Any Cherry Tree Experts here?

[jvs]

I have decided to put in a Sour Cherry Tree.  I bought a Dwarf Montgomery Cherry, and I may buy a second one.  This Dwarf is supposed to get 8 feet high and 8 feet wide, which would be an ideal size for my yard and make picking a whole lot easier.  These Cherrys make great pies and a real good wine and jam.

Are there any tips I could use before I start?  I know almost nothing about Cherry Trees. 

[Graybeard]

I have LOTS of experience with cherry trees. ALL BAD. 

I just can't seem to get them to live and produce here in Bama even tho the wild cherry trees abound here. I've read that cherry trees don't like clay soils but really that's all I have here. I've tried planting many different types in many different places on my land and universally they all die or fail to produce.

Right now I've chosen to use the old garden plot I used to garden in as that's the best soil I've got as I amended it a lot. I've got four sweet cherry trees planted there now and four more in pots to move there when I get my round tuit. I hope they do better but am sure not gonna hold my breath expecting it.

From what little I seem to have learned I'd say prepare the area well before planting. Do not plant them in heavy clay soil unless you remove a large area of it and replace it with better or heavily amended soil. Beyond that I don't seem to have learned much from all of my failures with cherry trees but I keep trying.

[jvs]

This is not my first excursion into trying to get a Cherry Tree to grow either.  Every time I tried it, they all died off.  I believe during the first winter, because they never sprouted the following Spring.

My Brother has a Cherry Tree in his front yard that he planted when he first moved in there.  It did just fine so far as it is over 20 yrs old.  He soil is all Shale.

I even know of a Cherry Orchard not far from here that is planted on a Mountain of Shale.

I do have a clay type soil, maybe that is what determined my past failures for Cherry Trees.

I have had luck with Apple trees, Pear trees and Plum Trees.  I have Magnolias, Roses, Grape Vines, Elderberrys, Gooseberrys, Raspberrys and Blackberrys.   I can grow Green Peppers, Pole Beans, Tomato's, Okra, Onions and Horseradish...   Farms around here grow Corn, Soy Beans, Strawberrys etc.  All in the same soil.

I think where I messed up before is that I planted the Cherry trees in what turned out to be a wet spot.  I don't think Cherry Trees like wet spots.   ( and I don't blame them )