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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>Cora De Juan-Goddard</span> Thu, 07/28/2016 - 08:15
Just to plant.
<a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.oftheturnmireclan.com">Samuel T</a> Thu, 07/14/2016 - 13:36
My 6 year old wants a Cherry tree so ... I'm going to see if I can grant her wish. We live in East Tennessee in the United States. She of course would want the sweeter variety. I'm guessing I'd want to go buy a tree from my local shop. What type of sun do they need / thrive in? How long until they are bearing fruit? Just trying to set expectations for my little one.
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Thu, 07/14/2016 - 15:31

Hi Samuel,

Cherry trees that bear sweet fruit grow well in Zones 5 through 7, so you should be OK in choosing a sweeter variety. Yes, purchase from a local nursery. Ask for a disease-resistant, field-grown (balled and burlapped) tree that is a few years old. On average, trees start bearing fruit in their third or fourth year; and they enjoy full sun.

 <span>Laura Mcdowell</span> Mon, 07/04/2016 - 15:18
Hello, We moved into our house about a year and a half ago and were thrilled to find tons of sour cherries on the tree in our yard last summer. We were looking forward to the same this year and it seems something is not quite right with the tree. We wound up trimming off two low branches earlier in the season that were not growing leaves. Now cherries are growing high up, but nothing low enough for us to pick. We're not sure if this is something we should bring in someone to check out. The house is new, but the property is old, just hadn't been developed until now, so it's a mature tree, but we have no idea how old it is and no one to ask about how it's produced in the past. Anything we should look into on our own before calling an expert? Thank you!
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Thu, 07/14/2016 - 15:22

Hi Laura,

Since you are willing to have an arborist come take a look, go ahead and do that.  When it comes to trees, it is very difficult to diagnose issues without being on site. With such a mature tree, it is not likely to be a water issue. An arborist will check for signs of disease improper pruning cuts, and cultural factors that may be impacting fruit production. Good luck!

 <span>Maika</span> Mon, 06/27/2016 - 00:51
Hi. My Dad gave me an almost 2kg-filled container of cherries from California and suggested I plant the seeds in our backyard. I live in a province where the climate is cool so I assume it'll be perfect. I don't know anything about planting tho, but we have few vegetable plants already planted here. My kids just ate half the container, should I wait for the seeds to dry? It's the rainy season now, I'm wondering if that'll be a factor for the cherries not to grow. Thanks in advance for your advice.
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Thu, 07/14/2016 - 15:16

Hi Maika,

The cherries you and your family enjoyed were most likely from nursery-grown trees with grafted root stocks. If you want trees to bear fruit within the next year or two, I highly recommend starting with a field-grown tree, which will be two to three years old already. Planting your seeds will not likely result in fruiting trees. On the other hand, you can always try growing them just for fun! And the rainy season in California is a good time to plant.

 <span>Tracy Solomon</span> Mon, 06/20/2016 - 17:28
We bought 2 trees so they would hopefully pollinate each other but right now I am just hoping they survive. The leaves started to die. We watered but that didn't help. They after some research we are thinking the soil is too alkaline. They were fine right after we bought them and leaves looked great for many weeks even though we had a hard frost. Then a week or so later is when the one started to not look good. Any ideas on what to do would be appreciated
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Wed, 06/22/2016 - 13:36

They may be suffering from transplant shock. (Healthy plants can take a few weeks to show signs of shock. Trees can exhibit symptoms for months.) Add to that possibly alkaline soil and a hard frost, and it makes sense they are flagging. Given them some more time to establish. Having your soil tested is always a good idea.

 <span>Patrick</span> Wed, 05/25/2016 - 16:25
My parents are moving to Merced Ca. soon and would like to plant a couple of cherry trees in the yard. What varieties would do well here in the Central Valley? Are there any tips or other things they should be aware of? Mom was thinking of a sweet cherry and a pie type cherry..... Thanks for all your help!