Hi guys, lately you see me participating less, since now are the dates to reserve trees in the nurseries and obtain new varieties.
As you know that I like good cherries, I am going to show you 2 varieties that I am going to get this winter, and what makes them peculiar and interesting.
Look at this maturity chart of cherry trees.
As it is a maturity chart from Germany, the ripening dates do not coincide with mine, nor with yours, but if we can to take as a reference value the Burlat variety as the European standard and the Bing variety as the United States standard.
Pay close attention, since Bing, which is its reference variety, matures at the same time as the Samba variety (I have marked Bing’s ripening date with a Blue arrow)
This year I will get about 20 new varieties of cherries, but there are two varieties that have a very important peculiarity and that is their extremely late harvest, and you will see why I say extremely late harvest, being varieties of the highest quality.
The varieties are these two (both of German origin ):
Cerasina Final 12.1
Kir Rosso
If we take the Bing variety as a reference value, the following happens:
Cerasina Final 12.1, (second to last on the maturity chart) , matures 35 days after Bing
Kir Rosso, (last variety of the maturity chart) , matures 40 days after Bing
These cherry ripening dates are unheard of, and extremely late.
But they are varieties of the highest quality in terms of fruit size, firmness, and brix.
Sadly, living so far from where cherries can be found in local markets, I don’t get to see this kind or anything close to it.
There are only two varieties of cherry that can be bought in my area. Bing and occasionally Rainier.
If you buy a bag of Bing, you are lucky if half of them are worth eating. Most have gone off, are overripe, or rather tasteless.
The occasional time Rainier are available they fair better as they seem to maintain their crunch, but at $8 for a small bag it’s not a usual purchase.
I spent a few weeks in the Seattle area late June during harvest time and was so happy to be able to buy local properly ripe cherries.
Oh, I did get a chance to visit Brogdale National Collection in Kent, England during cherry harvest. They have almost 300 varieties of cherry. Went tree to tree trying them. I was especially drawn to the non-red varieties…not by taste alone I don’t think (this 15-20 years ago), but I think I liked the looks of them in their mottled colors.
Phil, those are just some of the varieties of cherries that a nursery have been confirmed , that be shipped to me .
But there are many more varieties that will come this winter, and that I will show you.
The world of cherries evolves at lightning speed and every year varieties with better qualities come onto the market.
Look Phil at some other varieties that are confirming me from the nurseries.
I am very lucky because these varieties are for professionals in the cherry sector and are not sold in small quantities for amateurs, what happens is that I have friends even in hell hahahahahaha.
The variety that I am going to tell you about is called Areko (Kordia x Regina), and it matures exactly on the same dates as Kordia (Attika), but infinitely improving the qualities of Kordia.
For you this variety would be a semi-late ripening variety, but for us it is a variety medium harvest, because the new varieties greatly extend the cherry harvest season.
Another of the very interesting varieties that I have bought (2 trees), due to its high quality for its early maturity.
This is the seventh variety of the Sweet series from the Alma Mater of the University of Bologna (Italy), I have her other 6 sisters, and I couldn’t leave her an orphan hahahahaha.
It is the variety:
-Sweet Dave
For us in Europe it ripens exactly on the same dates as our reference variety, which is Burlat, but for you it would be 20 days before Bing.
Caliber 30-32mm
Very crispy
Very sweet
Very tasty
Not resistant to cracking
I appreciate everyone’s knowledge and passion for Cherries.
I am in the process of adding a cherry to my home orchard, and was thinking to get a Lappins.
I live in the States Zone 6b which has humidty, late spring frosts, and rain about every ten days even in the summer.
I like a cherry that is both sweet and with a little acid flavor like Lappins. I think Lappins also blooms later which would be good with our late spring frosts.
That all being said, is there a better variety that you could reccommend to me that would do well in my area?
And if so, is there somewhere that I can also obtain one from?
Hello Jose I’m interested in some of these varieties you are talking about to try in California where can I get some cuttings? I also have some varieties you might want to try.
Hi John.
Why do always like to grow cherries in inappropriate climates? hahaha.
A friend in Louisiana and now you in Kentucky.
It is impossible to go into detail now, as it will be a rather long talk and I have to work, but I promise to answer you adequately, so that you can grow cherries.
Well, when you are not working and have time, I look forward to hearing from you.
This month I think is the perfect time to plant my new Cherry trees.
By the way, I have one Cherry tree now that I planted last spring, called Black Gold. I don’t know how it is going to do though, so far no big disease problems.
Last year I also planted some Hansen’s Bush Cherries. Seems though now that I have done more research that there might be better one’s out there. One appeal of these though is that they don’t bloom until May which would be good with our late spring frosts.
Hi John, sorry for the delay in answering, 'but I have tremendously little time.
In Kentucky you face two fundamental problems when growing cherries.
First and most important:
Adaptability of the rootstock to wet soil
This is a problem because if you do not choose the appropriate rootstock, your cherry trees will die due to root suffocation problems.
Recommended rootstock and easier to obtain:
Colt rootstock
Second problem you are facing
Due to the enormous humidity and large amount of rain in Kentucky during the ripening period of cherries, it is essential that you choose varieties that are resistant to cracking.
This nursery has some varieties grafted on colt rootstock, and some are resistant to cracking such as Vandalay (very resistant and self-fertile, and universal pollinator for early flowering varieties), Compac Stella (very resistant to cracking, self-fertile and universal pollinator for varieties medium flowering time), Van (quite resistant to cracking, and delicious flavor, medium flowering time and needs a pollinator such as Compac Stella), Lapins (self-fertile, and universal pollinator of early flowering varieties, very resistant to cracking), Sam (variety resistant to cracking, but it is self-sterile and you would need a pollinator like Kordia “Attika”)
Thank you for kind and quick reply, and sorry for my sounding impatient. I actually had put in an order with one company, Ison’s Nursery for a Lappins Cherry tree prior to talking to you, and since they haven’t filled my order yet, I was wondering whether I should cancel it or not.
I really like Lappins cherry flavor. So that would be a fine variety for me, but I had not thought at all about rootstock.
I will call them tomorrow, and ask them what rootstock it comes on.
And yes, next winter if I can get a couple of your recommended varieties, that would be wonderful.
Anyway, thank you for all your precious time and support!
