Cherry tree in a pot

[CurlewKate]

I impulse bought a dwarf cherry tree in a pot from TicToc shop last December, and planted the apparently dead stick that arrived in a 14 inch pot. To my amazement it appears to be thriving-it blossomed and produced 4 whole cherries! It’s now about 75cm high.What should I do to give the best chance of survival? Should I re-pot it in a bigger pot and if so, when? Or should I leave well alone. Please talk to me as if I’m in Reception!

I have no idea but just wanted to say I love this post and how you worded it.

Leave it where it is in this heat. Moving plants can cause transplant shock and the added heat/lack of water at the moment would make that worse

Make sure it has enough water. You need to water it daily, maybe twice daily if the soil is drying out. Water only in the morning or evening. Watering in the midday sun is bad because if the leaves get wet and then the sun shines on them, they can get scorched.

When it's cooler (definitely this autumn if not sooner) put it in a bigger pot/planter/in the ground. And after moving it, water it well every day to help it to establish.

Not sure how blindingly obvious this next bit is, so sorry, but you did say that you wanted it explained like you're in reception... If you move it in the autumn, that will be around the same time it's going to loose its leaves for winter. When it looses it's leaves, that doesn't mean you've killed it!

@Enko Thank you! @Seamossthat’s exactly what I needed. I was slightly worried that I was overwatering, I’m glad that I’m not.And especially thank you for the leaf drop warning. I would definitely assume I’d killed it, and I am ridiculously invested in the bloody thing. I feel as if I have rescued it from some TicToc sweat shop and have a duty to keep it alive! Thank you.

Eventually you will want a much bigger pot, I seem to remember about 30 inches for patio fruit trees, but look it up on line and when to re-pot. I haven't had much success with the patio trees I've bought so well done.

Leaf scorch is a myth @Seamoss

wpcdn.web.wsu.edu/wp-puyallup/uploads/sites/403/2015/03/leaf-scorch.pdf

I had a dwarf cherry tree in a pot, it's only branch split from the trunk so I thought it was a goner. I taped it up with garden wire anyway, just in case - it survived and eventually I moved it to another bigger pot. Which it decided to escape from! Roots went under the patio, pot was collapsing, so had to build a whole new flower bed/planter around it. My broken stick is now over 10ft tall!!😀

Ooh, thanks for that, very interesting. I'm now ankle deep in a rabbit hole of that person's website 🤣

I read about it a couple of years ago @Seamoss having been very careful not to water in the middle of the day - my grandparents were head gardeners for a nursery and it was drummed into me form an early age 😂

I want to see a picture of the dwarf cherry ❤

Measure the diameter of the pot it is in and find a new one 2 to 4 inches wider.

Look at the cute little cherries!

That is no dwarf! Marvelous! It is doing exceedingly well.
Be sure to replant it in a larger pot in autumn .
Congratulations!

Quick eat those cherries before the pigeons or squirrels do!

I do have a net over it when it’s not posing for the paps! I’m hoping the cherries will last until DP comes home next week-but I am watching them very closely…..