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When compared to apples, peaches, plums and apricots, cherries are easier to grow because they ripen earlier. There is the same after bloom spraying for insects such as plum curculio and the dormant oil spray with lime/sulfur for control of brown rot and winter insect egg control, but in a short time, about 60 days after bloom, the cherry trees are ripening their fruits.

Adaptation
Sweet cherries are native to cool summer mountain regions such as parts of Germany. In the US principal commercial cherry orchards are Northern California, Michigan and New York. In Canada, Southern Ontario and Summerland British Columbia.

Planting
The gallon size, three, five or seven gallon size transplant very well. There should be no stress on the plant even in the summer months.

Be mindful of planting the roots into the worked prepared soil of your chosen planting spot. Young white roots will quickly integrate into the surrounding ground. An older dark root can be placed and buried in the soil. If the root is "molded" around the pot gently release its curved habit and extend it into your soil. Your soil should be aerated with a digging fork. Loosening the soil to a depth of about 14" and about 3' wide. Do not add compost or manure or fertilizer near the roots. After planting, amendments can be added on the surface of the soil. Minerals are ok to add to the soil near the roots such as greensand and rock phosphate if incorporated well in the prepared soil in the planting space. Minerals should work just as well on the surface as over time nature works the elements gradually into the feeder root zone.

It is not necessary to bare root your plant. The soil of the pot will increase your overall volume of the soil. Extra soil is good for forming a burm or a water catch shoulder. The finishing touches on the "garden bed" (not planting hole) could be annuals, lettuces or garden bulbs in the newly worked soil. Topping it off with a bark mulch about 2" - 4" deep.

Hopefully there is an ample water supply easily accessible.

Watering
Water well as soon as the tree is set. Continue your attention to the newly set tree for the remaining of the growing season. If planting in the fall, water well unless nature is providing the ample rain.

Ornamental Value
Cherry blossoms are glorious. Large cloud puffs of highly scented white flowers. Bark is reddish with a sheen, greyer in the winter. Tree shape is upright and spreading. Standard trees have a full upright shape. Dwarf trees are lolly pop shaped.



Pollination
For years most sweet cherries were not self fruitful and couldn't be planted alone. Recently new varieties have been introduced, Stella from Summerland British Columbia Canada and Black Gold and White Gold from Geneva, New York. These three varieties will pollinate other sweet cherry varieties and are self fertile if planted alone. Earliest flowering types like Sam and Ranier are first to bloom and others follow, overlapping their blooming time of 10 to 14 days.


Pruning
The young tree upon planting should have evenly spaced branches about 6" from each other up and down the main trunk. These branches angle off the main trunk in different directions at a 60 degree angle. If the tree received has no branching (a whip) the buds along the vertical growth will start to grow in the spring. As soon as they begin to leaf observe how many there are. Remove any, simply by thumbing them off, choosing the best spacing and direction they leave the main trunk.

After all this, generally cherry trees need very little pruning and have evolved with a very fine shape. If the fruit is a fine size and acceptable, there shouldn't be a need to prune out the buds that bloom (the spurs). Some professional growers will do this on their dwarf trees that are grafted on Gisela 5 root stock to increase the size of individual fruits. Check the tree yearly in winter or before growth starts for any branch crowding. The sun and breeze should work harmoniously through out the tree. It’s best not to have one branch totally shading the other, or two branches competing for the same space.

Permaculture Value
Cherry trees generally are long lived and can grow in an environment suitable for cherries without cultivation or manipulation. Dwarf trees need more attention in times of drought, so standards are a better choice for permaculture plantings.

In hot humid areas canker, a bacterial disease can cripple of kill a tree. Dark round circles with cracking and sap oozing is the visible sign of this disease. With no care fruits can get brown rot and worms in the fruit.

All varieties are not equal. Some varieties are resistant to canker, especially varieties introduced in the eastern United States. In conclusion, cherries are borderline for permaculture adaptation.

Location
For frost protection plant at the higher elevations of your property, still with ease of use close to the home. In hot summer areas afternoon shade is fine. Air movement is very important to keep brown rot and leaf spot at a minimum. Choose a place where air can breeze through. Plant away from tall trees where squirrels could jump to the tree easily. They don't like running on the ground to the tree, it makes them more vulnerable to predators.

Harvesting
Cherries are ripe when they turn their mature color. Although ripe, they will sweeten up for about 2 weeks on the tree and turn darker and richer. They won't sweeten after picking.

A kitchen cherry pitter is a great tool for pitting cherries for freezing. Fresh cherries frozen are a great winter food. Also drying the cherry is faster if the cherry is pitted.

Harvest time can be done daily for a few weeks. This can be hampered by rain. Rain can cause the fruits to swell to fast and crack, making them susceptible to brown rot. Brown rot is a fungus that will spread quickly, ruining the fruit. If there is a minor brown rot activity in the tree, pick and trash the infected fruits. Brown rot spreads quickly in a wet spring environment. Dwarf trees are easy to pick and can be trained to have limbs close to a persons height. A step ladder is usually the only help needed.

Standard trees usually are picked on a ladder. A light weight 20' extension ladder is best.

Animals
Deer, raccoon, possum, and squirrels are all possible candidates to share the harvest. Prunus avium is the Latin for sweet cherries. Avium basically means birds. So, cherry and birds go together like bread and butter. Birds can be deterred in various ways. We have less bird damage because our trees are close to activity. We're walking back and forth near our dwarf cherries daily at work. I have a much better chance getting most of the fruit from the trees close by the greenhouses than I do with the trees planted near the woods away from activity.