Minnie Royal and Royal Lee cherry trees

[Richard]

Here are my Zaiger Minnie Royal and Royal Lee cherry trees on “new root” rootstock. They are a Rainer-type low chill pair. The Minnie Royal is on the left. They’ve been in the ground a little over two years now. Currently they are loaded with flower buds, blossoms, and fruit sets. Looks like I’ve got cherries in my future!

[Richard]

Looks like it’s time for topping, thinning, and removing rootsuckers

[Richard]

3 months went by and finally got around to pruning them! I topped them at the height of my rake, 5’2".

[gsims1997]

I don’t think you posted a picture of the fruit — since you thought you’d get a good crop.

[Richard]

My crop this year was about 1 dozen on the Minnie Royal and 2 dozen on the Royal Lee. Each fruit ripened a few days apart over the period a month or so. Not what I had hoped for, but consistent with my experience with them at this age at my former home about 15 aerial miles south of here.

[gsims1997]

Did you top them at 5’ for any reason beyond convenience of harvest? I’m taking the branch bending/weighting approach w/ mine

[Richard]

These trees are still young and in training. The first crotches are at about 20". By the end of November the height will likely be back up to 7’ which in the long run is where I want to control them.

[Richard]

Having acquired a Zaiger 6GM25 self-fertile low-chill cherry, I’ve removed my Minnie Royal / Royal Lee pair.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

[gsims1997]

And somewhere in the distance I heard angels cry.

But seriously where does this leave you if 6gm25 is a bust?

[Richard]

But seriously where does this leave you if 6gm25 is a bust?

I’ll replace it with something else. In the current location I’m going to plant Placentia Walnut. The 6GM25 is going in the hole where I cut down my Panache Fig. And in the location where I removed my Morus nigra I’m planting Izu Persimmon.

[Mpigg]

Just for the room Richard or was the royal pair a bust in your eyes

[brownmola]

I can get behind this. I’ve kept certain trees far too long.

[hoosierquilt]

I’m with Richard. My RL and MR cherry trees have been extremely disappointing. For the last two season, I have had so many blossoms the trees looked like they were covered with snow. Plenty of cross over bloom. I see bees in the trees. 2 years ago, almost no fruit set. Last year, a decent set, but 99% of the fruit only formed for so long, stalled, then aborted. So, I have planted a 6GM25 in between, and will prune back both of the MR and RL pretty hard, so this little whip will get enough sun to grow a canopy. I’ve also planted another 5GM25 cherry up in the north side back yard area as well. And, I have a Cristobalina cherry coming from Arboreum Company (whenever they ship - have had zero response from them, so hoping they ship soon). If MR and RL do not shape up this year, they may be facing the axe, to be replaced with more of the above. #onthebubble

[Richard]

My MR + RL cherries weren’t disappointing at all! But now with the 6GM25 I can get cherries from a single tree and have room for another variety of fruit/nut tree!!

(Can you feel my fruit growing disease?)

[EastBexarWilcox]

Planted this minnie royal 3 years ago. This is the first cherry to set!

[npolaske]

This was the first year that our Minnie Royal and Royal Lee cherry trees bloomed together. They bloomed about 6 weeks ago and are now loaded with fruit.

In the picture, the two on the left are Royal Lee, and the one on the right is Minnie Royal.

I will post another update in a few weeks when the fruit has developed a bit more.

They are in their 7th leaf and were purchased from a local nursery in Tucson as 5 gallon potted trees.

[Ahmad]

Why did you cut down your panache fig? A lot of Californians say it’s a top quality fig.