Minnie Royal and Royal Lee Cherries in Florida

[jb_fla]

Hi Murahilin-

I saw your question posted to my introduction reference the Minnie Royal and Royal Lee cherries.  For those that are not aware, I am in Central Fla about 30 minutes north of Tampa, Fl.  I get on average 200-300 chill hours. 

The cherries were planted in January of last year on Colt rootstock.  In one years growth they grew from 3' with no lateral branching to over 9' that I had pruned twice to encourage more lateral branching rather than just upright growth.  I did recently prune them back down to 6' as I want to train them to stay in the 10' well branched range.

I was amazed at how care free they were this year.  No disease/fungus issues that I moderately expected.  This winter was very warm, only going below freezing twice.  That said, the buds are all beginning to swell, so I think they are taking the hot winter quite well.  It should be noted that in mid-December I exfoliated all remaining leaves by hand, as is common with apples in warm climates.

I am hoping for flowers/fruit this year, but have never grown a northern sweet cherry so I am not sure how early flowering is expected.  Once they push out either a flush or flowers I will update with some photo's.

Marcus

[HMHausman]

Murahilin tried to get me interested in cherries for my yard.  He claimed that there were these new, low chill varieites.  Frankly, he severely tempted me as I would kill to be able to grow cherries.  I am very interested in seeing how you do with these.  I will appreciate some photos updates....when you get the chance. From what I have read, however, I might as well try to fruit durian as the least of the chill requirements for these cherries seems to exceed the meager chill hours that we get in Zone 10B.

Harry

[Jsvand5]

Definitely interested in your results. I have been close to pulling the trigger on cherries for about 3 years now. Just don't have any room in the yard until I rip out more of these useless citrus trees.

[murahilin]

Thanks for the response. I am looking forward to see those pics. Hopefully those buds will push flowers.

[MangoFang]

JB - I just pulled the "trigger" on Minnie and Royal - had them delivered about 2 weeks ago, from Bay Laurel Nursery up in Northern Cal - but mine are on the dwarf rootstock, so I don't think I'll get the growth numbers you got.  Here in Palm Springs we'll definitely get 200 chill hours in a winter so I'm looking forward to some sweet surprises.  I've brought all my fruit trees together in one spot in the garden - call it the "orchard"  I've got a Florida Prince peach, a brand new white peach that Harry mentioned was good (forget the name) and a 3 in 1 low chill peach, then a 4 in 1 low chill apple, then a 3 in 1 low chill pear.  I tried to put them in the coldest place - at the end of the house on the west side - along an 8 foot strip of soil parrelleling the house end, though my border fence and the neighbor's adjacent house will not let it get to hot in the summer, plus I can always drape some shade cloth over them.

I'm also going to keep them no more than 8 feet high, and it will be a dense little strip of trees in a couple years, as I only planted them like 4-5 feet apart....we'll see....ah, but Cherries - they will be king is they come to "fruition".  I'm more worried about getting bees attracted to the area - anyone have suggestions for drawing in the little buzzies?

FangMango

[Squam256]

I've heard of people successfully fruiting 'Stella' cherries in north and central Florida.

[jb_fla]

For added interest, I also have the following "low chill" trees: Tropic Snow Peach, Sunbest Nectarine, and 2 of the Gulf Plums.  The Tropic Snow Peach is beginning to flower.  The plums still look very dormant, no significant bud swell.  The Sunbest nectarine is just in the begining of bud swell.

With the listed trees being established low chill varities, I am even more encouraged about the cherry trees as I would put it just behind the Tropic Snow in terms of breaking dormancy.

Squam, I think it was listed on Edible Landscaping if memory serves me correct, but I believe that they stated that a customer of theirs had a fruiting cherry tree in St Pete, which is warmer than where I live.

Anyways, I'll post pics when things get going here.

[jb_fla]

Jsvand5, I meant to reply to your post too.  You live closer to Ocala or Brooksville right?  If so, I think you should have very good sucess with these tree's as you get more chill than I do.

[zands]

jb_fla
Hope you get good yields, Cherries are my favorite Northern fruit. I always wait until mid to late in the Washington State cherry season to buy them. They are picked riper, the cherries are darker. It is easier to buy good cherries in Florida than to buy good mangoes in any US states outside of Florida and California

[Gryffindor4]

I'm glad there's some Floridians growing cherries. I asked once on another forum whether low chill cherries would do well in Florida and  there's some debate as to how successful they are because of the humidity. I hope they fruit this year!

[murahilin]

I'm glad there's some Floridians growing cherries. I asked once on another forum whether low chill cherries would do well in Florida and  there's some debate as to how successful they are because of the humidity. I hope they fruit this year!

You're right about humidity being an issue. I spoke with a rep for Dave Wilson's Nursery and they said they did trials of the Minnie Royal and Royal Lee in Houston and the trees grew well but the fruits had problems with the humidity during the summer. That may be the same problem we would face in FL.

[Jsvand5]

Jsvand5, I meant to reply to your post too.  You live closer to Ocala or Brooksville right?  If so, I think you should have very good sucess with these tree's as you get more chill than I do.

I will probably try it soon. Might wait to see if I am going to be at this house for much longer. Might have o move with in the next year.

[HMHausman]

John:

If you move, are you heading north or south??

Harry

[gunnar429]

any updates on the cherry front in FL?

[murahilin]

any updates on the cherry front in FL?

I sold my tree. I think Harry's may still be alive.

[Doglips]

I'm glad there's some Floridians growing cherries. I asked once on another forum whether low chill cherries would do well in Florida and  there's some debate as to how successful they are because of the humidity. I hope they fruit this year!

You're right about humidity being an issue. I spoke with a rep for Dave Wilson's Nursery and they said they did trials of the Minnie Royal and Royal Lee in Houston and the trees grew well but the fruits had problems with the humidity during the summer. That may be the same problem we would face in FL.

Yup.
I've both heard, and realized this from locals.  I get plenty of chill hours for these and no luck last year, albeit the trees are still young.  Part of the problem is getting both to bloom at the same time.  My two cent speculation is that since they work well in California but not Houston is that the humidity holds the evening temps too high, too much stress. Capulin are supposed to work but taste bad, so I've heard.

[MangoFang]

..and for me here in the California desert, the trees just cannot handle the hot scorching sun and get really really crispy in the summer.  Though they've survived (from their initial planting about 2 years ago) I've only had a single cherry which was just OK.....I'm really thinking of taking them out....and soon....

Gary

[nullzero]

I'm glad there's some Floridians growing cherries. I asked once on another forum whether low chill cherries would do well in Florida and  there's some debate as to how successful they are because of the humidity. I hope they fruit this year!

You're right about humidity being an issue. I spoke with a rep for Dave Wilson's Nursery and they said they did trials of the Minnie Royal and Royal Lee in Houston and the trees grew well but the fruits had problems with the humidity during the summer. That may be the same problem we would face in FL.

Yup.
I've both heard, and realized this from locals.  I get plenty of chill hours for these and no luck last year, albeit the trees are still young.  Part of the problem is getting both to bloom at the same time.  My two cent speculation is that since they work well in California but not Houston is that the humidity holds the evening temps too high, too much stress. Capulin are supposed to work but taste bad, so I've heard.

If you get a good Capulin cherry, they taste pretty good actually. They are very astringent though if not fully ripe.