Planting a sour cherry in the garden. But which one should it be? In the world of sour cherries, there are a whole range of varieties that differ in terms of their fruit quality, ripening time and disease tolerance, among other things. Here's an overview.
What types of sour cherries are there?
Popular sour cherry varieties are: 'Jade', 'Hungarian Traubige', 'Heimanns Rubinweichsel', 'Korund', 'Diemitzer Amarelle', 'Ludwigs Frühe', 'Werdersche Glaskirsche', 'Köröser Weichsel', 'Schattenmorelle', 'Lange Lotkirsche', 'Saphir'®, 'Stevnsbaer', 'Heimanns Konservenweichsel', 'Morellenfeuer', 'Gerema', 'Karneol'®, 'Meteor', 'Morina'® and 'Csengödi'.
Three types of sour cherries
A basic distinction must be made between three different types of sour cherries. There are glass cherries, sweet sour cherries and morello cherries. The first type of sour cherry ripens early, is yellowish-red to medium red and slightly translucent. The sweet sour cherries are – as their name suggests – sweeter in taste than the other two species. The morello cherries are considered the best-known types of sour cherries and are quite sour.
Varieties for fresh consumption
The varieties 'Jade' and 'Hungarian Grapes' are best suited for eating fresh directly from the tree. Both varieties ripen late and usually in the 7th cherry week. The sour cherry 'Jade' is extremely aromatic and the 'Hungarian Grape' is considered the best variety for snacking.
The best early ripening varieties
The varieties that ripen early (between the 3rd and 4th cherry week (end of June to mid-July)) include the following varieties:
- ‘Heimanns Ruby Weichsel’
- ‘Corundum’
- ‘Diemitzer Amarelle’
- ‘Ludwig’s Early’
- ‘Werdersche Glaschersche’
Medium-late ripening varieties
The variety 'Köröser Weichsel', which ripens between the 5th and 6th cherry week, has extremely large fruits and is easy to remove stones. Like the sour cherries 'Schattenmorelle', 'Lange Lotkirsche' and 'Saphir'®, it is one of the medium-late ripening varieties.
Late ripening varieties
The following sour cherries are harvested between the 6th and 7th cherry weeks:
- ‘Stevnsbaer’: extremely juicy, good at removing stones
- 'Heimann's canned sour cherry': self-fertile, good at removing stones, high juice content
- 'Morelle Fire': high-yielding, self-fertile
- ‘Gerema’: robust
- ‘Carnelian’ ®: good stone dissolving
Varieties less susceptible to disease
Disease-resistant varieties in particular have proven to be successful. These include, for example, the sour cherry 'Meteor'. It is self-fertile, extremely he althy and particularly popular for home gardens. In addition, Prunus 'Morina' ® is recommended. This variety, which matures towards the end of June, impresses not only with its disease tolerance but also with its balanced sugar-acid ratio.
Last but not least, the Hungarian variety 'Csengödi' is highly recommended. It has the best monilia resistance and is robust against spray spot disease. At the same time, it delivers regular and high yields and its fruits taste almost as appealing as sweet cherries.
Tips & Tricks
If you are looking for exceptional specimens among the sour cherry varieties: How about the dwarf form like the variety Prunus cerasus 'Griotella' ®. It produces high yields and the fruits can be picked without a ladder due to the plant's small stature. Or how about a self-fertile pyramid shape like Prunus cerasus 'Maynard' ®?