Maybe your state Extension has recommendations.

Tom I don't think they are hardy in your area. I would consult the people at Fedco Nursery in Maine, they are also in Z4 and so will give you good advice. The pie cherries will do well so maybe you want a pie cherry and a bag of sugar instead.

Scott

Tom:

Check the link below for cherries that might grow in Zone 4.

Here is a link that might be useful: Pie cherries

thanks for the inputs, i dont know about the bag of suger though, dont think it would be the same.im still thinking that late frost is going to be the biggest obstical has any body else tried to make a lapins work in zone 4? (i do have a very protected spot) thanks! tom

Tom:

I always thought it was interesting that cherry trees did not grow in Minn. When I lived in western New York we were surrounded by fruit orchards, including cherry trees. Maybe the lake has something to do with it...maybe.

has anyone tried a blackgold sweet cherry there listed for zone 4 in miller nurseries?

Tom
I would give Lapins a try! There are some trees in Edmonton, zone 3, having fruits.
You might have a microclimate condition in your yard?
Konrad

Konrad, ive read some of the postings from Edmonton and was very incouraged,any suggestons asto rootstock and where to get them? some adds claim zone 4 but most claim zone 5+, dose it matter?
i would also like to here form some people in zones 3-4 that have tryed this,if theirs anybody out there. thanks, tom

I'm well south of you on the edge of zone 4/5 near Ames, so not quite as severe. I comment, however, that my Kristin and Stark Gold have been loaded with cherries every year this century. No winter injury and seemingly no bud injury. They're on Mahaleb, well drained, and on a northern exposure. If it were me, I'd give it a try. I agree about the microclimate. In town they get good wind protection (IMHO, I'm not in town so mine get shelter from a grove of trees). Then you need some protection from the warmth of the late winter / early spring sun (again, IMHO) so they don't spring to life too early. Mine get shaded from winter sun on the north side of the house. My Black Gold are not old enough to bear, have suffered some spring frost damage knocking them nearly to the ground in a separate somewhat sheltered site. If I recall correctly (which is not an entirely safe bet), Black Gold is progeny of a Kristin cross. I love my Kristin!

Thanks for the input, Im pretty certain that i have a micr climate, all my lillys and poppys bloom weeks ahead of the norm for my aria the spot is well protected by ours and our neighbers house. My apple trees are doing exptionaly well, (there in the back yard). I have room for about 2 cherry trees and am thinking of a Lapins, but the Kristin looks interesting, maybe ill try one of each. Do you know the approximate bloom time, im concerned about late frost here. I have good drainage but will have to amend soil its alittle heavy, any other suggestions would be most welcome. Thanks again,tom

I haven't paid enough attention to bloom time. It's after the apricots but before the sour cherries as I recall, but that doesn't narrow it much. Mine are not self-fertile, and the gold blooms nearly simultaneously with the Kristin. Should be able to look it up. I do recall significant frosts after the fruit starts sizing, doesn't seem to hurt anything. Go figure.

IMO, well drained soil for the roots. I put mine somewhat close to the house (30' or so) so the perimeter drain would help drain the soil. Also, good frost drainage if possible. My best crops seem to be from trees toward the top of a sidehill. I say no to dwarfing rootstock for that reason too, some branches stay high above the coldest frost. On the sweet cherries I've not had a problem with lower branches and frost, but have seen it on peaches. Finally, I don't think a southern exposure will be beneficial. Protection from winter winds, sure, but these trees seem pretty darn hardy when dormant both for wood and bud. What will get them is breaking bud too early, so I think put them where they'll stay cool a little longer in spring. Mind you, this is my own opinion based on my relatively modest orchard.

I saw today the local grocery store was selling sweet black cherry pies for $9.00 each. That's what I use the Kristin cherries for, sweet cherry pie. It's different from tart cherries, richer, more refined, less in your face. Not necessarily better, darn good and different. Guests use the word 'gourmet'. Mix in about 25% of the gold for a really interesting color contrast without diluting the great flavor, then you have a masterpiece. The gold, as I recall, are zone 4. They're not great eating by themselves, but an excellent pollinator. One Kristin tree is all I need to get a couple hundred pounds of fruit anyway, so the gold is basically just for pollination.

Thanks for the advice, the south side of my yard is shaded by my neighbors house and should help keep them dormant. your advice on standard vs. dwarfing makes good sence also. the lapins should make a good pollinator for a Kristin, shouldnt it? The pie sounds really good, i cant waite for spring. Thanks again for the advice its most helpful! tom

Kristin is incompatible with a few cultivars, Lapins is not one of them. I think you'll be OK for pollination (and the Kristin may actually help the Lapins). Best of luck with your plantings! If you happen down to the Ames area give me a shout. I might give you a bag of cherries to take home.

The choice of Lapins still bothers me. Seems to me you're pushing the envelope and you need to stack the cards in your favor as much as possible with varieties that are proven hardy. Gold is reputed to be among the hardiest both wood and bud, so is Kristin. While Gold might not be the finest fruit, at least it has fruit. If Kristin makes it I think you'll be happy with its quality and Gold is merely a bonus.

Another comment, not exactly related: In wet years rot can take a huge toll on yield. It's not that these varieties crack, the insects bite the fruit and if it's wet enough the fruit rots. I have that same problem with Bali even though it ripens much later. Bali is the only 'pie' cherry I have left being that I'm so pleased with the Kristin in recent years.

I do agree with you, the lapins does seem a big chance, but i will always wonder "what if" if i dont try it,and some venders list it for zone 4, i think there being optimistic also. However the Kristin does seem an easy choice from what ive read,although im not real exited about the gold (from what ive read, ive never tasted one). do you have any other suggestionsfor a good hardy polinizer for the Kristin should the lapins not make it. I do have room for one more tree.

