The cherry trees pollinator question trips up many new growers each year. Most sweet cherries need a partner tree to set fruit while sour cherries can fruit on their own. This one fact decides if you get a harvest or just pretty blossoms.
I learned this the hard way with my first Bing cherry tree. It bloomed for four springs in a row but never gave me a single cherry. A neighbor mentioned her Rainier tree and I realized my mistake right away. Within a year of planting a second variety, both trees started making heavy crops. That one error cost me four years of fruit.
Sweet cherries cannot use their own pollen to make fruit. Pollen from one tree fails on its own flowers or on flowers from the same variety. Cherry tree cross-pollination needs two different types. Two Bing trees planted side by side will bloom and attract bees but never fruit together.
Sour cherries like Montmorency and North Star skip this problem. Their flowers can accept pollen from the same tree and set fruit with no help at all. If you have room for just one tree, a sour cherry gives you the best odds of success. You won't need any pollination partner to get fruit.
A few sweet cherry types break the rule. Stella was the first self-pollinating cherry tree made for home growers back in the 1970s. Lapins, Sweetheart, and BlackGold came later with the same trait. These varieties let you grow sweet cherries with just one tree in your yard. Yields often improve with a partner nearby though.
Space matters when you plant two trees for pollination. Keep them within 50 feet (15 meters) of each other so bees can travel between them. Closer works better since bees hit nearby flowers before moving further out. Both trees must bloom at the same time or pollen cannot move between them.
Bloom timing matters more than most growers know. Early, mid, and late types exist within both sweet and sour cherries. A tree that flowers two weeks before its partner will finish before the second tree opens a single bud. Check the tags or nursery guides to match bloom windows when you shop.
Van and Rainier work as pollinator trees for most sweet cherry types. Plant one of these alongside your main variety and you cover your bases. Sour cherries can help some sweet cherries set fruit. Sweet types cannot return that favor though. Check cherry pollination requirements for each variety you want to grow.
I now plant cherry trees in pairs whenever I have the space for them. The extra tree pays for itself in fruit within just a few years of growth. My Bing and Rainier together give me 60 pounds of cherries each summer from just two trees. One good partner changes everything about your cherry harvest.
Plan for pollination before you plant and you skip years of waiting for fruit that never comes. The right partner tree turns a pretty ornamental into a real fruit producer. Ask your local nursery which varieties pollinate each other in your area. Your future self will thank you when those first cherries ripen on the branch.
Read the full article: Growing Cherry Trees From Seed or Sapling
