I have a cherry tree

Anonymous says...
Hi Sandy,

I had a stella cherry tree before. It had lots of flowers every year and it took us 3 years to produce 1 fruit so it takes time. we got rid of it after that. what I would have done was to give it some potassium to make it set fruit easier. It is too late now.

If I was you I would give it a try and see how you go.

All the best.

Tran

Sandy says...
Thanks JO,
I will try your useful advice. the other trees we have growing are a mixture.
There are 2 apple trees, one is a bllerina, the other, from Daley's nursery is a granny smith, my daughter loves those! Also have a couple of strawberry guavas, and a chocolate sapote, and a hawiian guava, and two coffee plants, also a peach palm.(from Daley's also) All are growing well, except for the coffee that's in a spot, near a fence. I also have a banana passionfruit vine, LOADED with fruit. I have been using cow manure, as well as mulch and osmocote granules. Any tips at all we are most grateful for.
Sandy.

Sabrina says...
We have a cherry tree, two years old. Last year it had 18 cherries, this year 6. We have put wetting agent and horse manure and mulch around it. It did not produce much in the way of blossum. Is it because the tree is still very young. I don't know what variety it is. It has alot of leaf growth at the moment and looks quite healthy. We also had last year a bug of sorts that sucked the goodness from the leaves. Any suggestions?

clinton says...
Hi
I have a cherry tree in a root- controller bag this is it's 8 years old this season, it started producing fruit 5th year and doubled the next and so on. This year is looking great

Jennifer says...
Our cherry tree didn't produce fruit until the 3rd year - about 20 cherries. I think you need a reasonable amount of frost to get fruit too, so some years will be better than others.

Sabrina says...
Thank you for your info. I have been doing a little reseach around the Wandin Valley where most of Melbourne's cherries grow. I am told the Stella tree is self polinating and produces fruit without having another tree around. Other cherry trees need to have another tree around to help produce fruit. As I don't know what variety mine is, and they say it is hard to tell the type. I am buying another in winter and it will be a Stella. Now to just keep the possums away.

Sandy says...
Yes, Sabrina, They are self pollinating, that's why I just have one.
Mine has grown a foot already in 12 months. It's had a small crop of cherries already, and looks like more new growth. We did have some strange looking things on the leaves, similar to leeches, or a type of leech? They made the leaves get brown veins all over, and leaves curled up! They are gone now, but never seen those little creatures before.Does anyone know why they attached the tree? Where they came from?

Anonymous says...
Pear and cherry slug. Look it up in google and put quote marks around full name.

Juanda says...
I have one of those 3 in one cherry tree. Last year we got 2 fruit from the bing branch of the tree. The Reiner and Tartarian did not produce any. This year we saw a couple of blossoms on the bing, but never developed into the fruit we hoped for. Do I still need a different cherry tree to polinate my current 3 in one variety? Or will it pollinate it self since there are 3 different kind on one tree.

Thank you for all your help.

Shaun says...
If you don't get the proper chill hours, some variety of Cherries wont set buds .... so no flow & no fruits ....I believe Reiner is a high chill variety needing at least 900 - 1000 hours of chill to set flowers & fruit ....
I dont know much about Tatarian ....
and aNON is correct - with 3 varieties, they should cross pollinate each other if you manage to get them to flower.

Good luck !!

tyler says...
how can you grow fruit quicker?cause i got a cherry tree and i was wondering can it grow faster and sweeter?

aNON says...
Who knows how it works in the USA.

You get snow.

Anonymous says...
2 months

Geoff says...
I have just just bought my 1st Cherry tree "VAN" variety but don't know if i need another tree to pollinate or not...any advise would be great

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Anonymous says...
Dude, chop each arm to 300mm max, even shorter if you can to an outwards bud.

The root system will not support a big tree like that.

Anonymous says...
yes, I grew them in Stoneville, and had to use cynaide to make them flower, out of 5 years only 1 was any good.

John says...
use the "spanish bush" method as outlined at the woodbridge fruit trees website. keeps them to 6 foot tall.

Diego says...
Hi all,
My partner recently gave birth to a new baby, and to celebrate this she insisted on planting a cherry tree on our yard..

