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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>Brian Short</span> Mon, 06/19/2017 - 22:30
Hi there, I live in Central Alberta and noticed some unusual cherry trees for sale at our local Home Depot. Stella and Royal Ann. I thought these were way out of our league of zones here? Is it possible to grow these here when we're are zone 3? I do however currently grow pears, apricots, grapes, sour cherries, and kiwis but I'm not sure if they would survive or be worth the effort of planting. They do come with a full year warranty but I'm scared I will just be digging up two dead trees come next spring...Also if I tried are these self fertile or would they fertilize each other? Thanks for your time and help! Just very cool to see sweet cherry trees in Alberta! Intriguing!
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Wed, 06/21/2017 - 14:06

Far be it from us to tell you that you could not grow anything! You have more success than a lot of people in prime growing areas! Now, about your question: So far as we can tell Prunus avium 'Stella' is dwarf to semi-dwarf (height estimates range from 7 feet to about 15 feet), hardy in Canada to zone 5—although one US vendor says it's hardy to US zone 4 (the north central area), so it might do ok in your area. Stella is also a "universal" pollen source, bless her heart.

We are getting less information about Royal Ann (aka Napoleon): In the US it is hardy to zone 5 (–10 to –20°F) and/or it requires 700 chilling hours below 45°F. Finally! Canadian nurser GreenBarnNursery says Napoleon is hardy to Zone 4 (–30°C).

Every source suggests that both fruits are mouth-wateringly delicious. So it might be worth a try...! And if you get a crop, send us a few! ;-)

 <span>Claudette Mcdermott</span> Mon, 06/12/2017 - 20:13
I recently purchased a Sweet Cherry Tree, Bing. I've planted it in a half Wine Barrel and it's about 5-6 feet tall. I intend to transplant it once it's necessary and just found out I need another in order for it to have fruit. Do they need to be the same age in order to pollinate? How far apart should they be planted? How can I tell how old it is since it will take 4+ years to have fruit? Thanks!
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Tue, 06/13/2017 - 15:44

Hi Claudette,

In order for your Bing cherry tree to produce fruit, you will need another variety of sweet cherry to cross-pollinate. There are some varieties that are incompatible with Bing cherries, such as Lambert, Royal Ann, Star, and Emperor Francis. Look for varieties that self-pollinate, or that are strong pollination matches with Bing, which include Sam, Rainier, Van, and BlackGold. Plant the trees within 100 feet of each other to ensure they cross-pollinate. As for the tree age, it's hard to tell. Try and get one of similar size to the tree you have. Good luck!

 <span>Katy</span> Wed, 06/07/2017 - 14:41
i live in so cal have a sweet cherry tree that had many blossoms then they dried and fell off the tree. the result was no fruit . i didnt fertilize this year. the tree is about 3 years old and i was wondering if not fertilizing the tree or some other reason for the lack of fruit. also what type of fertilizer should be used and when. thank you
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Fri, 06/09/2017 - 10:11

There are quite a few things that could have caused your cherry tree to drop its blossoms. Lack of water, insufficient pollination, and frost damage are some of the most common problems (though the latter seems unlikely in Southern California). However, it could also be the case that your cherry tree is not a self-pollinating variety. Most sweet cherry varieties need to cross-pollinate with another cherry tree to produce fruit. If you know your cherry's cultivar, check online to see if it's a self-pollinating variety, and if it's not, you will need to get an additional tree.

Regarding fertilizer, a 10-10-10 mix is best, applied in early spring.

 <span>George Greenwood</span> Mon, 06/05/2017 - 10:21
I have a Bing and Tartarian cherrie tree both about 6 years old planted about 60 feet apart.They both are full of blossoms , cherries develop then 95% fall off.What do I need to do to fix problem.
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Mon, 06/05/2017 - 12:17

Apparently it's not uncommon for cherries to leave the tree. Reasons include that the tree has set more fruit than it has water and nutrients to support. Smaller fruit and that which has not been completely pollinated is first to fall. In fact, the fruit left on the tree, the smaller each will be at maturity (no, that does not hold the promise of one giant cherry!). June drop is nature's way of thinning the crop to enable the best fruits to survive.

 

 <span>Crystal Mickler</span> Thu, 04/06/2017 - 01:13
My husband would like to plant two cherry trees in our front lawn. Is that a bad spot to plant them? I was told the watering of the lawn twice a week would kill the trees. I live in Gilroy, CA. Great weather.
<span>Claudette</span> Mon, 06/12/2017 - 20:18
In our area some people are reporting fruit theft from trees planted in their front yards! Crazy I know, but some people are raiding fruit trees in the late late night hours or very early morning hours, to the point of clearing out all fruit... Why on earth would someone do that? So I've decided to plant my fruit trees in the back yard only ~ Best of Luck!