If you have enough space in your own garden, you might be longing for a sweet cherry tree that you can eat from in the summer. When looking for a suitable specimen, it is not easy to make the right choice. The world of sweet cherry varieties seems limitless
What types of sweet cherries are there?
Popular sweet cherry varieties include 'Burlat', 'Kassins Frühe Herzkirsche', 'Bernhard Nette', 'Große Princesskirsche', 'Valeska', 'Annabella', 'Sylvia', 'Alma', 'Büttner's Red Cartilage Cherry' ', 'Great Black Cartilage Cherry', 'Hedelfinger Giant Cherry', 'Summit', 'Regina', 'Hudson', 'Merton Late' and 'Schneider's Late Cartilage Cherry'.
Early ripening varieties
In contrast to other varieties, early-ripening varieties have the advantage that they are usually worm-free. The reason: The cherry fruit fly is only actively laying eggs on sweet cherries later. Therefore, all maggot haters are in the right place with these early varieties!
One of the most recommended early varieties is the well-known variety 'Burlat'. It ripens between the end of May and mid-June. Its fruits are dark red, large, firm-fleshed and juicy. It is the earliest cartilaginous cherry and delivers high yields.
The varieties 'Kassins Frühe Herzkirsche' (1st to 2nd cherry week) and 'Bernhard Nette' (2nd to 3rd cherry week) have also proven successful. They also impress with large, dark red colored fruits. Both varieties are extremely aromatic.
Medium-late maturing varieties
There are all sorts of medium-late ripening varieties (4th to 5th cherry week). Here are the most important ones to harvest in the 4th cherry week:
4. Cherry Week:
- ‘Big Princess Cherry’: very large, yellow-red, stores well
- 'Valeska': medium-sized, black-red, burst resistant
- ‘Annabella’: medium-sized, brown-red-black, burst resistant
In the 5th cherry week, the following proven varieties ripen:
- 'Sylvia': large, dark reddish brown, medium firm, slender growth
- ‘Alma’: medium-sized, black-brown, high-yielding, firm
- 'Büttner's Red Cartilage Cherry': medium-sized, reddish yellow, very sweet, old and robust variety, good burst resistance
- 'Large Black Cartilaginous Cherry': medium-sized, dark red to black, good fruit quality, delicately sour
- 'Hedelfinger giant cherry': medium-sized, brown-red, spicy, very productive, disease-resistant, yields start late
Late maturing varieties
Late-ripening varieties (end of July to August) among sweet cherries are also worth planting. The most well-known varieties include the following:
- ‘Summit’: very large, dark red, firm
- 'Regina': very large, reddish brown, good burst resistance, extremely productive
- ‘Hudson’: medium-sized, brown-red, firm
- 'Merton Late': high-yielding, yellow-red, burst resistant
- 'Schneider's late cartilage cherry': medium-sized, dark red, burst resistant
Tips & Tricks
Remember: Particularly vigorous varieties such as 'Merton Late', 'Burlat' and 'Big Black Cartilage Cherry' should be pruned regularly and generously.
