Plant a sour cherry in the garden. But which one should it be? In the world of sour cherries, there is a whole range of varieties that differ in terms of their fruit quality, ripening time and disease tolerance. Here is an overview.

Three types of sour cherries

There are basically three different types of sour cherries. There are glass cherries, sweet sour cherries and morello cherries. The first type of sour cherry ripens early, is yellowish-red to medium red and slightly translucent. The sweet sour cherries are - as their name suggests - sweeter in taste than the other two types. The morello cherries are the most well-known sour cherry species and are quite sour.

Varieties for fresh consumption

The 'Jade' and 'Hungarian Traubige' varieties are best suited for fresh consumption straight from the tree. Both varieties ripen late and usually in the 7th cherry week. The sour cherry 'Jade' is extremely aromatic and the 'Hungarian Traubige' is considered the best variety for snacking.

The best early maturing varieties

Varieties that ripen early (between 3rd and 4th cherry week (late June to mid-July)) include the following cultivars:

  • 'Heimann's Ruby Vistula'
  • ,Corundum'
  • 'Diemitzer Amarelle'
  • 'Ludwig's Early'
  • 'Werder glass cherry'

Medium-late ripening varieties

The 'Köröser Weichsel' variety, which ripens between the 5th and 6th cherry week, has extremely large fruits and is good at stone removal. Like the sour cherries 'Schattenmorelle', 'Lange Lotkirsche' and 'Saphir'®, it belongs to the medium-late ripening varieties.

Late-ripening varieties

The following tart cherries are harvested between the 6th and 7th cherry week:

  • 'Stevnsbaer': extremely juicy, stone-dissolving
  • 'Heimann's Preserved Vistula': self-fertile, stone-dissolving, high juice content
  • 'Morella fire': high-yielding, self-fertile
  • 'Gerema': robust
  • 'Karneol' ®: good at removing stones

Varieties less susceptible to diseases

Above all, disease-resistant varieties have proven themselves. These include, for example, the sour cherry 'Meteor'. It is self-fertile, extremely healthy and especially popular for home gardens. In addition, Prunus 'Morina' ® is recommended. This variety, which ripens towards the end of June, impresses not only with its disease tolerance but also with its balanced sugar-acid ratio.

Last but not least, the 'Csengödi' variety from Hungary is to be recommended. It has the best monilia resistance and is robust against spray spot disease. At the same time she delivers regular and high yields and her fruits are almost as tasty as sweet cherries.

tips and tricks

If you are looking for unusual specimens among the sour cherry varieties: How about the dwarf form such as the Prunus cerasus 'Griotella' ® variety. It produces high yields and the fruits can be picked without a ladder due to the small stature of the plant. Or how about a self-fertile pyramidal shape like Prunus cerasus 'Maynard' ®?

KKF

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Vegetable garden