As all the leaves have fallen from the cherry trees, it is time to inspect the trees and compare varieties, blocks and different locations; and to predict what the potential might be for the coming season.
If a particular variety appears to have not enough fruit bud clusters, think about the following:
- If a variety is consistently not productive, then perhaps it might be more precocious with a dwarfing rootstock.
- If a variety is lacking chill hours in order to set fruit, then consider the use of a dormancy breaker.
- If fruit buds are not visible on the lower part of the tree, then it might be shading out.
Light is an important factor in the production of fruit buds in sweet cherries, so if there is undesirable shading, prune out a vigorous limb that could be the problem and hopefully next cherry season fruit buds will initiate for the following season.
Evaluating fruit buds
There are so many variables when it comes to evaluating cherry fruit buds.
If you have a variety that is cropping in one block or location but not performing in another, then try to work out why that is.
It could be a different micro-climate, a different rootstock, a different source of bud wood , it might be soil type or poor nutrient uptake, water logged soil that requires better drainage, or a combination of factors.
New cherry varieties
Many new varieties are now available from various nurseries. Are they better than existing cultivars? In some cases this will be so, in others no.
Will they be susceptible to rain cracking? Do they have good flavour? Are they firm enough for export potential?
Trial new varieties
I suggest planting a trial block of any new variety to see how it performs in your soil, on your block, and in your location. That way you can compare its performance with existing varieties in the same time slot.
It is better to make a small mistake than a big one that costs you dearly.
So if the weather is wet and it’s slippery in the orchard, there is still plenty to think about before the days get longer.
See this article in Tree Fruit July 2016
