My Montmorency pie cherries are mostly over. I had a good crop this year. I actually eat most of them fresh, because I prefer them to sweet cherries. I would put the middle of their ripening this year at July 5th maybe.
My Northstar pie cherries are about in the middle of their ripening today (july 10). I tend to have problems with disease on these. They're darker and I think better tasting but only by a little bit. They are much less productive due to disease problems. I cut out parts of branches each year and I may get more aggressive with the compost tea on them.
Is anyone out there growing other kinds of pie cherries? I am interested in ripening dates as well, and flavor.
I am considering buying Surefire, English Morello, Meteor, or some other kind.
Thanks
John S
PDX OR
Over the years I have heard snippets of good things about Surefire, how it could be eaten out of hand when almost over ripe, and how productive it is. So I have a couple of them going now, but too young to have any fruit this year. Supposedly the juice is red too, which makes me think it has the Morello genes in it.
Anyone know the breeding pedigree of this cherry?
Frost Evading Sour Cherry
SurefireTM, US Plant Patent No. 11,108, formerly NY 12716, with parentage: Borchert X NY 6935 will be available commercially in 1994. Regular cropping, capability of evading frost (due to late bloom time) plus high quality, totally red fruit were the reasons for this Cornell University release. 'Surefire' fruit ripen about 5 days after 'Montmorency' and are bright red throughout their skin, pulp and juice. The tree is self fertile, intermediate in vigor, has upright and open habit with more spurs than 'Montmorency'. Its more upright habit requires less land and gives the potential for either high density plantings or more efficient garden spacing. Up to one week bloom delay compared to 'Montmorency' is common in Geneva, NY. This variety is well suited to on-farm retailing of tart cherries in sites having high risks of frost and to home owner plantings. It commercial value in traditional tart cherry regions is being evaluated.
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