Cherry Trees

There are two basic types of cherry trees, sweet cherries and sour cherries. The sweet cherry is the one you can eat right off of the tree. The sour cherry is commonly used in baking. The renowned cherry pie is usually made with a sour cherry. Cherry trees can grow to 30 feet tall or more, depending on the rootstock. Rootstocks commonly used are Mahaleb, Colt, Mazzard and GM61/1. Cherries ripen early and most are ready for harvest in late spring.

As a general rule sweet cherries need a pollinizer and most sour cherries are self-fruitful and do not need a pollinizer. Not all sweet cherries can act as a pollinizer so be sure to check what other cherry tree is needed to produce fruit. Pruning every year is also suggested in order to maintain a healthy tree. Pruning should be done in the spring, before the new growth begins. Remove dead or unhealthy branches and limbs. Thin the areas of the tree where the growth is very bushy. Cherries have to be picked ripe. They do not ripen well after they have been picked. There are red, black, yellow and mottled cherries. Recent information about tart or sour cherries show that they have among the highest levels of disease fighting antioxidants compared to other fruits. They are delicious and healthy, a great combination. Our cherry tree offerings are listed below.