Personal Care of a Cherry Tree

Choosing Cherry Trees

• Select a cherry tree suited for your location. Tart cherry varieties are self-fertile and do not require a second tree for pollination. These cherry trees grow best in U.S. Department of Agricultural Hardiness Zones 4 to 6 and produce fruit sooner than sweet varieties. Sweet cherry trees typically require at least one other well-matched cultivar for pollination. These cherry trees are hardy in USDA Zones 5 through 7 but will also flourish up to Zone 9 in the Pacific Northwest.

Planting Sites

• Select a planting site for the cherry tree with rich, well-draining soil and full sun. Space the trees dependent on the type. Allow 14 to 18 feet of spacing between tart cherry varieties in rows spaced 20 to 22 feet apart. Provide 16 to 20 feet spacing between sweet cherry trees in rows spaced 22 to 26 feet apart or space dwarfing sweet cherry trees 10 to 14 feet in rows spaced 16 to 20 feet apart.

First Year Care

• Soak newly transplanted cherry trees to settle them in place and water them well every two weeks when rainfall is less than 1 inch. Train cherry trees with a modified leader system, which has one central trunk with several well-spaced lateral branches. Maintain a weed-free area surrounding the cherry trees by lightly cultivating beneath the canopy of the tree. Apply a fertilizer based on a soil test or use a balanced one, such as 10-10-10, two weeks after planting and again four weeks later.

Yearly Tree Care

• Maintain the weed-free area around the cherry tree throughout the growing season or apply a thick layer of mulch, which should not remain after fall. Continue training the cherry tree to a central leader until the tree has six selected lateral branches. Supply water to the cherry tree during any long dry periods from spring to fall. Apply a nitrogen fertilizer only as directed if the tree's shoots are not growing enough yearly. Non-bearing cherry tree shoots typically grow 18 to 30 inches, fruit-bearing trees 6 to 12 inches and mature trees 4 to 8 inches.