I love the idea, but would like to know if it's too late in the year to do so, or if it's still okay..
I have peach, plum and nectarine trees in the back yard, all which are already flowering, so I'm assuming that it might be too late to get a cherry tree to flower with the winter soon to be over..
Unless I don't go for bare root and get one already potted.

In any case, is there still time to do this in Melbourne?

Also, what's the best place to buy one of these beautiful trees?

Sandy says...
Hi Diego,
Congrats on the baby! I have my cherry tree, growing well, in suburban south east of Melbourne, not in the hills. The local nursery, across the road from us, now have all fruit trees, in stock, so now is time to buy a cherry tree and plant it! I paid around 15 dollars for mine. It's had fruit once, so far, and at moment, is bare, but buds are starting to appear.

Jo says...
Hi George!
I've had a look at San Francisco's climate, and I think that it will be too warm for the 'Stella', or indeed any stone fruit. Most need a certain amount of 'chill hours', which is a certain number of hours of cold (between freezing and 45 degrees F).
Have a look around your neighbourhood- the kinds of plants you see growing will give you an idea of what will do well.

Damian says...
My Stella was planted 4 years ago, here in melb. The second season I had 5 cherries. The third season no cherries. The fourth season about 50 cherries whcih the damn birds ate weeks before they were even ripe. This season it seems again so far to have no flowers again (still waiting) so probably no fruit. Why is this one seeming to flower, every 2 years only or do they do that? This winter was as cold as last winter, with snow in nearby suburbs in August so it would have enough chilling hours. However we did have the extreme heatwave back in March this year maybe this effected the buds or something? However the tree appeared to have no heat damage signs just some of the cherry slug eaten leaves dropped off.

lou says...
Haven't planted yet.Research tells me thEy require 800 hours below 4 degrees C IN WINTER TO SET FRUIT, and winter rainfall is best Harvest rain can split the fruit when the tree drinks too deeply so don't water them when fruit is pickable.They also hate wet roots so drained sites best ie not flat.If you NEED to get a chill going plant away from any shelter like overhanging branches of other trees.Hot dry days post harvest should not kill them as long as some soil moisture.
Cherry farmers are mocked as "net farmers" because that is their main workload ! In washington STATE rain shadow and Hillston NSW frosty winters and low rainfall at MOST TIMES OF THE YEAR combined with irrigation from distant sourced resevoirs give productive and predictable seasons.

Dan says...
Hey. My name is Dan. I once had a cherry tree orchard containing over 2000 cherry trees. Since then they got cut down becuase of the drought. Does anyone know how to make them come back to life? I miss my darling cherry trees.
Thankyou. Help urgently needed.

Anonymous says...
Its not cold enough in the NT

Nancy says...
Have you tried a Grumichama (excuse the spelling). A cherry without being a cherry and can tolerate subtropics.
Nancy

Gwen says...
Will my Stella cherries ripen after picking. They are large and red but not quite eating quality yet (except for the birds)?

Jon says...
I think that Stella are heart shaped and dark- http://www.thecherrypitranch.com/page2.html

What would be the best cherry tree for a fairly big pot? I don't want it at all taller than 2 metres and would rather it is upright rather than spreading. Are dwarf Stella a good idea? Are they good to look at and do they fit the above criteria?

I live in Melbourne.

Anonymous says...
my ag class there is a slop in front of are class room bilding we are wanting to put plants on it. do you think a cherry tree on it lee johnston, cody cosbey,allen morrison

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pete says...
Weather they are caterpillars, leeches or 1cm long any suckers how would i get rid of them, i have 2 trees a stella & reiner both 2yr old and the little suckers r sucking the leaves brown, bunnings want to sell chemicals but i don't bye, someone said pyrethrum but at au$180.00 a litre no thanks any suggestions

western suburbs Melbourne

Nancy says...
Hi Dan, Have you tried painting the trees (once they are severely cut back with white paint during the cooler months?). It gives the trees a rest whilst protecting them from insects which might bore/eat them. My uncle/aunt had a citrus orchard and that is one thing they did. You might like to research the idea.
Cheers
Nancy

Richard says...
Depending on where you live might be the problem. I live next to Tacoma WA. and my trees bloom way before the honey bees are out,thus, NO FERTALIZATION.
Answer: "MASON BEES". They are the first bees out in the spring. They nest in paper straws [plastic also] and do not make honey. They collect just enough pollen to store in tubes to feed their larva [offspring]. Check your local nursery in the spring for info.
These little crestures made a world of difference for me...

