Trees are headed high to allow room for shaker attachment. E. Backyard considerations. Sweet cherries struggle for survival in the Piedmont of the southeast, and cropping is irregular due to disease, bird predation, frost, and rain cracking. I've seen large, old trees in the North Carolina mountains do fairly well, but sweet cherries should be left out of the backyard. Sour cherries, on the other hand, are better adapted to the eastern US climate, and I've seen these trees do fairly well in the Piedmont.
Sours are self-fruitful, later blooming, and more disease and cracking resistant than sweets.
Follow the spray schedule for peaches , paying particular attention to brown rot near harvest. Harvest, Post-harvest Handling. Traditionally, color change and soluble solids content were the most reliable indices. However, fruit removal force has been used more recently, and is more reliable. This is measured by a pull gauge, which pulls the fruit from the pedicel.