My black gold cherry is turning red. None of my other cherries ( sweet or sour cherry) have turn red yet. Is it right, black gold is the last to bloom and first to ripen? Or it is result of under some stress?
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@IL847 it has a long way to go yet its a very dark cherry. @mamuang can you guess by the photos how much longer? My guess is 2 weeks or longer depending on the temperatures and direct sunlight in your area.
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Clark, two weeks is short waiting for me compare the plum and peaches. These are two months’ waiting.
Will the cherries continue size up as it is getting darker?
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I would check the red cherries for physical and insect damage. If the cherries are damaged they tend to ripen earlier. My BlackGold is farther along with 80% of the cherries either light red or medium red. I am in central Illinois on the zone 5/6 border.
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Yes they will as long as they have nutrients, water, and sunlight.
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Thanks for the cross reference. So it is normal for Black gold to color up this early. My lapin and white gold has no sign of ripening yet. My cherries have very little worms. I did have handful with early sign if rot. They are picked off and sprayed. Now challenge part comes, how I can keep the birds away.
Here is what you do with the birds.
Net the cherries and you can stay friends with the birds. https://www.amazon.com/CandyHome-Protection-Seedlings-Vegetables-Reusable/dp/B07L6W8HBL/ref=asc_df_B07L6W8HBL/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=278878233965&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=308971178560125234&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1017651&hvtargid=pla-597043825355&psc=1
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Thanks for the link, Clark
I do stay friends with the birds, but the birds don’t stay friends with me
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BG ripens during the first and second week of July for me. So, mine is 4-5 weeks from ripening. Cherries will stay small for a while but will size up toward the end to a regular-size cherry. It is a very productive variety.
There are pics of cherries and netting in the link above.
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The worms may be plum curculio larva or they could be the larva of cherry flies. Plum curculio leave a crescent shaped scar on the fruit from egging laying. The cherry fly will leave a puncture wound that looks like a small recessed dot. For cherry flies you have to look carefully at the fruit as the dot is small, heals with little scarring usually and is hard to notice if you don’t know what your looking for. SWD egging laying looks similar and could be a problem too.
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The very best place to buy bird netting in large sizes for tree covers is Plantra.com
multi-row bird-netting protects from starlings, finches | plantra. I use the 44ft wide to cover rows of standard size trees topped at 15ft.
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This is my black gold today. It is pretty dark red. Is it ripe yet? We had/have a lot of rain recent days. The cherries aren’t very sweet. Store bought quality🙁
This is Starkrisom. I think same as lapin
And these are white gold
My cherry leafs have some fungi issue. I am anxious to pick the cherries off and spray the tree.
Here is my carmine jewel. Gettung darker every day. Branches are all hanging low
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Annie
Black Gold will not be as good store bought Bing and a few steps behind Rainier.
They look good. You may want to pick some and wait a few days to pick some more. Mine should ripen next week.
To ne Black Gold and White Gold ripen about rhe same time.
Tippy thanks for sharing that. I shall be looking for Rainier and Bing scions next spring. I am in fasting mode now and have a party coming up this weekend. I will pick them and bring them to the party if birds leave me some.
In my area UMass dies not recommend either Rainier or Bing. One of the problem it says is cracking.
I have two black gold cherry trees and neither have produced much for me yet. Tons of flowers on each but only a dozen or so cherries for each tree. I’ve already harvested mine premature which tasted good but not a rainier by far. I’m not sure how old either tree is but one is at least 12 foot tall and the other around 16 or so. I’m really hoping they explode next year. I have a Bing on a multi grafted cherry which is yet to set and I’m highly gambling with a Ranier I planted this year. If I can keep them disease free I’ll keep you guys posted on production in years to come.
I don’t mind cracking, as long as they taste good
Sounds like pollinating issue. My black gold was grafted couple of years ago. It bloomed last year but got frost so no fruits. This spring it bloomed again, lot of flowers and looks like all flowers set fruits. It is the most productive sweet cherry I have so far. Now I have sweet heart grafted this year. Sweet heart is doing well in the area according to the local friend who share the scions. It should be productive and good taste.
Annie,
Once cherries crack, they rot quickly esp if weather continues to be humid.
Agree with @IL847 that it is likely a pollination issue. If you can, you may want to graft one of your Black Gold to a White Gold. It will gelp with cross pollination and I think WG is a bit firmer and tastes a tad better.