Everything should be done in the case of the fan-trained sweet cherry to keep growth down to a minimum. Strong side growths, for instance, can be bent round in a circle and then as fruit buds form lower down they may be pruned back to this point. If the trees do get out of hand, then the only thing to do is to root prune.
Cherries grown in acid soil will appreciate being given carbonate of lime every four years or so, at I. lb. to the sq. yard, and this will be forked in very lightly together with the sedge peat.
Because standard cherry trees are such strong growers, they have to be planted not less than 40 feet apart either way. This is another reason, incidentally, why it is impossible to grow sweet cherries on a small scale. These trees should be allowed to grow slowly and so they are usually not pruned in the year following planting.
The planting of cherries on a large scale must be regarded as a long-term investment. Great care has to be taken to provide the right pollinators, for without the correct inter-planting, the trees will not crop. Before, therefore, embarking on Commercial Cherry Growing, the reader would be well advised to consult Mr. S. R. Dixon, 'Cambridge', Teynham, nr. Sittingbourne, Kent, the Cherry Advisor of the British Association of Consultants in Agriculture and Horticulture. It is possible, on a small scale, to plant sweet cherries as fan-shaped trees against a wall or fence 20 feet apart.
One has to take care always to plant at least two so that the one may pollinate the other. Napoleon and Amber are two popular varieties because the one pollinates the other and vice versa.
Two other reciprocal varieties are Early Rivers and Noir Guben. It is most important to consult the nurseryman re the fertility rules before making the purchase. Though books say that it is possible to plant cherries as cordons, I had never found these satisfactory because of the problems of pruning. - 16035
Cherries grown in acid soil will appreciate being given carbonate of lime every four years or so, at I. lb. to the sq. yard, and this will be forked in very lightly together with the sedge peat.
Because standard cherry trees are such strong growers, they have to be planted not less than 40 feet apart either way. This is another reason, incidentally, why it is impossible to grow sweet cherries on a small scale. These trees should be allowed to grow slowly and so they are usually not pruned in the year following planting.
The planting of cherries on a large scale must be regarded as a long-term investment. Great care has to be taken to provide the right pollinators, for without the correct inter-planting, the trees will not crop. Before, therefore, embarking on Commercial Cherry Growing, the reader would be well advised to consult Mr. S. R. Dixon, 'Cambridge', Teynham, nr. Sittingbourne, Kent, the Cherry Advisor of the British Association of Consultants in Agriculture and Horticulture. It is possible, on a small scale, to plant sweet cherries as fan-shaped trees against a wall or fence 20 feet apart.
One has to take care always to plant at least two so that the one may pollinate the other. Napoleon and Amber are two popular varieties because the one pollinates the other and vice versa.
Two other reciprocal varieties are Early Rivers and Noir Guben. It is most important to consult the nurseryman re the fertility rules before making the purchase. Though books say that it is possible to plant cherries as cordons, I had never found these satisfactory because of the problems of pruning. - 16035
