Dwarf cherry trees offer a number of advantages, especially for small gardens. They are cheap to buy, take up little space, begin to bear fruit as early as the second year, are easy to care for and harvest.
The size of a fruit tree depends on what rootstock the cherry was grafted on. There is
- vigorous,
- medium-sized and
- weak documents.
The tall and half-stems have strong to medium-growing bases and, depending on the variety and how they are cut, can take up up to 50 m² of standing space when fully grown. The bush and columnar trees are planted on weak-growing bases, such as e.g. B. 'GiSelA' grafted, remain compact with their final height of approx. 3-4 m and often bear flowers and fruits in the 2nd year after planting.
The varietal characteristics of the small trees are the same as those of the large cherries. The taste, colour, ripening time, yield strength, resistance to fungi and frost are determined by the noble variety that is grafted onto the rootstock. Annual pruning is important to keep small trees small and their crowns in good shape.
What to look out for when buying
The space required by a mature bush or columnar cherry tree with a crown diameter of around 3 m is around 10 m². A sunny, airy garden or terrace should be available for the tree. Choose a healthy 2-year-old tree about 80 cm tall with a pronounced central axis and 3-4 well-spaced side branches that are as flat as possible.
Small cultivars of cherry trees
When choosing the right sweet cherry variety, make sure that it is self-fertile. Otherwise you need another type of pollinator nearby that flowers at the same time. Most tart cherry varieties are self-fertile. It also makes sense to plant an early sweet cherry variety to naturally prevent cherry fruit fly infestation. The sweet cherry varieties Sunburst, Sylvia or Erika and the sour cherry variety Karneol are good choices.
tips and tricks
The so-called shaped trees, which you can grow on a sunny south-facing wall with the help of a wooden or wire framework, are very practical for small gardens or terraces.