- differences in growth
- Differences in leaves and flowers
- Differences in fruit
- Differences in care and diseases and pests
- tips and tricks
In midsummer, it is easy to distinguish a sweet cherry tree from a sour cherry tree. However, if there is no fruit hanging from the branches, it is difficult for laypeople to tell whether it is a sweet or sour cherry. Here are the key differences between the two types of cherries.
differences in growth
The sour cherry has thinner branches and tends to overhang. The sweet cherry is stronger in growth and reaches a greater height. The crown of sour cherries is usually rounded to overhanging and that of sweet cherries is pyramidal to broadly fanned out.
Differences in leaves and flowers
The leaves of the sour cherry are smaller than those of the sweet cherry. The flowers look confusingly similar. However, the flowering period of the sweet cherry usually begins earlier than that of the sour cherry.
Differences in fruit
With regard to the fruit, most of the differences appear. The fruits of the sour cherry, which ripen and are harvested later than those of the sweet cherry, are:
- smaller
- softer
- juicier
- acidic (twice as high acidity)
- less storable
- easier to pick without a stalk
- better suited for preserving and cakes
Differences in care and diseases and pests
The sweet cherry is more demanding in terms of location and soil than the sour cherry. It tolerates rough conditions less well. The sour cherry ripens well in the lowlands and at high altitudes. A disadvantage of tart cherries is that they are more susceptible to diseases such as monilia. On the other hand, the sweet cherry is more frequently attacked by the cherry fruit fly.
The care of the two types of cherries differs in that the cut of the sour cherry is different than that of the sweet cherry. The usually strong growth of sour cherries should be tamed every year after planting.
tips and tricks
Although sweet and sour cherries are very different from each other, they can pollinate each other. It is therefore sufficient to have a sweet and a sour cherry tree in the garden in order to obtain many fruits from both plants.
KKF