6 Tips for Growing Tart Pie Cherries in Edmonton
- Plant Sour Cherries in a protected area with well drained soil. Avoid low lying areas where cold air collects. Windbreak are recommended for North and West sides of the orchard.
- Late winter or early spring is the best time to prune. Pruning of damaged branches can be done at anytime. Never do general pruning in summer or fall, it would encourage late growth and increase chances of winter damage;
- Don’t remove more than 25% of the wood in any one year. To remove more wood may encourage vegetative growth and reduce fruit yield the following year.
- Use fertilizer only if necessary and apply only in the spring.
- Reduce or stop watering in the fall, this helps to make the trees go dormant. Exception: a drought year with young plants.
- Allow grass to grow up to the tree trunk, as the competition will hasten the onset in dormancy. Full size trees can have grass growing close to the tree all season long, encouraging deep root growth.