Speedy says...
I think mason bees are a Megachile spp.
In Aust we have Leafcutter Bees and Resin Bees in that genus.
Although not the same species as Mason Bees in the USA , I find them very useful in my garden for solanaceae pollination.
Even more so, Blue banded bees(Amegilla spp.), enough for me to make nesting spots for them.
My cherries haven't been in a year yet so i can't say if they're any help for them yet.

http://www.aussiebee.com.au/beesinyourarea.html

Speedy says...
I don't think they're really rare.
but they possibly have preferences for certain habitats and may be less common outside those areas.

To make nest blocks for them I cut the bottom off a used plastic milk bottle or use a 1or 2 litre milk carton.
Then put some soil into the bottle or carton, then pack it down hard with a stout, flat-ended stick.
The soil consistency should be just damp, but not wet.
Add soil in layers, say one or two cups at a time to ensure good compaction throughout the block.
Just the same as for doing rammed earth building.
When the block is filled to the top with hard packed soil, take a pencil and push it 3-15cm into the soil to make small tunnels.
Lay the block on its side facing east in an area protected from wind , cold, rain and midday sun.
The block should dry over time.
If milk cartons are used they can be stacked in a milk crate for a bigger 'colony'.
Though not really hive bees they tend to be gregarious, building nests in close proximity to one another.

Blue banded bees usually dig the holes out further and lay their eggs.

Leaf cutter bees seem to prefer exixting holes and cracks.
They caulk the holes with the little pieces of leaf, making neat compartments each with an egg and maybe food.(leaf=food?)
Often, white sapote leaf, Bouganvillea bracts, rose leaves etc are left with half circles cut out.
I'll then find pretty little green and pink nests accidentally when I move bricks or timber.

Speedy says...
Nature's amazing...
I just like to observe, learn stuff and interact with it all.

older tree says...
i have a question, have a cherry tree in my backyard thats older than 35 years old, as a kid, always produced tart cherries, i pruned it 3 years ago, grew back great and flowers, no fruit. any idea's on how much longer before produces again?

Jimmy says...
sounds like cherry aphid?

older tree says...
hello everyone, this is a picture of the tree i spoke of before, i do not know what kind it is either.

i have a question, have a cherry tree in my backyard thats older than 35 years old, as a kid, always produced tart cherries, i pruned it 3 years ago, grew back great and flowers, no fruit. any idea's on how much longer before produces again?

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Paul says...
Guys, Hi, love the info, I have just planted a tree which w secured from Young in NSW, now planted on a sloping site in the valley. It received loads of frosty mornings and has just burst into flowers. I am told I need special fertiliser, Any hints?

geoff says...
I 4got it takes 3yrs and ya should see
some fruit.

Kelly says...
We rent & there is a cherry tree in our back yard. The first year we did not know what it was & did not eat any of the fruit (lots of them). A friend helped out in the garden and pruned the tree (spring. He took off some of the lower branches and that summer (09) we didn't get any cherries. Is there anything that I can do this spring to help the tree to produce this year?? Not sure what kind of cherry tree it is.

Kelly says...
Thanks Bill,
The tree is well over 2 years old (could be 6-8yr). We've had lots of flowers on it since I last wrote that so I am hoping that is a good sign. Thanks for the tip on the fertilizer. I had picked up some of those fert spikes for fruit trees. Are they alright or is it better to buy it in a granulated form?? As for the pruning, when is the best time of year for that....in the fall, after the fruit??
Thanks for all the info.

ferro says...
lol....i love cherries

louise says...
You have to prune in summer and cover wound with something like steri prune its also advisable to serialize after each cut with mentholated spirits, the reason you do this in summer is so the tree is less likely to get fungus/virus etc :) I have a Stella and a sunburst in pots they are 4 years old and have lots of flowers this year fingers crossed, I am training them in the Spanish bush pruning method to keep them smaller, because I rent and have to have all of my 30 fruit trees in pots. happy gardening :)

uteopia says...
I'm have trouble with my cherry trees, how can I look after them?

