Cherry
Prunus avium / Prunus cerasus
Also known asSweet cherry · Sour cherry · Tart cherry · Pie cherry · Cereza · Cerise
Environment
The bounded range this crop tolerates.
Climate and zones
- USDA zones
- 4–8 (winter low around -34°C)
- Frost
- very hardy (survives deep cold)
- Season
- cool (spring/fall)
Growing systems
Root mass: very heavy. Thin-channel systems can't hold this crop.
Growing media
| Medium | pH effect | Retention | Bacterial surface |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soil-based mix (Potting soil) | varies | high | high |
Nutrient demand by stage
NPK ratios are relative weights. EC targets shift through the plant's life.
| Stage | N | P | K | EC (mS/cm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| seedling | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0.8 |
| vegetative | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1.4 |
| flowering | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1.6 |
| fruiting | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1.6 |
Companion-growing notes
- High transpiration. Regular reservoir top-ups needed during fruiting.
Aquaponics suitability
Not recommended
Fish waste alone doesn't supply enough of what this crop demands. Grows in hybrid systems with supplemental dosing, but expect active management.
Care notes
Not a practical hydroponic crop due to tree size, chilling requirement, and the years needed to reach bearing age (3-5 years from grafted nursery stock). For aquaponics integration, dwarf cherry trees on dwarfing rootstock ('Gisela 5', 'Gisela 6') can be grown in large containers (50 L) near outdoor systems and irrigated with nutrient-rich effluent. pH 6.0-7.0. Full sun (DLI 20+ mol/m2/day). The trees must experience winter outdoors; indoor year-round growing is not feasible. Self-fertile varieties ('Stella', 'Lapins', 'Sweetheart') eliminate the need for a second tree. Sweet cherries on Gisela 5 rootstock stay 2–3 m tall and begin bearing at 2-3 years. Sour cherries ('Montmorency', 'North Star') are self-fertile, slightly more compact, and more cold-hardy than sweet types. Bird netting is essential at fruiting time; birds will strip a tree in hours. Brown rot (Monilinia) is the main disease. For small-scale growers, a single dwarf sweet cherry tree produces 5–15 kg of fruit annually, worth $40-200+ at retail, making it a high-value tree crop even in a container.
Notable varieties
| Cultivar | Type | Days | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bing (sweet) | open pollinated | 1460 | 1875 Oregon seedling, the dominant US commercial sweet cherry. Dark mahogany-red, firm, sweet. Zones 5-7, needs pollinator (Black Tartarian, Rainier, Stella). Prone to rain cracking, which is why the Pacific Northwest dry summers suit it. Standard size, 4-6 m on Mahaleb. |
| Rainier (sweet) | open pollinated | 1460 | 1952 Washington State release. Yellow-red blush, very sweet, premium fresh-eating cherry. Zones 5-7. Less crack-prone than Bing. Needs pollinator. The cherry in premium gift boxes during the 3-week summer window. |
| Stella (sweet) | open pollinated | 1460 | Canadian 1968 release, the first self-fertile sweet cherry. Zones 5-8. Dark red, sweet-tart. Useful as a pollinator for Bing and Rainier in addition to fruiting on its own. The cherry to plant if you only have room for one. |
| Montmorency (sour) | open pollinated | 1095 | Pre-1700 French cultivar. THE pie cherry, accounts for over 90% of US sour cherry production. Bright red, tart, self-fertile. Zones 4-7. Smaller tree than sweet cherries, 4-5 m, easier to net and harvest. The practical home-orchard cherry. |
| Morello (sour) | open pollinated | 1095 | European old cultivar, dark-fleshed sour cherry, the traditional choice for cherry brandy (kirsch) and Eastern European cherry soups and dumplings. More cold-hardy than Montmorency, zones 4-7. Self-fertile. |