The Best Time to Plant a Cherry Tree for a Faster Harvest

Key Takeaways

Bare-root trees are best planted in the spring, and container-grown trees in the fall.
Young trees should be protected against winter damage and wildlife.
Don't allow trees to fruit in the first two years so they can get established.

Some fruit trees require a lot of patience until they start producing. Not cherries—you probably won’t have to wait long for your first harvest on a newly planted cherry tree. However, it makes all the difference when you plant the tree and how you care for it during its first years.

Get expert advice on the best planting time for cherry trees, as well as some key factors impacting when to expect your first crop.

Laura Sweany is a horticulturist for Raintree Nursery in Morton, Washington.

Spring vs. Fall Planting

Cherry trees can be planted in spring or fall. The ideal time depends on your climate and the type of cherry tree you want to grow.

Spring Planting

Bare-root trees are usually available only in spring, which is also their ideal planting time.

“The benefit of spring planting is that usually you plant the tree when it’s still dormant, and so it wakes up in its location and it is much less likely to experience transplant shock,” says Laura Sweany, a horticulturist for Raintree Nursery. “You also have a much larger selection of plants during spring dormant planting.”

If a hard freeze is anticipated, wait to plant until moderate temperatures. Keep roots mulched and moistened, and protect saplings from freezing temperatures until the weather is right for planting. You can also “heel in” plants by temporarily planting them at an angle in a trench, being careful to cover all exposed roots.

Fall Planting

Though cherry trees in containers can be planted any time the ground isn’t frozen, earlier is better. “Fall is a good time to plant potted trees because the soil is warm and roots easily settle into warm soil,” Sweany says.

She explains that air temperatures are cooler in fall, which means "trees aren’t heading right into a hot growing season after having had their roots disturbed by the planting process. And the new roots that trees put out in spring have hardened off and are much less likely to be damaged by the planting process by the time fall rolls around. The only danger with fall planting is a really unseasonable cold snap early that potentially shocks young trees.”

Winter Protection of Young Cherry Trees

The first two years are critical to the health of a cherry tree as it attempts to become established, so in cold climates, winter protection will be needed. Sweany recommends placing a plastic tree guard or sleeve of hardware cloth around young trunks to prevent rabbit and mouse browsing, then surrounding the tree with a chicken wire cage, 2 to 3 feet tall and wide.

“Fill the cage with leaves or boughs or straw or hay—any kind of light, fluffy, organic material that will act as an air barrier between the colder outside temperatures and the tree itself,” she says. Remove the tree guard and wire cage in spring, but leave the mulch in place to keep the root zone cool and moist.

Even if you protect your young tree during the winter, a late spring frost can damage flower buds and result in a crop failure.

When to Expect Your First Cherry Harvest

You probably won’t have to wait long for your first harvest on a newly planted cherry tree. “One to two years after planting is a pretty common timeline for fruiting for dwarfing rootstock, and three to four years for standard trees,” says Sweany.

As eager as you may be to pick cherries off your tree, be patient. “It would be extremely stressful and usually fatal to allow a tree to set fruit the first year of its establishment,” Sweany says. “Cherries sometimes try to do that. They’re what is called precocious, and that means they reach their ability to bear fruit early,” she says.

Instead, let the tree concentrate on growing its roots. “Sometimes trees will bloom, and that’s okay to let it bloom because those buds are already set and the tree’s not wasting any energy on that,” Sweany says. “But if it looks like it’s going to start developing any actual fruit, just take a pair of scissors and cut the stem off where it is attached to the branch. That way, you are not asking the tree to split its energy growing roots and getting established and attempting to make fruit.”

Factors That Impact Fruiting

Location. Choose a suitable planting site. Full sun and good drainage are key, as cherry trees are shallow-rooted and susceptible to root rot in heavy, wet clay soils. Avoid planting in low-lying frost pockets, where developing flower buds get easily damaged. A soil pH between 6.3 and 7.2 is best.

Rootstock. Cherry trees are generally sold in three sizes: mini dwarf (6-8 feet tall at maturity), dwarf (10-14 feet), and standard (up to 25 feet). “Mini dwarf and dwarf will bear more quickly,” Sweany says, “but surprisingly, in cherries, the standard trees aren’t that far behind.”

Moisture. Ample soil moisture is important during flower and fruit formation. Otherwise, fruit may prematurely drop off the tree before ripening. Water your trees twice weekly during dry periods, 5 gallons of water each time. If temperatures are above 80°F, instead apply 10 gallons each time. This is especially important for the first two years of the tree's establishment. Once established, cut watering back to a single weekly dose as needed.

Pollination. Sour, or tart, cherries are self-pollinating, but most sweet cherries need another variety for pollination. “Make sure you know whether or not your cherry tree needs a ‘buddy,’ and make sure you’re getting a pollinizing partner that does in fact bloom at the same time,” Sweany says. Even if another variety of cherry tree flowers at the same time, it may not be a pollinizer match for its partner, so check with the nursery to make certain they are compatible. Another option is to plant a self-pollinating cultivar such as Lapins, Stella, or Glacier; however, this will limit the selection of cultivars available.

Cold. Cherry trees thrive in the North, where they receive the winter cold treatment necessary for fruit production. Where winter temperatures are more moderate, such as the South or Pacific Northwest, choose varieties that require fewer hours of cold temperatures. Examples of these so-called low-chill cherries include Almaden Duke, Royal Crimson, and Early Burlat.