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Arizona Gardening

Has anyone grown cherries

az_pamperedchef

10 years ago

I noticed a while back on one of the planting guides (can't remember which one) that it was possible to grow cherries in the valley. Even to grow Bings! I grew up with a Bing cherry orchard and I sure do miss having them.

If anyone here has had experience growing them, good or bad, will you post your experiences? Since January would be the month to plant, I'd like to know if it would be worth my while to invest the money.

Thanks!

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Comments (9)

ernie85017, zn 9, phx
10 years ago
Me, too!
ernie85017, zn 9, phx
10 years ago
Me, too!
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Oh thank you so much for sharing your experience with me. I'm very encouraged now and will give it a try. In fact, I came across a package of Aunt Molly's ground cherries in my seed box and I think they'd be a good candidate for this, too. I am so limited in sunny ground space, if I could put the greenhouse space to good use during the summer, that would be icing on the cake for this old gardener. My thanks once again for taking the time to reply. Your comments have been very helpful. Mary
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aztreelvr
10 years ago
Most cherries require lots of chill hours - more than we get here in the low desert. One variety, Minnie Royal Cherry, only needs 200 - 300 but requires a cherry called Royal Lee as its pollenizer. Bing cherries need about 700 chill hours.

Here is a link that might be useful: Cherry varieties
richsd
10 years ago
I'd be extremely surprised if you were able to grow sweet cherries in the valley. Most sweet cherry trees need a prolonged cold period (like eastern Washington has.)

I wouldn't even waste my time trying cherries here. Good luck if u try, though.
az_pamperedchef
Original Author
10 years ago
Well thanks for the feedback. Sort of busts my bubble, but better to know before I spend the money than after.
Fascist_Nation
10 years ago
You can grow cherries in the valley. Minnie Royal and Royal Lee require 100 and less than 300 chill hours respectively (local nurseries or Bay Laurel). Cristobalina requires 200 chills (Arboreum). All may be somewhat self fertile but greater productivity with a cross fertilizer. Experience in the valley is still quite limited but reports are only around 50 cherries per (small) trees in Phoenix.

Avoid it on the commonly found Mazzard rootstock as it seems to be sensitive to Cotton Root Rot. Buy it on Colt or the new Newroot-1 (dwarfing) rootstock.

You will need to provide overhead protection starting around mid-May from the sun in the summer or the leaves sunburn badly. Think understory to a primary shade tree that provides dappled light or build a pergola.

Cherries are more shallow rooted than other Prunus species so they need more frequent waterings and a good thick wood chip mulch.
AJBB
10 years ago
Minnie Royal and Royal Lee will grow here and produce on CR178/Z-Dwarf rootstock. They need 80% shade or the leaves will fry. There's one guy here who has a few of them growing well under his solar power array.
richsd
10 years ago
F_N, do you know a source of bulk wood chips/mulch in the valley? I have a pick up, so that's no problem.

So far I've been buying bags of cedar mulch at Lowes or HD, but that gets expensive.
az_pamperedchef
Original Author
10 years ago
Thank you everyone for the informative feedback! If I get both the Minnie Royal & Royal Lee since they're both needed to pollination, how far apart should they be planted?

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