North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Pat Meadows <pat@containerseeds.com>]

On Fri, 14 Jan 2005 00:00:03 -0800, you wrote:

>Diane, Ideally in a perfect world they would be seedlings from the hardiest
>of the sweet cherries, Van, Hedlefingen, Lapins, Gold, Kristen, etc.  Bing
>is probably the most tender of the sweet cherries commercially grown.  But
>you are very correct, ANY sweet cherry pits are better than no sweet cherry
>pits.  In terms of trying Duke cherries, well the U of Saskatchewan already
>has some outstanding tart, almost sweet cherries available.  I'd like to try
>a "true" sweet cherry.
>     Call me Pollyanna, but I believe planting a million or so pits WILL get
>me a very few, 3 or 4 perhaps, true sweet cherries that are zone 3 hardy.  I
>very much doubt they will be giant Raniers in size, but sweet cherries
>nonetheless.  And then we have a starting point for further breeding by the
>"big boys" in the government breeding programs.  I can always dream
>anyways....

While you're at it, how about finding peaches and apricots
that have one of the following characteristics?

a.  Blossoms won't be killed by late frosts 
         or
b.  Blossoms don't appear until late June/early July

Oh yes, and the fruit has to ripen before October.  This may
be a tall order.  <g>

The sweet cherries would be lovely to have too.

Pat 
Northern Pennsylvania - Zone 5 theoretically, but a Zone 4
microclimate in reality


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