off it, rather than allowing larger branches to develop. Mulch your trees with 1 inch of 50/50 garden compost and well-rotted manure, refreshing this each spring. The other thing is to fertilize your trees in late summer with 1 to 2 pounds per tree of 10-10-10 fertilizer scratched into the mulch and watered well. That's it, though: Overfertilizing is as bad as under-. Good luck!

 <span>Dw</span> Mon, 12/21/2015 - 11:46
Dear reader, May I plant cherry seeds to grow the trees? How and when, may I ask? Thank you.
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Tue, 12/22/2015 - 09:39

You can grow a cherry tree from a pit however it will take 7 to 10 years to grow. Also, you can't use the cherries from grocery stores because they are stored in a way that makes them unreliable. You need to go to a farmers market or use cherries from a tree growing in your area.

It's really best to buy a 1-year-old tree from a fruit tree nursery for a good start. Grafting your seedling onto an already mature tree could also reduce the waiting time, but note that the seedling you grow will not be the same cherry as the "parent." This is another reason why it's better to research the variety of cherries that you like and then mail order a small tree. 

 <span>Alwyn K Gracias</span> Tue, 12/15/2015 - 09:14
i got three barbados cherry trees potted in pots. all three plants bear flowers but do not produce fruits. can you tell me how to make them bear fruits
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Thu, 12/17/2015 - 16:17

Pollination may be the problem. You need to make sure that the pots are in an area where insects can pollinate them. You can read more about caring for the cherry trees.

 

 <span>Mieke</span> Fri, 10/23/2015 - 09:04
Have you ever heard of a Florence or Multi Cherry variety? I want their scientific names.
<span>Andrea</span> Wed, 10/14/2015 - 10:19
I need help on when to prune my Rainier cherry tree? I read in winter then I read if sweet end of summer is October to late or to early?