Green gardening: Growing cherries

There are two kinds of cherries: sweet, eaten fresh; and tart, used mainly for cooking, canning, jam making, and pie baking. Sweet cherries are extremely vigorous  but tart cherries are hardier than sweet ones and will grow in northern areas.

Sweet cherries are extremely vigorous and need deep, well-drained soil, around pH 6.5. Only fan-trained trees are suitable for the average garden, and they take up a great deal of wall space. If plenty of room is available, the trees can be allowed to develop into their natural, large, rounded form. Many varieties are not self-fertile and you will need to plant two varieties for good fruit set. Two trees will bear enough fruit for an average family.

• Fan trees will span four and a half to six metres (15 to 20 feet). Plant them five and a half to seven and a half metres (18 to 25 feet) apart against a wall facing south or west.
• Cherry trees will not need heavy pruning once they are established. Remove dead, damaged, and crossing limbs yearly. After trees reach seven years of age, remove some old wood each year as well to maintain good air circulation.
• The trees do not need much fertilizing, and too much fertilizer can cause succulent growth that is susceptible to fire blight.
• Spreading a thin layer of compost over the root zone in the spring should be sufficient. Water during prolonged dry spells.
• In early summer drape the entire tree with netting to protect the fruit from birds.
• Do not pick sweet cherries until they are completely ripe; then pull them off by hand with an upward twist.

• For the first three years after planting a one-year-old tree, prune it in early spring before growth begins, not in winter.
• After the framework is established, treatment differs; sweet cherries have more spurs and fewer laterals, and heavy pruning is not necessary.
• In early summer rub out the current year's shoots that are growing directly toward or directly away from the wall.
• Pinch out the tips of the others in early or middle summer when they have four to six leaves.
• When ribs reach the top of the wall, cut back to a weak lateral. Otherwise, bend the shoot to the horizontal, and tie to the wire. This slows the growth rate and encourages new shoots to break out. The shoot can then be cut back to a weak lateral.In early fall cut back shoots pinched out in summer to three or four flower buds (large, plump ones). Also cut away any deadwood. Make the cuts flush with the parent stem. On older trees, tie new shoots into the fan shape when there is room in early or mid summer. Some may be needed to replace old shoots.

Sweet cherries bloom early in spring and are liable to have their flowers damaged by late frosts and cold winds. Where winds are a problem, grow deciduous or evergreen hedges to form a windbreak, or erect temporary windbreaks with burlap-covered frames or open-weave fencing. Remember, a slightly open fence that slows wind speed is better than a solid fence that causes turbulence on the lee side.

If late frosts are liable to cause problems, flowers can be protected with a burlap-covered frame that stands in front of the tree. It should be braced against the wall so that it does not touch the flowers and must be removed during the day to allow access to pollinating insects. Trunks are liable to sun-scald in summer and should be shaded with a burlap wrap.