Cherry Tree

Cherries from your own garden: how to choose and grow the right tree

Few things beat the taste of a cherry picked straight from the branch. In our range you will find sweet and sour fruit trees grown in containers, so they are easy to plant and ready to settle into a home garden. If you want better crops, choose a cherry tree collection with several trees that help each other with cross pollination. Browse our cherry tree for sale options and find the form that fits your space. Gardeners who plan ahead can also read our tips on planting pear trees to combine both fruits in one orchard.

Sweet cherry trees

A sweet cherry is the classic dessert fruit, eaten fresh and straight from the tree. When you compare cherry tree varieties, start with the ripening time. Early trees give the first fruit of the season, mid season trees follow, and late ones extend the harvest into summer.

Colour and texture matter too. Berries can be dark red, almost black, or yellow with a red blush. Firm, dense flesh stays crisp and travels well, while softer flesh is very juicy. If cracking after rain is a problem in your area, look for trees with berries that resist splitting. Gardeners who dream of the sweetest cherry tree or the best tasting cherry tree should choose dark, fully ripe fruit from a sunny, warm position.

Among the types of cherry trees, some sweet forms are self fertile, while others need a partner. Check the product page for each tree. Browse our sweet cherry trees for sale to compare sizes and ripening seasons.

Sour cherry trees

A sour cherry, also called a tart cherry, has a bright, refreshing taste that is perfect for jam, compote, juice and baking. The morello cherry type is the best known, with deep red fruit and a rich acidity. These trees are generally easier to grow. They are less demanding about the site, accept light partial shade and are reliably productive. Most are self pollinating, so one tree is enough. See our sour cherry tree for sale selection if you want a trouble free start. For larger plantings, check our fruiting cherry trees for sale in different sizes.

Pollination

The amount of fruit you pick depends largely on pollination. A sweet cherry often needs a pollinator, meaning a different variety that blooms in the same period. Sour cherries usually crop on their own. If you want a self pollinating cherry tree among the sweet types, choose a form marked as self fertile, although even these crop better with a neighbour.

To choose a pair, match the flowering periods and plant the two trees close enough for bees to travel between them. A ready collection takes the guesswork out of this, because the trees in it already bloom together.

Planting, care and harvest

Good cherry tree care begins with a sunny place where water does not stand after rain. When you start planting cherry tree stock from containers, dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball and keep the graft union above the soil. Add a stake and water the young sapling well in its first year. The same method works for a potted cherry tree kept on a terrace.

Leave enough room around each plant. The ideal cherry tree spacing depends on the rootstock and the form, and the final cherry tree size ranges from compact trees of 2 to 3 metres to large standards. A compact cherry tree in container needs a deep pot, good drainage, regular watering and feeding in spring.

Prune sweet cherries in summer after picking, which lowers the risk of disease. Sour cherries can be thinned lightly after harvest. Check the hardiness of the tree if your winters are cold. A fruit bearing tree usually gives its first berries 3 to 4 years after planting. Cover the branches with netting as the fruit ripens, because birds love cherries as much as you do.

Give a potted tree a thorough soaking during dry spells, because containers lose moisture faster than garden soil. Spread a layer of mulch around the base to keep the soil evenly moist, but leave a small gap near the trunk to prevent rot.

Buying and delivery

If you want to buy cherry trees with confidence, we ship plants from our warehouse in the Netherlands during the period that is best for planting. Delivery across Europe is by DPD, UPS or PostNL and takes 2 to 5 working days. Shipping costs a flat 5.95 €, and orders from 59 € ship free. You receive a tracking number once your parcel is sent. Every plant is checked for quality before dispatch. If a tree arrives damaged, we offer a replacement or a refund.