Cherries & Plums

Juicy cherries and plums are firm family favourites. They are even more delicious when you have grown them yourself. And this guide will give you all the information you need to do so.

Cherries & Plums

Juicy cherries and plums are firm family favourites. They are even more delicious when you have grown them yourself. Both varieties are keen on sunny yet sheltered positions.

Cherry Trees

Acid cherry trees are self-fertile, which means they don’t need another partner tree near them to produce successful fruit in the harvest.

Sweet cherry trees are either self-fertile or they need a nearby pollinating partner tree to help them bear fruit. The variety you buy will clearly say whether it’s a ‘self-fertile’ or ‘pollinating partner’ type.

Your cherry tree with either be bare root or potted. Plant potted anytime of the year though avoid too hot or too cold periods. Bare root can be planted around November and March depending on temperatures.

They like sunny, protected spots as it is where they will flourish best.

It will be time to harvest in June/July when the cherries are juicy and brightly coloured.

Plum Trees

Ripe and juicy plums are perfect for eating fresh or making into delicious jams. First select a nice sunny spot that is sheltered from the wind. Much like cherries, plum trees can arrive as bare root or in pots.

Bare root plants can be planted between November to March, but don’t plant in frosts or when the soil is very. Potted plum trees can be planted all year round.

Plums are usually ready to harvest around August. You may need to thin the tree in early summer, which means removing smaller and less fruited branches. This will stop the tree from becoming too heavy.

Watering & Feeding

In the 12 months after planting, keep the cherry and plum plants well-watered. Water in the morning and evening during hot and dry conditions.

Until the tree’s first flowers arrive, put a general-purpose fertiliser into the water as extra feed.

After the first flowers arrive, use a potash feed such as tomato food instead of the general fertiliser. Cherries & Plums also produce beautiful flowers ahead of their fruiting period making them beautiful additions to any garden.

Shot holes (holes in leaves)

Please don’t be alarmed by these small holes in the leaves. These are caused by hot weather.

Cherry trees will commonly respond to hot temperatures by developing ‘shot holes’, sometimes with a lighter ‘halo’ around them. The plant attempts to remove the damaged tissue by turning it woody. These woody spots then drop out of the leaf, leaving a hole and giving the appearance that someone has fired a shotgun at the leaf.

Please be assured that the holes are superficial and the plant itself is in good health. Don’t forget that the leaves will drop in the autumn, returning fresh next year. Please be aware shot hole is a condition and not a disease – the only implication of this condition being minor leaf imperfections.