Sour cherry trees can pollinate sweet cherry trees. I'm not sure if they make the best pollinator, but they are certainly capable of doing so. If you take a cherry that resulted from a blossom that was cross-pollinated here and take out the seed, that seed can grow into a hybrid tree, which can eventually produce fruit of its own (I know that in the case of the hybrid cultivar 'Mesabi' it's even self-fertile). However, the seeds inside this fruit are sterile and cannot grow. Like breeding a horse and donkey together to create a mule, there is no third generation. The reason is a chromosomal difference, sweet cherries are diploid (2n=16) while sour cherries are tetraploid (2n=32). A hybrid between the two results in a triploid cherry, which is why it cannot further sexually reproduce. However, flowering cherry species just happen to have the same chromosome count as Prunus Avium (i.e. sweet cherries), so that means they are capable of freely interbreeding. But it should be noted the two are still not in the same species. The question then is what does this really mean? Even when it comes to the different wild varieties of Japanese flowering cherry, oftentimes crossbreeding them together results in a hybrid that grows less vigorously than its parents, or is not very well adapted to its environment. Sometimes this may become more evident several generations down the line (you might read up more on how Outbreeding Depression works). Cultivated varieties of flowering cherry, almost all of which resulted from hybridization over hundreds of years) are much less hardy than their original wild pure-species relatives. We can even see some level of graft incompatibility combining different varieties of cherries within the same species, the tree does not grow quite as vigorously or as big as if it were grafted onto its own rootstock.

Hi Everybody! Got to get last years pics on line... Paras not in bloom this year, but well and happy and lots of leaves... I´m feeding them more than last year though... Hipeas are doing fine! Bursts of colour! Galanthus are coming up, too, had the first in Oct., and some more (Warham) are in flower now, in the snow (I hate snow...). Has anybody got ?Don?´s NZ email or address? The realy nice guy who sometimes has the Paras on Ebay? Ebay deleted my mails and logs (as they do after a while, which I know now...) and I haven´t saves any of his details- can anybody help? Hoping you are all happy and well, all the best - Carsten

rayrose, thanks for the advice. When you say the Ayers will set more fruit with a pollinator, do you know if the chojuro or 20th century will pollenize it? You suggest the open vase method of training. I'm not certain I want to go that route for a couple reasons. First, these trees are planted in my front yard. I really prefer the look of a central leader tree vs an open vase one. I don't know what it is, but the classic look appeals to me more. The second reason is to minimize the total width of the tree. These are planted in between my property line and driveway. I'd like to keep the branches from hanging over the driveway if possible, and it seems like the scaffolds on central leader trees are generally shorter. Finally, I've read that scaffolds on open vase trees often require support. I'd like to avoid 2x4 posts under the scaffolds of my trees, again because they're in the front yard. Again, not trying to be contrary or dismiss good advice. If I'm wrong about anything I've said, someone please correct me.

Mine bloom every year around Christmas or just after in January. I grow them in clay pots and they are completely dry all summer. I water only when I see growth start around the beginning of November. They are in a greenhouse kept at about 60 degrees F. I feed them weakly every time I water with a basic flower mixed fertilizer. I also separate the offsets about every 2-3 years. Offsets bloom in about two years if they are small and the next ear if they are fatter. Ill attach a photo of the main pot.