Planting cherry trees: Instructions & tips from professionals

There is nothing better than snacking on juicy cherries from the tree in summer. We show how you can easily plant a cherry tree in your own garden.

The original home of the cherry (prunus) is located in Asia Minor in what is now Turkey. In summer, however, cherries are also indispensable in Central Europe. The sweet fruits are particularly popular with children and the seeds are often spit out in competition. The harvest season and the supply in the trade are unfortunately only limited. So that you can still stock up on enough cherries, you should definitely plant your own cherry tree in the garden.

Anyone who chooses a fruit tree wants to be able to enjoy it for a number of years. Therefore, some aspects should be considered right from the start.

Planting cherry trees: in pots or in balls?

The same cherry variety may be offered in the tree nursery in containers and in balls. While the plant has already been cultivated in the pot in which it is sold as container goods, the Baled goods only cut out from the field with a ball of soil shortly before the order and usually with a so-called Packed in balls. Balled plants are therefore usually only available in early spring or autumn, while container plants can be bought and planted all year round. Baled goods are relatively robust due to outdoor cultivation. In contrast to this, however, with container goods, no root mass is lost through the cutting out and the sapling develops very well already in the first year, as it does not expend energy on root regrowth got to.

When to plant the cherry tree?

The ideal planting time for cherry trees is in autumn (October/November). This gives them enough time over the winter months to root and sprout vigorously in spring. Alternatively, planting in early spring (March/April) on a frost-free day is also possible.

Instructions for planting a cherry tree

If you have decided on a cherry tree, it should be planted as soon as possible after purchase. In the following we explain step by step how to proceed.

Materials needed to plant cherry trees

So that planting the cherry tree goes quickly, you should have a few utensils ready:

• spade, shovel, hoe
• support pole, binding material
• hammer, secateurs
• potting soil, compost
• Trunk protection, coconut mat

Choose a suitable location for the cherry tree

In order for your cherry tree to grow well, you should think about the right location in advance. Cherry trees prefer a warm, sunny and sheltered spot. The soil should not be too heavy and wet, because the cherry does not tolerate waterlogging very well. A well-aerated soil with a high humus content is therefore ideal.

Tip from the pro: Not all cherry trees are self-fertile. It is best to find out more about this directly at the nursery. It may be necessary to plant another cherry tree in the vicinity in order to be able to harvest delicious fruit.

Dig a planting hole for a cherry tree

The planting hole should be about twice the size of the root ball. Roughly pierce the outline of the planting hole with the spade and then remove the meadow and the individual layers of soil bit by bit. It is best to pile up the soil near the hole, as this will be used again later. It is best to dig the planting hole a third deeper than the root ball of the tree. Finally, the soil at the bottom of the hole is loosened with a hoe.

Install support post for cherry tree

Where there is already a hole, a support pole can also be hammered in. This should be about the same height as the trunk of the cherry tree. It is best to hit the pole on the west side so that the wind later pushes the tree away from the pole and not against it.

Prepare planting hole for cherry tree

Make sure you have good starting conditions right from the start so that the cherry tree can grow well. To do this, pour a good layer of fresh potting soil into the hole and mix it well with a layer of compost. In addition, a fertilizer with an organic long-term effect – such as ours Plantura organic tomato fertilizer - be worked into the ground. This is slowly decomposed by the microorganisms in the soil and gradually releases the nutrients to the tree.

Prepare cherry tree before planting

To prevent the roots from spiraling in the long term, you should score them all around with scissors before inserting them. Then loosen them up with your hands. This measure later promotes root branching.

Tip from the pro:If the root ball seems very dry to you, the cherry tree can be briefly placed in a bucket of water before planting.

Plant a cherry tree

Now you can place the tree in the middle of the planting hole and close the hole with the previously removed soil. The cavities that have arisen are closed by gently stepping on the earth. If you have problems with rodents in the garden, you can also attach a trunk protection at this point to protect the young tree from nibble attacks. In order to protect the freshly planted cherry tree from strong winds, it is tied a hand's breadth below the end of the post. Do not attach the rope too tightly so as not to constrict the tree.

Finally, you should water the cherry tree well. Slurrying ensures that the soil settles well and that the water reaches the roots. You can also put a coconut mat around the trunk of the tree. The ground cover suppresses the growth of weeds that could compete for nutrients with the shallow-rooted tree.

Summary of planting a cherry tree:

• It is best to plant in autumn (October/November).
• A sunny, warm location is ideal
• Dig a planting hole at least twice as big and a third deeper
• Drive in the support post on the west side
• Bring in fresh potting soil
• Carefully score and loosen the root ball
• Place the tree in the middle of the hole and close it with the excavated earth
• Lightly press on the soil and water well
• Tie to a post, attach feeding protection and lay out a coconut mat

Caring for cherry tree after planting

After planting, you should supply your cherry tree with sufficient nutrients through annual fertilization. It is best to use compost or organic long-term fertilizers for this, which are applied to the tree disc. Since the young cherry tree only has a limited root volume in the first few years, you should ensure that it is adequately watered, especially in the hot summer months. If you want more Cherry Tree Fertilizers If you want to know more, you can find more information in our special article.

In addition, a so-called training cut should be carried out in the first few years after planting. Later, a simple thinning cut is sufficient to remove diseased and old shoots. More information about the right one cherry tree pruning can be found in our special article.

Many thanks to Floragard for the support!