CHOICE CHERRIES

Fruit expert David Patch offers valuable advice on choosing the right type of cherry tree, with top tips on pollination and pruning

- David Patch

Let's be clear - cherries are not the easiest fruit tree to grow. There are myriad potential pitfalls for anyone wanting to pick luscious ripe fruit - hail and heavy rain, poor pollination, birds, clay soil and an unsuitable climate as well as various pests and diseases all stand in the way of a successful harvest. If you want something straightforward and stress-free, look elsewhere. Even growing something as seemingly exotic as a quince or fig is undoubtedly easier than a fruiting cherry. However, if you're up for a challenge and come armed with a little knowledge the rewards are so worthwhile.

TYPES OF CHERRY

First, it’s important to pick the type of cherry which will suit your garden conditions. There are four main groups of fruiting cherry. The most familiar are the sweet cherries. They range from traditional European names such as ‘Bigarreau de Napoleon’, ‘Merton Glory ‘and ‘Knight's Early Black’ to newer introductions from Canada such as ‘Stella’ and ‘Cherokee’. All sweet cherries like a well-drained soil, in full sun. They hate a heavy, water-logged site which causes gummosis – weeping wounds from the bark which allows bacterial canker to take hold. Almost all the older varieties are not self-fertile, so pollination can be an issue and pollination for cherry trees is unfortunately quite complex (see below). If you only have room to plant one cherry tree make sure it is one of the self-fertile types such as ‘Stella’.

Acid cherries are smaller in number. ‘Morello’ is the most widely known but there are a few others, such as ‘Nabella’ and ‘Kentish Red’. Generally self-fertile and tolerant of shade, these are an excellent choice for the home cook. They are also more tolerant of soil conditions than most sweet cherries. The depth of flavour is superb and as a welcome bonus the birds tend to leave them alone. Well, for a while at least!