“When I sound the fairy call; Gather here in silent meeting;
Chin to knee on the orchard wall; Cooled with dew and cherries eating.” ~ Robert Graves
This delightful extract summons up an image of summer that is not easy to replicate in a small garden in northern England. However, while the warmer, drier south is the commercial home of the English cherry, it is possible to grow both sweet and sour cherries in the north, if the right conditions can be provided.
What growing conditions are required in a northern English garden?
Sweet cherries need to be grown as fans against a sheltered, sunny (south or south-west facing) wall in order to have the best chance of getting a decent crop. This gives the blossom protection against spring frosts and the ripening fruit protection from wind and rain.
Sour cherries can handle less protection than sweet cherries. They can produce a good crop when grown as a small bush in a sunny position or on a wall that does not receive full sun. The fruit of the sour cherry may be sweeter when fanned against a sunny wall, but will still be fine for cooking and preserving when cultivated in other ways.
Both sweet and sour cherries need deep, fertile and well-drained soil with a pH of 6.5 to 7.5.
Cultivation of sweet and sour cherry trees in the garden
Your cherry tree will need to be kept well watered during the spring and summer months, particularly in the first couple of years. Apply a layer of compost or well-rotted manure around the base of the tree during the winter to feed and mulch your tree. Additional mulching through the year will help to keep the soil weed-free and moderate the effect of extreme dry or wet weather.
If you don't want to lose your entire crop to local birds, net your cherry tree as the fruit ripens.
Cherry blossom arrives early in spring and is therefore vulnerable to frost. Avoid planting your tree in a frost pocket and fleece the cherry blossom at night if frost is forecast. Remove the fleece during the day to allow for pollination.
Many sweet cherry cultivars need to be pollinated by growing another variety nearby that flowers at the same time. Unless you have a lot of space, or your neighbour's garden has a suitable cross-pollinator, it is easier to buy a self-fertile variety. Sour cherry trees are usually self-fertile.
Snip off the fruiting buds in the cherry tree's first season, as this will help it to focus its energy on establishing itself rather than producing fruit.
Buying cherry trees
Late autumn or early spring are the optimum times to buy and plant your cherry tree.
Cherry trees are propagated by grafting part of the stem of the tree to be reproduced onto the rootstock of a related tree. The rootstock determines the size of the final plant and is as important a consideration as the variety of cherry when choosing your tree.
In order to be sure of the quality of both the rootstock and the cultivar (variety) it is advisable to buy from a specialist fruit nursery. If there is not one local to you, there are nurseries online that will send plants via mail order.
Don't hesitate to ask questions of your specialist nursery – a good nursery should be able to offer good advice.
What size and age of tree to buy?
For training as a fan or a small bush suitable for a northern garden, the Gisela 5 is recommended. It is classed as a semi-dwarfing rootstock and will grow up to a maximum of 2.5 to 3 metres (8 to 9ft). The Colt rootstock (maximum 4.5 metres or 14ft) is more universally available, but may be harder to manage.
A one year, or maiden, bare-root plant is best for planting directly in the garden – it will establish more successfully than a container-grown plant and be easier to train.
Sweet Cherry cultivars suitable for a northern English garden
The following are all self-fertile:
Celeste is an early cropping cherry . It has a naturally restricted growth habit, so even on a colt, rootstock is less vigorous and good for a small garden.
Stella is a popular mid-season cherry with sweet, dark fruits.
Summer sun is recommended for northern Britain as it can produce a good crop even in a poor summer and can tolerate cooler winters.
Sweetheart crops later in the season (August/September) and has an excellent flavour.
Sour Cherry cultivars suitable for a northern English garden
Morello is universally recommended in the UK. It is self-fertile and grows well even in less than perfect conditions, although it prefers sun. If left on the tree to ripen fully, the fruit can be eaten raw, although it is not sweet!
Can sweet and sour cherries be grown in containers?
If they are given the right attention, cherries can be grown successfully in large containers. The container will limit its size, making it easy to protect against birds and frost.
Your container-grown cherry should be kept in full sun. It will need to be watered and fed more regularly than a garden-grown tree. It should be re-potted every year into a larger pot. Once the tree has reached the maximum size you want, the roots should be trimmed and the compost replaced annually.
It is probably best to buy a container-grown plant in early spring rather than a bare-root tree; some have even been "patio-trained." Re-plant in a new container as soon as possible after purchase.
Finally
It is important to be realistic about the optimum conditions that you can provide in your garden. If you live on a windy site with a shady, north-facing garden, it is unlikely that a sweet or sour cherry tree will thrive.
Before you buy, do plenty of research.
Be patient – you will have to wait a couple of years for your first reasonable crop, but it will be worth it!
Sources:
- Fan-trained trees: initial training; Royal Horticultural Society; 2011
- Cherry-Time by Robert Graves; Fairies and Fusiliers 1918
Celia Compton - A writer of integrity, with a background in music, therapy, teaching, public sector administration, gardening, intentional community ...
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