Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Cherries at a Glance
Chilling requirements:
800 to 1,300 hours of chilling at 32 to 55°F (0
to 13°C)
Region:
USDA Zones 5 to 9, with a few varieties rated to Zone 4
Soil pH and type:
Deep, well-drained loam or sandy soils
Pollination:
Most sweet cherries are self-unfruitful and require
cross-pollination; plant varieties from different pollination groups to-
gether to ensure cross-pollination. Tart cherries tend to be self-fruit-
ful.
Variety selection:
It is very important to carefully select the right
scion and rootstock combination for your particular area and training
style.
Other notes:
Tart cherries are more cold-hardy than sweet cherries,
bloom somewhat later, and are better suited to cold climates than their
sweeter cousins.
Turkey is the world leader in cherry production, followed by the United
States, Iran, Italy, Ukraine, Romania, Russian Federation, Spain, and Uzbek-
istan. In North America, Washington is the leading commercial sweet cherry
producer, followed by Oregon, California, and Michigan. Michigan is the lead-
ing tart cherry producer, followed distantly by California and New York.
Canada grows about 5 percent of the commercial cherries produced in North
America, primarily in British Columbia.
Although there are many cherry species, only a few have been used
to produce most modern varieties. Sweet cherries are diploid (two sets of
