Eastern Sweet Cherries

It most likely goes by another name also. Stark has a habit of re naming fruits.

1 Like

Starking seems to be grown some in Europeā€¦Spain and France etc.

https://en.excelentesprecios.com/starking-cherry

seems to pollinate these cherries- Buralt, Bing, Van, Celesta, Lapins

I think as far as i read maybe at one time it was called Hardy Giant.

Looks like Skeena, Bing, Van are the most common names i recognizeā€¦ maybe you see another that interests you.

I ā€œthinkā€ I remember it is a Luther Burbank cherry? Burbankā€™s ā€˜Giantā€™?

The story goes it was from a private breeder in Cedarsburg Wisconsin 1926 and bought by Stark Bros in 1949. Stark goes on to say that it ripens in June with the best pollinator being Stella.

So if all that is true it would be a nice early Cherry i thinkā€¦

However in 75 years of sale to not have much information other than Spain and Franceā€¦ might be a sign to stay away from it.

2 Likes

Agreed. They have many Stark varieties that people have reported as subpar. Are you on the east coast?

1 Like

I read all of the reviewsā€¦ like 70 sum of themā€¦ mostly all saying that the tree died. A handful of folks got a few cherries but didnt have a pollinator for it. So probably being an heirloom so they say its not the sharpest knife in the drawer. I do live on the East Coastā€¦ lots of orchards in my state selling sweet and tart cherriesā€¦ so i know its doable. Im ok trialing this or that or the other until i find some things that do well with my location and practices.

For now im probably going to pass on this oneā€¦ unless it goes on some kind of crazy cheap deal at some point or another.

Have about 9 varieties myself in VA. There is a second review down the page where some of my opinions changed a little in following years. Maybe it will help in variety selection if you have not looked at it.

1 Like

Interesting correction, I believe I read that in late 60ā€™s or so; must have been ā€œfake newsā€ getting ready for the future!

1 Like

Yes it didā€¦ between you and thecityman i am at least going to give most all of them a shotā€¦along with Utah Giant and the Pearl seriesā€¦etc. Im also going to try a dozen or so tart cherriesā€¦ so to be honest if they all are fantastic im kinda screwed. If only one of each makes it and i like themā€¦then thats ok too.

I dont really know until i tryā€¦ There is a few abandoned trees not far from my farm that i have heard tale ofā€¦supposedly they are big red and sweetā€¦ so at least they worked out in an abandoned lot. Im struggling to decipher them right nowā€¦ with the leaves and bark. Maybe i will have better luck when they blossom and fruit.

Some older but possibly useful info.

https://ecommons.cornell.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/f065dd7a-1a8b-45cb-b3ba-0fe616457659/content

Not sure if there is a bush cherry threadā€¦ looks like there is a new one out. I may try one. EASY AS PIE

Says it needs no pruning, no spraying nothing. No diseases that other cherries get. Just plant it and voila you will have cherries every summer. Bred in MI.

2 Likes

They have the exact same issues as regular cherries. And if you have deer you can look forward to keeping them in a cage.

1 Like

Sure it wasnā€™t bred as LSU with that amazing headline? :rofl:

1 Like

Starkā€™s is different from Burbankā€™s Giant. Burbankā€™s was distributed as a mix of 2 or 3 others too so there might be a mix up there. SHG is supposed to be s1s2 and hereā€™s the patent just for fun.
https://image-ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-public/print/downloadPdf/PP00764

1 Like

I put white gold in the ground yesterday. Tiny thing I got from stark bros :neutral_face: for what they charge.

I also putā€¦ Carmine Jewel, Juliet, sweet thing, ian and Gabe nanking for sour ones.

Need to put cages around for bunniesā€¦ Donā€™t have to worry about deer at my parents house. Damn bunnies are like locust!

2 Likes

But bunnies taste better than locustsā€¦ :rabbit::yum:

3 Likes

Also got these bad boys. The pic doesnā€™t do justice for just how big they are. Youā€™ll laugh but probably a 8-10 lb squirrel? Thing was chonky for winter

1 Like

3 Likes

I doubt they would taste gamey with how good they eat! Except my mom likes them so no to on the pew pew squirrel tacosā€¦

she doesnā€™t want them in her bird feeders or eating her new trees/bushes ā€¦ I told her once everything grows and fruits, the birds will look like turkeys and squirrels will be the size of ground hogs :person_facepalming:

1 Like

Alot of folks all over the world seem to like and grow StarKrimson cherry. Looks to just be Lapins?

Prunus avium 'Lapins' STARKRIMSON SWEET - Plant Finder;

I found Stark Hardy Antique Giant in new Schlabachs catalog as Hardy Giant. Half the price of Starks.

1 Like

I have a Lapins started in 2018ā€¦ for the longest it refused to bloom despite having fruit spurs all over it. The last two springs it did finally bloomā€¦ and wow lots of blossoms last spring but made or ripened no fruitā€¦

2 springs ago I grafted 5 scions of Montmorency cherry to itā€¦

One of those Montm branches produced a perfectly beautiful cherry.

Oneā€¦ yes only oneā€¦ but it was perfect.

My wife and son and I we split that one cherry so that we all got a little taste. Very goodā€¦ we need lots more of those.

I started a Montmorency cherry out in my new orchard last springā€¦ it grew very wellā€¦ 7-8 ft tall with nice scaffold branches already.

I hope it starts producing quickly.

TNHunter

2 Likes