Increase sour cherry production

Carmine Jewel already sounds like too much work! My Montmorency this past spring were smaller than usual, as the tree just went in in March. I don’t want smaller cherries, thanks! This was a big help.

From the info I read, Morello sour cherry is your best bet for sour cherry in France.

You will need to find it on a dwarf rootstock like Gisela 5 or 6 or Krymsk for it to be happy growing in pot.

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Thanks Tippy. I have discovered that rootstocks here must be purchased in bulk. It is very rare for a nursery to graft one variety on one rootstock or even five. I’ll stick with my Montmorency and call it a day. It is the best sour cherry in France.

If you come across a potted Morello at a nursery near you, you should grab it. I assume it would be grafted on a dwarf rootstock as it is grown in pot.

Potted fruit trees, in my experienced, produce smaller fruit than if that tree was planted in ground. At least, my peach and nectarine trees fit this bill.

Hope the size if your Mont cherries is not reduced.

The cherries are a bit smaller but the tree came with 14 buds and I let them all go to cherries, so yes, they were smaller. My peaches and apricots are smaller. My Mirabelles are true to size! The one thing I have found is that I cannot beat the sweet taste of all of my fruits. They are the most incredible tasting fruits I have ever grown. Its the sun , the dry heat and the soil.

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Balaton would be a great backup. Produced 5+ pounds the 3rd year. Now 15lbs in the 5th year. It’s more productive for me (SE Idaho) than montmorency and has a bit more sugar and a smidge more bitter (higher in anthocyanin) so overall more flavorful. This is in regards to the fresh fruit. In a pie, I can’t tell the difference.

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Montmorency, Balaton and Amarelle. The best sweet cherries are Bigarreaux. There is also a Basque Black Cherry that is acidic and good for jam.

Carmine Jewel isn’t hard to pit. I use the mason jar top pitter and like it. I bought a new pitter I’ll try it out.