How to Grow Cherry Trees

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How to grow cherry trees well comes down to four choices: where the tree sits, whether it needs a pollination partner, how deep it goes in the ground, and how lightly it gets pruned in the early years. Extension guides from Oregon State, Virginia Tech, Penn State and the University of Illinois agree on most of these points.

Sweet and sour cherries grow differently, so this guide marks which group each rule applies to. Where the pages disagree, the text says so.

Quick answer

• Pick a site with full sun, good drainage, shelter from strong wind and room for the mature tree.
• Sour cherries such as Montmorency do not need a pollinizer, but most sweet cherries need a different compatible variety nearby.
• Set the graft 1 to 2 inches above the soil and keep early pruning light, done in late winter.
• Cover trees with netting when the fruit ripens, because birds often eat much of the fruit on isolated trees.

Choose a site that drains and avoids cold pockets

Penn State lists full sun, good drainage, protection from high winds and enough space for the mature size of the tree as the main siting needs for a home cherry. Oregon State adds a warning about wet ground: sweet cherry trees do not tolerate wet or clayey soils. Illinois gives the same basic rule for sour cherries, which need well-drained soil and full sun.

Frost matters as much as drainage. Virginia Tech says spring frost is the primary consideration for choosing a site. It explains that radiational frosts occur on clear still nights, and that because cold air is denser than warm air, cold air flows down slopes and settles into the low areas. Its advice is to plant on ground higher than the surrounding land, so the cold air can drain away. The guide is written for orchards in Virginia, so its elevation figures are regional, but the principle applies to a backyard tree too.

Soil comes next. Virginia Tech gives a target of well-drained soil with a pH of 6.2 to 6.8 and a rooting depth of at least 3 feet. It warns that cherry roots are extremely sensitive to excessive moisture, which may stunt tree growth or kill the tree. Its drainage check is to dig a hole 3 feet deep and see whether water still stands in it three days after a heavy rain. A pH test before planting shows whether lime is needed, and the kits compared in our soil tester guide are one way to get that number.

Pick a variety and plan for pollination

Sour cherries are the simpler group. Virginia Tech says all commercial varieties of tart cherry are self-fertile, and Penn State says tart cherries are self-fruitful. Oregon State notes that the principal sour variety, Montmorency, does not require a pollinizer. Sweet cherries are different, because most need a compatible partner. Penn State says most sweet cherries are not self-fruitful, and that several newer cultivars are.

Oregon State lists Stella, Sweetheart and Lapins as self-fruitful varieties. It names Corum, Sam, Van, Bada and several others as good pollinizers. Virginia Tech explains the logic behind the pairings: eighteen incompatibility groups have been identified, and varieties in the same group cannot be used to pollinate each other. Penn State adds that sweet and tart cherries cannot pollinate each other.

Illinois gives a simple home rule: plant any two or more varieties of sweet cherry for cross-pollination. Penn State goes one step further for all cherries. It says self-fruitful sweet and tart cherries still provide larger harvests when a different cultivar is planted nearby, so a partner tree helps even when it is not strictly required.

Choose the rootstock and plan for mature size

Rootstock decides how big the tree gets. Penn State says the mature tree size is determined by the rootstock, whether standard, semi-dwarf or dwarf. Oregon State says Gisela rootstocks are the most popular dwarfing rootstocks for sweet cherry, and it adds that new dwarfing rootstocks are available from some nurseries. Illinois says Mazzard is the standard rootstock for sweet cherries, but dwarfing rootstocks such as Gisela are also becoming more popular.

Finding a rootstock is the tricky part. Virginia Tech says information on rootstock and variety is often lacking at garden centers, and that there is usually no choice of rootstocks for cherries. It notes that only certain nurseries sell trees on the MxM and Gisela rootstocks. If a dwarf tree is the goal, ask a fruit-tree nursery which rootstock the tree is grafted onto before you buy.

Plan for the full size of a standard tree, even if you are hoping for a small one. Virginia Tech describes sweet cherry trees as large and vigorous, able to attain a height of 30 feet. When the yard is small, let the rootstock guide the choice of tree before you choose the variety. If space is tight, Penn State notes that cherry trees can be successfully espaliered into fan shapes.

Plant the graft at the right height and space the trees

Penn State recommends a one-year-old whip with a good root system, planted in early to mid-spring, as soon as the soil can be worked. The bud union, the graft between cultivar and rootstock, should sit 1 to 2 inches above ground. Set the tree at that height and firm the soil around the roots without burying the graft.

Spacing depends on rootstock. Virginia Tech gives sweet cherries on dwarfing rootstock 10 to 14 feet within a row and 16 to 20 feet between rows. Sweet cherries on vigorous rootstocks need more room, at 16 to 20 feet within a row and 22 to 26 feet between rows. Tart cherry trees are smaller, and the guide gives them 14 to 18 feet within a row. Those figures come from orchard plantings, so use them as a starting point for a single home tree and confirm the mature size with the nursery.

Prune lightly and time the cuts

Virginia Tech advises avoiding pruning until late winter or early spring, from late February to late March. The reason is that pruning temporarily reduces the resistance of trees to low temperatures. Its guide also says cherry trees are susceptible to low temperature injury, and that warm sunny days followed by fast cooling can injure bark on the trunk and lower limbs.

