Crops › Cherry (Sour)
How to grow Cherry (Sour)
in the US
Sow March to November, plant out December, harvest July to October. About 730 days from seed to plate.
Shown for zone 6. Zone table further down.
Sour cherries are cracking for pies and preserves, proper tasty when you get them right. They're a bit of a long-term project, mind, but proper rewarding to have on the plot. You'll get a lovely feature and a cracking harvest after a few years.
Sowing
You're mostly going to be starting sour cherries from bare-root trees or young potted plants, not seeds, to be honest. If you are sowing seeds, they need a proper cold spell first, what we call stratification. You'd sow them about an inch deep, usually in pots, then keep them somewhere cold for a few months. When you're ready to plant out, timing's key. For zones 5-7, you're looking at spring, March to May, once the danger of hard frost has passed. Colder zones like 3-4 might wait till April or May, while warmer zones like 8-10 can even plant in late fall or early winter.
Growing on
Once your young cherry plant is ready, you'll want to get it into its final spot. Make sure the soil is well-drained and gets plenty of sun. Space them out properly, about 15 to 20 feet apart for standard trees, less for dwarfs. They'll need some initial support, a good stake will do the trick to keep them upright while they establish. Keep an eye on them in the first year, making sure they don't dry out.
Looking after it
Sour cherries like consistent moisture, especially when they're young and when the fruit is developing. Give them a good drink, particularly during dry spells. A bit of balanced fertilizer in early spring helps, and a decent mulch of compost or wood chips keeps the weeds down and moisture in. Not much pinching out needed, just prune them gently to shape.
What goes wrong
Birds are proper keen on cherry fruit, so netting is usually your best bet as the fruit ripens, or you'll lose the lot. Watch out for cherry fruit flies and aphids too; a strong spray of water can knock aphids off. Brown rot can be a nuisance in wet weather, so good air circulation helps. Keep the area tidy, you know what I mean.
Harvest
You'll be waiting a couple of years, about 730 days from when you plant a young tree, for your first proper harvest. Cherries are ready in June or July, when they're a deep, rich red. Pick them with the stems attached; it helps them last longer. They don't ripen after picking. Store them in the fridge, they'll keep for a week or so, great for baking or freezing.
I always plant a few nasturtiums around the base of my cherry trees; they say it helps with pests, and to be honest, they look cracking too.
Dates for your plot
Type your zone and the plant-out advice shifts to your frost dates.
Varieties, and whether the club would grow them again
| Variety | Club verdict |
|---|---|
| Montmorency Montmorency is a real workhorse, a reliable maincrop performer. If you're after consistent yields for pies and preserves, this one's a solid choice. | No club votes yet |
| North Star North Star is another cracking maincrop variety, known for being dependable. It's a good pick for steady harvests. | No club votes yet |
| Balaton Balaton is a reliable maincrop sour cherry, offering good fruit. It's a proper solid performer for most backyards. | No club votes yet |
| Meteor Meteor is a consistent maincrop variety, giving you a good yield of sour cherries. It's a dependable choice for your plot. | No club votes yet |
| Early Richmond Early Richmond is a fantastic early maturing variety, getting you fruit quicker. If you're impatient for your first harvest, give this one a go. | No club votes yet |
| Surefire Surefire is a reliable maincrop performer, living up to its name. You can count on it for a good, steady supply of cherries. | No club votes yet |
| Danube Danube is a reliable maincrop variety, known for its good fruit. It's a sound choice for general growing. | No club votes yet |
| Jubilee Jubilee is a proper reliable maincrop cherry, giving you plenty of fruit. It's a great all-rounder for the home gardener. | No club votes yet |
| Morello Morello is a classic maincrop sour cherry, very dependable indeed. It's a strong performer for those rich, dark fruits. | No club votes yet |
| English Morello English Morello is a robust maincrop variety, a good old reliable. You'll get a cracking harvest from this one. | No club votes yet |
| Evans Bali Evans Bali is a reliable maincrop sour cherry, known for its hardiness. It's a good option if you're in a colder spot. | No club votes yet |
| Carmine Jewel Carmine Jewel is a reliable maincrop variety, part of those bush cherries. It's a good choice for smaller spaces or if you want a bush form. | No club votes yet |
| Crimson Passion Crimson Passion is another cracking maincrop bush cherry, known for its rich flavor. It's a good one if you're after intense taste. | No club votes yet |
| Romeo Romeo is a reliable maincrop bush cherry, giving you good yields in a more compact form. Ideal for a smaller backyard or container. | No club votes yet |
| Juliet Juliet is a fantastic reliable maincrop bush cherry, offering plenty of fruit. It's a great partner for Romeo, you know. | No club votes yet |
Votes are members rating varieties in their Seed Tin, one vote per gardener. Tap a variety for the full page and where to buy.
Buy Cherry (Sour) seeds
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Sowing by USDA zone
| Zone | Sow / plant | Harvest |
|---|---|---|
| Zone 3 | April to May | August to September |
| Zone 4 | April to May | August to September |
| Zone 5 | March to May | August to October |
| Zone 6 | March to November | July to October |
| Zone 7 | March to November | July to October |
| Zone 8 | February to November | July to November |
| Zone 9 | February to December | June to November |
| Zone 10 | November to February | June to November |
Cook the harvest
Pan-seared duck breast with a sour cherry sauce is a classic combination for good reason — the rich, fatty duck and the bracingly tart cherries cut each other perfectly. This restaurant-quality dish comes together in under 35 minutes and makes an extraordinary dinner party main course.
35 min · mediumA tart, complex sour cherry shrub — a preserve that doubles as a mixer. Equal parts cherries, sugar, and vinegar are fermented together for two days into a concentrated, jewel-red syrup with a magical sharp-sweet flavor. Add to sparkling water for a sophisticated non-alcoholic drink, or use as a cocktail mixer.
20 min · easyThe French classic baked custard dessert that traditionally uses sour cherries (traditionally left whole with pits). This version pits them for easier eating but preserves the authentic batter — a loose, custardy mixture somewhere between a pancake and a flan that puffs up golden and spectacular in the oven.
50 min · easyThe definitive sour cherry pie — deeply ruby-red filling with a perfectly balanced sweet-tart punch that makes sweet cherry pies taste like a lesser thing. Double-crusted with a lattice top that lets the bubbling, jewel-bright filling show through. This is what cherry pie is supposed to taste like.
100 min · challengingWatch for, and grow alongside
Companions: nasturtium, chives, comfrey, white clover, yarrow, daffodils
Questions people ask
When do you sow Cherry (Sour) in the US?
Sow Cherry (Sour) from March to November in zone 6, earlier or later by zone. Plant out December, after the last frost.
How long does Cherry (Sour) take from sowing to harvest?
Roughly 730 days, with the harvest July to October.
Which Cherry (Sour) varieties do gardeners grow again?
Club members rate every variety they grow. This page shows the grow-again votes for Montmorency, North Star, Balaton, Meteor and more.
Track your Cherry (Sour) from packet to plate
Sowing reminders and harvest forecasts for your own frost dates, the Seed Tin, Scan Centre for any label or packet, and the Potty Mouth Garden Club. Free to start.
Allotment keeper in the North East of England, the voice behind the Tony C Smith YouTube channel, and the gardener who built GrowMore CookMore. Club numbers on this page update as members log their plots. Last updated 3 September 2026.