Productive life is shorter, however, only 20-25 yr. Thinning is unnecessary for sours since a high proportion must set for a full crop. They also seem to have high post-dormancy heat requirements, since they bloom later than peach, but just prior to or with apples. However, this could be due to insufficient chilling in warmer climates. They are the last of the stone fruits to bloom in a given location, with sweet before sour.
Sour cherries are more cold tolerant than sweet.
Cherries are the earliest maturing of the stone fruits, with most cultivars maturing in 2-3 months after bloom. Rainfall during harvest is especially harmful, causing a condition known as fruit cracking. Brown rot is also extremely bad on cherries, and is worsened by high humidity and rainfall near harvest. Mazzard may be the best choice for heavy, wet soils, while mahaleb does best in well-drained soils. Mahaleb is good for sweets on calcareous, droughty soils.