My thought: If you've got room for 3 then you're golden. Plant the Kristin, Lapin, and Gold. That gives you (IMHO) the best shot at a crop and you still get to see how the Lapin does. The Gold is a little smaller tree (though mine are pushing 30') and its fruit is nice out-of-hand, nothing to be ashamed of. It's not as rich as the Kristin to be sure, but it beats the heck out of a pie cherry for fresh fruit. A second thought, no experience here, is that Montmorency has been claimed to be a suitable pollinator for all sweet cherries. If hardy enough, and bloom time is OK, it's a thought. I had a single Montmorency once upon a time which did not do well for whatever reason, so I personally do not find it an attractive alternative.

The Gold is an attractive tree in bloom, in fruit, in leaf, and even bare like now (I just looked out the window to be sure). Their cherries are quite nice, but you have to get past what is written and realize if you can successfully grow ANY sweet cherry in Mpls/St Paul you should be proud. Plus, as I commented above regarding the pies, mixing in some gold fruit makes a fantastically elegant slice of food! My advice, for what little it may be worth, plant 3 and tell us what happens!

That defently is the plan, now i just have to find a reputable vender, thanks again for the help. I'll keep you posted asto how things go.

I took a look at the new zone map, you're almost in zone 5 now!!! What can possibly go wrong?!?

Oh, remember to get a cherry pitter/stoner before they bear. I pitted by hand for years, stubbornly insisting it was the only way to get every pit. I finally gave in and tried a relative's pitter, Oh Man! Two days later I had my own on its way, a more expensive model with improved features. Virtually no missed pits and it shucks 'em so fast I still can't believe it. Heck, I sometimes pick cherries anymore just because its so fun to pit them. I must be an idiot, I wish I were pitting some now!

Well i ordered 4 trees a Kritin ,a Gold , a Lappins and a Black Gold.I wish i had more room,(had to give up on a couple of planed apple trees)I hope i can get something to survive. Hopefully ill need a pitter soon, the Black Gold I ordered is on Gisela5,suposed to bear earlier and dwarfing,we'll see how it holds up to the climate at worst itll be a fun experiment, and i've never ran into any one thats tryed any of them around here. I'll keep you posted and hopefully ill get down south some time i would like to see some good cherry trees.

In your area hedelfingen, gold, heartland, kristen, hudson, emperor francis should be ok, we get down to -10 f (not the wind chill, that gets down to -35) and they do OK. I recommend using giesela I gotten 3 ice cream pails off a 4 year old emperor francis on this root stock. IHO the reds stated above are the bigest and best tasting. I also have black gold and white gold last year was the first time they had cherries and I was not thrilled, we did have a drought at the time and could have had something to do with the problem. The others were excellent.

For what its worth, another Edmonton winter gone and both my Lapins and my Stella live on. My Lapins is going to be enormous by the end of the year.

My Lapins first bloom was on May 12th - so far the weather has stayed above 0 at night...barely!

Whomever mentioned drainage earlier...yes thats paramount. If you dig your hole and the water doesnt dran...dont plant it there!

I'd like to give a Rainier a try. Their compatible with Lapins and the birds dont eat'em. Their zone 5 like Lapins.

Interesting program on the CBC National tonight talking about the effects global warming is having on what regions can grow what crops. Some regions are benefitting and some are feeling adverse affects. Will have to check that out.

Cheers all.

Birds love Rainier cherries.

You will get a big advantage with cherries in a marginal zone if you wrap their trunks with burlap after they go dormant...especially for the first few winters.

My Lapins was nearly killed off its first (fierce) winter because I did not wrap it in burlap. I died back down to within a few inches of the ground (just below the top of the mulch I laid on). But now it's doing fine. And I wrapped it for the next two winters as it grew back.

The problem of late frosts can be ameliorated a little by putting down a deep mulch of leaves and leaving it in place until late in the spring (or permanently, if your climate isn't too wet). The trees will wake up noticeably later under a deep mulch, which will help to keep the ground frozen longer.

Thanks for all the inputs my trees are up and growing fine. Black gold , white gold, and kristen on G5 from rain tree, lapins from millers is doing outstanding its dwarfing rootstock but not sure what type, the kristen i recived from millers was very poor and is just starting to brake bud that one is on muzzard, it looks very bad, how long should i give it? very interisted asto how you guys up north protect from winter, we havent had more than -20 here in years.

tom4a... How are your trees doing? You wouldn't happen to have any recent photos? I'm close to pulling the trigger on a Kristen and a Lapins.

franktank232, the trees I got from raintree are on G5(black gold, white gold and kristin) and are doing very well. I also got a dwarf lapins from miller and a kristin on muzzard, the lapins is doing very well also but the full size kristin died ( it was a very very poor tree with almost no roots). I wish i new what root type my lapins is. I chose theis types based on a couple of things: hardyness and self pollenating, kristin is suposed to be the toughest but is not self pollenating. They are very different than apple trees! everything likes to eat there leaves and they do seem to be temperamental we've had quite a drought here and i think it may have helped them, my soil is very heavy but black as cole. I'll be looking for ways to get them though the winter soon. I hope this helps some. I'll try to post some pics soon... tom

Thank you very much. Will be looking forward to your pics if you post any. I'll also be interested next spring on what happens! Good luck!

I saw you posting from 2007. I also live near St. Paul. I am wondering how your cherry trees fared these past few winters, and if you have gotten any cherries yet? I have a Lapins going on its third summer, and have ordered a Kristin. Also have a bali, meteor, and two carmen jewels, none of bearing age yet. Northwoodswis