How to Grow Cherries Right for the First Time
By Laura Bennett
Cherry trees can be a great addition to your backyard. Freshly picked red cherries are better than the expensive store-bought ones that may or may not have pesticides in it. However, growing cherry trees are not easy and they can be infected by various diseases and pests.
So, here are the steps in growing cherry trees in your backyard:
1. Soil Preparation
Cherry trees have shallow roots, so they need a well-draining soil to avoid waterlogging. Find a sunny site in your backyard with a good air circulation to grow your cherry tree.
Invest some time in removing perennial weeds where you are going to plant your tree. Make sure to get rid of the deep-rooted weeds too. This will be much easier for you to do before the tree grows. After this, you can now use your best shovel for digging organic matters and compost and fertilize your soil.
Widget not in any sidebars
2. Planting the Cherry Tree
Planting cherry trees can be best during the late fall season to early spring. This is the time where the ground is soft and has high moisture content. When planting sweet cherry trees, a distance of 35 to 40 feet between the planted trees is necessary. For tart cherries, plant the seedlings with a distance of about 20 to 25 feet apart.
You can also ask the nursery where the seedling came from to know more about the planting specifications and the cherry type. But using an organic soil in planting is always better than other with artificial fertilizers.
3. Caring for Your Cherry Tree
Both sour and sweet cherries have the same care and maintenance methods. You can apply mulch in the soil base to keep the soil’s moisture. Protect the fruits from birds and insects by draping netting or fleece over the tree.
Fertilizers can be applied during spring season until the trees start to bear and only do it again after every harvest. You also have to know how to prune a cherry tree and remember to prune the trees only during the growing season. Pruning the tree on its dormant season will likely infect it.
4. Harvesting the Cherries
Since the sugar content of the cherries rises few days before it overdue, only harvest the fruits when they are fully ripe and colored. It should be a dark red, black or even yellow depending on the variety.
In picking cherries, be sure to take care to avoid damaging the spur. This is to make sure that it still produces fruit next year. Use scissors in cutting the stalks rather than hand-picking. Also remember that cherry trees only bear fruit after its fourth year but should produce 30 to 50 quarts every year after that.
Conclusion
Growing cherry trees is just like growing any other tree or plant in your backyard. It needs the proper care and maintenance to ensure its healthy growth and harvest.
If you have other tips and tricks on how to grow cherry trees in your background or questions, don’t hesitate to leave a comment below. We like to hear from you. You can also share this idea if it has been helpful to you.
Author Bio:
Laura is the founder of HumidGarden.com. She loves nature especially when it comes to flowers and different kinds of plants. Humid Garden is created to provide aspiring and inspiring thoughts about gardening for gardeners and anyone who has the intention of keeping a garden. You can find Laura on Twitter at @LauraBennett_HG
Photo Credit: Pixabay.com