Planting sweet cherry trees

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Radio interview source: Ed Laivo, sales and marketing manager, Dave Wilson Nursery

My sister, Molly, has a grove of cherry trees, and we love devouring the tender, luscious fruits.

Sweet cherry trees can be a bit persnickety to grow. Ed Laivo is a nursery sales and marketing manager and says the number one concern when you're planting cherry trees is soil drainage. If your soil's heavy, test it to see how well it drains.

"You can dig a hole, fill it with water, time it, see how long it takes to drain," Laivo says. "If it takes longer than, say, 10 hours to drain, more than likely you've got a drainage situation and you need to either choose another location to plant your cherry tree, or possibly put it on elevated planting so that you get a portion of the root system established above the lay of the land."

You'll have even better luck if you choose a variety that's suited for your climate. Sweet cherry trees don't like long hot summers, they detest a late frost, and love a cold winter.