reasonably cold hardy
early spring blossom can be damaged by frosts
Prunus avium
Likes well drained soil, potash and lime. Sunny sheltered site. 4-5 m apart. Likes a cold winter and dry spring and summer.
Prone to bacterial canker, silver leaf disease and aphids
Can grow up to 7m tall
Prune into a vase shape.
Fertilise spring.summer
Spray in winter with Copper Oxychloride.
Cherry varieties
Bing – Ripe Jan. Pollinator Burlat, Rainer
Burlatt – Ripe Nov-Dec. Pollinator Bing, Rainer, Lapins, Stella. Eat fresh. Perfect for jams, jellies, preserves, dessert
Compact Stella – large dark red fruit. Smaller tree. Self fertile. Dec/jan ripen. To 3 m high. Suitable for warm climates. Regular cropped. Eat fresh.
Dawson – Mid sized. Black Skin, Red flesh. ripe mid December. Pollinators: Stella, Lapins, Compact Stella
Griotella – Naturally dwarf to 2m. Bright red sharp tasting fruit. Can be container grown. Self fertile. Cooking cherry. sour. Ripe Jan.
Lapins – mid to late season. Self fertile. Dark red/blackish fruit. Commercial mainstay. ripe Dec-Jan. Heritage variety. Improves with Stella. Good resistance to skin splitting.
Modesto – Ripe Nov-Dec. Pollinator Bing, Stella.
Montmorency (Prunus cerasus) self fertile. Tart. USAs favourite sour cherry. Bright red skin. White flesh. 700 chilling hours for fruit set. Ripe Christmas/New Years. Cooking cherry. Improves with griotella
Oblacinska – (Prunus cerasus) self fertile. Tart. From Yugoslavia. Dark red skin and flesh. Smaller tree. Ripe Jan Feb. Popular for Kirsch
Rainier – Early/Mid season. Sweet. LArge. White/yellow fruit with blush of red. White flesh. Requires 700 chilling hours for fruit set. Pollinators: Stella, Lapins, Compact Stella Ripe December. Excelllent eating or freezing. Criss of Bing and Van
Sam – Sweet cherry. Canadian. Deep Red. large fruit. Ripe Dec Jan. Pollinators Stella, Lapins, COmpact Stella
Stella – mid season. Self fertile. Sweet. Ripe December. Requires 700 chilling hours for fruit set. Large sweet fruit . Dark red/black. Popular commercial variety. Excellent pollinator for others.
Summit – Sweet. Large with dark red skin. Popular commercial variety. Early ripening. Ripe Dec. Pollinators Lapins, Stella. Light red flesh
Tangshi Tangshe” – sour cherry. Small tree to 3m. Red skin yellow flesh. Used in cooking. Ripe Nov-Dec. Self fertile.