I'd like a cherry tree. We have a cooking apple tree which only fruits every few years, and neither Sean nor Boy W like cooked apples, so I keep thinking about grubbing it up and putting in something more sensible.
There are some self fertile varieties but ALL will do better with a pollinator, but why have 1 when you can have loads?
lottie
Joined: 11 Aug 2005 Posts: 5059 Location: ceredigion
Posted: Sun Jul 06, 08 1:19 pm Post subject:
Jamanda wrote:
I'd like a cherry tree. We have a cooking apple tree which only fruits every few years, and neither Sean nor Boy W like cooked apples, so I keep thinking about grubbing it up and putting in something more sensible.
Do they like plums/damsons/pears?---all come self fertile, crop heavier than cherries and the birds let you get some without netting them It's o.k. for Tahir growing so many he'll be able to share with the thrushes
The beauty of minarettes against a fence is that you can protect them quite easily, we netted ours. I'd agree that home grown plums are so vastly superior to shop bought that you should definitely try some.
lottie
Joined: 11 Aug 2005 Posts: 5059 Location: ceredigion
Posted: Sun Jul 06, 08 1:26 pm Post subject:
My new ones are dwarfed enough to net---hopefully I'll finally get some to eat
Radio 4 Sunday 12:32 The Food Programme
Cherries: Cherry orchards have been disappearing at an alarming rate over the past 50 years, but has the tide finally turned? Sheila Dillon investigates.
Andrea
Joined: 02 May 2005 Posts: 2260 Location: Portugal
Back to the subject in hand I'm trialling 20+ varieties of cherry including 12 different white varieties, if any do well I'll be telling people all about them
White cherries are, in my view, the way forward. They seem so much less prone to birds picking them clean (meaning that I could go and harvest a rucksack full from some wildlings yesterday).
Have a peek around your neighbourhood, bound to be some other cherries to cross pollinate with.
'Stellar' is a nice self fertile one, if you can't find any other cherries and don't have room to plant a couple. Rather tasty fruit with a good texture.