<<< Back to category list

Cherries

Sweet cherries crop best under conditions of light rainfall (in areas of high rainfall they are prone to splitting). They do best on a deep, fertile, well-drained soil but will tolerate a range of soil types provided it is well drained and ideally 60cm (2ft) or more in depth. Cherries flower early and so require a sheltered position and may need protection against spring frosts. The biggest disadvantage of sweet cherries in the past has been that they make very large trees. However, Ken Muir’s trees are grafted onto the new dwarfing rootstocks Gisela and Tabel and only a small tree is produced, around 2m (6ft 6in). Acid cherries do not grow as large as sweet cherries and are therefore grafted onto the more vigorous Colt rootstock so that the ultimate height is the same. If you have a small garden, certain varieties are available as Minarettes which are ideal as they can be planted as close as 90cm (3ft) apart.

<<< Visit the main Ken Muir site

^ Top of the page