Small cherry trees offer a number of advantages, especially for small gardens. They are cheap to buy, take up little space, start wearing in the second year, and are easy to care for and harvest.
What are the advantages of small cherry trees?
Small cherry trees are ideal for small gardens as they only grow to 3-4 meters high and require little space. They bear fruit in the second year and are easy to care for. Popular varieties include Sunburst, Sylvia, Erika and Carnelian.
The size of a fruit tree depends on the base on which the cherry was grafted. There is
- strong,
- medium growth and
- slow-growing rootstocks.
The tall and half trunks have strong to medium-growing rootstocks and, depending on the variety and pruning care, can take up up to 50 m² of space when fully grown. The bush and columnar trees are grown on weakly growing rootstocks such as: B. 'GiSelA', remain compact with their final height of approx. 3-4 m and often bear flowers and fruit in the second year after planting.
The varietal characteristics of the small trees are the same as those of the large cherries. The taste, color, ripening time, yield, fungal resistance and frost resistance are determined by the noble variety that is grafted onto the rootstock. To keep small trees small and their crowns in shape, annual pruning is important.
What to pay attention to when buying
The space requirement of a fully grown bush or columnar cherry tree with a crown diameter of around 3 m is approx. 10 m². A sunny, airy garden or patio spot should be available for the tree. Choose a he althy 2-year-old tree with a height of approx. 80 cm, a pronounced central axis and 3-4 well-spaced side branches that grow as flat as possible.
Small cherry tree varieties
When choosing the right sweet cherry variety, make sure that it is self-fertile. Otherwise you need another pollinator variety nearby that flowers at the same time. Most tart cherry varieties are self-fertile. It also makes sense to plant an early sweet cherry variety in order to naturally prevent cherry fruit fly infestation. The sweet cherry varieties Sunburst, Sylvia or Erika and the sour cherry variety Carnelian are a good choice.
Tips & Tricks
The so-called topiary trees, which can be grown on a sunny south-facing wall using a framework made of wood or wire, are very practical for small gardens or terraces.
