- 1). Choose the variety of cherry tree you plant carefully. Some varieties are self-pollinating, so if you don't want to have to plant a small orchard to get fruit, buy a self-pollinating tree. Sour cherry trees will self-pollinate. Sweet cherry trees must be planted in groups to encourage cross-pollination.
- 2). Plant different cultivars of sweet cherry trees in close proximity to each other--no more than 20 feet apart. Plant bing cherry trees near royal Ann or Rainier trees. All these varieties will cross-pollinate if your late-spring weather is fairly warm (65 degrees or above, during the day). If temperatures are cooler or rainy, bees will tend to stay in their hives.
- 3). If honeybees are scarce in your area, hang buckets half-full of water with cut branches of blossoms from another cherry tree among the branches to encourage wind pollination.
- 4). Stop pulling dandelions in the lawn. Let them grow and multiply. Dandelions are irresistible to bees, and they will find the cherry blossoms if plenty of dandelions are nearby.
- 5). Avoid using pesticides within 100 feet of cherry trees in spring. Bees are very sensitive to pesticides, and you will need all the bees you can get.
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