I planted 2 Stella trees a 3-4 years ago in the back yard and they have hardly grown in size. They are only marginally bigger than when they were bare rooters. The first year they produced 20+ fruit each and the production has dropped. Last year was a disaster, one had flowers but no fruit (I think it was in a bad position since another tree nearby now overshadowed it) and the other only 5 cherries (which were promptly eaten by birds). I think it has been the weather that has affected them as it had been erratic, plus also there was not enough cold days and the clay soil is no good. Do I need fertiliser to help them become big and strong since they haven't grown much and still look like twigs?

The main branch on the tree that didn't produce fruit died and I chopped it off and one of the other branched was also dying. I dug it out of the ground and bagged it in potting mix and will replant it later, maybe in a few years time.

They both have shoots out of the main stem and I don't know whether I should prune them off?

This year the days have been cooler and a bit more rain so I'm hoping that some activity will happen.

Sam says...
Hi Guys, my dad has a cherry tree farm back in overseas. i wanted plant my own cherry tree too, however didnt work for me after 3 times i ve tried. My dad was over for an holiday and i ve asked him to plant me a cherry tree. And he did. Its only been 3 years now. i ve started gt cherrys on the second year. On the 3rd year i ve pciked up 4 buckets of cherrys. the secret thing that my dad did was, when he digged the hole he poured 5 kg ice in to the hole and placed the tree straight on it, Covered it up with garden mix soil and white sydney sand. and advised me to put 4 hand full of cow minure every 3 months. for the insect advised me to mix white vinegar with garlic powder ( cup full) mix it with 2 litre water and pour it over the tree every 2 week during spring. It worked ok for me. i hope this will work for you aswell.

Sam says...
Hi Allybanana, I do live neer Blue Mountains. But i think you are right, because when ive asked my dad why he was doing the ice thing he said because of the weather conditions. He said "this will make the roots catch a cold and they wil never recover from it ;)" i thought he was jocking around with me, but now i understand what he ment. I m not sure what type it is. Im not that much into gardenning. All i do is give water and eat the fruits. Every 6 months i ve got this old guy coming and doing my garden.:))

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kert says...
That's amazing, Sam ! Unbelievable ,in fact.

Brad says...
Making bee nests pdf: http://www.aussiebee.com.au/aussiebeeonline008.pdf

Sabrina says...
I am just getting in before this happens to my cherry tree this year. Last year and previous years it has had a grub on the leaves which make the leaves brown and dried out. Is there any thing I can spray before this happens. I don't think it damages the tree or fruit (have not had much fruit) but looking promising this year.

uteopia says...
I had those slimy little slugs eating on the leaf, usually around jan or later. because of the drought there wasnt many leave to eat, but i spray them.

This year the tree gave off a lot of blossoms despite the cooler and wet conditions. the petals are starting to drop and i can see fruit starting to form. with plenty of water about they wont struggle like the past. i am going to put up a bird net.

my other cherry tree that i dug up and put in a pot just got leaves, might be due to the shock of digging it up, but it didnt blossom for the past 2 years). i saw off a dead branch and it has been oozing a bit sap for a few months. anyone know how to stop it?

the season has been really good, even a few seeds that i put under the tree years ago has started to spout so i put them in a pot. Any tips on how to care for them and grow a tree?

kathyleefrep says...
Hi there,

I am trying to pick a fruit tree to plant in the corner of my garden when i get it landscaped next year - and i really wanted to plant a cherry tree.

I live in Fremantle - just south of Perth and near to the sea.. We get cool winds all through summer, and had quite a cold winter this year - so many people have been successfull - do you think it can grow successfully here?

Other options: fig, lemon... ? Any suggestions? I'd really like something that flowers! I have lots of big green trees, but i'm planting this near the house to add some colour and prettiness!

