Cherry Trees

[snack_pack85]

Hi,

recently my husband and I realized that we have a small cherry tree in the backyard. Last spring it produced a lot of fruit but they were very very timy and did not resemble at all what you would consider a typical cherry.

I am wondering if they have to be a certain size before real big juicy cherries will start to come in? Or does it vary by varieties? The blossoms were a beautiful pink color earlier this year and just recently the blossoms turned dark red and now it's all leaves and tiny fruit. The "cherries" are not at all edible yet and we're not positive they will be.

Does anyone else have a cherry tree?

 

[kadesma]

Hi,

recently my husband and I realized that we have a small cherry tree in the backyard. Last spring it produced a lot of fruit but they were very very timy and did not resemble at all what you would consider a typical cherry.

I am wondering if they have to be a certain size before real big juicy cherries will start to come in? Or does it vary by varieties? The blossoms were a beautiful pink color earlier this year and just recently the blossoms turned dark red and now it's all leaves and tiny fruit. The "cherries" are not at all edible yet and we're not positive they will be.

Does anyone else have a cherry tree?

SP,
I don't have a tree, but I bet Constance could help you..Send her a PM. She has helped me many times.
kadesma

 

[BreezyCooking]

SnackPack - unfortunately neither the size nor the quality of the fruit will improve or change as the tree ages, only the quantity. While a picture would help me identity it, from your description I'd say what you probably have there is an ornamental cherry variety (or even an ornamental crabapple variety), meaning that you will never get edible fruit from it. The birds will love it though.

 

[snack_pack85]

Here's a picture I found off the internet. https://dcpages.com/gallery/d/99687-2/041205BlossomsA.jpg

my tree is smaller. our neighbors all have one too. last year our backyard was covered with tiny fruit from it. we didnt bother going out and tasting or anything because we werent sure what kind of fruit it was....

thanks for your help breezy and kadesma.

 

[BreezyCooking]

I've grown both edible cherries (sour & sweet), as well as edible & ornamental crabapples, & those blossoms definitely look like an ornamental to me. Enjoy your tree for its beauty & for what it provides to wildlife, but don't expect fruit for your table from it.

 

[snack_pack85]

Thanks Breezy. You're right. The birds really love that tree!

 

[Jikoni]

I find that one year our cherry tree produces lots of fruits and the following year, not that much. Last year we didn't have much to pick, but come this year, we are inviting friends to come over and pick some. I have noticed a few other cherry trees in the neighbourhood doing the same, so I could say, wait another year and see.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I have a choke-cherry tree in my yard. It produces wonderful little cherries no larger than a wild blueberry. The color is a deep and dark red, with a pit that is half the size of the cherry. The flavor is sweet, but with an astringent, or mouth drying effect. They also temporarily stain the teeth an unsightly brown that quickly goes away.

When cooked, they no longer stain the teeth, and lose the astringent characteristic. They make superior jams, jellies, and syrup.

You might check and see if you have a choke-cheery tree in your yard. If so, the birds will still love the tree, but so will you.

Here is a pretty good site that gives great pictures of the tree, leaf, and fruit:
http://www.oplin.org/tree/fact%20pages/chockecherry_common/chokecherry_common.html

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[BreezyCooking]

Actually, what you have there Goodweed is a "Wild Black Cherry" tree. True "Choke Cherry" trees have really really tiny fruit that, even when ripe, are quite tart/bitter - never even remotely sweet when ripe - & only useful to wildlife. And the leaves are smaller than the "Wild Black Cherry". But over the years, the names seem to get used interchangeably. I have both here on my property, & when the trees are side-by-side, you can definitely see the difference.

The fruit you describe, of the Wild Black Cherry (they're very common not only here in Virginia, but pretty much everywhere in the U.S.) are definitely useful if you can get really ripe ones before the birds do. My dad used to make a pseudo "sloe gin" with them by adding them to a bottle of gin & allowing them to "marinate" for a month or two. Made some interesting cocktails with it - lol!!

