Sweet cherries and sour cherries have different flavors. Beyond that, the trees develop differently. Therefore, for their cultivation as espalier fruit, species-specific challenges have to be mastered. It can be done, but neither of them are the ideal espalier fruit.
Espalier cherries are available in every garden store
Sweet cherry as espalier fruit
In theory, the sweet cherry can be grown as a trellis fruit. Why this is not recommended in practice has to do with their willingness to grow. What sounds positive at first, brings a lot of work for their owner.
- Cherry tree needs a lot of pruning
- otherwise the trellis shape quickly gets out of shape
- the scissors have to be used up to three times a summer
If this work doesn't deter you and cherries are one of your favorite fruits, nothing stands in the way of successful trellis fruit training. Buy a cherry variety with a weak rootstock, such as "Gisela". This reduces the cutting work to a tolerable level.
tips
Cherries need another pollinator variety in the vicinity, otherwise a rich harvest remains just a pipe dream.
Sour cherry as a trellis
The sour cherry has short-lived fruitwood and is therefore not a good type of fruit for a trellis. There is a good reason why she is occasionally raised as such: in areas with a harsh climate, this is the only way to achieve a satisfactory fruit yield. For this, however, the sour cherry has to grow on a house wall, where it benefits from the radiated heat.
A sour cherry tree can best be grown as a free fan without a central shoot. Other trellis forms are unsuitable for them.
Buy a suitable tree
It is best to buy trees directly from a tree nursery. They are a bit more expensive than some online mail order companies, but you can choose the tree yourself. For example, it is advantageous if the cherry tree has a short, strong trunk.
Varieties suitable for trellis are often sold as a bush rather than a tree. Tell the sales staff what you intend to do, they will know from experience which tree best meets the requirements for trellis.