YouGarden Sweet Cherry 'Stella' Bare Root Tree 1.2-1.4m

If you only have space for one fruit tree, Sweet cherry 'Stella' is the one to grow. The 'Stella' Cherry is self-fertile (which means it does not need a second variety of cherry tree to pollinate it) and is a really heavy, reliable cropper because it has good resistance to late frosts. Unlike most other sweet cherry varieties, 'Stella' will thrive in slightly exposed locations but can also be grown in a pot on your patio. The sweetly flavoured, dark-skinned, plump and juicy, aromatic fruits will be ready to pick from mid to late July each year and from the third growing season onwards, you can expect upwards of 5kg (11lb) of cherries per tree, which will save a small fortune compared to paying supermarket prices. Additionally, the beautiful cherry blossom, which appears from early March, will brighten your garden and mark the beginning of spring. These grower-quality, multi-branched, bare-root trees have been grafted onto 'Colt' rootstock to provide a compact and manageable habit. The UK's favourite sweet cherry with super sweet, plump, juicy and aromatic fruit Bumper crops with hundreds of pounds of fruit per season when mature, and gorgeous pink cherry blossom each spring - perfect for a pot on your patio Specifications Grower-quality Multi-branched tree Grown on a dwarfing 'Colt' rootstock Eventual height and spread 3m x 2.4m Supplied as a 1.2m tall bare-root tree ready to plant out Availability: October - March Planting time: October - April Flowering time: April - May Fruiting time: July - August Top Tips Cover the cherry tree with nylon mesh or netting to prevent birds from stealing your crops - 'Stella' cherry trees are also known as the bird cherry as they will steal most of your cherry crop if you do not stop them. Add Rootgrow Mycorrhizal Fungi to give your plants a head start and establish faster. Care Information Best grown in moderately fertile soil in full sun. If grown in pots keep well watered. Apply a low-nitrogen fertilizer such as 5-10-10 in early spring, about a month before flowering. Prune young cherry trees during winter dormancy to shape them into an open center or central leader shape. Mature trees will just need a simple prune to remove dead or crossing branches or to open up the center or maintain shape - unlike other fruit trees, ''Stella'' cherry trees do not need pruning to keep them fruiting. Train fan-trained trees in spring. Prune established fans and carry out routine pruning on established cherry trees when harvesting the fruits in summer.

Price: £ 24.99 from Robert Dyas