Ask the Plant Doctor! How to grow cherries in Malaysia

Growing cherries in tropical areas like Malaysia presents particular challenges. Photo: JIRI Rotrekl/Pixabay

I have been trying to grow cherries for almost three months. I need your guidance to know the proper way to grow the plant. I bought the cherry from the supermarket and took the seeds from it and tried but unfortunately the plant didn’t grow at all. – Punkothai

Many cherries found in supermarkets are hybrids, carefully cultivated for desired traits such as size, flavour or shelf life. Consequently, seeds from these fruits may not be true to their parent, meaning the plants grown from these seeds could have very different characteristics from the original cherry tree.

Most likely, however, these seeds would not be viable at all.

Even if these seeds are viable, they require a period of cold stratification to break dormancy and initiate germination. This process mimics the natural winter conditions that cherry seeds would experience before sprouting in spring. Without this crucial cold period, the seeds are unlikely to germinate.

The seed germination process demands considerable patience. Even under ideal conditions, cherry seeds can take several weeks to a few months to sprout. Once germinated and grown into a tree, cherries typically take four to seven years to bear fruit, depending on the variety and growing conditions.

Growing cherries in tropical areas like Malaysia presents particular challenges. Cherries are naturally adapted to temperate climates with distinct seasons. In Malaysia, cherry trees face several obstacles: fungal diseases due to high humidity, fruit splitting caused by heavy rainfall (as cherries absorb water faster than their skin can expand), and a lack of necessary winter chilling hours.

However, alternatives exist for cherry enthusiasts. The Taiwan Cherry (Prunus campanulata) is more heat-tolerant and produces small, tart fruits. Another option is the Barbados Cherry (Malpighia emarginata), which, although not a true cherry, is well-suited to tropical climates and shares similarities in appearance and taste. These varieties can be purchased from nurseries as seeds or young trees, offering a more viable option for tropical gardeners interested in cherry-like fruits.

Assoc Prof Dr Christopher Teh heads the Department of Land Management, Faculty of Agriculture, Universiti Putra Malaysia. His field of specialty is in soil and water conservation. The views expressed are entirely his own.