Minnie Royal and Royal Lee low-chill Cherry
 

Blossoms and fruit sets on Minnie Royal and Royal Lee, respectively:

Re: Minnie Royal and Royal Lee low-chill Cherry
 

Nice, If someone was able to graft these two together I would have this type. Have you tasted the fruit before?

Re: Minnie Royal and Royal Lee low-chill Cherry
 

They are "Rainier" type cherries. This will be my fourth harvest. 2-in-1 grafted trees are available at nurseries, although you should consider the size of cherries and the total size of harvest before purchasing these.

Re: Minnie Royal and Royal Lee low-chill Cherry
 

I went with Stella because I could not find a 2-in-1 at the time and was a little sad. I head the Minnie Royal and Royal lee were both dwarf's and have good yeild. I was also told Stella is breed off bing, but dont expect anything that makes you think bing. Im out of room for fruit trees, but I may start to expand into the front yard soon.

Re: Minnie Royal and Royal Lee low-chill Cherry
 

Very nice. How long have you had yours in the ground? I planted a bare root pair last year, but the Royal Lee bloomed significantly later than the Minnie Royal and it looks like I won't get any fruit this year.

Re: Minnie Royal and Royal Lee low-chill Cherry
 

Richard ----------- Potted my MR and RL a few weeks ago and they are pushing leaves well. Will have to stay potted this year until I figure a spot for them. Busy with other stuff right now.

And thanks again for the tip. Pics later.

Dan

Re: Minnie Royal and Royal Lee low-chill Cherry
 

I planted them bareroot 5 years ago last month. Here they are, MR on the left and RL on the right. In January I pruned some of the verticals so that the overall height was near 7 feet. The trunk diameters are about 7".

Re: Minnie Royal and Royal Lee low-chill Cherry
 

What can one expect as far as size of fruit and taste?

Re: Minnie Royal and Royal Lee low-chill Cherry
 

Almost identical to Rainier cherries in size and taste.

Re: Minnie Royal and Royal Lee low-chill Cherry
 

Charles --------- To my taste the Rainier is the best!

I got my MR and RL trees from Peaceful Valley at groworganic.com

You got to get one or 2 of each. They are grown at Dave Wilson nursery. Only $19.95 each with shipping at $35.00. Couldn't find anybody in S Fla that has these or even knew about them.

Came in a 5ft tall box and had the correct first pruning. Both were almost 2" caliper and were very healthy. If you can't ground plant them right away just do what I did and pot them.

Re: Minnie Royal and Royal Lee low-chill Cherry
 

They will likely graft very readily to high chill cherry trees although I believe that since it is a registered cultivar it would illegal to do so. For people having to pay high shipping costs it is shame that the growers cannot supply grafting wood. Be a lot cheaper to ship. I have a few of what may be bings and black something other cherries that I purchased on the roadside for about $4 each that came from cottage industries up in georgia. Years ago it was nursery stock and moonshine in those areas and I sort of do not want to know what they are involved in now. A local nurseryman was driving up that way years ago and stopped to talk about looking for bare root trees. They give him a jar of moonshine and told him never to return.
Anyway I have these high chill cherry trees that after a cold winter will putout a few flowers that I would like to graft over to something better like a low chill cherry.

Re: Minnie Royal and Royal Lee low-chill Cherry
 

Dave Wilson does not supply scion wood because for most of the varieties of trees they sell, the selection of root stock is important. In fact, I think the greatest value of Dave Wilson Nursery is the variety of tuned root stocks they offer for a particular plant.

The breeder of these cherries is Zaiger Genetics. I'm not sure if Dave Wilson has an exclusive with them. If you are interested in scion wood it would be worth checking out.

Re: Minnie Royal and Royal Lee low-chill Cherry
 

The current root stock is working great so far after 6-7 yrs. The most dangerous thing we have this way are borers and I was told of case from a local nursery of some local cherry trees that were done in by them. I will check into Zaiger, but have no high hopes as an individual.

Re: Minnie Royal and Royal Lee low-chill Cherry
 

Personally, if I'm going to plant Minnie Royal and Royal Lee in the ground they are going to be on Colt rootstock. However, I'd have a different choice for some of the other Cherry hybrids, or if I was going to grow them in a pot.

Borers are especially problematic when the plants are not being fed a complete fertilizer that contains suitable amounts of minerals from the electrolytic series; esp. zinc and copper. Then the orchard becomes a breeding ground.

