Will Cherry Tree Suckers Produce Fruit?
Question:
Will suckers picked from the roots of newly planted fruit cherry trees grow into normal fruit producing trees or will they produce inferior fruit?
Answer:
Cherries with their own roots will grow into very large trees making them unsuitable for smaller gardens. Here in the UK, and I assume in Australia fruit trees, including cherries, are grafted onto rootstocks which limits their size and also helps to encourage earlier fruiting.
The most common rootstock here in the UK is ‘Colt’ and it results in manageable sized trees ideal for small gardens. There are other rootstocks available; the label from the tree should tell you which rootstock has been used.
Therefore any suckers which come from the roots will not produce fruit at all and ideally should be gently pulled off as close to the base as possible.
What causes Cherries to split
Question:
I would like to know what is causing all my cherries to ‘split’ they are well ripened and taste wonderful but practically every cherry on the tree (which is grown against a wall) is split.
Answer:
It sounds like your cherries are not getting enough water whilst they are ripening. Plants grown against walls are prone to drying out as rain water cannot reach the roots. Make sure you keep the plants well watered and you may still get some good cherries.
