North Star cherry question

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lavender4ever (Louise) Palm Bay, FL(Zone 9b) Jun 17, 2013

I planted a lovely North Star cherry last spring. This year it was covered in cherries. It is about six feet tall. The cherries are ripening already and they look perfect, but tiny. They are less than half the size of a normal sour cherry. Is this normal for a young tree?

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pollengarden Pueblo, CO(Zone 5b) Jun 18, 2013

Maybe too much fruit too close together - that can make the fruit smaller, not matter how old or large the tree is. I have seen peaches smaller than apricots because of this.

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lavender4ever (Louise) Palm Bay, FL(Zone 9b) Jun 18, 2013

Thanks, i did not know cherries had that problem!

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Cybrczch Lincoln, NE(Zone 5b) Jun 20, 2013

My mom had a North Star cherry tree for many years (until a combination of old age and tornado took it out). The cherries are a little smaller than the Montmorency cherries, and the pit just a smidgen bigger, and the do want to set a LOT of cherries sometimes, which will reduce the fruit size.
Another thing to remember with North Star, don't pick the cherries right away once they turn red, in a couple days (if the birds don't get them first) they will turn more of a wine-red, and the fruit will be much sweeter and the juice will be blood-red. My mom's kitchen after cherry pitting has looked like the scene of a mass murder. They made the BEST cherry kolaces, pies, and wine.

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lavender4ever (Louise) Palm Bay, FL(Zone 9b) Jun 20, 2013

Thanks!

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