Re: Minnie Royal and Royal Lee low-chill Cherry
 

Now that is interesting and it is something that I should look into as well as the pH when one is concerned with electrolyte deficiencies. Our soils are very poor and erosion over the years from logging and then farming has not helped at all. There is even cotton farming in this region which is also hard on soils. When the soils are poor there certainly is a place for some organic farming practices to build it up to a better state which is something else that I need to look into.
since I have been very busy I just planted trees and what ever survived is good and I will work on getting everything to grow once I have time to do everything right. Pears have been very successful and now it is time to get other things prosper.

Re: Minnie Royal and Royal Lee low-chill Cherry
 

I checked out the cherries but I saw that they would like cool Summers and do not like hot and humid. There is nothing about our Summers that are cool and it is definitely very hot and extremely humid. I don't see where they stand much of a chance here. Barnetmill do you think they could prosper here or just languish taking up valuable space?

Re: Minnie Royal and Royal Lee low-chill Cherry
 

I can only speak from my limited experience. I have about 6 high chill cherries growing mostly in the shade that have survived for about 6 yrs in NWFL. Beyond that the only thing I can add is that KC Nursery near Avalon blvd just west of that I-10 exit is selling a cherry from kansas that is supposed to take the heat. It died on me, but they are still selling it and perhaps in more caring hands it will survive.
PS: I am thinking of trying sour cherries and I understand that they exist in our area or did around old homesteads. Good for pies, preserves, and perhaps other things.

Re: Minnie Royal and Royal Lee low-chill Cherry
 

Quote from Barnetmill: They will likely graft very readily to high chill cherry trees although I believe that since it is a registered cultivar it would illegal to do so. For people having to pay high shipping costs it is shame that the growers cannot supply grafting wood.

You should try some state agricultural stations, and universities to obtain budwood. I have gotten some from the N. Y. State Ag. Experimental Station, Geneva, NY, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, University of California, at Davis, CA, Canadian Ag. Experimental Stations at both Summerland, BC and Harrow, Ontario.
I've also picked some up from local commercial fruit growers.
One of the items I got from Summerland was Stella cherry. I lost the first crop, because I didn't realize they are bright red when ripe. I was waiting for them to turn purple/black, and they rotted. One year we netted the tree, to keep the birds away, and we got 40 pounds. The only problem with that is that the branches grow through the net, and you tear a lot of leaves off when trying to remove the net.

Re: Minnie Royal and Royal Lee low-chill Cherry
 

The really cold years we had did you get any cherries?

If so how were they?

Re: Minnie Royal and Royal Lee low-chill Cherry
 

Since Monday I've been eating about a quart of cherries a day. This is likely to continue for awhile because the trees are loaded they are still flowering and setting fruit!

:woohoonaner:

Re: Minnie Royal and Royal Lee low-chill Cherry
 

I'd like to see how your cherries taste in Florida. How bout shipping a quart or two down here and I'll give you my unbiased opinion! :nanadrink:

Re: Minnie Royal and Royal Lee low-chill Cherry
 

Mee 2. I'm going crazy now watching my MR and RL grow leaves --- and no fruit or flowers and no cherries.

How about it Richard? Ten cents a cherry? lol:ha:

Re: Minnie Royal and Royal Lee low-chill Cherry
 

A few flowers only, but lack of fruiting may just as likely be non-weather related factors that are responsible and age of graft/roots stock. They come from some sort of cottage industry in georgia that I picked up for $4/plant from a local fleamarket vendor. Next winter I will remove much of shade and I will see what happens. We also do have a lot of borers that will attack peaches and perhaps cherries. They seem to not attack plums and also the native chickasaw plums.
I am wondering if grafting to something else would defeat borers

Re: Minnie Royal and Royal Lee low-chill Cherry
 

Feeding them regularly with a standard array of micronutrients containing (among other things) zinc and copper will increase the trees defenses. Treating them quarterly with a nicotinoid as a soil drench for a couple of years will eliminate the borers. There is an over-the-counter version of Imidacloprid that is rated for fruit trees. Use only as a soil drench to avoid harming bees.

Re: Minnie Royal and Royal Lee low-chill Cherry
 

Micro-nutrients and the nicotinoid all sound like very good suggestions. I have read of people recommending ashes and also putting mouth balls in the soil so as to surround the tree's base. Also MALATHION been recommended to me.

Re: Minnie Royal and Royal Lee low-chill Cherry
 

Richard's cherry trees are impressively heathy and productive -- the photos don't do them justice. I visited them a couple of a weeks ago. I'd previously given up hope on these two low-chill cherries because I'd read accounts of meager production, but now, if I ever have an open space in my yard, I'd seriously consider them.

Re: Minnie Royal and Royal Lee low-chill Cherry
 

And that is because they over winter in the soil?


And that is because after the borer starts to bore through the stem it will die????

or will it stop the placement of the egg?????

or???????????

