morello cherry tree need advice please

**veggiechicken** · 02-05-2012, 02:01 PM

My Morello cherry has just come into flower. It'll be a while before there's any sign of fruit.
You could put netting over the tree to keep the birds away. You don't want to pick the cherries before they're ripe, Morellos are sharp enough as it is.

**ladylottie** · 02-05-2012, 02:26 PM

My Morello is flowering nicely (this is it's 3rd year). Last year I had quite a few cherries but I had to be quick to beat the birds! A couple of cherries had been half pecked away. This year once the blossom has finished and the fruit has started to ripen I will cover the tree with netting to keep the birds off - while the tree is still small I can do this.

And as VC says, don't pick the cherries before they're ripe, I don't think they will ripen once off the tree.

**greenishfing** · 02-05-2012, 07:06 PM

I've had my Morello cherry for about 5 years now and get pounds of cherries but before the cherries change colour I get some bird netting and swathe the tree in it carefully as my blackbirds are cunning little blighters. I pick the fruit when it is just about black leaving some on for the blackbirds and then on a hot summer day i prune it ruthlessly, working on the theory that I need it small enough to net it next year. So far this has worked for me.

**cazp** · 13-05-2012, 06:30 PM

Are morello's naturally fast growers?

My fan trained morello was bought bare rooted beginning of this year. I understand that I shouldnt let it frut this year so that it can establish good roots - it has loads and loads of flowers and has grown about 4 inches already - its almost 4ft high approx. I'm truly surprised as I wasnt sure if the soil would be good enough - I'm hoping this fast growth means the plant is really happy where it is and will give lots of cherries from next year.

**FB.** · 13-05-2012, 06:46 PM

Originally posted by cazp View Post

Are morello's naturally fast growers?

My fan trained morello was bought bare rooted beginning of this year. I understand that I shouldnt let it frut this year so that it can establish good roots - it has loads and loads of flowers and has grown about 4 inches already - its almost 4ft high approx. I'm truly surprised as I wasnt sure if the soil would be good enough - I'm hoping this fast growth means the plant is really happy where it is and will give lots of cherries from next year.

The growth rate will be considerably influenced by the rootstock and the soil conditions.

A newly planted tree's growth will be fuelled by reserves from the previous season. If it was well-cared for at the nursery, and carefully dug out, it can put on quite a spurt of growth even if only planted since Christmas.
However, next year's growth will tell you what your soil is like, since next year will be fuelled by reserves stored at the end of this year.

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morello cherry tree need advice please

morello cherry tree need advice please

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