- Before choosing a site for your tree, you need to have a routine soil test done to learn the chemical and physical properties of your soil. Your local extension office can perform this test or recommend a third-party testing service. Because you will need to apply fertilizer annually to keep soil nutrients at the appropriate levels, a soil test will inform you of important data about your soil and help you to correctly fertilize your cherry tree.
- Soil high in organic matter holds onto adequate moisture without drowning the tree's roots.b?ache image by Claudio Calcagno from Fotolia.com
Sweet and tart cherry trees will grow in most soils, according to the Purdue University Extension. The only soils where cherries tend not to thrive are ones at either extreme with respect to soil texture. Heavy clay soils that remain overly wet can prevent the tree from getting the oxygen it needs. Light, sandy soils that drain too quickly cause the tree to dry out. Ornamental cherries, likewise, will grow in most soils as long as they are moist and well-drained, qualities not typical of clay or sandy soils. - While cherries may grow reasonably well in any moist, well-drained soil, cherry trees do display ideal growth on particular types of soil, and this varies by species. If you have a site that poses a particular challenge in terms of soil conditions, you should select a cherry species adapted to those conditions.
Several species thrive on acidic soils, including the autumn-flowering Higan (P. subhirtella), Japanese flowering (P. x yedoensis), Kwanzan (P. kwanzan), purpleleaf sand (P. x cistena) and sargent cherries (P. sargentii). While growers with alkaline soils have fewer options, the Kwanzan cherry will perform well, despite high pH.
Cherries well-adapted for heavy clay soils include the autumn-flowering Higan, Japanese flowering, Kwanzan and purpleleaf sand cherries, and the Kwanzan cherry is a particularly desirable choice for sites that remain wet. Light, sandy soils will best accommodate the bing (P. avium), early Richmond (P. cerasus), Japanese flowering, Kwanzan, purpleleaf sand and sargent cherries. For areas prone to drought conditions, select the Kwanzan cherry. - You will need to maintain the soil around your tree in order to replace the nutrients absorbed by its roots and to keep the soil structure well-drained and aerated. Maintain a layer of mulch 1 to 3 feet around the trunk to replace the organic matter in the soil needed to improve drainage and moisture retention. Although a soil test will provide the best recommendations for fertilizer, in general, cherries require .1 lb. of nitrogen for every year of age of the tree, up to 1 lb. per year.