Valorie says...
Can anyone help me to identify this cherry? I inherited the tree 9 yrs ago and estimate that it is about 15 yrs old but could be wrong. About 20ft tall and wide spreading. It has an open white blossom in Spring and its fruit is bright red in November, sour in taste until it fully ripens about early December. The tree is always laden with fruit - I give it no attention at all, although it is close to a compost heap which may help. It is in a sheltered and slightly shaded area but does get full westerly sun. The birds leave them alone because they are sour. Is this a sour cherry? It is self pollinating but not dark enough in colour to be a Stella. I was told it was a Lapin but not sure. If left on tree until ripens fully it becomes sweet and darker. Help me please as I would love to know. Also any hints about managing the size of the tree - I was told by an ex Cherry Tree Orchard Grower that you don't prune cherry trees? If you do it is done straight after fruiting in the summer. I did this 2 yrs ago and last year had a smaller crop but sweeter and the birds did get those so perhaps this is the answer to my question??

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Mikey Mike says...
My 5 year old cherry tree seems very slow growing as compared to my nectarine,peach and plum trees. Are cherry trees a slow growing tree?

stephanie says...
take a cutting of it,
and take it to a gardening shop,
the local horticulturist should be able to help
Step

Phil@Tyalgum says...
I had a very prolific sour cherry tree in Victoria which bore fruit in the week leading up to Christmas. Pillar box red fruit with yellow, juicy flesh, bore heavily every year. I think it was either Montmorency or Kentish. Great when either stewed or used as a glaze on duck or turkey... the tree kind of pruned itself, a whole branch would die off as a new one developed so it kind of moved across the garden. Self fertile as well which is a bonus.

Valorie says...
Dear Nick, thanks for the reply - yours is the most helpful I think. After further consultation with friends, etc. I am fairly sure that it is a sweet cherry but pillar box red, not dark black cherries. Because of the lack of sun this spring/summer and all the rain it did not ripen fully. It was just at its right sweetness ready to pick when we had that huge deluge of rain and it got brown rot in the closely bunched cherries. They definitely grow in bunches, not singly. I think Phil at Tyalgum has identified it. I am now sure it is Montmorency. Thanks for all the info. I'm getting it lightly pruned in the New Year. Happy Christmas

Valorie says...
Kathy, I don't think you can go past a cherry tree in the back garden. If I were planting again I would plant a Stella which is self fertilizing and sweeter than my Montmorency.

Phil@Tyalgum says...
I always used wood ash from the fire after it had cooled down. They shrivel up instantaneously.

Katherine says...
Where can I buy wholesale cherry trees in Victoria?

shanks says...
I own a fresh produce retail busineess and have a big customer demand for frseh cherries.Can you please assist me by putting me in contact with a supplier.
Many thanks
SHANKS
0845232786

kari says...
do you only have the one tree? most cherries need cross pollination so you may not get fruit after the flowers. mine have fruited the first year and were prolific the second year.

Nick says...
You should be fine Matt! They arent the best in hot climates but if you give them a bit of shade and plenty of water in the growing season theyll go good. As for those bugs, do they skeletonise the leaves?

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Debby says...
Hi! I have a small cherry tree that was given to me and I don't know what veriety it is. It has a few cherries on it but I have found some green cherries (with stem)on the ground under the tree. Could you tell me what causes the dropping of unrippened cherries?

BUSTERiver says...
I've cut my cherry tree way back (more than 50%) and it comes back just fine. Just make sure you trim it back after the leaves have fallen off and winter is approaching. NOT in springtime when buds are ready to pop.New shoots will form in the spring and in the fall you can trim off any branches you do not like. Train it the way you want it to grow.

Sabrina says...
Last summer, here in Melbourne we had a very humid climate. I started putting fertilizer on my cherry tree before the leaves came in to bud, at least once every 3 weeks. I then covered my tree with bird netting just as the leaves came out.I managed to get about 3 kgs of fruit.The tree is about 5 years old. The tree grew amazingly through summer about a foot, this was all popping through the netting. I did this because I was not going to lose my cherries to the possums or birds as I did last year. The taste of the cherries were wonderful very sweet and quite large and very glossy skins.

deaboy says...
I grew a cherry tree formulated by the University of Saskatchewan for our climate. I got a seedling from a friend that had a tree already 25 ft tall. I planted mine and lived two years in that yard until selling. Recently I visited the yard to see how things progressed. I was totally impressed as the tree was probably two feet tall when I left three years ago and now it was probably ten feet tall and had blossums all over it. Very beaurtiful. I contacted my friend and said I would really like some more seedlings which she accomadatingly started and also one sapling. I am now researcing how to make the sapling progress as it doesn't seem to be doing as well in the portable pot. Hope to find more information on this site. It is truly edifying to see the creation grow under Gods hand. I have the prospect of having 4 cherry trees. They are a rather large fruit. about 3/4 size of the bing cherry. Thanks for your website

Sabrina says...
For those people who live in Melbourne Australia, Bunnings is where I bought my Stella Cherry tree, which does not need another tree for propagation. Did not have to sign any legal docs, it does not have a tracking device.I don't know if it came from Flemmings wholesale, but if I had to sign any documents, I would not purchase the tree. Once I buy it, it is mine to do as I please. I feed my tree every 3 weeks with blood and bone coming into blossom. My tree is now over 5 years old and I am starting to get a lot of fruit on it in the summer. I pruned it in winter and have started to shape it the way I want it to grow.

X-ray says...
Nick, those slug/leech looking things in your photos are called cherry slugs. They come out in humid weather. Watching Gardening Australia, Tino advised to use Dipel. I haven't had to use it yet this season, but last season was pretty bad as you'd know. My tree is wrapped in netting, but the fruit are green and starting to wrinkle, not sure what the problem is. Might try more mulch and fertiliser.

Speedy says...
hi Ken, I'm on the Mallee red soil (sandy loam) over a clay subsoil with some limestone nodules through the clay.

I dug in a bit of old matured compost and well rotted cowpoo into a patch of soil about 800mm across x about 300-400 mm deep and planter a bare rooted 'Stella' tree into it.
It's 3yrs old now (?) and about 3metres or more tall with a trunk about130mm dia.
I planted a Sunburst at the same time but it hasn't grown as much, and a 'Lapins' this year from a pot.
I expect that the Stella's growth rate will slow and it may start to produce more flowers/fruit in comming years.

very few flowers and fruit yet

john says...
Yes, cherries are badly affected by poor drainage. A mound is an answer. Spray for black cherry aphid in winter as well to kill eggs. You'll need a cross-pollinator for Van but not for Stella.

Kim says...
I hope i haven't doubled up on these pictures this is our Stella it has been in the ground about 5 years the crop is really good considering we had a late frost and lost some early flowers etc It has had no special treatment the soil has good drainage and we are just a couple of days off picking. Hope this helps.

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Sabrina says...
I must have pruned my tree to late this season, although I didnt think so at the time. My tree had some fruit on it but nothing like last year. Now when I look at it it has nearly nothing. We have not had warm weather in Melbourne and a lot of rain. My tree is about 5 years old so next year I will let it go. This means that it will be huge with the growth that takes place over summer, if it is anything like last summer. I am so jealous when I look at those photos of Kims tree. Mine is also a Stella. I agree about the birds, I neted mine with anticipation of a good crop. Ho Hummmm

Kim says...
Jason..it has been a very good season for the birds elsewhere I would say..and it would seem that everyone else here has their cats outside thus considerably less birds..(we have ours locked in a specially made outdoors indoors cage) some years it does and some years it doesn't happen, last year there were none either but the year before the Sulphur Crested Cockatoos trawled the almond tree and the cherry hadn't fruited..I also have to say that it is too damned high for us to get a net over. I am really not sure whether local farmers poison birds either.. we are on a large "town/village block" . We did get a lot of rain and some fruit split but were salvage-able and turned int coulis, juice and pies and what didn't ended up in our bellies..I don't mind if the birds get some as my kids have all moved on and we can't eat them all. We have a wonderful block our topsoil is very deep but sandyish and was probably once the old river bed though now it has cut down the banks to around 16 metres lower than our place..
We have never pruned the tree as an old local said they were better off without it unless to shape. (Glad of the height as though we get very cold winters our summers are blisteringly hot and it shades the windows.) Our other stonefruit will yeild nothing this year as a late frost knocked all the flowers off. We do have a big raspberry and loganberry crop..yum

Jantina says...
If you don't get any offers from Melb. area uteopia, email me at jantinarohde at activ8 dot com dot au and I'll send you some by mail.