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May Duke' Cherry Tree

Prunus avium

SKU: FRU0180

Regular price: £32.00
Sale price: £32.00
Regular price
Unit price: per

The only dual purpose Cherry

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The Highlights

An unusual dual use cherry, sweet enough to eat fresh when fully ripe, but also preserves well and makes delicious jams, pies and liqueurs
Ideal if you only have a small space and want to enjoy both cooking and eating cherries
A sweet, tangy flavour when eaten ripe, but you should wait until fully ripe to get the best taste
Early Harvest - Early July
Colt Rootstock: Max size H4m x W4m Rootstocks restrict the size of a tree to make it more suited for an average gardenMORE
Partially Self fertile (Pollination Group 3) will produce fruit without pollination but will benefit from a pollination partner within pollination groups 1, 2, or 3 within a mile's radius to really increase crops. In most built up areas there should be a pollination partner in range. MORE
Cherries are a bird's favourite, so you will need to protect your crop You can use a fruit net, a scarecrow, shiny objects or place close to the house or a busy path to try and deter the birds.MORE
Our potted trees are supplied in EcoPots™. Eco pots use 70% less plastic and are fully recyclable, unlike normal single use pots. They flex and so produce less root spiralling and travel better in the post.MORE
Our trees are usually between 18 and 36 months old at the time of dispatch.
Our trees are professionally pruned before dispatching. This formative pruning can involve cutting the main leader, if the expert tree growers decide this will produce a better shaped tree. This can stop the tree becoming "leggy", and promote stronger, bushier growth.MORE

Planting Calendar

Best time to plant
Harvest
Flower

Not what you were looking for?

Self Fertile

Care Guide

Good Pest and Disease Resistance

Shows some resistance to the main pests and diseases for cherries including cracking. You may see some damage from aphids and caterpillars, which can both be washed away with soapy water. Birds will eat the cherries if given the chance so take steps to prevent this like using a fruit net or bird scarers. Reduce the risk of bacterial canker by pruning to improve airflow and remove rotting organic matter nearby.MORE

Water in well when planting - read on for ongoing care

Water in thoroughly when planting. For bare root trees, you won't need to water regularly going forward, oly water in dry spells when needed. You should be able tell because the leaves will start to wilt and droop. If a container grown tree, it will need more watering until its roots are established. It should be watered every other day or so for the first few months. Then reduce to twice a week until autumn. In the second year it should have a established enough root system to support itself, just water when required as explained above for bare roots. When watering a tree it is important to give a good soaking. It is better to water heavy and less frequently than little and often as this encourages the roots to grow down into the ground.MORE

Full sun

Full sun means receiving direct sun for more than 6 hours each day during the spring/summerMORE

Happy in most soils except sandy

Prefers fertile well draining soil, can also tolerate clay soil but you will need to take some steps to improve drainage in the winter. They like deep soil and they don't tolerate either sandy or badly draining soil.MORE

No need to feed

Don't worry, this isn't a hungry plant so your food bills won't be going up!MORE

Some structural pruning required

Some pruning should be done each winter to ensure that your cherry tree maintains a productive shape. This can improve yields and prevent disease. Read more detail in our knowledge articles below.MORE

Know Your Plant

Supplied as:

Our bare root trees are lifted fresh from the field, wrapped in a moisture retentive covering and packed straight away. You can be sure they will be fresh when they arrive. In winter, you can store for several weeks if kept in a cool, dark spot. Later in spring, when the temperature rises, you will want to plant within a few days of arrival.

9L Eco Pot

This tree is supplied in a 9L Eco Pot, which is approx W15 x H30cm. Eco Pots use 70% less plastic then traditional pots and can be recycled easily. A 9L pot allows ample space for good root development and can support a good size tree.

Height on arrival:

130-150cm

Eventual height:

Eventual spread:

Tasting notes:

Sweet enough when ripe but with a good tanginess

Time to first crop:

2 Years

You may see your first cherries 2 years after planting, but you should not expect substantial crops until the 4/5th year.

Hardiness:

Hardy

May require some protection from very late frosts as this can damage the flowers. This won't cause lasting damage to the tree but will reduce the yield of fruit that year.

Pollination group:

Pollination groups relate to the time of the year when a tree flowers. Trees that flower at the same time can pollinate each other, which helps produce fruit if not self fertile, and can still improve yields even if they are. Trees can usually pollinate a group either side of their own; i.e "2" can Pollinate 1, 2, and 3

Uses:

Cooking

Rootstock:

Cherry tree varieties are usually grown by grafting them to rootstocks. This has benefits for pest resistance, genetics and the efficiency of propagation. Importantly, it also limits the height of a tree to a more manageable, specific height. Colt cherry trees tend to only reach 4m tall, perfect for smaller spaces or those afraid of stepladders. They can also be trained to a smaller size by pruning or restricting the roots, by keeping in a smaller pot

Colt

Spacing: