How to Grow a Cherry Tree: A Detailed Guide to Planting Methods and Techniques

To plant a cherry tree, you first need to buy a cherry sapling. You can buy one at a flower and nursery stock market, or online. The sapling you buy should have a well-developed root system and lush branches and leaves. Once you have the sapling, choose a suitable time to plant it. The planting soil should be fertile and moist. After planting, remember to water and fertilize on schedule, and spray medications to prevent and treat pests and diseases.

1. Purchasing

You can buy cherry saplings directly from a flower and nursery stock market, or contact a seller online or by phone to buy them. Pay attention to whether the cherry saplings you buy have a well-developed root system and lush branches and leaves.

2. Planting

It is best to plant cherry saplings in early spring. You can also plant them around Qingming Festival, or in late spring and early summer. The planting soil should be fertile and moist, not too dry or too waterlogged.

3. Watering

Cherry trees have a relatively strong tolerance for drought. For most of the year, unless the weather is unusually hot or windy, they do not need watering under normal conditions. However, once they enter the fruiting stage, you must pay close attention to changes in soil moisture, as they need plenty of water during the ripening period. Outside the fruiting period, when the soil at a depth of 5 to 10 cm below the ground begins to dry out, use a hose or drip irrigation to water the cherry tree slowly and deeply as soon as possible. Wrap a thick layer of organic mulch around the drip line on the tree to maintain soil moisture, and irrigate the cherry tree in winter and during especially dry and windy weather.

4. Fertilizing

Fertilizer provides the nutrients cherry trees need for growth, which in turn helps them produce the healthiest and fullest fruit. Fertilizing in early spring, before the cherry tree's buds break, can timely support the tree's new spring growth. You can also collect a soil sample and send it to a professional laboratory for soil composition testing and analysis, which allows you to more precisely determine the types and amounts of fertilizer and nutrients that should be added to the soil. You can also apply 1/8 pound of nitrogen per inch of trunk diameter, or spread a thin layer of compost along the drip line around the tree. Remember that under-fertilizing is better than over-fertilizing, because over-fertilizing can make cherry tree branches brittle and cause excessive leaf growth while reducing flowering and fruiting.

5. Pests and Diseases

Many pests can attack cherry trees, including aphids, peach tree borers, green fruit flies, and common fruit flies. In humid seasons, the moist climate can give fungi, viruses, and bacteria opportunities to grow and reproduce, causing diseases in cherry trees such as blight, leaf curl, and brown rot. Be sure to spray medications to prevent and treat pests and diseases when the trees are flowering or about to bear fruit.