Rainier Cherry Tree for Sale - Buying & Growing Guide

Planting and Care

by John Haryasz | Horticulture Writer and Landscape Designer – last update on August 30, 2022

Planting instructions

To plant a Rainier cherry tree, you should begin by digging a hole that is as deep as the tree’s root ball is tall and at least twice as wide as the root ball. Place your tree in that hole and check to ensure the root flare rests at or just above the soil’s surface. Then backfill the hole and cover the area with mulch to maintain soil moisture and suppress weeds. Ideally, the growing location you choose will receive full sunlight and have well-draining soils.

Watering and nutrients

Typically, you should water your Rainier cherry tree about once every 10 to 14 days during the growing season. Of course, you should plan to increase this rate if you experience a heat wave, a drought, or any other circumstance in which the soil appears to dry out more quickly than normal. By contrast, if your tree receives at least an inch of natural rainfall, you can hold off on watering for another 10 to 14 days. The best way to feed this tree is to apply a low-nitrogen fertilizer in the early spring, about two weeks before the blooms.

Pollination

Like other cherry trees, the Rainier cherry tree is not only valuable for the fruits it produces, but it also blooms with lovely flowers in spring. However, while this plant has plenty of flowers, it is not a self-fertile species. That means you’ll need to find a companion plant that can facilitate cross-pollination and allow for fruit development. Fortunately, there are many trees that can play this role, including the Montmorency cherry tree, the Bing cherry tree, and the Stella cherry tree.

Pruning

Early spring is the correct time to prune your Rainier cherry tree. When pruning, be sure to use a set of pruning tools that are both sharp and sterile to ensure clean cuts and to reduce the chance that you’ll spread disease to your plant. Your pruning goals should include removing any part of the tree that is dead, damaged, or diseased. You should also prune to encourage horizontal branches, as those branches are typically the strongest and most capable of bearing lots of fruit.

Pests, diseases, and animals

Most gardeners who decide to raise cherry trees in their yards will need to remain vigilant regarding pests and diseases. Unfortunately, the Rainier cherry tree can be quite vulnerable to both issues. Some of the most common diseases for a cherry tree include cherry leaf spot, powdery mildew, brown rot, and canker. On the infestation side, there is a possibility that slugs, mites, leaf miners, borers, and Japanese beetles could damage your Rainier cherry tree’s health.

Harvesting

One of the advantages of growing the Rainier cherry tree is that you won’t need to wait too long before you can harvest some fruits. Usually, the harvest time for this plant will occur between May and June. During that time, few other cherries are even close to offering fruit. When ripe, the cherries on a Rainier cherry tree will be mostly yellow while showing shades of light red. Removing these fruits is easy to do as well, making for an early and easy harvest.

Achieving maximum results

One important tip to remember when growing a Rainier cherry tree is to avoid fertilizing this plant too late in the season. Fertilizing in the summer or fall will cause this plant to put forth new growth that will likely die as soon as the first frost arrives, which will diminish the overall health of this plant. It’s also important to avoid high-nitrogen fertilizers. These blends tend to encourage leaf development rather than the fruit development you’re likely looking for.

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