Fruits, Berries, and More - Backyard Farming: On an Acre - page 148

Cherry blooms are a gorgeous addition to the spring landscape. And of course, cherry trees go on to
provide edible fruits for the backyard farmer later in the season.
(Photo courtesy of Tim Sackton)
Like most fruit trees, cherries grow best in full sun and well-drained soil. Cherries need to be kept
consistently moist until they are fully established, because if the roots dry out they will die. This is
especially important to note if you're trying to grow them in a container. As with apples, they do
well with a thick layer of organic mulch.
Over the Garden Fence
You won't be the only one who loves the cherries your tree is producing. Birds can clean you out! You can
hang old CDs or scary “eyeballs” to try to deter them. But the best protection is to cover the bush or trees
with netting as soon as the color begins to change.
You can eat cherries straight off the tree and can get as much as 25 to 150 pounds per tree. Cherry
pie, juice, and preserves are all ways of storing extra cherries you've harvested. You can also freeze
the cherries on a flat baking sheet and then store frozen in bags.
Sweet cherry cultivars to try: Black Tartarian has huge dark, almost purple fruit and tasty flavor.
Lapins is one of the self-fertile sweet cherries and is a heavy producer with excellent crack resistance.
Royal Lee is a low-chill cultivar that flowers early in season. Sweetheart is another of the self-fertile
sweet cherry cultivars and is crack-resistant. White Gold has yellow skin and light color flesh, and is
a late-blooming cherry hardy to zone 4.