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Small cherry trees for small gardens
Small cherry trees offer a number of advantages, especially for small gardens. They are cheap to buy, take up little space, start to carry in the 2nd year, can be easily groomed and harvested.
The size of a fruit tree depends on which base the cherry has been grafted on. There are
The tall and half-trunks have strong to medium-strong rootstocks and, depending on the variety and cut care in full-grown condition, can take up to 50 m² of stand space. The bush and column trees are grown on slow-growing substrates, such. B. 'GiSelA' refined, remain compact with their final height of about 3-4 m and often carry flowers and fruits in the second year after planting.
The varietal characteristics of the small-sized trees are the same as those of the large cherries. The taste, the color, the maturity, the yield strength, the fungus resistance and the frost resistance are determined by the noble variety that is grafted onto the base. In order to keep small trees small and their crown in shape, the annual cut is important.
What to look for when buying
The space requirement of a full-grown bush or columnar cherry tree with a crown diameter of about 3 m is about 10 m². A sunny, airy garden or terrace space should be available to the tree. Choose a healthy 2-year-old tree with a height of about 80 cm, a pronounced central axis and 3-4 well-distributed, as shallow as possible side branches.
Small cherry varieties
When selecting the sweet cherry variety, make sure that it is self-fertile. Otherwise, you will need another pollinator near you that will bloom at the same time. Most sour cherry varieties are self-fertile. It is also useful to plant an early sweet cherry variety in order to prevent the infestation of cherry fruit fly in a natural way. The sweet cherry varieties Sunburst, Sylvia or Erika and the sour cherry variety Carnelian are a good choice.
Tips & Tricks
Very handy for small gardens or terraces are the so-called mold trees, which are raised on a sunny south wall using a scaffold made of wood or wire.