Best Advice On How To Grow Cherry Trees In Containers

Successfully Growing Cherry Trees In Your Garden Or Outdoor Space

There can be nothing better than picking fresh cherries from your very own trees. But what if you only have a very small garden or just a small patio or back yard. Can you still have your own cheery trees? Well, yes you can, cherry trees can be grown successfully in pots and containers.

To successfully achieve a good crop you will ideally need at least two trees as most cherry trees are not self fertile and will need another tree that pollinates at a similar time. If you really only have space for only one tree, you can get varieties that are self fertile, or another option is to buy a tree that has cultivars grafted to it. You can also buy dwarf varieties that will suit smaller areas.

Growing Tips

The trees require a suitably deep pot or container, a minimum depth of 60 cm is ideal. Cheery trees make very attractive additions to the garden or outdoor space so compliment the beauty of the tree with an attractive pot or container. Pots and containers can dry out quickly so keep the pot mulched on top with bark, or use shingle for a more decorative look. The mulch will help retain moisture in the compost.

Once the fruit have appeared, water the tree regularly. It is important not to water sporadically, as drenching one day and then leaving to dry out completely can result in the fruit skins cracking as they swell too quickly or shrivel up from lack of water. a regular good soaking will encourage the roots to grow deep into the pot and increase the strength and health of the tree. Plants with shallow roots are more prone to the risks involved from infrequent ot inadequate watering.

Your trees will appreciate feeding once the fruit have set. Use an organic seaweed feed to keep them happy. An all-purpose organic feed will be ideal but do avoid feeds heavy on nitrogen or you’ll have a tree heavy on foliage but light on fruit.

How do you keep your home grown cherries for you and not let them get consumed by pests or birds? There are a number of ways to protect the trees that can be achieved without resorting to chemicals. A physical barrier of netting will stop the birds from having a feast on your fruit, and grease bands around the trunk will prevent harmful creepy crawlies from climbing up from the ground. Positioning the trees amongst other herbs and flowers that deter harmful but attract helpful insects will also help.

Keep the tree healthy by pruning away diseased or dead wood. This allows air to circulate around the branches, give the sun a chance to shine on all the branches, and will encourage healthy growth. Avoid pruning during the winter months as it can increase the chances of the tree being affected by disease.

Where to place your potted trees? Cherries grow on attractive trees and look very pretty when in blossom. Make the most of this by locating in a position where you can enjoy looking at them. They will tolerate partial shade but will be much happier with plenty of sunshine and will give a better crop as a result. The added advantage of having your trees in pots or containers is they can be moved as circumstances dictate. So if particularly strong winds could mean losing all the blossom from the trees, they can be moved to a more sheltered spot until the weather improves, or their location can be changed as the direction of the sunlight moves through the months to maximise their exposure.