How to Grow Cherries: My Cherry Growing Journey

How to grow cherries? The British climate suits cherries rather well, particularly in southern and central regions. Our cool winters provide the necessary chill hours for fruit development, whilst our relatively mild summers allow the fruit to ripen without scorching. I’ve visited cherry orchards in Kent (the ‘Garden of England’ for good reason) and chatted with growers who’ve convinced me that home gardeners can achieve brilliant results with modern rootstocks and varieties bred specifically for smaller spaces.

Whether you’re working with a full-sized garden, an allotment plot, or even a large container on a patio, growing cherries is absolutely achievable. This guide covers everything I’ve learnt through trial, error, and plenty of conversations with more experienced fruit growers across the country.

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How to Grow Cherries?

Before you rush out to buy a cherry tree, it’s worth getting your ducks in a row with the right equipment and understanding what you’re actually committing to. Cherry trees aren’t particularly high-maintenance once established, but they do have specific requirements that differ from other fruit trees.

Essential Equipment and Materials

You’ll need a decent spade for planting, ideally one with a sharp edge that can cut through roots cleanly. A good watering can or hose is essential for the first couple of years. I’d also recommend investing in proper tree stakes (around 1.5 metres tall) and tree ties that won’t damage the bark as the tree grows. You’ll need these to support young trees until their roots establish properly.

For ongoing care, secateurs are non-negotiable. Cherry trees require annual pruning, and blunt tools make ragged cuts that invite disease. A pruning saw becomes useful once branches thicken beyond what secateurs can handle. Netting is another consideration if you want to actually eat your cherries before the birds do. I use lightweight netting draped over a simple frame, though this becomes more challenging with larger trees.

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Choosing Your Cherry Variety

This is where many beginners stumble. Sweet cherries (Prunus avium) and sour cherries (Prunus cerasus) behave quite differently in the garden. Sweet cherries traditionally need a pollination partner, though self-fertile varieties like ‘Stella’ and ‘Sunburst’ have changed the game for small gardens. Sour cherries, used primarily for cooking, are naturally self-fertile and generally more compact.

Rootstock matters enormously. Cherries grafted onto ‘Gisela 5’ rootstock reach around 2.5 to 3 metres, making them manageable for most gardens. ‘Colt’ rootstock produces larger trees (around 4 to 5 metres) suitable for bigger spaces. I grow mine on ‘Gisela 5’ because I can actually reach the fruit without a ladder, and pruning doesn’t require mountaineering skills.

For the British climate, I’ve found varieties like ‘Stella’ (sweet, dark red, reliable), ‘Sunburst’ (sweet, excellent flavour), and ‘Morello’ (sour, brilliant for pies) perform consistently well. If you’re in Scotland or northern England, sour cherries generally cope better with cooler conditions.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Preparing Your Planting Site

Cherries demand good drainage above almost everything else. Waterlogged roots lead to canker diseases that can kill a tree within a couple of seasons. I learnt this the hard way when my first cherry tree succumbed to bacterial canker after sitting in heavy clay that stayed soggy through winter.

Choose a spot that gets full sun for at least six hours daily. South-facing or west-facing positions work brilliantly. Cherries tolerate most soil types provided drainage is adequate. If you’re working with heavy clay like much of the Midlands, dig in plenty of horticultural grit and well-rotted compost to improve soil structure. On my plot, I created a slightly raised mound to ensure water drains away from the root zone.

Check the pH if possible. Cherries prefer slightly acidic to neutral soil (pH 6.0 to 7.0), though they’re fairly tolerant. Avoid frost pockets where cold air settles, particularly if you’re growing sweet cherries, as late spring frosts can damage blossoms and ruin your crop.

Planting Your Cherry Tree

Bare-root trees planted between November and March (whilst dormant) establish most successfully. Container-grown trees can go in year-round, but avoid frozen or waterlogged conditions. I prefer autumn planting because the tree develops roots over winter and hits the ground running come spring.

Dig a hole twice the width of the root ball but no deeper. You want the graft union (the knobbly bit where the variety joins the rootstock) sitting about 10cm above soil level. If you bury it too deep, the variety may root independently, negating all the dwarfing benefits of your chosen rootstock.

