North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Three Hills Farm" <organic@threehillsfarm.com>]

Dear NAFEXers:

 

I've been bitten by the cherry bug as of late and have decided to try a few trees up here on the Maine Coast. I've gotta admit though that I feel like it may be a losing proposition given the horror stories I've read about growing sweet cherries in Northern New England. I'm not interested in growing the classic tart cherries, either. The sweet/tart Hungarian varieties are about as tart as I want to get.  Is there anyone out there in Zone 5 or colder who is successfully growing sweet cherries?  Have you by chance grown any trees on the Gisela rootstocks? How have they done for you? I'd be very interested to hear what varieties of cherries have worked for you as well and which you believe should simply be shunned. I've got eight varieties ordered for April and would like to hear people's experiences with them--positive and negative. Here's what's on its way:

• Attika®……….……..[Sweet]—(on Gisela 12)
• Balaton™..............[Hungarian Sweet/Tart]--(on Mahaleb)
• Black Gold™........[Sweet]--(on Gisela 5)
• Danube™..............[Hungarian Sweet/Tart]--(on Mahaleb)
• Emperor Francis...[Sweet]--(on Gisela 5)
• New York 518.......[Sweet]--(on Mahaleb)
• Rainier...................[Sweet]--(on Gisela 5)
• White Gold™.......[Sweet]--(on Gisela 5)

Thanks in advance for your feedback.

John

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John A Gasbarre
Three Hills Farm
Union, Maine  USA
organic@threehillsfarm.com
http://www.threehillsfarm.com/apples.html
44° 15' 45" N / 69° 19' 45" W