The sour cherry trees are undemanding and still thrive on dry, sandy soil. The sweet cherry needs a lot of sun, good soil and usually a suitable pollinator. Good yields can be achieved with relatively little maintenance effort.
How do I properly care for a cherry tree?
Cherry tree care includes regular thinning, watering in dry conditions, fertilization with compost and complete or mixed fertilizer, winter and summer pruning to promote fertility, and protective measures against pests and diseases.
Do the cherry trees need a lot of water?
The cherries tolerate soil that is too dry rather than too wet and no waterlogging at all. They thrive in warm, well-drained soils with sufficient moisture content. In long dry periods, additional watering is recommended, even for large trees, even in winter when the weather is frost-free.
When and how are cherry trees fertilized?
The tree slices of the cherry trees can be fertilized with compost at the end of winter. To improve the soil, green manure can be spread in the summer and incorporated the following spring. The core nutrient reserves of nitrogen, potash, phosphorus and lime contained in the soil should be replenished in March/April and early June by adding complete or mixed fertilizers, if necessary also after a strong yield.
When and how is the cherry tree pruned?
For the strongly upright growing sweet cherry, the initial training cut is usually sufficient to build up the crown. Older, bare sweet cherry trees occasionally need renewal or rejuvenation pruning. The sour cherry branches more and needs to be thinned out regularly. Furthermore, the removed fruit shoots must be cut out, as sour cherries often only fruit on one-year-old shoots.
The cherry trees are cut after the harvest in August and the sour cherries in September. In this way, growth is slowed down and fertility is promoted. If the cherry trees are cut at the beginning of March, it stimulates growth.
What pests can attack cherry trees?
Cherries, especially sweet cherries, are most at risk from cherry fruit fly maggots, which can ruin entire harvests in some years. The black cherry aphid, which attacks new growth and thus inhibits its growth, is also widespread. Sometimes only timely spraying can help against these two pests if you don't want to miss out on the harvest.
What diseases do cherry trees have?
The diseases of cherry trees are usually fungal infections that affect the bark, wood, leaves and fruit. The following diseases often occur:
- Monilia Lace Drought,
- Shotgun disease,
- Gnomonia leaf tan,
- Tree crab,
- Valsa disease.
Infestation can be prevented by selecting resistant varieties. The control is carried out primarily by cutting and, if necessary, by spraying.
Are cherry trees frost resistant?
The sensitivity of cherry trees to frost depends on the variety. In general, cherry trees survive the winter without damage. During particularly hard frosts, the shallow-rooted cherry trees are protected by a tree disc made of leaves/mulch. The young trees can also be wrapped with suitable winter protection material (€23.00 on Amazon). Liming the tree trunk protects the bark from frost burn.
Tips & Tricks
Winter pruning is not recommended for cherry trees, as the cuts cannot heal well at this time of year and the cherry trees are therefore prone to fungal infections.
