RHS Growing Guides
How to grow cherries
Our detailed growing guide will help you with each step in successfully growing Cherries.
Getting Started
Growing in a warm, sheltered spot, cherry trees fruit abundantly every summer
Cherries grow well in fertile soil that doesn’t get
Month by Month
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Choosing
There are two main types of cherry: sweet cherries (derived from Prunus avium), which are delicious eaten fresh and best grown in a sunny position, and acid cherries (derived from Prunus cerasus), which are excellent for cooking and grow well in sun or partial shade.
There are many varieties of each type, producing either red, near black or yellow fruit, from early to late summer. Acid cherries are self-fertile, so you only need one tree. Many modern varieties of sweet cherries are self-fertile, while others need a ‘pollination partner’ (another cherry nearby that flowers at a similar time) to ensure a good crop – see our guide to fruit pollination. Most fruit nurseries will be able to advise on a suitable partner variety. Even self-fertile trees usually produce a larger crop when there’s a compatible pollination partner nearby. But if you only have room for one tree, be sure to buy a self-fertile variety.
When choosing a variety, look for those with an RHS Award of Garden Merit (AGM) – these are recommended by RHS fruit experts, as they performed well in trials – see our list of AGM fruit and veg (135kB pdf). You'll find fruit trees at the RHS gardens, so you can compare different varieties and pick up useful growing tips.
If you want a reliable crop of delicious cherries, it’s worth investing in a good-quality grafted tree of your chosen variety, bought from a reputable supplier. There are also several species of native cherry tree that produce fruit suitable for cooking or jam making, as well as for attracting wildlife – see our guide to hedgerow fruit.
Cherry tree sizes
Cherry trees sold commercially are usually grafted onto the roots (rootstock) of a different variety that controls the tree’s size and vigour. Ungrafted cherries grow into large trees that aren’t suitable for smaller gardens. The most popular cherry rootstocks are:
- ‘Gisela 5’ – semi-dwarfing rootstock, restricts trees to 3–4m (10–13ft) tall, so suitable for smaller gardens and containers; trees trained as fans will reach about 1.8m (6ft) tall and 3.5m (12ft) wide
- ‘Colt’ – semi-vigorous rootstock, producing trees 6–8m (20–26ft) tall, or when fan trained 2.5m (8ft) tall and 5.5m (18ft) wide. Acid cherry trees, which are less vigorous, reach about 3.5m (11ft) on this rootstock
What and where to buy
Cherry trees are sold either bare-root (without soil around the roots) or in pots. Bare-root trees are only available while dormant, from late autumn to early spring, usually from specialist suppliers. Container-grown trees are available all year round and are sold by most gardening retailers. Specialist fruit nurseries offer the widest choice of varieties, usually by mail order. If you want to grow a fan-trained tree, decide if you want to train it yourself starting with a one-year-old tree (maiden), or buy an older, already trained tree from a specialist nursery.
Choose a tree with a well-balanced shape and three to five good shoots growing from the central stem. You can then train and prune it into any of the popular tree forms if you wish – see Pruning and Training, below.
Recommended Varieties
Sweet cherry. Harvest late July/early August. Dark fruits are resistant to splitting. Not self-fertile.
Sweet cherry. Harvest late July/early August. Heavy crops of delicious dark red fruit. Self-fertile.
Acid cherry. Harvest in late summer. Reliable, good crops. Grows well in shade and is self-fertile.
Planting
Where to plant
You can plant cherry trees either in an open area, such as a lawn, or trained against a wall or fence. Choose a warm, sheltered location that isn’t prone to late frosts as these can damage the flowers. A sheltered site will aid pollination too, as insects will have easier access to the flowers. Sweet cherries like a sunny spot, such as against a south- or south-west-facing wall, while acid cherries will tolerate some shade, so are suitable for a north-facing wall. Cherries grow particularly well in southern and central England. All cherries prefer deep, fertile, well-drained soil that is slightly acidic, with an ideal pH of 6.5–6.7. They grow less well in shallow or sandy soil. Poorly drained conditions can cause the roots to rot.
How and when to plant
Cherry trees are easy to plant, and this is best done while they are dormant, between November and March. Bare-root trees are only available during this period. Container-grown trees are available all year round and can potentially be planted at any time, but will settle in best from late autumn to spring, and planting in hot, dry conditions should be avoided. Prepare your tree for planting by giving it a good watering if it’s in a container or by standing it in a bucket of water for half an hour if it’s a bare-root tree.
If planting in a lawn, remove a circle of grass at least 1m (3¼ft) in diameter, so the tree’s roots don’t have to compete with the grass for water and nutrients as they get established. If your tree is going to be trained against a wall, plant it at least 25–35cm (10–14in) away from the wall.
