…Confessions of a novice (or, in New England– are you nuts?) Jon Clements Extension Tree Fruit Specialist UMass Amherst Dwarf sweet cherries…

My background Southwest Michigan UMass sweet cherry variety/rootstock –planted 2001 –G.5, G.6 rootstocks –13 varieties

And you thought apples were a challenge! Site Varieties Cracking Rootstocks Disease(s) Deer Birds Marketing

Site Selection Best sites only Avoid frost Avoid wet feet Avoid sand Irrigation recommended

Varieties West ≠ East –‘Bing’ –‘Rainier,’ ‘Chelan’ Pollination Maturity and bloom Crack resistance Canker susceptibility ‘Black Gold’

Cracking Seasonal variation Cultivar susceptibility Rain covers Calcium chloride sprays

Rootstocks Mazzard, Mahaleb –seedling, full-size trees –intolerant of heavy, wet soils –Mazzard best for sweets –5 to10 years to bear fruit Gisela 5, 6 (7, 12) –40 to 70% –need staking –precocious –intensive management

Gisela Rootstocks Bear in 3rd leaf (20 lbs), full crop by 5th Spreading & fruit heavily Winter hardy and wet soil tolerant Suited to high density and can be covered for protection from birds, rain, frost

Gisela ® Rootstocks Gisela ® 5 Dwarf, 45% of Mazzard Precocious Needs support Runting and small fruit size? Gisela ® 6 Semi-dwarf, 75% of Mazzard Precocious and heavy bearing Need support Open, spreading and stocky Too large for P-Y-O? Gisela ® 12 ???

2001 Sweet Cherry Planting Belchertown

Regina/G.5 TC 16.1 cm TH 10 ft TS 8 ft Regina/G.6 TC 25.8 cm TH 12 ft TS 9 ft

Deer

Bacterial canker Pseudomonas syringae Symptoms wilting/dying leaves ‘dead bud’ limb cankers Disease cycle over-winter on tree spread during spring Cultivar susceptibility Copper and resistant cvs. are your best friends

Birds Attracted to ripening fruit Crows, songbirds Scare devices Noise-makers Netting

Marketing Fresh market Premium $$$ Pick-Your-Own Sweet-tart –‘Jubileum’ –‘Danube’ –‘Balaton’ Health benefits

Planting + Training Systems

Spanish Bush Compact tree Numerous branches High tree density Numerous pruning cuts Good for P-Y-O Canker?

‘Vogel’ Central Leader Intermediate density Similar to slender- spindle (simple) Little establishment pruning De-budding and heading cuts

‘Zahn’ System High density Somewhat complex -- utilizes severe heading No large branches, renewal cuts Results in tall spindle- tree Verdict is still out…

Varieties Large fruit size Cold tolerant? Cracking resistance Bacterial canker resistance Match scion to rootstock Diversify

Fresh Market Sweet Cherry Varieties Red Cavalier Sam Ulster Regina Sweetheart Blushed yellow White Gold Rainier (?) Red (?) Chelan Black Gold Schmidt Hudson RecommendedTrial or test

Fresh Market ‘Tart-sweet’ Cherry Varieties Jubileum Balaton Danube (?)

Web sites for more info Northwest Michigan Horticultural Research Station– Reports & Articles – New York Fruit Quarterly – Fresh Market Sweet Cherry Varieties for Eastern North America (Summer 2003) Improving Sweet Cherry Branching (Spring 2001) Managing the Gisela Cherry Rootstocks (Winter ) Suggested training strategies for dwarf sweet cherry – herrytrng.htmhttp:// herrytrng.htm

Good luck!