How to Grow Cherry
Cherry At a Glance
Difficulty
Moderate
Category
Tree Fruit
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Frost Tolerance
Frost Hardy
Cold Hardiness
Survives to -29°C
Plant Family
Rosaceae
Growing Season
Cool Season
Plant Lifecycle
Perennial
How to Start It
★ Recommended for beginners
Plant a grafted tree (a named variety joined onto sturdy roots) in early spring while it is still leafless, about 4 weeks before your last frost. Choose a sour cherry, which fruits on its own, or a sweet variety labelled self-fertile, unless you have room for two that pollinate each other. Pick a dwarf tree so you can cover it with a net, plant it 4 m from other trees, and stake it for the first few years.
In cold regions, the hardy sour cherries bred in Canada are the easiest choice: they fruit on their own and handle hard winters. A tree starts fruiting about 4 years after planting, and birds can strip it in a day, so plan to net it.
When To Start
Cherry likes cool weather. Sow it in early spring, as soon as the ground can be worked.
We do not have exact sowing dates for this one yet.
When should you plant Cherry?
Your planting dates depend on your local climate. Sign up and add your location to unlock personalized dates.
Your Cherry Planting Window
Start planting
May 15, 2026
Last chance
Sep 10, 2026
Your Cherry Calendar
Set your location to turn these into exact dates and reminders.
Plant your cherry tree while it is still leafless
30 days before your last frost
Prune your cherry tree now, on a dry summer day
90 days after your last frost· every year
Look for ripe cherries, and net the tree against birds
90 days after your last frost· every year
Water your new cherry plants well while they settle in. Deep and slow is best.
About 1 days after you plant it
Hello from your cherry tree! Water it deeply once a week while its roots settle in.
About 30 days after you plant it
Your young cherry tree is putting down roots. A layer of mulch around the base helps keep the soil moist.
About 90 days after you plant it
The Journey Ahead
Cherry's Lifecycle
Seedling
Mature Plant
Seed Production
Step 1
Prepare Your Space
400 cm
Plant Spacing
500 cm
Row Spacing
Vertical Growing
Yes: Fan.
Succession Planting
No.
Good Companions
Bad Companions
Step 2
Planting & Sprouting
Growing Tips
- 1Plant cherries in full sun, in soil that drains well and never stays soggy.
- 2Mix compost into the planting hole, and spread a ring of compost and mulch around the tree each spring, kept a hand's width from the trunk.
- 3Water deeply every week for the first two summers, and in dry spells after that.
- 4Prune in summer after harvest, on a dry day, since cuts made in cold, wet weather let disease into the wood.
- 5Cover the tree with a net as the fruit starts to colour, because birds are the biggest threat to your crop.
- 6Cherry leaves, stems and pits are toxic to pets, so keep dogs from chewing fallen fruit and twigs.
Seedling Phase
Step 3
Growth & Maturity
500 cm
Mature Height
400 cm
Mature Width
Pests to Watch For
Diseases to Watch For
Mature Plant
Step 4
Harvesting
Harvest Window
14 days
When to Pick
Pick when fully coloured, sweet and easily pulled, with stems on
How to Harvest
- 1Pick cherries when they are fully coloured, sweet and pull off easily, since they do not ripen further once picked.
- 2Taste one or two before you pick the whole tree.
- 3Pick with the stems on, holding the stem rather than the fruit, so they keep longer.
- 4Store cherries unwashed in the fridge and eat them within a week, or pit and freeze them.
- 5Sour cherries are perfect for pies, jam and juice.
Step 5
Saving Seeds
Seed Production
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