 

[BreezyCooking]

I find that one year our cherry tree produces lots of fruits and the following year, not that much. Last year we didn't have much to pick, but come this year, we are inviting friends to come over and pick some. I have noticed a few other cherry trees in the neighbourhood doing the same, so I could say, wait another year and see.

We experience the exact same thing with our cherry tree as well. One year there'll be more than enough for both us & the birds; next year, only the birds enjoy the small crop. This year, unfortunately, was the worst, as we had a number of late frosts during bud & blossom season that pretty much put the kabash on both our cherry & peach crops for this year.

 

[Alix]

I am consistently impressed by the knowledge of our members. Thanks for all the info you guys!

I am ALSO terribly jealous of those of you that have trees that bear actual cherries. All I have is a hawthorne tree. While its beautiful, I certainly can't eat anything off it. Lucky bums!

 

[BreezyCooking]

Ahh - but you're blessed with a nice Hawthorne tree. My dad loved them, but unfortunately Long Island, NY, (as well as here in Virginia), we also have an abundance of native cedar trees, which are the main host for "rust". Dad tried to keep his lovely Hawthorne alive, just as I do my lone apple tree - but it's a losing battle when you're surrounded by a forest of disease host plants. And while I probably could stay the tide by following orchardist chemical-spray procedures, being organically-minded at heart, I think I'll just continue to buy my apples in season at the local farmers market.

 

[Alix]

My hawthorne is flourishing, but my neighbour keeps offering to lop the top half of my tree off every other year when he does his ornamental cherry. I think that is an ugly look myself and you don't get any blossoms that year so I always say no thanks. I sure wish our growing season was conducive to some of the fruit trees you guys can have, sigh. Oh well. I'll settle for fewer bugs instead!

 

[oneoffour]

An approved organic fungicide to help control rust is the old fashioned Bordeax mix and hydrated lime.

 

[snack_pack85]

Hey All,

turns out it really is a cherry tree. We picked some a little too early and they were sweet but still a bit too tart for us. I made some jam out of them. We'll be putting a net out soon, gotta get them before the birds do. Thanks for all the help!

Eva Marie

 

[BreezyCooking]

Eva Marie - please be sure to check your netted tree frequently (at least twice a day) for trapped or entangled birds.

I stopped using netting on my cherry tree after one season because, even though it was "bird netting", I kept finding birds entangled in it. One, an absolutely gorgeous male Scarlet Tanager, was dead when I found him. I decided after that that it just wasn't worth it, & now just factor in a certain amount of fruit for us & a certain amount for the birds.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Eva Marie - please be sure to check your netted tree frequently (at least twice a day) for trapped or entangled birds.

I stopped using netting on my cherry tree after one season because, even though it was "bird netting", I kept finding birds entangled in it. One, an absolutely gorgeous male Scarlet Tanager, was dead when I found him. I decided after that that it just wasn't worth it, & now just factor in a certain amount of fruit for us & a certain amount for the birds.

What if you put a big mosquito net over it. I can't think of any birds that are small enough to get tangled up in that. And it would protect you from bugs when your picking as a bonus.

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[snack_pack85]

Eva Marie - please be sure to check your netted tree frequently (at least twice a day) for trapped or entangled birds.

I stopped using netting on my cherry tree after one season because, even though it was "bird netting", I kept finding birds entangled in it. One, an absolutely gorgeous male Scarlet Tanager, was dead when I found him. I decided after that that it just wasn't worth it, & now just factor in a certain amount of fruit for us & a certain amount for the birds.

Thank goodness you mentioned this. No one else said anything, not even the woman who told me about netting the tree. Yikes. We have lots and lots of birds around that tree so it's certainly a risk. I'll make sure to check it often. I made my first cherry pie of the season with a friend of a friends cherries, delish! I cannot wait to make some of my own from our tree!