Re: Minnie Royal and Royal Lee low-chill Cherry
 

Naphalene (moth balls) is not licensed for outdoor use by consumers for a number of good reasons. Malathion can control insects on fruit and foliage when sprayed directly on them. Cyfluthrin will do the same thing in a more environmentally responsible way. Wood ash can sometimes discourage pests from establishing a home in the soil but is not very effective deleting an existing infestation -- unless you put down enough to kill the plant too.

Because (1) using it in powder or foliar form has been credibly linked to bee colony collapse, and (2) you are trying to kill the existing borers systemically.

Re: Minnie Royal and Royal Lee low-chill Cherry
 

The idea with systemic treatment is that you provide the insecticide to the plant by mixing it in the water you use to water the plant. The plant then takes up the pesticide through the roots and distributes it throughout the plant. When bugs chew on the plant, they get small but lethal doses of the pesticide. The main ingredient in the systemic treatment (Bayer Advanced) that is available at my local nursery is imidacloprid, the same thing that is used in flea treatments for pets, like Advantage.

There is, however, legitimate concern based on good science that even this low-dose, systemic approach will harm bees. Apparently there is enough of the pesticide in the pollen and nectar to cause problems for bumble bees and honey bees.

Here are a few recent articles in the journal Science.

Bumble bees:
Neonicotinoid Pesticide Reduces Bumble Bee Colony Growth and Queen Production

Honey bees:
A Common Pesticide Decreases Foraging Success and Survival in Honey Bees

Summary:
Field Research on Bees Raises Concern About Low-Dose Pesticides

Personally, I'm in a quandary. On the recommendation of my local nursery and our local agriculture extension, I was going to use Bayer Advanced on my citrus to keep them safe from the Asian Citrus Psyllid and the bacteria it carries that causes Citrus Greening (Huanglongbing), which could destroy the California citrus industry. And that product would kill the annoying citrus leaf miners and aphids. But I'm not sure I want to contribute to the problems already facing bees.

Re: Minnie Royal and Royal Lee low-chill Cherry
 

There are other systemics for fruit trees that pose less risks for bees but are not available to consumers.

A further conundrum is that the USDA requires me and every and orchard in southern California to apply Imidacloprid to our citrus trees every 90 days. Interestingly enough, while bee colony collapse does occur in managed hives here, the local bee population is growing.

Re: Minnie Royal and Royal Lee low-chill Cherry
 

Well, that's good news that the local bee population is growing, anyway!

Re: Minnie Royal and Royal Lee low-chill Cherry
 

My thoughts were to apply now since my bloom is over and when I have another bloom it would have levels low enough to not harm the bees.

There are some that believe a combination of things is causing CCD including the super breeding of the honey bee which is much larger than they originally were. Their larger size in some way makes them more suceptable to the V. mite. Another is the actual physical design of the modern hive. Bees kept in Top Bar Hives seem to be healthier. Again this is opinions I have read not experienced. It sounded good enough that I am considering a Top Bar Hive.

Re: Minnie Royal and Royal Lee low-chill Cherry
 

I have thought of getting a bee hive myself, but since I do see native bees as well honey bees about it might not be needed for pollination of my fruit trees.

Re: Minnie Royal and Royal Lee low-chill Cherry
 

Systemics do not work that way. You apply them periodically to build up enough concentration in the plant to destroy the borers. The key to getting rid of borers is to wipe out the population in your area.

Re: Minnie Royal and Royal Lee low-chill Cherry
 

I'm sure that has to be the case. I just worry about adding one more challenge to list of things challenging bees these days.

Re: Minnie Royal and Royal Lee low-chill Cherry
 

What percentage are you applying? The Bayer product for trees and shrubs was reduced significantly to allow it to be used on citrus however it can be used only once a year.

That being the case there is probably enough in the pollen and nectar to possibly have an effect on the bees. If it can effect the bees then I wonder about its effect on humans.

Re: Minnie Royal and Royal Lee low-chill Cherry
 

The product I am using is 45.2% Imidachloprid. You'll need a license to buy it -- and some cash, it is $400 for a 1 gallon bottle. The soil-drench application rate for ACP is 0.33 milliliter per cubic foot of soil volume. For example, I recently treated 240 5-gallon pots with a total of about 1.5 fl.oz.

Beer is often used as a pesticide to kill slugs. I've frequently wondered what its effect is on humans: BEER IS A SYNTHETIC PESTICIDE

Re: Minnie Royal and Royal Lee low-chill Cherry
 

It is supposed to be very insect specific, and that's why it's used to kill fleas on pets without much effect on your pets.

From Wikipedia:
"Because imidacloprid binds much more strongly to insect neuron receptors than to mammal neuron receptors, this insecticide is selectively more toxic to insects than mammals."

Imidacloprid - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia