Chilean Cherry Guide

Perhaps the biggest issue looming for the cherry industry, which is fiercely independent and highly competitive, is federal regulation of the crop (as other crop-growers are weaning themselves from these regulations). Tart cherry crops have been particularly problematic in the last several years. A bumper crop of tart cherries has resulted in exceedingly low crop prices (tart cherries are less affected by the vagaries of weather than sweet cherries and can be harvested in huge quantities). Federal regulations could establish the number of cherries that may be offered for sale at the market. Excess cherries may be frozen or stored, or given to charity. Some growers are trying to find ways to utilize these tart cherries in ingenious ways. Others have turned to gourmet foods such as dried cherries, yogurt-covered cherries, or have developed specialty cereals to utilize the abundance of tart cherries.

Other issues involve the land upon which the cherries are grown. The cultivation of cherries is very labor-intensive and subject to the weather. Equipment is expensive, too. Younger generations increasingly are unwilling to manage the family cherry orchard, realizing that much hard work may not even pay off in profits. Even established cherry growers are wondering if the work is worth the prices and uncertainty. Also, many of these orchards are located in lush, lovely areas, and taxes on the prime parcels of land are putting some of the growers out of business. Families are deciding that it is not worth running the business, and are selling orchards that will be plowed under to make way for new housing.

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Three types of cherries are mainly grown for their fruit: sweet cherries, sour cherries, and, grown to a much smaller extent, the dukes, which are crosses of sweet and sour cherries.

• Sweet cherry trees are large and rather upright, attaining heights up to 11 meters (36 feet). The fruit is a fleshy drupe (stone fruit) that is generally heart-shaped to nearly globular, about 2 cm (1 inch) in diameter, and varies in color from yellow through red to nearly black. The acid content of the sweet cherry is low.
• Sour cherry trees are smaller, rarely over 5 meters (16 feet) in height. The fruit is round to oblate in shape, is generally dark red in color, and has so much acid that it is not appealing for eating fresh. The higher acid content of the sour cherry produces its characteristic tart flavor.
• The duke cherries are intermediate in both tree and fruit characteristics.

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Sweet Cherries

     1. U.S. Grades No.1 consists of sweet cherries which meet the following requirements:

          a. Basic requirements are similar varietal characteristics; mature; fairly well colored; well-formed; clean;

          b. Free from decay; insect larvae or holes caused by them; soft, overripe, or shriveled; undeveloped doubles; and sunscald;

          c. Free from damage by any other cause; and

          d. Size. Unless otherwise specified, the minimum diameter of each cherry shall be not less than a three-fourths inch. The maximum diameter of the cherries in any lot may be specified in accordance with the facts.

     2. U.S. Commercial consists of sweet cherries that meet the requirements for the U.S. No. 1 grade except for minimum diameter and except for increased tolerances.

          a. Size. Unless otherwise specified, the diameter of each cherry shall be not less than a five-eighths inch. The maximum diameter of the cherries in any lot may be specified in accordance with the facts.

Sour Cherries

     1. U.S. No. 1 consists of sour cherries which are fairly well colored, free from decay, worms, pulled pits, attached stems, and free from damage caused by bird pecks, hail marks, limb rubs, wind whips, and other scars, sunscald, shriveling, foreign material, disease, insects, mechanical or other means.

          a. Size. Unless otherwise specified, each cherry shall have a diameter of not less than 5/8 inch; and

          b. Tolerances. To allow for variations incident to proper handling, not more than a total of 7 percent, by weight, of any lot of cherries may fail to meet the requirements of this grade, but not more than five-sevenths of this amount, or 5 percent, may fail to meet the grade requirements other than for attached stems and no part of this tolerance shall be allowed for cherries which are affected by worms.

     2. U.S. No. 2 consists of sour cherries that meet all of the requirements of the U.S. No. 1 grade, except that a total tolerance of 12 percent, by weight, of any lot of cherries shall be permitted for grade defects, but not more than five-sixths of this amount, or 10 percent, may fail to meet the grade requirements other than for attached stems, and not part of this tolerance shall be allowed for cherries which are affected by worms.

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Cherry trees require specific soil conditions for commercial cultivation. Cherry grows best in deep, medium-textured soils, with good drainage, low alkalinity, and low salinity. Cherry trees do not tolerate waterlogged soils, regardless of the rootstock used. During the growing season, excessively high temperatures can cause rapid growth and fruit deterioration during the current season and high rates of fruit doubling and spurs (small side fruit formed on the normal fruit) the following growing season. In late winter, normal bloom and bud break require temperatures no lower than 20° F because cherry is highly susceptible to frost damage. However, adequate chilling is required to break dormancy. If the required chill hours have not been reached rest-breaking agents can be used to help offset the deficiency. Once adequate winter chilling (with or without rest-breaking agents) has been experienced, moderately warm spring temperatures without excessive heat (more than about 75° F), cold (prolonged temperatures below the mid-50’s° F), or frost is needed for even bloom development and good overlap of pollinizer varieties to set a viable crop.

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• Maturity. Fruit maturity is one of the key factors determining overall fruit quality. Cherries should be harvested at the end of the maturation stage when they are fully ripe to ensure good eating quality. Although the harvest timing varies based on the cherry cultivars, there is a harvest window of less than 5 days for harvesting fruit of optimal quality. The harvest season for cherries is short and labor-intensive. The ripe fruit is prone to mechanical damage, and cooling directly after harvest is important.
• Color, firmness, and water loss. Cherry fruit quality traits related to consumer purchase decisions are based on external quality attributes such as color, fruit size, stem freshness, absence of defects, and stem length. Aroma, flavor, sourness, sweetness, and texture are also essential attributes. Fruit color is, however, the main quality trait. Color development has been studied as a function of cultivar, ripeness stage, and storage conditions. In general, consumers prefer cherries fully ripe based on their dark skin color.
• Taste. Cherry fruit taste attributes, sweetness, and sourness are important for consumer acceptance. Sweetness can be expressed as soluble solids content, sourness as titratable acidity.

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Cultivating a commercially viable cherry crop has many components. First, the soil pH and nutrients must be tested frequently (generally by a state university extension service) so that foliar fertilizers meet the requirements of the trees. Generally, growers keep a record of these soil tests. Second, the grower must understand the climate and soil types well enough to choose a rootstock that will flourish in that area. Third, pesticides or insecticides must be very carefully mixed and applied according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards, recommendations of state university extension services, and the product label. Fourth, pollination of the cherry blossoms is absolutely imperative; if there are few bees in the area, growers must rent bees for this purpose. Fifth, the trees must be carefully shaken during harvesting (if the cherries are to be harvested) so that the tree is not irreparably damaged. Finally, vigilant pruning and assessing the amount of air and sunlight densely packed trees receive is imperative for large yields.

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