Here’s some D’artagnan I planted into what has been a lawn for the past 80+ years. The lawn has never seen chemicals or fetilizer. I live in the middle of nowhere, and people don’t care/afford to supplement lawns.
As a reference point, the dryland ag capability on my land is very poor, as the land is rocky clay. Drainage is poor. It’s considered some of the lowest quality land around. Zone 2b/3a.
I planted a half dozen different varieties of University of Saskatchewan sour cherry, so I could see what works best in my area. These plugs were planted around June 7th (generally I begin planting trees at the end of April, but I had well over 1000 trees to plant in 2024, so I had to space things out).
The D’Artagnan put on the most growth of all varieties planted. This spring they put out some blossoms, and then we were hit by a late snow and a couple frosts. They put on a few fruit, but I can’t complain for 12 months in the ground.
I do a pretty half-assed job of watering my plants due to other responsibilities. I try to make up for it a bit with mulching (same practice for my annual garden). I will now be implementing some additional ground cover flowers/herbs within the cherries (spring 2026) as I feel the roots should be established enough to outpace some competition.
@colt63 thank you! I am going to really be appreciating those gaps between the types ripening. Pitting by hand takes so long. 6 gallons seems like a pretty good amount for a couple of bushes, was there a freeze that lowered the production this year?
The Musketeer series was released for European growers, because they use black currant harvesting equipment, which is more compatible with the hedge growing format. They’re hard to find here, but have been on the market overseas for a few years. Here’s what Bob Bors said:
“The next project for the U of S Dwarf Sour Cherry Breeding Program is a new Musketeer series of fruit that is being developed with European markets in mind, Bors said. “There’s one called d’Artagnan that is designed for a certain type of sideways harvester used in Europe for black currants and by Saskatoon berry growers in Canada. The branches on that variety tend to stay small, thin and flexible for a long time, so it will go a decade before its branches need pruning.”
@Kaartinen these are great, thank you! I got Carmine Jewel, Romeo, Juliet, Valentine, and Sweet thing in addition to D’Artagnan, and kind of the same result, it hasn’t grown the most (I put it in a shadier spot than I meant to, will move in the fall I think), but it is the only one that fruited already. Everything else seems to be doing fine, (CJ got some fungus and dropped a lot of leaves, but has recovered completely and put out new leaves after I sprayed with a fungicide), very green, but not a lot of height added yet. I also have clay soil, but put wood chips down so I am hoping they will help. I think D’Artagnan is going to be an early star and help me be less impatient with the rest starting to produce.
Did you plant 1000 cherry varieties or a variety of fruits? Sounds like a lot of work, but amazing!
@VicJ Thank you! I had seen that they were developed for a different kind of harvester, that makes perfect sense why they started a new series. I am excited about all of them, I am just a backyard grower interested in flavors and textures more than harvesting machinery.
I planted a mix of 1000 fruiting and non-fruiting trees & shrubs in 2024. In 2025 I planted 100+ fruiting trees and shrubs, and maybe 500 varied willow cuttings. It was nice to have a break so I could prepare for my 2026 planting. I have approximately 2000 trees and shrubs to plant in spring 2026, with a majority being non-fruiting as part of a dense eco-buffer style shelterbelt.
Amongst the 2026 fruit order, I do have Athos, Porthos, and Big Red cherries on the way. I contemplated Sweet Thing, but I would be pushing zones and have a fair bit on my plate. I may take that on in 2027. I’ll make an effort to take photos and try to remember to post some later in the year.
We’re currently receiving 12” of snow, so there’s a consistent 3ft that needs to melt away before I can even think about what soil looks like.
good luck. i hear you about the snow. we still have about 2ft. in my yard. supposed to get to 50 tom. and into the weekend so hopefully the rest will go fast.
Sweet thing seems pretty vigorous, bunny bit mine down to a nub when I planted it in the fall 2024. Grew back just fine, didn’t flower this year unfortunately .
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