Position your stake before the tree goes in to avoid damaging roots. Drive it into the undisturbed soil at the bottom of the hole, about 10cm from the centre. Place the tree, spread the roots naturally, and backfill with the excavated soil mixed with a spadeful of compost. Firm gently with your heel, water thoroughly, and attach the tree to the stake using a proper tree tie. Don’t cinch it tight; allow some movement which actually strengthens the trunk.

Watering and Feeding

Young cherry trees need consistent moisture, particularly during their first two summers. I water deeply once or twice weekly during dry spells rather than giving frequent shallow drinks. Deep watering encourages roots to grow downwards where moisture is more stable.

Once established (usually after two or three years), cherries cope reasonably well with dry periods. However, irregular watering during fruit development causes splitting, where the cherries literally burst their skins. This typically happens after heavy rain following drought. There’s not much you can do about natural rainfall, but consistent watering during fruit swell helps minimise splitting.

Feeding isn’t complicated. I apply a general-purpose fertiliser in early spring as growth begins, scratching it into the soil surface around the tree. A mulch of well-rotted compost or manure (kept clear of the trunk) feeds the tree gradually and helps retain moisture. Avoid high-nitrogen feeds after midsummer as these encourage soft growth vulnerable to frost damage.

Pruning and Training

Cherries must be pruned in summer, not winter. This single rule prevents most disease problems. Bacterial canker and silver leaf disease enter through wounds, and they’re far more active in cold, wet conditions. Pruning between late June and August, when the tree is in full growth, allows wounds to heal quickly and reduces infection risk dramatically.

For young trees, aim to create an open, goblet-shaped structure with four or five main branches radiating from a short trunk. Remove any shoots growing inwards or crossing other branches. Once the framework is established, annual pruning focuses on removing dead, diseased, or overcrowded wood and maintaining the tree’s size and shape.

I keep my trees to around 2.5 metres by pruning back the leaders (the main growing tips) each summer. It feels counter-intuitive cutting off healthy growth, but it concentrates the tree’s energy into fruit production rather than endless leafy expansion. Fan-trained cherries against walls or fences work brilliantly in smaller gardens and make netting much easier.

Protecting Your Crop

Birds adore cherries, often more than we do. Without protection, you’ll watch blackbirds and starlings systematically strip your tree days before the fruit reaches perfect ripeness. Netting is the only reliable solution. I drape netting over a simple frame constructed from bamboo canes, ensuring it doesn’t rest directly on branches where birds can peck through.

Cherry fruit fly can be problematic in some regions, causing maggoty fruit. Yellow sticky traps hung in the tree during late spring catch adult flies before they lay eggs in developing cherries. This isn’t foolproof, but it helps reduce damage.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Planting in Poor Drainage

I can’t stress this enough because it’s the number one killer of cherry trees in British gardens. If water sits on the surface for hours after rain, your drainage is inadequate. Cherries will struggle, becoming susceptible to root diseases that are essentially impossible to cure. Creating raised beds or improving soil structure before planting saves heartache later.

Watch for symptoms like yellowing leaves, dieback, and oozing cankers on the trunk. These often indicate root problems caused by waterlogging. Prevention through proper site selection and soil preparation is far easier than trying to rectify problems once they’ve started.

Winter Pruning

This mistake is so common because we’re conditioned to prune fruit trees in winter. Apples and pears are fine with winter pruning, but cherries are completely different. Every piece of advice I’ve read from proper fruit tree specialists emphasises summer pruning for stone fruits.

If you absolutely must remove a large branch outside the summer window (perhaps storm damage or disease), seal the wound with a proprietary pruning paint. It’s not perfect, but it offers some protection until warmer weather arrives and the cut can heal properly.

Neglecting Pollination Requirements

Sweet cherries are often self-sterile, meaning they can’t pollinate themselves. If you plant a single ‘Napoleon’ or ‘Merchant’ tree, you’ll get beautiful blossom but precious little fruit. Always check pollination requirements before buying. Self-fertile varieties like ‘Stella’ solve this problem neatly, though even these benefit from a pollination partner nearby.

Sour cherries don’t have this issue. ‘Morello’ will fruit happily in isolation, making it brilliant for smaller gardens where space for multiple trees isn’t available.

