Introduction

• Cherry trees grow in areas that have cold winters. While they will grow in other zones, you will not get a good harvest of fruit---the tree needs the cold time during its dormancy to produce fruit. Once the cherry tree begins to produce fruit, cover it with a net to keep birds from eating your harvest. It takes a cherry tree two years to produce fruit. Be careful when pruning to not prune the spurs that produce the cherries.
  
  Cherry trees can be purchased live or in dormant form from nurseries. Not all varieties will produce a seed that will grow. For those varieties, to get a cherry tree started, you will have to graft or start it from a stem tip. Most cultivars need a pollinator, so you will have to plant two cherry trees for them to produce fruit, unless they are one of the newer, sweet cultivars such as Stella or Sweetheart. If you plant more than one cherry tree, space the trees 18 feet apart.
  
  

Planting a Potted Cherry Tree

• Dig a planting hole twice the size of the root ball and as deep as the soil in the container. Scarify the sides of the planting hole with a pitchfork or shovel. If you have to use amended soil, do not use more than 50 percent amended soil. Center the cherry tree in the planting hole and backfill with soil. Build a watering ring with soil around the perimeter of the planting hole. The watering ring helps to divert water to the outside roots of the tree. Mulch the cherry tree with at least 3 inches of compost or pulverized bark. Water the tree deeply.
  
  

Planting a Balled and Burlapped Cherry Tree

• Planting a balled and burlapped cherry tree follows the same process as planting a cherry tree from a container. The only difference is that you must remove the burlap from the cherry tree if it is synthetic. If the burlap is organic, leave the burlap on the tree, and after centering it in the planting hole, remove any staples or ties holding the burlap on the tree and fold the burlap down into the hole so that it is completely covered with soil when you backfill.
  
  

Planting a Bare-Root Cherry Tree

• If you ordered the cherry tree from the Internet, chances are you received a bare-root tree. Plant the bare-root tree as you would a live container plant, except soak the bare roots in water for eight hours first. The bare-root tree is in its dormant state, and the roots need to be properly hydrated before planting.
  
  

Fertilizing and Watering the Cherry Tree

• Trees do not need a lot of fertilizer. You can fertilize the cherry tree every third year. Because you will be eating the harvest, it is better to fertilize with an organic fertilizer, such as fish emulsion. Always read the instructions on the fertilizer package, as different brands have different strengths.
  
  Water the cherry tree with at least an inch of water per week. Always water deeply, as frequent, shallow watering promotes shallow roots and does not afford the tree the proper amount of moisture and nutrients.