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Fruit Tree · Deciduous fruit tree

Cherry Tree

Cherry Jubilee

SpringSummer
Cherry Tree — Young Young
Seedling / just planted

Young single-stem cherry sapling/whip with a few leaves, planted in open grass

Photo: Aaron Wallace· CC BY

Cherry Tree — Growing Growing
Established, filling in

Young cherry tree branch in bloom with white flowers and fresh green leaves emerging

Photo: Nate Hartley· CC BY-NC

Cherry Tree — Full grown Full grown
What you’re aiming for

Cluster of ripe red sweet cherries hanging on a leafy branch of a mature fruiting tree

Photo: jl__cc· CC BY-NC

Growing stages

What to look for, and what to do, at each point in its life

Your cherry tree (tagged 'Cherry Jubilee') follows the standard sweet-or-tart cherry rhythm in Decatur: structural training its first few winters, white-to-pale-pink bloom in March-early April, no fruit thinning needed since cherries don't overset the way apples do, and a May-June harvest judged by taste rather than a calendar date - but check the nursery tag or with the seller on whether it needs a second cherry variety nearby, since that detail could not be independently confirmed for this specific name.

  1. 1

    Planting as a Whip

    Year 1, planted while dormant (Dec-Feb)

    You'll see A young tree often arrives as a single unbranched whip, bare of leaves, roughly 3-6 feet tall.

    Do Cut the whip back to about 24-36 inches at planting if unbranched, just above a healthy bud.

  2. 2

    Structural Training

    Dormant season each winter, years 1-3

    You'll see Several main branches radiate from the trunk at different heights; some grow at narrow, weak angles while others spread wider.

    Do Each winter, select 3-5 well-spaced scaffold branches with wide angles and remove or shorten competing branches.

  3. 3

    Winter Dormancy

    Late November through February

    You'll see Bare branches show fat, rounded flower buds distinguishable from narrower, pointed leaf buds by late winter.

    Do Do maintenance pruning now on a dry day, removing dead, crossing, and inward-growing wood.

  4. 4

    Bud Break and Bloom

    March into early April

    You'll see Leaf buds break into small green leaves alongside white to pale pink blossoms in clusters along spurs and one-year wood.

    Do Confirm whether this tree needs a compatible pollinizer variety blooming nearby, and protect blossoms from late hard freezes.

  5. 5

    Fruit Set

    April into May

    You'll see Small green fruit forms in pairs or small clusters, still marble-sized or smaller.

    Do No thinning is needed for cherries; they naturally carry a full crop of small fruit without it.

  6. 6

    Summer Growth and Suckers

    May through August

    You'll see Vigorous, perfectly vertical shoots (watersprouts) sprout from branches, and separate shoots (suckers) emerge from the trunk base or roots.

    Do Remove suckers and watersprouts as soon as you notice them.

  7. 7

    Ripening and Harvest

    May into June

    You'll see Fruit deepens from green to yellow-blushed to full color depending on variety, plumping and softening slightly.

    Do Taste-test before a full harvest pick, and harvest when fruit is consistently sweet.

  8. 8

    Mature Tree Maintenance

    Ongoing, dormant season each winter from about year 4-5 onward

    You'll see An established scaffold structure that now mostly needs upkeep rather than shaping, with fruiting wood along one-year shoots.

    Do Prune yearly to remove dead or crossing wood, keep the canopy open to light, and control height for easy picking.

Techniques — transplant, prune, propagate, divide, seed

Sun

Full sun

Water

Deep water while establishing; less once mature.

Spacing

Per tree size; check pollination partner needs.

Feeding

Light balanced feeding in early spring.

Care

  • Many apples/cherries need a compatible pollination partner — confirm the variety.
  • Prune in dormancy (late winter) for structure and airflow.

Harvest

Variety-dependent; pick at full color/firmness for the type.

Watch for

Codling moth, brown rot, and late-frost on early blossoms.