Cherries full of great taste - Aug 06, 2011
The sweetest fruit you will ever eat is the fruit you grow at home. Cherries are expensive to buy but easy to grow in your backyard. The best variety for small gardens is called Stella. I chose this variety for my garden because it is self pollinating and only grows 3m high. In spring, it is covered in spectacular white blossoms that will take your breath away. At Christmas, the tree is covered in large, dark and red sweet - tasting fruit. The fruit hangs in bunches so it is very ornamental too. Your children will be able to take bunches of home-grown cherries to school for munch and crunch! In autumn, your cherry tree will have the most spectacular gold and crimsoncoloured leaves. These will drop in winter to allow sunshine into your garden. You can buy a grafted Stella cherry tree for under $50 at your local garden centre. For best results buy a bag of planting compost. Dig this into the soil and plant your tree on a small mound. Mulch around the base with sugar cane to stop the weeds growing and to insulate the roots.
Tim Pickles is a horticulturist and director of Tim’s Garden Centre, 2 Queen St, Campbelltown. Phone: 4626 7022.