Wow, real cherry trees in florida! Let me know how they do, I might need to get some cherry trees for my yard.

Cherries! Wow Lou, if anyone can grow them you can. You must get plenty of chill up there.

I am sure going to try to grow some REAL cherries here. I have beautiful cherry trees up in New England, and my kids keep saying how they enjoy them every year. One of the grand kids fell out of one of the fruit trees in my orchard up north last year and broke his leg. I don't remember which tree it was but the little rascals were always up in the trees when I went back up north to visit.

These cherry trees I ordered were developed to fruit in southern Calif. so I had to order them from a Calif. nursery. I'm just not sure how they will take to our high humidity but I read where some people are growing them in southern parts of Texas so I thought I would give them a try here.

I will keep everyone posted as to how they are doing.
Lou

Hi Lou

What a nice delivery you had!
One of the plum varieties in my cocktail plum is a Beauty plum and I can tell you they are delicious!
I also ordered from Laurel this season, they are the new varieties from Zaiger one is a plumcot and other is an aprium, they have been planted about 2 weeks already.
It is going to be very interesting to see if you get cherries, I think you will with all the chill hours that we are getting. There is nothing more beautiful than cherry tree blossoms!

Silvia

Wow they sound great. My daughter would be in heaven if she could have a real cherry tree here that fruited. I am gonna have to look at that website. I have a pic somewhere of my dd sitting in a cherry tree lol.

SJN,
Bay Laurel is well known for it's really good trees and low shipping costs on multiple trees, they sell out early.
I gave my order back in Oct. of last year. I just looked on their site and most of the low chill trees are sold out.
You really have to order early from them to pick out the trees you want.
I asked for end of Jan. shipping and they did that for me. Nice site - nice people.
I planted the four trees today and I'm pooped out and my back is complaining.
I did have a very nice 70 degree day for planting.

Sylvia led me to the site last year. Thanks Sylvia!
Nice to know the beauty plum is a good one.
Lou

SJN
When I went to Bay Laural's write up for cherry trees I read this and I'm sure hoping they set fruit here;

The newest low-chill cherries, Royal Lee and Minnie Royal, have been made available this year.
Will Florida be the next cherry capitol of the world? Stay tuned...

COLT ROOTSTOCK
In heavy soils, standard cherries are dwarfed to about 22 to 30ft.
Lesser dwarfing effect in other soils. Relatively tolerant of wet soils, apparently resistant to bacterial canker.
Trees begin bearing at a young age. Trees on Colt may be held to any desired height by summer pruning.

This is why I decided to experiment with cherry trees in Florida.
With Colt rootstock I like the idea that I can limit the size they grow up to. I sure hope they grow and fruit here.
I've tried other cherry trees with no luck, they are still alive but don't make any fruit.
I really miss my cherry trees I have up north. The kids send me box fulls in the mail.
I used to bring pails full of cherries to work and they would all disappear quickly.
Even the workplace gate guards had to get a handful to let me pass, LOL

Lou

Lou, thanks for the tip. Next year I will get an order in early. I think I will mostly work on the citrus collection restoration this year lol. That would sure be something: FL being the 'cherry capital"! Sounds like you had a nice day planting even though it was tiring it sure beats cleaning the chicken coops, which is what I did. Then one of our bunnies just had babies and I don't know if she is going to nurse them or not. So far I haven't seen her in the nestbox with them.

Lou-

I too am trying the Minnie Royal Cherry and the Royal Lee Cherry. I live in Zephyrhills, Fl which I think is further south of you. I get about 150-350 chill hours a year. I got my shippment from Bay Laurel a few weeks ago and was very impressed with the trees.

I will keep you and everyone posted on the trial, they are pushinf their first flush now.

jb

JB,
It is good news to me that you are trying the very same Cherry trees in Zephyrhills in case I do something wrong here.
You are directly south of me around 40 miles so it will be a good test to see if cherries can grow in central Florida zone9A.
My trees have only been in the ground two days and I'm seeing some slight bud swell this morning.
I guess it is from all the warm weather we had this weekend.
I will be busy this week setting up the drip irrigation for the new trees in the orchard.
I suppose now my Grums & Rio Grands will taste like crap in comparison ;-(

I will also keep you posted on the results I get. Thanks for posting.
Lou

Hey, I know this thread had no replies for a while but I'm wondering how you guys made out with your trees so far?

I have the same trees coming to me soon.
I live in Valrico/Brandon area.

Any soil additives you guys had to use, and hints before I plant them?

lou, glad your back...miss your humor.......lemon eucalyptus still rocking........have seven in the ground and see how they do this winter.....happy holidays......m

I'm curious about the cherry experiment too - can we get an update please?

