Domakihub How to Plant a Cherry Tree and Get It Thriving
Choose the right spot, prep the soil, and give your tree a strong start from day one.
Reviewed by Domakihub garden pros · 2026-06-23 · 5 min read
A cherry tree in full bloom is one of the most rewarding sights a garden can offer — and in Greece's warm, dry climate, both sweet and sour varieties perform exceptionally well. The video above walks through the selection and planting process with a landscape expert; this guide complements it with step-by-step instructions tailored to homes, holiday rentals, and hotel grounds across Greece. Follow these steps carefully and your tree should bear fruit within three to four years.
Why Cherry Trees Work Well in the Greek Climate
Greece's long, sunny summers and mild winters are close to ideal for most cherry varieties. Sweet cherries (Prunus avium) thrive in the northern mainland and elevated areas where winter chill hours are sufficient; sour cherries (Prunus cerasus) are more forgiving and do well across lower altitudes and on Aegean islands. Both types need full sun and good drainage — two things the Greek landscape offers in abundance.
For holiday rental gardens or hotel courtyards, cherry trees serve a dual purpose: they produce edible fruit that guests can enjoy fresh in late spring, and they deliver a visual spectacle during the February–March blossom season that photographs beautifully for listings and social media.
What to Consider Before You Buy
The single most important factor is pollination. Most sweet cherry varieties are not self-fertile, meaning you need at least two compatible trees planted within 15 metres of each other to get a crop. Sour cherries and a few modern sweet cultivars such as 'Stella' or 'Lapins' are self-fertile, which makes them a safer choice when space is limited to one tree.
Also consider rootstock. Trees on semi-dwarfing rootstock (e.g. Gisela 5) stay compact — ideal for courtyards and terraces — while standard rootstocks produce large specimen trees better suited to open garden beds. Discuss rootstock with a Greek nursery rather than ordering generic online stock, as local grafting accounts for regional soil conditions.
How to Plant a Cherry Tree: 5 Key Steps
- 1
Pick the right site and season
Choose a spot that receives at least six hours of direct sun per day and has well-drained soil. Avoid low-lying areas where water pools after rain — waterlogged roots are the number-one killer of cherry trees. In Greece, the best planting window is late autumn to early winter (November–December) when the tree is dormant, or very early spring before bud break. Container-grown trees can go in almost any time, but avoid summer planting in hot, coastal areas.
- 2
Prepare the planting hole
Dig a hole roughly twice as wide as the root ball and the same depth — you want the roots to spread sideways, not struggle downward into compacted subsoil. Loosen the sides of the hole with a fork so roots can penetrate easily. If your soil is heavy clay (common in parts of the Peloponnese and northern Greece), mix in a generous amount of horticultural grit or coarse sand to improve drainage before backfilling.
- 3
Position and plant at the correct depth
Remove the tree from its pot or unwrap any packaging and inspect the roots. If any are circling the root ball, gently tease them outward. Lower the tree into the hole so that the graft union — the slight kink or swelling near the base of the trunk — sits 5–10 cm above the final soil level. Planting too deep buries the graft and can cause the tree to revert to the rootstock. Backfill with the original soil, firming gently in layers to avoid air pockets.
- 4
Stake, water, and mulch
Drive a wooden stake into the soil at a 45-degree angle before backfilling, angling away from the prevailing wind, and tie the trunk loosely with a flexible tree tie. Water the tree thoroughly — at least 10–15 litres — to settle the soil around the roots. Then spread a 7–10 cm layer of organic mulch (composted bark or straw) in a circle around the base, keeping it 10 cm clear of the trunk to prevent rot. This mulch retains moisture and suppresses weeds through the first dry Greek summer.
- 5
Establish a watering and feeding routine
For the first two summers, water deeply once or twice a week during dry periods rather than little and often — this trains roots to go deep. From the second spring onward, apply a balanced granular fertiliser (NPK 10-10-10) around the drip line in late winter before growth starts, and a potassium-rich feed in early summer to support fruit development. Avoid high-nitrogen feeds in late summer, which push soft growth that is vulnerable to frost in upland areas.
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FAQ
- Do I need two cherry trees to get fruit?
- It depends on the variety. Most sweet cherry cultivars require a compatible pollinator nearby, so you will need at least two trees. However, self-fertile varieties such as 'Stella', 'Lapins', and 'Sunburst' will crop on their own — ideal if you only have room for one tree. Sour cherries are almost always self-fertile.
- When do cherry trees bear fruit in Greece?
- Sweet cherries typically ripen between late April and June depending on altitude and variety. Lower-elevation coastal areas see earlier harvests; upland gardens in Macedonia or Arcadia may not pick until June or early July. Sour cherries generally ripen a few weeks later. A newly planted tree usually produces its first small crop in year three or four.
- Can I plant a cherry tree in a large pot or terrace container?
- Yes, but only on semi-dwarfing or dwarfing rootstock (Gisela 5 or Tabel Edabriz). Use a container of at least 60–80 litres, filled with a mix of loam-based compost and grit for drainage. Container trees dry out quickly in Greek summers and will need watering every one to two days in July and August. Repot every three years to refresh the soil.