Cherries Galore

By Jos Van Hage

Romeo cherries on the left,  Cupid cherries on the right

When you hear the names 'Romeo', 'Juliet', and 'Cupid' you immediately think of romance, but in the gardening world your mind would turn to cherries because these are three of the newer varieties of cherries that grow well in the Prince George area.

These hardy zone 2 Cherries were introduced from the University of Saskatchewan and can withstand winter temperatures of -40 to -46 Celsius. They all grow 6-8 feet tall and approximately 4-5 feet wide, are self pollinators, and produce sour cherries. (Self pollinating means that only one tree is needed and bees are not necessary for pollinating the flowers in order for the tree to produce fruit.)

Romeo and Cupid come in a bush or tree form. The tree form has one main stem that branches out at the top and the bush form has a number of branches that start from the ground level and continue to go up. Both forms grow to the same height and width so it depends on what kind of look you are after when choosing the type.

Juliet comes in only a tree shape. Juliet has dark red cherries that contain a high sugar content and are excellent for eating fresh, or processing. Cupid produces large dark red/almost black cherries that are sweet and slightly astringent which make them tasty for eating fresh or processing. The tree normally blooms a little later than Romeo and Cupid. Romeo also produces very flavorful dark red fruit that can be eaten fresh or processed.

Other cherry varieties that have proven themselves over the years in Prince George are 'Evans', and 'Montmorency'.  ( Evans Cherries shown on right)

Montmorency produces sour, bright red cherries that have a yellow flesh, which make good pies and preserves. It grows 16 feet tall and 13 feet wide .

Evans originates from Edmonton Alberta where it was grown since 1923, it grows 13 feet tall and 10 feet wide. The tree produces heavy crops of bright red cherries that are semi sweet, but do not pick them too quickly because the longer the cherries stay on the tree the sweeter they become. They make good wine, juice, preserves or can be eaten fresh.

Plant cherry trees in a sunny location in a average to rich well drained soil. Avoid low areas where water may sit for a period of time. They like a slightly acidic soil with a pH of 6.0-6.8.

One nice feature about cherry trees is that they require less pruning than other fruit trees so require less maintenance.

As a precaution against insects and disease they should be sprayed every spring with 'Lime Sulfur and Dormant Oil' before they break into leaf to kill any overwintering insects and disease. Fertilize in the spring with 4-19-17 a fruit and berry fertilizer and then again 6 weeks later. Cherry trees are an attractive and tasty addition to any landscape.

-Jos

Jos Van Hage owns and operates two Art Knapp Home and Garden Centres in Prince George:

• Highway 16 West at Kimball Road
• Highway 97 North at  Northwood Pulpmill Road

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