To all who asked about the trees,

The 2 cherry trees are doing well so far but with the warm weather we've been having lately the two trees have not dropped leaves as yet. To see cherry trees, end of December, still leafed out in green leaves has me a bit concerned. I have blossoms on some of my other fruit trees because it has been so warm. I've only had one very light frost so far this fall that took out only one Seminole Pumpkin runner, the rest are still making little pumpkins. Many of my apple trees still have their leaves and I have been removing the leaves by hand a few leaves at a time to force the trees into dormancy. I'm still working on setting up 25 gallon tubs (plastic 55 gallon blue barrels cut half in two) with blueberry plants, I want at least 50 tubs set up before spring. I'm also very busy setting up a grape vineyard for my various Muscadine grapevines. BUSY BUSY BUSY

Lou

I was considering buying these cherry trees last year so I looked up the plant patents for them. Unfortunately, they listed 500 chill hours for both. I also noticed that Bay Laurel put 300-400 chill hours on some older pages and 200-300 on some newer ones. So my guess is that they won't do well in areas that only get 200-300 chill hours. Here in Orlando I only get 250 on average, so I decided to pass. I hope things work out for you, Lou! Please keep us posted.

I'd love to know how your cherry tree did over the hot summer we had. Last winter was so mild, but this winter, at least up here in the panhandle, is not supposed to be that way. Did you get any fruit? I want to plant a couple of cherry trees here. I miss cherries so much! I'd like to know if yours did well and how long it's supposed to be for them to fruit. I hope you had success!

ATTENTION:

Wildatheart, I live in Panama City, Fl. - email me and tell me where you live! Maybe we can get together and do some trading.

I'm also curious how the cherry trees are doing or anyone else's experience in central Florida.

To all who asked;
The two cherry trees had a bit more growth this summer. They seem to be growing more slowly here in central Florida than what I'm used to seeing up north. There were no flower blossoms on either tree in spring. As they acclimate to the seasons here the leaves are turning much earlier this fall than they did last year and I expect leaf drop soon. They were planted in the sugar sand ground amended with Black Cow, Miraclegro, and pine fines.

I've been thinking of digging them up this winter and replanting them in my half barrels with a better growing mixture and not using any of the Florida sugar sand.

Lou

Thank you for the update, Lou! What about bugs? Does the tree seem susceptible to them?

Lou,

Any updates on this?

My trees were doing great (mini and lee actually set about 3 flowers) until this extremely wet and constant spring... unfortunately out of 4 trees(Lapins,Stella, mini royal and royal lee only 1 has a chance of making it)

They really seemed to start declining after prolonged rain and moisture in the soil - seems bacterial canker took over right after. So 3 K.I.A. - mini royal is the only one still viable to make it.

I did not spray for diseases at all... only bugs. Wanted to see how they would handle themselves.

All were on the dwarf experimental root stock 1 (3CR178)

It would be great to hear your experiences as it seems we are few of not many who dared to do this!

Thanks

All my 5 various trees from Bay Laural Nursery are alive and growing. The two cherry trees are growing slowly as I mentioned before in last years fall posting. Still had no cherry blossoms again in this years springtime. Some leaves were chewed occasionally but nothing drastic. Bugs don't seem to be the problem on the cherry trees, I think the heat & humidity in summer is the major factor. I did not dig them up and transplant them into the half barrels as I thought I might do. I managed to get a few small plums from my Beauty Plum tree this year as it was the only tree from Bay Laural Nursery to bear fruit.

Lou

This post was edited by loufloralcityz9 on Fri, Nov 22, 13 at 7:42

This was a tough year for all of my deciduous fruit trees, with the crazy warm January and cold March, and low chill hours overall. The trees didn't bloom well and were slow to leaf out. This was true of both my 8-10 year old apple trees and my younger Bay Laurel Nursery trees.

As for my Bay Laurel trees:

My Minnie Royal and Royal Lee cherry trees are still hanging on to their upper leaves - they looked pretty healthy most of this summer despite the extremely rainy summer. They are close to 10' tall and have some branches (Minnie Royal is more vigorous), but they still have few enough branches that they have that "young tree" look. Neither tree has bloomed yet.

My Red Baron peach tree was very late leafing out, but after it got going, it looked fabulous and grew like mad - it's about 12' tall and very full from a January 2012 planting. So, it's big enough to bear a large crop next year. I got one peach from it the year I planted it, which was delicious. No peaches set this year because the blooms were few and scattered over several weeks - not enough to attract the bees, I guess.This tree has really impressed me with its resistance to leaf diseases so far. I sure hope that its lack of production this year was only due to the weather!

