Sweetness, love, harmony, purity, ephemeral beauty… all these are part of the broad spectrum of meanings attached to cherries. However, these small, vibrant fruits are not only known for their symbolism but are also considered a staple food in summer. They come in various colors, including burgundy and red, and many people will always appreciate a bowl of cherries freshly picked from a tree. You, too, probably cherish their unique sweet-sour taste, and perhaps you would even like to grow a cherry tree in your own garden. Because who wouldn’t? But the problem is that you’re not sure how to grow this treasured fruit.
No worries! We’ve got you covered. In this article, we look at the art of growing these precious cherries and give you some tips on how to take care of them.
Types of Cherries
Cherries come in two main edible categories: Sweet cherries that can deliciously be eaten fresh and acid cherries that are quite sour to be appreciated raw and are often used in cooking to make tarts, puddings, or jams.
You can also get various flowering cherries that produce awesome cherry blossom in spring and are mainly used for decoration purposes.
Tips for Taking Care of Your Cherries
1. Cultivation
To produce cherries, you first need to know which type you intend to grow, as both categories have their own needs. Sweet cherries require a sunny, warm spot that is not exposed to heavy winds, which will reduce bees’ pollination and result in a poor harvest. We advise you to grow them against a fence/wall facing South. As for sour cherries, which generally stand a little shade, they are suitable for cultivation on a north-facing fence. Note that it is better that you avoid cultivating in frost pockets, which will affect their flowers and pollination as well.
2. Pollination
Pollination is a critical element in the cultivation of quality cherries. They need bees to transport pollen in and between the flowers to ensure pollination. And, the more flowers are pollinated, the more cherries will grow on the tree. We recommend that you plant various cherries together that flowers simultaneously to help each other pollinate and produce plenty of healthy fruits.
3. Watering
After sewing the seeds into the soil, water is essential to get the tree off to a good start. Be sure to prepare your ground to drain well, but bear in mind that we don’t want the soil to be too dry. It is of utmost importance to water the cherry tree properly during its first year. You should water it every other day for the first week. For the second week, 2 to 3 times will be enough. Then your plant can be watered thoroughly once a week.
Don’t forget to adjust your watering in case of heavy rain. Although established cherry trees rarely need watering, make sure the soil remains moist.
4. Fertilizing
Compost and organic matter will be crucial to enrich the soil as cherries usually prefer alkaline soil that keeps lots of moisture than neutral and fertile soil. It is recommended to fertilize cherry trees once a year, approximately one month before flowering.
5. Pruning
Pruning is another critical step in taking care of cherry trees that you should not overlook. The ideal time to prune them is when they are growing vigorously. This will reduce the risk of silver leaf disease. The first pruning should be done on young trees when the buds are breaking. Here, you will find more details on how to prune your cherry trees correctly.
With these tips, you can be sure that you will adequately cherish your cherries by giving their trees the right care. If you have any other hacks to harvest the most beautiful and tasty cherries, let us know in the comments below.
