How to plant and care for Cherry (Sunburst)

Prunus avium

🌳 Tree 🍓 Fruit 🔁 Perennial

A self-fertile sweet cherry with big, dark, juicy fruit in July. On a dwarfing rootstock it suits small gardens and large pots.

At a glance: harvest in July.

When to plant and care for it

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Harvest

Prune

Timed for a typical UK garden (last frost mid-April). The app uses your own town's frost dates.

On planting day
Plant the Tree
Plant at the same depth it grew in its pot, in a hole twice as wide as the root ball, 3 m (Gisela 5 rootstock) from other trees. Firm and water well.
0–1 days after “Plant the Tree”
Stake and Tie
Drive a short stake in on the windward side and fix it with a soft tree tie. Loosen the tie each spring so it never cuts into the bark.
0–2 days after “Stake and Tie”
Water In Deeply
Soak the root area with a full can, then keep the soil moist (not wet) for the first few weeks.
7–21 days after “Water In Deeply”
Mulch the Base
Spread 5–8 cm of compost or bark mulch in a 1 m circle, keeping it clear of the trunk.

March
Spring Feed and Mulch
Scatter a general fruit feed and mulch the root area.
April
Protect Blossom from Frost
Cover small or wall-trained trees with fleece on frosty nights while in flower.
June
Net Against Birds
Net the tree as the cherries start to colour — birds strip them in a day.
July
Pick Cherries
Pick with the stalk on when the cherries are dark and sweet.
Starts from year 2.
August
Summer Pruning
Prune after picking, never in winter (silver leaf): remove crossing branches and shorten over-long shoots.