Overfeeding

More isn’t better with cherry trees. Excessive nitrogen produces lush, sappy growth that’s prone to aphid infestations and frost damage. It also delays fruiting. I’ve seen gardeners apply lawn feed around fruit trees (genuinely), which is far too nitrogen-rich and completely inappropriate.

Cherries are relatively light feeders compared to apples or plums. A modest application of balanced fertiliser in spring, plus an annual compost mulch, provides everything they need. If your tree is growing well (30 to 40cm of new growth annually) and producing decent crops, it’s getting sufficient nutrition.

Expert Tips

Maximising Fruit Set

Cherries flower relatively early in spring, often when pollinating insects are still scarce and weather is unpredictable. On my allotment, I’ve noticed that trees sheltered from harsh winds but still accessible to bees perform better than those in exposed positions.

If frost threatens during blossom, draping horticultural fleece over smaller trees overnight can save your crop. Remove it during the day so pollinators can access flowers. This is fiddly but worthwhile if a heavy crop matters to you.

Dealing with Suckers

Most cherry trees produce suckers (shoots emerging from below the graft union or from roots). These grow from the rootstock rather than your chosen variety, so they won’t produce the cherries you want. Remove them promptly by tracing them back to their origin point and pulling or cutting them off cleanly. Simply mowing them off encourages more to appear.

Suckers drain energy from the main tree and can eventually dominate if left unchecked. I check for them monthly during the growing season and remove any that appear.

Container Growing

Cherries on dwarfing rootstocks grow successfully in large containers (at least 50 litres), which is brilliant for patios or small gardens. Use a soil-based compost rather than multipurpose, as it provides better stability and doesn’t dry out as quickly. Container-grown trees need more frequent watering and feeding than those in open ground.

I move my container cherry to a sheltered spot during winter to protect the pot from cracking in hard frosts. The tree itself is hardy, but terracotta and ceramic pots can shatter when frozen soil expands.

Regional Considerations

Sweet cherries thrive in southern and central England where summers are warmest. Kent, Sussex, Worcestershire, and Herefordshire have long commercial cherry-growing traditions for good reason. Further north or in exposed locations, sour cherries are more reliable. I’ve spoken with growers in Lancashire and the Scottish Borders who have excellent success with ‘Morello’ but struggle with sweet varieties.

Coastal gardens benefit from milder winters but face stronger winds. Staking and wind protection become more important in these locations. In my experience, cherries cope well with urban environments, benefiting from the slightly warmer microclimate and shelter provided by buildings.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take for a cherry tree to produce fruit?

Most cherry trees on modern rootstocks begin fruiting in their third or fourth year after planting. You might see a few cherries in year two, but don’t expect a proper crop until the tree is more established. Dwarfing rootstocks like ‘Gisela 5’ tend to fruit earlier than vigorous rootstocks. Once established, a well-maintained cherry tree produces reliable crops for 20 years or more. Patience is required initially, but the wait is absolutely worthwhile. I picked about a dozen cherries in my tree’s second summer, perhaps a kilo in year three, and now harvest several kilos annually from a tree that’s still easily manageable in size.

Can I grow cherries in a small garden?

Absolutely, and this is one area where modern fruit growing has really opened up possibilities. Trees on ‘Gisela 5’ rootstock reach only 2.5 to 3 metres even when mature, making them suitable for gardens where a full-sized cherry tree would be overwhelming. Fan-training against a wall or fence is particularly space-efficient, and you can grow a productive tree in a space just 2 metres wide. Container growing is another excellent option for small gardens or patios. Choose self-fertile varieties so you don’t need multiple trees for pollination. I’ve seen beautifully productive cherries in surprisingly compact spaces across allotments and small urban gardens.

Why are my cherries splitting?

Cherry splitting happens when the fruit absorbs water faster than the skin can expand, causing it to burst. This typically occurs after heavy rain following a dry period, particularly as cherries near ripeness. The fruit takes up water rapidly, the skin can’t stretch quickly enough, and it splits. There’s limited control over natural rainfall, but consistent watering during fruit development helps. Trees that experience steady moisture levels throughout fruit swell are less prone to splitting than those subjected to feast-and-famine conditions. Some varieties split more readily than others. Growing trees under cover (like a fruit cage with a roof) or choosing less susceptible varieties helps, though neither solution is perfect.

