Cherries are most often associated with summer, but Thomas Jefferson's journal, The Garden and Farm Book (published by Fulcrum)indicates they ripened at Monticello in mid-May. Henry David Thoreau's rediscovered lost manuscript, Wild Fruits (published by W.W. Norton), reveals that his family harvested them in Concord, Massachusetts on late June.Traverse City, Michigan, "cherry capital of the world," is hosting the National Cherry Festival on July 7-14, 2001. In the U.S., Michigan produces nearly 75% of the total cherry harvest.
If garden space is limited, train espalier cherries against a wall or fence. Space-saving cherries include the new ultra-dwarfs and bush cherries.
Sweet cherries are often devastated by late frosts, making the recent introductions-unbothered by such events-from the Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre in Canada (see listed link) so welcome. Intolerant of hot, humid weather, cherries do best in cool climates. Furthermore, heavy summer rains can cause the fruits to crack and rot. Some cherries are self-fruitful, needing no pollinator, so check the catalog description. The Summerland website explains how cherry trees differ from other tree fruits, and why they should be treated accordingly. Neglected cherry trees are generally unfruitful, so provide water, and other care as needed. For details, check the website of your agricultural extension service, many of which are listed.
A mature, healthy, standard-size cherry tree can yield 2000 pounds of fruits annually. Thoreau harvested them by placing sheets on the ground under the tree, then shaking the plant.
He sampled most all of the wild cherry fruits in the Concord area, including the sand cherries.
Cultivated sour cherries originated in Asia, and eventually were grown in Greece, where they came to the attention of Theophrastus, "the father of botany," who mentioned them in his History of Plants, written in 300 B.C.E. A mythical story has Lucullus bringing cherries to Rome from Armenia in 73 B.C.E, but Thoreau explains he simply brought additional types since cherries were already present in Italy.
Bird cherries or sweet cherries were used prehistorically in Europe, as the pits were found in caves occupied during the Stone Age. Long a favorite among the English, sweet cherries are featured in one of the earliest English garden books, "A Garden of Pleasant Flowers" by John Parkinson, published in 1629, once available as a reprint from Dover.
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