Add wires to a wall or fence before planting a cherry tree intended for fan training
Planting in a container
Cherry trees can grow and fruit well in containers, but they will need regular watering
Plant Care
Watering
Established cherry trees in open ground shouldn’t need watering. Young cherry trees and trees grown in pots will need some additional watering throughout the growing season. Those trained against a wall may need some additional water.
- Newly planted cherry trees should be watered during dry spells for at least the first year
- Trees in containers need a steady supply of moisture throughout the growing season, so water regularly in dry spells, aiming to keep the compost evenly moist. But never leave them standing in water, especially in winter, as roots in saturated compost can rot
- Fan-trained cherry trees may require some additional watering if they’re in a rain-shadow – where the wall or fence reduces the amount of rainfall they receive
Be careful not to overwater in summer though – too much watering or very wet weather can cause ripe fruits to split.
Mulching
Apply a mulch of well-rotted organic matter, such as garden compost, around cherry trees in late winter or spring. Mulching will improve your soil, help to retain moisture and suppress weeds.
Feeding
Cherry trees growing in regularly mulched soil shouldn't need any additional feeding. However, if harvests are particularly poor, or your tree is showing signs of nutrient deficiency, apply a granular fertiliser to the soil in early spring. Use our page on nutrient deficiencies to work out what is lacking and apply the recommended feed, following instructions on the packet.
Cherries growing in containers benefit from regular feeding. Either apply an organic, high potassium liquid fertiliser every fortnight during the growing season (April to August), or sprinkle a granular, general-purpose fertiliser onto the compost each spring.
Protecting blossom and fruit
Cherry blossom is susceptible to frost damage, which can reduce the crop. So if your tree is small enough, cover plants with biodegradable/reused fleece or an old bedsheet to protect the blossom overnight if frost is forecast, then remove during the day so pollinating insects can reach the flowers. Potted trees can also be moved into a greenhouse, porch or other sheltered location to avoid frosts when in blossom.
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Netting will help to deter birds – either cover the whole tree or individual branches with plastic-free or reused netting. Raise the netting above the fruits using bamboo canes or wood, such as hazel or chestnut poles. Ensure the netting is taut and fastened securely so birds and other wildlife don’t get entangled in it.
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Trees trained against a wall are much easier to protect with netting than free-standing trees
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A fruit cage is a great option to protect small cherry trees
- Trees in containers could be moved temporarily into a greenhouse, conservatory or other protected location while in fruit
Propagating
Cherry trees are generally propagated by grafting or budding, which are both quite skilled techniques but worth a try.
Growing cherry trees from seed or cuttings is not usually worthwhile, as the resulting trees will grow into much larger trees than those grafted onto a rootstock (which limits their size) and will be slower to start fruiting. There are also biosecurity risks associated with growing from the seed of supermarket-bought fruit, so this should be avoided.
Pruning and Training
Fan-training a cherry keeps branches within easy reach for pruning, harvesting and netting
Pruning should be carried out annually, as soon as harvesting is finished – usually in late July or August, when the risk of silver leaf disease and bacterial canker is lower. Some formative pruning of young trees can be done in early spring.
Annual pruning keeps cherry trees more compact, so they take up less space and the fruit is easier to pick and to protect from birds. Pruning also ensures there is a good balance of older fruiting wood and younger replacement branches. Acid cherries, for example, bear almost all their fruit on the previous year’s shoots, so if left unpruned the crop would be produced at the ends of overlong branches.
Cherries should be pruned in the same way as plums – see our guides below for details.
Harvesting
Harvest only fully ripe cherries, as they won’t ripen further after picking
Problems
Cherry trees are usually vigorous and productive. However, poor growing conditions or certain diseases can sometimes cause problems. These include:
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Immature fruits being shed in early summer – this can be due to poor pollination, lack of water when fruits are developing, or other adverse weather conditions. Correct pruning and thinning of young fruit can reduce the problem – for more information see our guide to cherry fruit drop
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Split fruit – too much rain or overwatering just as the fruit is ripening can cause the skin to split. Harvest before any heavy rain if possible
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Die-back of branches and discoloured leaves – this can be caused by the fungal disease silver leaf (see below). To avoid infection, prune in summer after harvesting
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Dead patches of bark and small holes in leaves – these can be signs of bacterial canker (see below), which may eventually result in branches or whole trees dying
Birds love cherries and can quickly devour the crop unless the tree is covered with netting before the fruits start to colour up. See the Protecting blossom and fruit section, above.
Get involved
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