How to Grow Utah Giant Cherry
Utah Giant Cherry
Prunus avium 'Utah Giant'
treeUtah Giant is a sweet cherry cultivar known for producing exceptionally large, dark red fruits with excellent flavor. This vigorous tree is self-fertile or partially self-fertile, making it a convenient choice for home orchards. It's a mid-season variety that ripens in early to mid-summer with good productivity and disease resistance.
When should you plant Utah Giant Cherry in your zone?
Get a personalized planting timeline — when to start seeds, transplant, and harvest — based on your USDA zone and local frost dates. Free to start.
Example Utah Giant Cherry timeline · Pittsburgh, PA (Zone 6b)
-
Plant Utah Giant Cherry
Around Apr 17Near Pittsburgh's average last spring frost.
-
Tend & protect
Late spring–summerWatering, feeding, and pest-watch reminders.
-
Harvest Utah Giant Cherry
Late summer into fallBefore the first fall frost (≈ Nov 8)
Sample dates for Pittsburgh, PA. Sign up to get exact Utah Giant Cherry dates for your own zip code.
Growing Conditions
Soil
Growing Zones
Find your zone →Thrives in zones 5-8, with best performance in zones 6-7
Sign up free to see if Utah Giant Cherry grows in your zone — and get a personalized planting timeline.
Get my Utah Giant Cherry timeline →Growth Stages
Establishment (Year 1)
12 monthsYoung tree focuses on root and branch development with minimal fruiting. Tree grows 2-3 feet tall.
Water regularly, stake for support, prune to establish strong framework with central leader. Remove any flowers to redirect energy to growth.
Young Growth (Years 2-3)
24 monthsTree develops main scaffold branches and reaches 8-12 feet tall. Light flowering may occur.
Continue structural pruning, maintain consistent watering, apply balanced fertilizer in spring. Thin excessive flower buds.
Flowering (Spring)
2-3 weeksAbundant white blossoms appear in early to mid-spring on 1-year-old wood. Flowers last 1-2 weeks.
Ensure adequate pollination through bee activity or hand-pollination if needed. Avoid frost damage by monitoring weather and protecting if late frost threatens.
Fruit Development (Late Spring to Early Summer)
6-8 weeksGolf ball-sized fruits develop from flowers, eventually reaching 1-1.5 inches diameter. Fruits transition from light red to dark burgundy.
Thin fruits to 1 every 4-6 inches to ensure large, quality cherries. Maintain consistent watering; inconsistent water causes fruit cracking. Apply fungicide if needed for brown rot or leaf spot.
Harvest (Mid-June to Early July)
2-3 weeksFruits reach full dark red color and maximum sweetness. Cherries are firm and ready for picking.
Harvest when fully ripe by gently twisting and pulling, or cutting with pruning shears to avoid branch damage. Early morning harvesting yields firmest fruit. Protect from birds with netting if needed.
Companion Planting
Plan your garden →Plant with:
Avoid planting near:
Common Pests
-
Spray insecticidal soap or neem oil; encourage parasitic wasps; remove affected leaves
-
Prune infected branches, improve air circulation, apply sulfur fungicide at flower and fruit stages, remove mummified fruit
-
Use yellow sticky traps, apply spinosad or malathion, remove infested fruit, maintain sanitation
-
Spray strong water stream to dislodge, use insecticidal soap, apply neem oil, encourage natural predators
-
Install netting over fruit clusters 2 weeks before harvest, use scare tactics, harvest early
Uses
Fresh Eating & Desserts
CulinaryUtah Giant's large, sweet fruits are exceptional for fresh eating out of hand. They're also excellent for baking in pies, cobblers, and tarts, or cooking into jams and preserves. [source]
Juice & Beverages
CulinaryThe juice from these large cherries makes delicious fresh juice, can be frozen for later use, and produces a flavorful addition to smoothies and cocktails. [source]
Antioxidant & Anti-inflammatory Properties
MedicinalCherries contain anthocyanins and polyphenols shown to reduce inflammation and support joint health. Tart cherry juice is commonly used to aid post-exercise recovery and sleep quality. [source]
Food Preservation
HouseholdThe abundant harvest can be canned, frozen, or dried for long-term storage. Dried cherries have concentrated sweetness and can substitute dried cranberries in recipes. [source]
Wildlife Support
WildlifeCherry blossoms provide early spring nectar for pollinators, and fruit attracts birds and other wildlife to the garden, supporting local ecosystem health. [source]
This is not medical advice. LizPlants is not a medical resource. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before using plants medicinally.
Harvest Tips
Pick when fully dark red/burgundy (usually mid-June to early July depending on location). Fruit should be firm and sweet-tasting. Harvest with a gentle twisting motion leaving the stem attached, or cut with pruning shears. Peak flavor develops on the tree—do not harvest underripe. Refrigerate immediately after harvest; cherries keep 1-2 weeks at 32°F with 90% humidity.
Fun Facts
- 🌱 Utah Giant was developed by the USDA at their Fruit and Vegetable Laboratory and is known for its exceptional size—fruits are noticeably larger than most standard sweet cherry varieties, often exceeding 1 inch in diameter.
- 🌱 Despite being called 'Utah Giant,' this cultivar thrives well beyond Utah and performs excellently across much of the northern and central United States where sweet cherries grow.
- 🌱 A mature Utah Giant cherry tree can produce 50-100+ pounds of fruit per year at peak production, making it one of the most productive sweet cherry varieties for home gardens.
Gardening Terms
New to gardening? Learn about terms used in this guide:
Join 30,000 gardeners planning their gardens with LizPlants.
Get your personalized Utah Giant Cherry planting timeline
Tell us your zip code and we'll calculate exactly when to start Utah Giant Cherry seeds, transplant seedlings, and harvest — based on your USDA zone and local frost dates. Includes calendar reminders and printable task lists. Free to start.
Get my Utah Giant Cherry timeline →