Keep early cuts light. Virginia Tech says heavy pruning of young trees will delay fruiting. Illinois says pruning should be light to reduce the danger of winter injury and keep the trees productive. Penn State says pruning during the first few years is essential to develop an appropriate structure for long-term health and productivity. For thin branches and shoots, our loppers comparison and pruners for trees guide cover the tool side of the job.

The training system depends on rootstock. Virginia Tech says the central leader form is probably best for trees on dwarf rootstocks, and the open vase form is best for trees on vigorous rootstocks. It adds that dwarfing rootstocks make it much easier to control vigor, and that those trees produce fruit in the third year. Illinois adds that sour cherries may be trained to either the central-leader system or to the open-center system.

Mature trees need different amounts of pruning depending on the type. Penn State says cherry fruit spurs can last 10 to 12 years, so a mature cherry tree may need less annual pruning than other stone and pome fruit trees. Illinois says mature sour cherry trees need to be pruned every year, while sweet cherry trees need less pruning than other fruit trees. The two statements fit together, but the pages do not reconcile them, so treat both as general guidance.

Protect the crop from birds and rain

Birds are a common cause of a lost harvest. Oregon State says birds often eat much of the fruit on isolated cherry trees, and it suggests placing plastic netting over the tree or just around the lower limbs. Illinois advises covering cherry trees with nets to protect mature fruit from birds. Penn State points out that smaller trees are easier to net, which is one practical reason to keep a home tree compact.

Rain adds a second risk. Illinois advises harvesting ripe cherries as soon as possible to avoid fruit cracking that occurs when it rains. The guide does not give a number of wet days after which cracking is likely, so watch the forecast in the final weeks before the crop ripens and pick fruit promptly once it is ready.

Keep up the yearly care

Penn State lists fertilization, weed control, mulching and watering, if needed, as yearly work alongside pruning. Watering has to respect the drainage rules above, because cherry roots do not do well in saturated soil. Virginia Tech notes that losses to a soil-borne fungus that causes crown and collar rot tend to be greater in wet or poorly drained soils. If the ground around your tree stays wet, that is the sign to revisit the site, not to add more water.

How we chose

We limited this guide to university and cooperative extension pages about growing cherries at home, and we opened each one with curl on 2026-10-23. We kept only the statements a page makes in plain words about siting, soil, pollination, rootstock, planting, pruning and harvest. We left out orchard-only machinery, chemical thinners and every disease or pest control method, because those fall outside a home-garden how-to. Pages that returned 403 or 404 do not count. The four cited pages come from Oregon, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Illinois, so the figures are regional and the text labels them that way.

What we could not verify

The pages do not agree on every timing or size figure, and none of them is written for your exact zone. We could not confirm the bearing age for your own combination of rootstock and climate from one source alone, so the figures quoted here stay as each page states them.

What the sources do not say

The sources do not give one planting week for every region, a full list of sweet cherry varieties for every zone, or a chemical control schedule, which this guide leaves out on purpose. Penn State says tart cherries usually provide a crop in 3 to 5 years and sweet cherries in 4 to 7 years, while Virginia Tech says trees on dwarfing rootstocks produce fruit in the third year. Both can be true for different trees, but the pages do not explain which rootstock gives which timeline.

Frequently asked questions

Does a sour cherry tree need a second tree to set fruit?

Not according to the pages we opened. Oregon State says the principal sour variety, Montmorency, does not require a pollinizer, and Virginia Tech says all commercial tart cherry varieties are self-fertile. Penn State still points to a nearby cultivar, because it says a different cultivar nearby increases harvests for self-fruitful cherries.

Can a sweet cherry tree pollinate itself?

Most sweet cherries cannot. Penn State says most sweet cherries are not self-fruitful and need a different, specific cultivar planted nearby. Oregon State lists Stella, Sweetheart and Lapins as self-fruitful, so those names are the ones to check first if you only have room for one tree.

How long does a new cherry tree take to bear fruit?

The pages give different ranges. Penn State says tart cherries usually provide a crop in 3 to 5 years and sweet cherries in 4 to 7 years. Virginia Tech says trees on dwarfing rootstocks produce fruit in the third year. Penn State also notes that size, variety, soil and sunshine all affect yield.

How high should the graft sit above the soil?

Penn State says the bud union should sit 1 to 2 inches above ground when the tree is planted. Because the rootstock controls tree size, check the nursery label for the rootstock before you dig the hole.

When should a young cherry tree be pruned?

Virginia Tech advises pruning from late winter to early spring, between late February and late March, and it warns that trees pruned close to severe cold often have winter injury. Illinois says pruning should be light. Penn State describes the early years as the time to build the tree’s structure.

Sources

• https://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/ec-819-growing-tree-fruits-nuts-home?reference=catalog (opened 2026-10-23)
• https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/422/422-018/422-018.html (opened 2026-10-23)
• https://extension.psu.edu/cherries-in-the-garden-and-the-kitchen (opened 2026-10-23)
• https://extension.illinois.edu/fruit-trees/cherries (opened 2026-10-23)