Well, my MR and RL didn’t sync up well until last season (5th leaf). Just loaded with blooms, and almost zero cherries (think I got about 10). I have BIG healthy trees. I did seem to have what first appeared to be really good set, but a large number stopped growing, then aborted. I have one 6GM25 on order from Bay Laurel, so just waiting for it to arrive. I may buy another at Green Thumb. I definitely need something to assist with pollination. I even had Tom Spelling out to my yard season before last, and he was at a loss as to why I am getting such poor set. We were surrounded by bees buzzing all around, and in the flowers. So, he just told me to “be patient”. Hmph. I think the sixth year is certainly long enough to some fruit set. Crossing my fingers this is my cherry year this year.
My guess is potassium input in the prior year.
If you had bloom on both and ample pollinators — it can’t be a pollination issue. @amadioranch has experienced the same issues as you – poor fruit set, synced blooms, lots of bees. @Richard – what are you applying to your trees since you suspect K deficiency? @hoosierquilt’s soil shouldn’t be much different since she is close by —
Greg, the three of us are actually “close” by midwestern standards but actually have significant differences. The similarities are that we all have low carbon and potash components. I have a lot more details if you’re interested.
- I believe that the century-old adage of “bringing up soil levels of nutrients” is outdated and pollutes the environment through run-off or drainage into aquifers. And of course, I perform soil tests to insure I don’t over-apply something that is present in the soil and accessible to plants.
- I use fertigation to apply small amounts of nutrients, pH adjustments, and hormones (PGRs) throughout the year to meet plant needs in my locale.
- In terms of potash (K), I follow the CalPoly SLO rule of thumb: a mature, semi-dwarf fruit/nut tree with approximately 1 cu.yd. net root volume can utilize about 1 net Lb of organic Nitrogen (N), a half or less net Lb of Phosphate §, and 1.5 net Lbs of Potash (K). This measure can be scaled by root volume to match many growing situations and stages of growth. Further note that the CalPoly SLO publications repeatly state that potash is the most frequently overlooked nutrient in novice agriculture. However, more is not necessarily better. Potash is toxic to most plants at triple the stated rate.
OK – Let’s see what amending @hoosierquilt has done. The only thing I use is good old poultry manure (20 chickens + 10 guinea hens + 4 ducks = lots of manure), which is pretty low in N,P and K, likely 1% or less for all. To meet your ratios for K, I’d need to supplement with something else.
I’m confused about your statement that you’ve been receiving half crops on both trees. I’m trying to reconcile that with your statement below indicating that you only got 12 cherries last year from MR.
Do you consider 24 cherries a full crop? You’re doing about as well as @hoosierquilt with her approximately 10 cherries, albeit your trees are younger than hers.
Depends on the cultivar and the years in place. 
I dont know that my issues are the same as Patty’s. What I see during cherry bloom is a lack of interest in the cherry flowers. We have no lack of bees…its just that they really prefer the apricots that bloom at the same time.
To help with this I have the outfit I buy our honey from bring in hives and place them directly under the cherry trees. In this way the cherries are better paid attention to. Last year I was unable to get hives and the cherry fruit set stunk! This year the trees are on 5th or 6th leaf (cant remember off hand) and are LOADED with fruiting wood. Hives have been promised so im really hopeful that this is going to be a good year.
6GM25 now has a much better name – Royal Crimson (per the web site, Crimson Royal according to my notes from Tom Spellman’s CRFG lecture last night). Not bad, although I would have preferred Mickey Royal to go with Minnie. Tom said yes this is the long awaited bridge between MR and RL. Chill expectation is 200-300 hours and despite being self-fertile, he strongly recommended a pollinizer (as with almost all self-fertile trees). Looking forward to next years cherry season!
Well, I guess it’s time to get into cherries. Eric, how has your fruit-set been with the cherries this spring?
Our fruit set was pretty pathetic despite some major effort. Bees simply arent interested in the flowers when apricots and other things are in bloom.
In my local climate, the cherry bloom is earlier than the other pit fruits.
I sure wish that was the case here. Our RL/MR bloom during our highest bloom time on the low chill types (peach, apricot, apple). In particular the apricots draw the bees by the tens of thousands. Our later lapins blooms when less fruit is in bloom but the mesquite trees are blooming then and once again the bees have better options. I spent alot of time watching the Lapins bloom…the bees simply didnt bother with it even tho it is a nice sized tree with thousands of blooms.
Your bees are like mine … European x local population?
If so, it is no surprise that they go to the Apricots then the mesquite?
Yes standard honey bees. We also use mason bees (tho they wont reproduce well here) and we also have native bees flying around. None are really interested in cherry blooms.
I have one more trick up my sleeve to try next year. If that doesnt work well then I might have to consider giving up. I dont need handfulls of cherries like they are doing now, I need real production.
Anyone got photo updates? Mine is growing very slowly. Has put on only about 7 inches. My friend’s has done slightly better, maybe 12 inches of growth so far.
Donny, I’m about where you are. I headed my whip at about 3 feet. So far no feathering has been induced. The topmost bud grew out about a foot or so. I cut it back, in an effort to induce some future scaffolds. I guess I’ll have to wait for next year to start some framework. On the other hand, the cheap bare-root stella and self-fertile bing I picked up from home depot ( grown out by Pacific Groves) which I grafted over to other low-chill cultivars are going like gangbusters – 3 feet of growth on the grafts!
Mine’s still in a 15 gallon pot. I intend to plant it in the next two days. I probably won’t prune it until January.
Hi everyone,
I bought one of these trees about the same time as some of you, it sounds like. Mine has grown even slower… but leafed our really nicely this spring. I haven’t cut the leading stem yet because of the slow growth. I put this tree in kind of a prominent spot in my yard away from my other fruit trees in hope of it being a nice feature.
I just wanted to see how your experiences are with this tree as it looks like about a year since the last posts on this thread.
Thanks!
No blooms on mine this year. Another year of growing. Doesn’t seem as vigorous as MR and RL.