So my son and I finally planted our cherry tree last weekend. It arrived from Victoriana Garden Nursery back in December when the snow was on the ground and has been waiting patiently, potted up, ever since. Now at last the brambles have been hauled out, many of them tangled up with convolvulus roots snapping off everywhere. Lots of shallow-rooted nettles too to be pulled back and lifted. We’ll find out in a month or two just how well I've managed to clear the ground when the new season’s shoots start showing.
We dug a nice big square hole for the cherry and tried not to cosset it too much with compost. Son hammered in a sturdy stake for it which is tied to the tree with a pair of old tights – good and strong, but soft so that the tie doesn’t cut into the bark of the tree. We chose the variety Stella for the tree – a reliable cropper rather than anything unusual or exotic, and it’s grafted on to Gisela 5 rootstock, so the tree won’t grow much above 9ft. Small enough for me to be able to cover with a net when the fruit come. I have my fingers crossed for blossom this spring and a small crop - even a handful of cherries would do - this summer.
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