My 4 in 1 Low Chill Pear is still teensy-tiny and growing very slowly, though all of the grafts are still alive. That tree probably did not appreciate that I dug it up and moved it this January. Now that it's in a spot where I can leave it alone, maybe it will do better. I'll give it another year or two to start growing more strongly (I know pears need longer to come into bearing). If it is still struggling after that, I'll replace it.

Hopefully we will have a more "normal" winter this year so the fruit trees can bloom properly and produce next year.

I believe this tree is the Minnie Royal Cherry, the snapshot taken today 11-25-13
I can no longer read the tags on the trees.

Lou

This tree is the Royal Lee, snapshot taken today 11-25-13
My mower broke down so the weeds are in full force. I did buy a new mower but haven't run it yet.

Lou

Hi,it looks your tree is not under well-drained.

Very NICE tree Lou!! Quick question...did you pay sales tax on your tree? We were having a conversation on another forum and some people pay taxes on Fruit trees ( I just did a few days ago) while others say its suppose to be Tax exempt...just curious? Not sure what the tax law is for Fruit trees sold at nurseries in FL...

Thanks!!

puglvr1,
I did not pay sales tax on these trees as the trees were bought over the internet and came from Calif.
Locally I have had to pay sales tax now and then depending on the sellers interpretation of what constitutes an edible. He argues you don't eat the tree - - I argue but I buy the tree only for the edible fruit. I leave it to my feet to make the final decision - - pay tax or walk away.

Lou

Thanks Lou!! I too have had different nurseries either charge me tax or not charge me tax. I am very confused what the actual tax law is pertaining to fruit trees,lol...paying tax is not a deal breaker for me...just curious. Appreciate it...

Anybody from Florida or Texas with updates on their Minnie Royal and Royal Lee this year?

My trees haven't died yet, but I'll see if they will bloom as this is the 3rd year they are in the ground.

I live in Southeast Houston.

Lou (and all), thanks for the updates on the cherries. From what I remember seeing, we get 500-700 chill hours up here, so I don't think the chill would be the problem, but after a year and a half with no plums on our plum trees, I think my husband would be quite irritated to see the same happen to cherry trees. Hoping someone in the humid south has success because I want cherries!

My Minnie Royal and Royal Lee will be breaking bud very soon - the buds are definitely swelling.

My trees were planted in January 2012. They have been very healthy and grown vigorously, but have not bloomed before. I have my fingers are crossed that this is the year.

Well, I got halfway there with the cherries...the Royal Lee tree has a few blooms. Unfortunately the Minnie Royal tree has none, so I don't expect to see any fruit. Both trees are leafing out strongly and look quite healthy, so I guess the lack of bloom on Minnie Royal is just a maturity issue. Hopefully next year both of them will bloom. I am so anxious for cherries!

My Red Baron peach has big fat buds now, with lots of pink showing. So it looks like it will have a good bloom this year. There are no frosts in the forecast and are been bees in my yard working my apple trees. So I am optimistic for a peach crop. :-)

Two of the varieties on my 4-in-1 pear have bloomed (Hood and Flordahome), and it looks like some of the blooms may have set fruit. The other two (Comice and Moonglow) have not broken bud yet.

Any updates for 2015?

Yes, very interested as well. All of mine have died (2 or 3rd year in ground) seems to be a soil issue(wetness, nutrients, nematodes). I even re-planted a second sample on a Colt(?) root-stock and on raised soil piles and they seem to be almost dead again. Nothing survives in here with exception of citrus, pineapple and muscadine grapes + tropical stuff in-ground. Before dying both trees actually did bloom with couple of fruit setting. So it looks like you will definitely have some as long as they stay alive. :)

I am now trying to do the 25 gallon pots experiment, if that fails as well I will give up on cherries and move on to tropicals since it might be some regional pest/disease issue for me ( I live next to a big pine forest/preservation area so maybe some nastiness flying from there?). So-far I potted couple of plants and it looks good (knock on wood :D)

What is weird however is I planted couple of apples (Dorsett and Anna I believe) in the same spot the Cherrys were and the seem to be doing great! I even got fruit off-of them the 2nd year.

Hopefully you'll have good news to post!

Bay Laurel gets some of its stock from Dave Wilson Nurseries, and Dave Wilson noted a couple of years ago when I was buying my cherry tree that they have decreased the chill hours on some of their lower-chill cherry varieties after finding that they really will fruit at fewer hours--and that some of the trees that year might have the old tags still. I'd check their site for the latest on your variety.