Minne Royal and Royal Lee on 3CR178

Amadioranch · Joined: 07 Jan 2012 Posts: 88

Through some odd circumstances I happen to have come in possession of 5 pairs of these cherries on the super dwarfing 3CR178 rootstock. This is the only rootstock that has proven to thrive thru our summers. Mazzard and Colt rootstocks are very marginal for our area and heat.

They are in 15 gal containers and are in excellent condition. Not trying to make money on them, just pass on some nice trees. Last spring I paid $175 ea for trees like this on mazzard and colt. These are much less and unlike the ones I bought these will actually make it thru summer. Smile

PM me for details.

phoenixtropicals · Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2012 9:07 pm Post subject:

I killed a pair of Royal Lee, Minnie Royal cherry trees on mazzard rootstock a couple of years ago, so if that dwarfing rootstock is better that sounds really great. Are those RL and MR trees? I don't see that you mentioned that?

Amadioranch · Joined: 07 Jan 2012 Posts: 88

Yep those are the low chill Royal Lee and Minnie Royal Cherry. Should fruit just about anywhere in the Phoenix valley.

Mazzard is just a almost impossible rootstock here. I did everything possible for my trees on mazzard and they still croaked in August. Colt is only marginally better. Dave Wilson introduced this new 3cr178 super dwarfing rootstock a few years ago and the reports are around phoenix that its vigorous right thru the heat of summer. Its supposed to dwarf these trees to 8-10 ft, which for alot of backyards is optimal.

No where in town that I am aware has this better rootstock. Tropica Mango is selling them on Colt and Mazzard.

phoenixtropicals · Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2012 8:44 pm Post subject:

I bought two of these and put them in the ground today. Wonderful looking trees. Thanks Eric.

Amadioranch · Joined: 07 Jan 2012 Posts: 88

Super glad that you got a pair, was hoping you would. The Arizona Rare Fruit Growers picked up a pair to place in the demonstration garden yesterday too.

They are all gone now. Good luck guys that picked them up. Hopefully next spring we will all be swimming in cherries!

phoenixtropicals · Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2012 9:19 pm Post subject:

Wow. That was quick. Those rare fruit growers are know to gobble up plants but the speed at which these ones disappeared was surprising. You should go tell the nursery guy that couldn't move them that they are all snapped up now... ha ha.

Amadioranch · Joined: 07 Jan 2012 Posts: 88

I did tell Reid about how quick they sold and think it may have open his eyes a little. Also trying to work him up to getting involved with AZRFG. Hes a amazing resource for quality stock here in town but isnt well known. As the only actual grower of deciduous fruit trees in town he deserves all our support. If anyone reading this hasnt been out to RSI growers, you really need to make time to take a look. www.rsigrowers.com

ajbcirc · Joined: 13 Apr 2011 Posts: 97

phoenixtropicals · Posted: Thu Mar 29, 2012 8:49 pm Post subject:

Nice website. Very interesting.

phoenixtropicals

The cherry trees are still doing well. Here is a photo of them in their new home. I noticed they were buried a little too deep in the pot when I planted them so you can see that I planted them a little higher by where the white paint ends.

Amadioranch · Joined: 07 Jan 2012 Posts: 88

Very nice! Here's a interesting tidbit. So as everyone knows you must have both a royal lee and a minne royal blooming at the same time to get cherries to set right? Well not so fast. The minne royal cherry that I was able to barely get thru last summer has been blooming for the last 2 weeks solid and is setting cherries even though none of the other pollenizers are. Id say at least one in four blooms is setting cherries. So they are somewhat self-fruitful.

Amadioranch · Joined: 07 Jan 2012 Posts: 88

See the cherry?

phoenixtropicals · Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2012 8:47 pm Post subject:

Nice. With some plants the fruit will start growing but it will drop off later if not pollinated. I don't know if cherries are like that.

myamberdog · Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2012 12:30 pm Post subject:

nice looking trees, PT!....Really healthy.

Now tell me, my minnie and royal are both pushing long shoots like yours - do even the ones on the dwarf rootstock still grow so fast? I mean what good does a dwarf rootstock do if the the grafted section is a vigorous grower?

Just trying to understand the logic and sense of this situation....

myamberpoodle

phoenixtropicals · Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2012 4:38 pm Post subject:

Yah, they do seem very vigorous for being dwarfed. I'm not that concerned with them being dwarf though, just that they do well in our salty alkaline clay. I heard great reviews for this rootstock here, while I have seen these trees show almost no growth at all on other rootstocks, followed by an early death. Maybe they'll slow down at some point. The sun here will hammer them back in summer anyways so for now... Grow baby grow!