Cherry Trees

A Comparative Study Of Sweet And Sour Cherry Trees

There are many varieties of cherry trees, but none as conflicting and as totally disparate as the sweet and sour types.  If your conception of cherries are the red, round fruits that top sundaes, then think again.  There are more kinds of cherries, and even more are being introduced every year by experimental horticulturists the world over.

In the United States, however, sweet and sour varieties of this tree exist.

Sweet cherry trees are probably the most common of the lot.  The tree itself is short and stout.  The trunk can grow as big (or should that read as "as small?") as 1 foot.  Its fruits are colored red, black and yellow, and true to the tree's name, they are very sweet once ripened. 

Sweet cherry trees are quite picky when it comes to climatic conditions, however.  Its optimal growth will be curtailed by hot summers and freezing winters.  It grows well in temperate conditions.  This is why this tree can mostly be found alongside lakes and hills in the eastern region of the country.

There are many types of sweet cherries, but here's the rather distinctive catch.  Sweet cherries will only be produced once the pollen of a cherry type is transferred to another type.  Otherwise, sweet cherries would be impossible.  This is the reason why you usually see different types of cherries planted in prairies and farms.

Sour cherry trees, on the other hand, are generally shorter and thinner than its counterpart.  Its cherries are produced either through direct pollination between trees of the same kind, or cross pollination from trees of different types.  Given the more brittle nature of the sour variety of this tree, they are not pruned as much as the sweet types.  However, their fragile nature is quite misleading.  Sour cherries actually fare well in different climatic conditions.  Hot, cold, scorching, freezing, temperate... it doesn't matter.  Sour cherries will grow, and quite healthily at that.

When transplanting cherries, bear in mind that the sweet varieties should be planted at least 28 feet to 35 feet apart, and the sour varieties should have a space of at least 18 feet to 25 feet away from each other.  Indeed, both kinds are grown through a process of grafting.  The aforementioned areas between rootstocks will give them enough breathing room once they reach maturity.  Though both varieties are not really particular about soil quality, regular fertilization will nonetheless serve them well.