How to Grow Sour Cherries

Quick Facts

Factor	Value
Soil texture	Loamy preferred (RHS); tolerates light, medium or heavy soils (PFAF)
Drainage	Well-drained, moisture-retentive (RHS; PFAF)
Lifecycle	Deciduous tree, self-fertile -- only one tree is needed for a crop (RHS; PFAF confirms, pollinated by bees).
Edible parts	fruit
Documented problems	6 diseases, 1 pest

At a Glance

Diseases

Blossom wilt

low

Monilinia laxa

Named directly on RHS's own growing-guide page for acid cherries.

Silver leaf

low

Chondrostereum purpureum

Named directly on RHS's own growing-guide page for acid cherries.

Bacterial canker (Prunus)

moderate

Pseudomonas syringae pv. morsprunorum

Named directly on RHS's own growing-guide page for acid cherries.

Brown rot (stone fruit)

low

Monilinia laxa

Named among acid cherry problems in RHS's cherry-growing guide, alongside silver leaf and bacterial canker.

Peach leaf curl

moderate

Taphrina deformans

Named directly on RHS's own growing-guide page for acid cherries.

Honey fungus

moderate

Armillaria spp.

Named directly on RHS's own growing-guide page; PFAF separately states plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus.

Pests

Birds (fruit)

moderate

Aves

Named directly on RHS's own growing-guide page as a threat to ripening fruit.

Soil & Growing Conditions

Water: Water newly planted trees during dry spells for at least the first year (RHS); PFAF notes the species prefers moist soil but tolerates fairly exposed, maritime sites.

Growth Stages

Stage	BBCH	Notes
Planting and establishment	0	Plant November to March while dormant (RHS). Unlike sweet cherry, acid cherry crops well in partial shade and is suitable for a north-facing wall as well as sunnier sites (RHS). On Colt rootstock it stays naturally less vigorous, at about 3.5m, making it better suited to container growing than sweet cherry on the same rootstock (RHS).
Vegetative growth	3	Self-fertile and bee-pollinated -- only one tree is needed for a crop (RHS; PFAF). Shallow-rooted and prone to suckering, especially if roots are damaged (PFAF).
Flowering	6	Flowers in spring (PFAF: May); protect blossom from frost with fleece overnight, removed by day (RHS).
Fruiting and harvest	8	Almost all fruit forms on the previous year's shoots -- left unpruned, cropping shifts to the ends of overlong branches, so pruning (as for plums) must balance older fruiting wood against younger replacement growth every year (RHS). 'Morello' harvests in late summer (RHS); PFAF records seed ripening in July.

Harvest & Storage

When to pick: Fruit ripens in late summer -- RHS gives 'Morello' as harvesting then, PFAF records seed ripening in July. Grown mainly for cooking rather than fresh eating (RHS). The fruit's seeds contain amygdalin and prunasin, which yield cyanide; generally harmless in the small quantities present, but bitter seeds should not be eaten (PFAF).

What the research guides add

Sour cherries are the easier cherry to grow in a cold garden, and three extension services agree on why.

• Sour cherries are more cold tolerant than sweet cherries (Illinois, NC State) and do well in cooler, humid climates; Illinois lists USDA zones 4 to 9. (Illinois Extension, NC State Extension)
• The species is self-pollinating, so one tree can fruit on its own (NC State); Virginia Tech notes that varieties ripen a few days apart (one about five days after ‘Northstar’), which can extend the harvest season. (NC State Extension, Virginia Tech Extension)
• Plant in full sun in fertile, well-drained soil, deep and with a rooting depth of at least 3 feet; Virginia Tech gives a pH of 6.2 to 6.8 and warns that cherry roots are extremely sensitive to excessive moisture, which can stunt or kill the tree. (Illinois Extension, NC State Extension, Virginia Tech Extension)
• Illinois gives a harvest from June to early August and a mature height of 12 to 15 feet when pruned (up to 50 feet unpruned), and lists the varieties Montmorency, Danube, Meteor, Northstar, Mesabi, English Morello, Balaton and Surefire. (Illinois Extension)
• Virginia Tech says tart cherry production is concentrated along the Great Lakes, in western Michigan, eastern Wisconsin, western New York and northwestern Pennsylvania. (Virginia Tech Extension)

Sources for this section

• University of Illinois Extension: Sour Cherry (Prunus cerasus), Hort Answers
• NC State Extension: Sour Cherry, Prunus cerasus (Plant Toolbox)
• Virginia Cooperative Extension (Virginia Tech): Growing Cherries in Virginia (422-018)

Section researched and checked on 24 October 2026 by the SoilCommander Editorial Team. How we check facts: editorial policy.

Sources

1. Plants For A Future (PFAF) - Prunus cerasus (sour cherry)

   Flowers May, seed ripens July. Soil: light/medium/heavy, mildly acid/neutral/basic, tolerates very acid, prefers some lime but chlorotic if too much lime, well-drained moisture-retentive loam ideal. Sun or partial shade, fruits better in sun, tolerates maritime/exposed sites. Propagation: seed (2-3mo cold stratification, can take 18mo to germinate), half-ripe cuttings with heel July/August, softwood cuttings spring/early summer, layering, sucker division in dormancy. Pests/diseases: genus notably susceptible to honey fungus; shallow-rooted, suckers freely especially if roots damaged. Edible: fruit raw/cooked, seeds, oil, leaves (tea), trunk gum. Self-fertile, bee-pollinated. Seeds contain amygdalin/prunasin (cyanide-yielding) -- bitter seeds should be avoided.

These source is specific to this region. The full list of 2 sources behind this guide (Plants For A Future (PFAF), Royal Horticultural Society) is in the references of our UK guide to sour cherries; they describe the plant itself, which is the same wherever it grows.