Future sweet cherry project - help needed

By all accounts, I would avoid sweet cherry on Krymsk 5, based on my bad experience with it.

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Yea, I read your posts on the issues with that root stock. But what choice do I have? I wanted to step though the whole process. Gisela is not sold retail and I didn’t want to buy a retail tree and sacrifice it on the alter. Sorta afraid what will happen if I fail to keep a Colt or Mazzad tamed. I grew up with a 2 40ft serotina in the front and 1 in the side. We are still trying to kill the side yard one, it recovered from decapitation. If the krymsk fails on me I still have my 5ish:1 cherry on Gisela I got from Raintree.

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Thanks, I will read through it. For now I checked KGB training system and kind of like it. May be I don’t need it to be very flat to fit the spot.

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Good luck. If you don’t graft on it like I did, it should be fine. Mine had no canker issue, very clean, cleaner than Gisela.

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I’ve read and watched the KGB system. Does not fit what I look for. Love to see you try a KGB system…

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I like the idea of 1) branch renewal, 2) tip pruning for spreading blooms from tips 3) heading for maintaining proper height.
All three also can be used to create a manageable size and shape. When tinning branches, i can remove the ones that stick out. When pruning tips, I can prune a bit more to make desired shape. So far sounds good :grin:

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When I was watching the MSU/OSU videos on cherry trees, they mention G3 needs support, weak roots. But espalier may be fine for it. I never saw a tree for sale on it.
You may want to check the various growing systems to get an idea if and how espalier might work.

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I do see trees on G3 at Raintree. Weak roots and support I can live with, all my trees are like this, and most of them planted in former garden beds, so support and good soil should compensate for weak roots?

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I would think it would give them a chance to dig in at least. I guess I would be curious why it is around? Who uses G3 and for what? So my comments about G3 are limited. I know little about it?
G5 I have 2 trees on this rootstock and it’s great. The trees grow well, but are more controllable then full size rootstock. IME cherries are such fast and vigorous growers dwarf rootstock is needed to keep small. Other stone fruit pruning is enough.

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They say G3 is good for growing in covered orchards and containers. How big are your trees on g5?

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Craig’s Crimson on New Root 1. New root one is supposed to be the most dwarfing cherry rootstock. You can buy from Raintree.

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Thanks!

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I would go with Gisela 5 and KGB pruning system. When selecting variety, note that Gisela induces high productivity, and if the variety is also very productive, the tree will over-set, resulting in smaller fruit. Unfortunately, no cherry tree is completely immune/resistant to canker, just avoid pruning in wet conditions and hope you will be lucky.

Taste-wise, Bing and Black Tartarian are among the best, but both require another variety for pollination. Bing is also very firm, BT is not but probably the richest flavor of all. Lapins is pretty good when fully ripe and is self-fruitful.

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My neighborr has black Tatarian. It took her 7 years to get fruit.

I know some people grow Bing in the east coast. My friend has a beautiful large Bing tree. She has not gotten any cherries, probably needs to wait until her Stella cherry tree starts flowering. Not everything cross pollinate Bing, either. I have not heard how well Bing fruit in the Northeast. It seems to be cherries for the west coast.

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Thanks @Stan, I am leaning toward g5 and kgb. For now I’m going back and force between Craig’s Crimson, Tehranivie and Vandalay from Raintree. Lapins looks too red on the pictures, I really want dark cherry. Any experience with those above? And another question, is high tunnel helping with cancers? I am going to build the frame anyway for net and berry protection from rain, l can probably keep the top permanently.

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Galina,
Take it for what’s worth, if you cannot protect Vandalay from rain during its ripening time, it may have major cracking issue here. Mine did, tree removed.

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But was it good tasting? What about canker? I am going to protect from rain, so I hope cracking will not be that much of an issue for me.

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Can’t recall the taste. Only had a few that were not cracked from all those years. Nothing stood out that I can recall.

Others who grow this kind may like it better. My cherry standard is Bing and Rainier. So far, I have not tasted anything home grown close to those two. I am not a cherry snob :smile:

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Yes, you are :grin::joy:

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:smile:
There are new Pearl series you can check them out.

If it were I, I would grow pear instead of cherry. With stone fruit, problems show up after year 3 and by year 5, you will have your hands full.

It looks like you are in it with good knowledge. Good luck.

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