The Delicious Fruit Tree You Should Be Planting In The Fall

If you've always wanted to add fruit as a staple in your vegetable garden or yard, why not try planting a cherry tree this fall? It's the perfect time to get either sweet or sour cherries growing. Sweet cherries, the kind best for snacking, thrive in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 5 to 7, while sour cherries — those that are better off used in baking treats – are hardy in zones 4 to 6. There are also ornamental cherry trees that don't bear any edible fruit. Fun fact: You can actually identify cherry trees by their leaves. 

For cherry trees that do bear edible fruit, most varieties will do well planted in the fall before the ground gets too hard with cold. Autumn is a great time to plant them because they can work on growing roots in cooler weather, when there's less heat that can put pressure on the plant. In general, roots grow best in cool, mild weather. 

Cherry trees shouldn't be crowded together and need to be spaced at least 20 to 35 feet apart. They prefer full sun and well-drained soil. If you do plant a cherry tree, you might be battling birds for the fruit. Invest in some netting to keep them away. If you're ready to plant your cherry tree, let's take that sapling and head to your backyard.

Before planting anything, know the type of cherry tree that you have. If it's from rootstock — the bottom part of a tree that's been grafted to another (which is common in fruit trees) — then you need to plant the sapling so that the grafted part is buried a few inches below the soil for best results. However, if you've bought a cherry tree sapling in a container from the garden center, then make sure to soak the tree roots in a water while you're digging the hole. This can help keep the tree refreshed. 

You can also germinate your own seeds from cherry pits, but this is fairly time consuming. It can be difficult to grow a tree from a pit, but it can be done if desired. Just be aware cherry pits need to be cold stratified. It could be up to a decade until you see fruit.

When planting cherry trees in fall, give them enough lead time to get settled before the first frost hits in your area. If you miss your planting window, know that you can actually grow cherry trees inside, through dwarf cherry trees are a better bet for containers. However, at the end of the day, patience might be the best ingredient for this popular fruit tree. Typical cherry trees might take four years to bear fruit, though that dwarf tree in a container might grow cherries by year three.  Just know that the wait likely will be worth it. The average full-sized cherry tree can produce up to 50 quarts of cherries a year. That's a lot of cherry pies!