Sweet cherry as a cordon?

[T-lady]

Hi fruiters

I picked up a sweet cherry at Morrisons for £4.99 on a bit of an impulse. Am I going to be able to grow it as a cordon over a metal arch or does it have to be a free standing tree?

Will I get any kind of crop if I cordon it and, if so, when do I prune for maximum cherry-goodness?


Thanks ooddles ...

[southlondongardener]

I don't know but I do know that you will need to net it.

[SimonCole]

The books tend to edge you away from cordon cherries. Yes to fans and free-standing trees, but no to espaliers and cordons. Thing is that they fruit on 2-year old wood only, not younger or older, unlike apples which have fruiting spurs. Therefore any fruiting technique tends to follow the removal of some branches each year to promote new growth to fruit the next. Free-standing trees on big rootstocks will often do their own thing and fruit well even if you don't prune them but you will need a ladder.