Friday 10 June 2011

A Stella Haul Of Cherries?

This is the third year that I've had my cherry tree. It's a Stella, which is a dessert cherry and self fertile. Two years ago it produced one cherry, which was delicious. I was hoping for better things last year but it still only produced three cherries, which the birds got before I had the chance. Things are looking up this year. The tree is covered in green cherries, and as you can see, they're just starting to ripen. I shall drape some netting over the tree soon to prevent the birds from taking them.

I shall be turfing out all the plants which are still residing in the greenhouse this weekend. My tomato plants are starting to flower so it's time that they were set in to their final positions. I think tomatoes are still my favourite thing to grow. I love watching every stage of their growth, from sowing the seed to popping the first sun warmed fruit in to my mouth. My greenhouse is only small, four foot by six foot, so there's little else I can fit in it over the summer months other than my tomato plants, though I'll find some room for my peppers.

It looks like a couple of my courgette plants are going to come in to flower soon as they've got plenty of buds on them. I'm growing a variety, Firenze, which is ideal for containers as it produces high yields of small courgettes throughout summer. I have kept this variety in the garden, but have another two varieties for the allotment. I can see me being overrun with courgettes this year but I don't mind as I love them.

22 comments:

  1. Hi Jo!
    Hope you save those precious cherries form the birds!
    I too have to put my tomatoes in - cleared the borders in the greenhouse yesterday, but i have so many plants most of them will have to planted outside - i went bananas with them - 4 different varieites and gave loads away too!
    Also have sweet peppers like you - no luck though with any chilli peppers though - we had to buy a plant but thats flowering now too.
    Courgettes just flowering here - havent tried firenze, they sound a good one for containers.
    Hope Daniel's hanging in there ok - Bella had maths today, the last paper,so shes feeling pretty chilled and happy - then next week is her last lot.
    Good luck to Daniel for his next lot!
    Gill xx

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  2. Just seen your comment on mine!
    Yes Bella did have Maths too, and like Daniel she never says much, although she said this one went quite well, better than mondays non-calc paper which she was not very happy about!
    Sorry you couldnt see my photos - i loaded them a differnt way today, obviously wont try that again! Assume refreshing the screen didnt help? I will try and redo them
    Gill xx

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  3. I think tomatoes are my fav summer crop too - I love the smell of the foliage on my hands after I've been in contact with them.
    Good luck with the cherries - i'm currently waging war with the birds over the strawberries!

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  4. AnonymousJune 10, 2011

    Plot neighbour Joe has a cherry tree which he has to net to stop the birds from stripping it bare. It's full of ripe cherries and I came home yesterday with more than enough for the weekend!
    I just wish I could grow my tomatoes from seed and not buy plants as I always end up doing!
    I sowed a couple of courgette seeds yesterday but won't really be fussed if they don't germinate and grow. Flighty xx

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  5. I am not sure I have a favorite. I love anything that grows well and produces, lol.

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  6. We had a good haul of cherries last year from our small tree - Summer Sun - which was draped with net. We also found some cherries were falling off so picked many when they were not quite ripe - amazingly they carried on ripening and were delicious.

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  7. Jo - I lied! - our courgettes have loads of flowers and what look like little baby courgettes forming, but they are not yet flowering as I said in my earlier comment - i misunderstood my hubby earlier, and wrote that on the basis of what i thought hubby had said without checking for myself, but its the dwarf beans that are flowering today!
    Duh!!!
    Gill xx

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  8. Hurray for the cherries! We have the first year of an apple tree this year. It has little apples on it and we can't wait!

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  10. AnonymousJune 10, 2011

    Thanks so much for your comments today. I still feel devastated about the whole thing and am still a bit teary which is silly I know but I just can't help it. Just wanted to say thanks anyway xxxx

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  11. I've been quite restrained with my tomatoes this year, Gill. I sowed three different varieties, but only a couple of each so that they'll fit in the greenhouse. My beans haven't been planted out yet, another job for the weekend. Glad to hear that today's exam went well for Bella. Hope the rest of them go well for her too.

    I too love the smell of the tomato foliage, Su, whereas my hubby can't stand it. Hope you manage to harvest more strawberries than the birds do.

    How lovely to have fresh cherries for the weekend, Flighty. I'm really hoping that I get a decent crop this year. Keep trying with the tomatoes, I'm sure you'll manage to grow some from seed in the end. Good luck with the courgettes.

    I agree with you, Becky, though there's just something special about tomatoes for me.

    I'll remember your trick if I get some cherries falling off, Sue. Hope you get a good haul again this year.

    It's so exciting seeing a tree producing fruit for the first time, Rosie. I don't have any apple trees but it may be something we add in the future.

    Thank you for visiting, Tanya. I could eat cherries by the bucketful so I don't think they'd get as far as being preserved even if we did get a big enough haul.

    You're welcome, Ruth. It's not silly at all, just caring. I'd be exactly the same.

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  12. I finally gave up on my plum tree last week. I dug it up. Its yield (in 5 years) was the miserly total of five fruits! I hope your cherry tree will go on to be a lot more productive.
    BTW: I'm with you on the tomatoes thing. They are so rewarding to grow.

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  13. My cherry tree didn't survive the winter and I never got around to re-placing it so there will be no cherries for me this year....I do have pears forming nicely though so for that I am happy.

    I too love courgettes...they are so versatile you can add them to practically any meal!!

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  14. Lots of cherries, yay! That gives me hope. We've only just bought our tree this year, and the only thing it has produced so far is leaves. I'm looking forward to our year three, hope we get some cherries too! :)

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  15. Lucky you, having those gorgeous cherries! They look great :)
    Mo

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  16. They look great! Crossing my fingers for you! Why are birds such a nuisance sometimes..!! :)

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  17. I have a tree that produces loads of cherries, but we usually get hardly any as the birds get them before they are even ripe!

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  18. Good luck with keeping the cherries safe from beaks Jo. I quite fancy a cherry tree - will have to investigate. At the moment we make do with himself's pickings from the trees at the golf course. Just wish that he would play more often. Hope that your courgettes get into gear soon - sound as if they are at a similar stage to mine ~ we have had enough rain, now for some sun !

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  19. Dear Jo, I am always amazed at the amount of produce you glean from your greenhouse and allotment. Keep those pesky birds away from your beautiful cherries! P. x

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  20. Sorry to hear about your plum tree, Mark. I think you gave it enough time to do it's thing. Perhaps you can replace it with another more productive one.

    It's good to hear your pear tree is doing well, Tanya, but sorry to hear about your cherry tree. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I get some cherries this year.

    Hope your cherry tree produces a bit quicker than our's has, Una. I've been very impatient waiting for some cherries, I love them.

    Cherries are one of my favourites, Mo. I'm looking forward to having more than one this year.

    Thanks, Martin. I do love birds but as you say, they can be a real nuisance when you're growing your own.

    I'm going to net my tree, Mark. I'm not taking any chances this year.

    My tree is growing in a half barrel, Anna. They can grow huge so I made sure I got one on dwarf rootstock too. One of my courgettes is going to flower within the next couple of days, it's showing some yellow now.

    I shall make sure I net my cherry tree to keep those beaks at bay, Pam. The birds aren't going to get my delicious harvest this year.

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  21. I've got a small Maynard cherry tree in a pot this year - there are 3 cherries on it. I'm living in daily fear that some greedy blackbird will get to them before they're ready to pick!

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  22. If a blackbird gets the chance, it'll have them before you get a chance to stop it, Surburban veg gardener. Try draping some netting over the tree like I'm going to do with mine. It's heartbreaking when it happens, I speak from experience.

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