CHERRY

We grow cherry nursery trees in our nursery, 7 km along the Veria–Naoussa road, in varieties that cover the whole season, from the early cherries of May to the late crisp cherries of July. We bud them on vigorous rootstocks for the classic orchard and on dwarfing or semi-dwarfing rootstocks for high-density plantings.

All our trees are produced by us, with an EU plant passport. We recommend only royalty-free varieties, with no breeders' rights added to the price of the tree.

Cherry varieties

Ripening is given in days after Burlat, the first cherry of the season, which ripens in late May in northern Greece.

Variety	Ripening (days after Burlat)	Characteristics
Burlat	0	French, the classic early cherry, very good flavour
Giorgia	+11	Italian, very good flavour, good productivity
Mora di Vignola	+11	Italian, medium size, softer flesh
Durona I	+13	Italian, very large dark heart-shaped fruit, crisp and juicy flesh
Durona Bianca	+16	Italian, yellow fruit, excellent flavour
Ferrovia	+21	Italian, excellent flavour and fruit size
Sunburst	+21	Canadian, very large fruit, high productivity, self-fertile
Lapins	+26	Canadian, attractive fruit, high productivity, self-fertile
Kordia	+26	Czech, firm flesh, good flavour, suited to high-density plantings
Napoleon	+26	German, yellow fruit with red blush
Bakirtzeika	Mid-late	Greek variety, large firm fruit
Tragana Edessis	Mid-late	The best-known Greek variety, dark crisp fruit
Durona II	+31	Italian, crisp flesh
Durona III	+36	Italian, crisp flesh, one of the latest
Regina	Late	German, very good flavour, hardy variety

Pollination: most cherry varieties need a second, compatible variety that flowers at the same time. Lapins and Sunburst are self-fertile and also pollinate other varieties. We recommend the right pollinators for every combination.

Rootstocks

Rootstock	Vigour	Suited to
Wild cherry (P. avium seedling)	Vigorous	Deep, fertile, moist soils; classic orchard with large trees
Mahaleb (P. mahaleb)	Vigorous	Light, drier and more calcareous soils; does not tolerate wet roots
MaxMa 14 (P. mahaleb × P. avium)	Semi-vigorous	Good tolerance to lime and drought, good anchorage, early bearing
CAB-6P (P. cerasus selection)	Semi-vigorous	Heavier soils than mahaleb tolerates; produces suckers
Gisela	Dwarfing to semi-dwarfing	High-density plantings, small trees, very early bearing and easy harvest; needs fertile soil, irrigation and support

Planting and yield

Cherry needs deep loam, silt-loam, sandy-loam or gravelly soils that hold moisture but drain well and quickly. It needs irrigation and a soil pH of 6–7.5. Avoid shallow, dry, compacted and calcareous soils, and fields where the water table rises above 1–1.5 m in winter. It is sensitive to Verticillium wilt.

It is trained as an open vase or palmette, at 1.5–5 m in the row and 4–5 m between rows.

Planting distances	Trees per hectare
5 × 5 m	400
4 × 5 m	500
2.5 × 4.5 m	889
1.5 × 4 m	1,667

Yield: in full production each tree gives 40–80 kg, that is 10–20 tonnes of cherries per hectare.

Ordering and delivery

Bare-root cherry trees are available while dormant, from November to March. They are delivered to Greece and abroad: within 24 hours in mainland Greece, 48 hours to the Greek islands, and to other countries in a time that depends on the destination. They travel in parcels or on pallets with an EU plant passport; shipments outside the EU also need a phytosanitary certificate — ask us about the requirements for your country.

Request a quote: tell us the varieties, quantity, location and planting system (traditional or high-density). We will suggest pollinators and a rootstock.

Frequently asked questions

Does cherry need a pollinator? Most varieties do. Lapins and Sunburst are self-fertile and can be planted on their own.

Dwarfing or vigorous rootstock? Dwarfing or semi-dwarfing rootstocks give small trees that bear sooner and need dense planting, irrigation and support. Vigorous rootstocks suit a classic orchard with fewer, larger trees.

How do I spread the harvest? By combining early, mid and late varieties, from Burlat to Regina, the harvest spreads over more than a month.

Which soils are unsuitable for cherry? Shallow, compacted, calcareous or wet fields. Cherry does not tolerate standing water at the roots.

Do you deliver outside Greece? Yes, we deliver to Greece and abroad. In Greece delivery takes 24 hours on the mainland and 48 hours on the islands; for other countries it depends on the destination.