Do I need two cherry trees for pollination?

It depends entirely on which variety you choose. Self-fertile sweet cherries like ‘Stella’, ‘Sunburst’, and ‘Cherokee’ fruit perfectly well in isolation, making them ideal for smaller gardens where space for multiple trees isn’t available. Most traditional sweet cherry varieties are self-sterile and require a compatible pollination partner nearby. All sour cherries, including the popular ‘Morello’, are self-fertile. When buying a tree, pollination requirements should be clearly stated. If you’re choosing a self-sterile variety, make sure you either have space for a compatible partner or that compatible trees are growing in neighbouring gardens. Bees typically forage within a couple of hundred metres, so nearby cherries can serve as pollinators.

What’s the difference between sweet and sour cherries?

Sweet cherries (Prunus avium) are what you’d typically eat fresh, with varieties ranging from dark red to yellow. They need warmth to ripen properly and produce the best flavour, making them most successful in southern regions. They’re larger trees by nature and many traditional varieties require pollination partners. Sour cherries (Prunus cerasus) are too tart for most people to enjoy raw but are absolutely brilliant for cooking, preserving, and baking. ‘Morello’ is the standard sour variety, producing dark red fruit that makes spectacular pies and jams. Sour cherries are naturally more compact, self-fertile, and tolerate cooler conditions and partial shade better than sweet varieties. For cooking purposes, I’d actually recommend sour cherries over sweet ones every time.

How do I protect cherries from birds?

Netting is really the only effective solution. Birds, particularly blackbirds and starlings, will systematically strip a cherry tree given the chance, often taking fruit just before it reaches perfect ripeness. You need to create a complete barrier, as birds quickly find any gaps. I use lightweight netting draped over a frame constructed from bamboo canes or similar, ensuring the netting doesn’t rest directly on branches. For larger trees, proper fruit cages are worth considering, though these represent a significant investment. Scarers, CDs, fake predators, and similar deterrents have minimal lasting effect in my experience. Birds habituate quickly and ignore them. Fan-trained trees are much easier to net than free-standing trees, which is another advantage of that training method.

Can cherries be grown in containers?

Yes, cherries adapt well to container growing provided you choose an appropriate rootstock and provide proper care. Use trees on ‘Gisela 5’ or similar dwarfing rootstocks and select containers of at least 50 litres capacity. Larger is better as it provides more root space and requires less frequent watering. Soil-based compost works better than peat-free multipurpose for containers because it provides more stability and retains moisture more consistently. Container cherries need regular watering, particularly during fruit development, and annual feeding with a balanced fertiliser. I repot mine every three or four years, root-pruning slightly and refreshing the compost. Container growing allows you to move the tree to optimise light or shelter it from harsh weather, which can be a real advantage.

Conclusion

Growing cherries in a British garden is genuinely achievable with the right preparation and variety selection. The key factors are choosing a well-drained, sunny site, selecting an appropriate rootstock for your space, and understanding the basics of summer pruning and bird protection. Modern self-fertile varieties on dwarfing rootstocks have transformed cherry growing from something requiring an orchard to something perfectly feasible on an allotment or even a patio.

The learning curve isn’t particularly steep once you understand that cherries need different treatment from apples and pears. Summer pruning, good drainage, and proper pollination arrangements are the cornerstones of success. Everything else is fairly straightforward maintenance.

I find cherry trees particularly rewarding because the fresh fruit is incomparably better than anything you’ll buy. Shop-bought cherries are often picked underripe for transport, whilst your own can ripen fully on the tree, developing complex flavours and sweetness that makes the wait and effort worthwhile. Whether you’re after sweet cherries for fresh eating or sour varieties for preserving, there’s real satisfaction in growing your own fruit and genuine pleasure in eating it.

Author: Megan Walker

Megan focuses on seasonal food, kitchen garden growing, and how households can reconnect with where their food comes from. Her writing blends practical growing advice with ideas for cooking and eating in season. With a passion for fresh ingredients and sustainable living, Megan’s articles help readers make the most of local produce while supporting British farms.