Randy,

I have an English Morello. It grows very slightly. It is on Gisela 5 rootstock from Raintree. It does produce very useful cherries, just not very many. It is a very small tree. Perhaps your experience will be different than mine. Yes, they are swelling and will soon open. We will hope for no frost.

Ted in PA

I got mine from raintree as well about 4 1/2 years ago. This year it really started to grow but before that it was not making much progress. This year I hope to have enough cherries for a pie.

How old is yours?

I have an English Morello on Mazzard from Bay Laurel nursery. I planted it in March 2011. Last season it leafed out, got attacked by some insect, (I never did see what it was) was completely de-foliated. I wrote it off and it leafed out again about mid June. It didn't put out any new growth but it is pushing buds now. I am hopeful. Do you think it will be more vigorous since it is on Mazzard or is it the English Morello that is the slow grower?

No I do not have an English morello but I do have a
North Star which is a morello cross. The tree is 8 years
old, grew fast and stays at 8' height with pruning. Last year it bore 28 quarts of cherries (after pitting). Not sure what the rootstock was since purchased mail order.

I also bought a Balaton (Stark Nursery) after enjoying the
taste of the fruit at my friends commercial orchard. My friend's Balaton were 12'tall. Mine just runted out and
is finally at 5.5' after 5 years. Bore one small crop.
Mighty disappointed in it. Again not sure what rootstock
Stark put it on. I will be more careful in the future
to pay attention to rootstock when pruchasing cherry trees.

I planted my Northstar last year as a small whip. It is showing good progress. Spartan-apple did you prune the Nortstar as a tree or just let it bush out?

Thomis if I were to guess, it was cherry leaf spot that dropped all of your leaves. Make sure you rake up last years leaves and dispose of them.

My English Morello is about 5 years old. Two years ago it gave its first reasonable crop, last year we got about a pie worth. This year we shall see. Can't beat a good cherry pie!
Ted
John 15:8

An English Morello cherry pie is hard to beat. The natural color is perfect.

Is there any update on how English Morello does on Mazzard vs Gisela 5? I'm happy with it on Gisela 5 for getting early production, but am wondering if Mazzard will help it grow and may get one on Mazzard to compare over the next few years.

I've heard from a west coast grower (unsure his rootstock) that english morello is a runt no matter what he does.

I have a stella which is about 10 years old. Last year it was loaded with cherries, but the birds, mostly cardinals and crows, got most of them before they completely ripened. Does anyone have a bird problem? How do you deal with it successfully?

With birds you have to net your tree . You could try scare tape, or a motion sprinkler. But you would have to water your leaves, something you really do not want to do. And scare tape has to be moved weekly else they get used to it.

Defoliation was likely "pear slug" common on cherry, pear and roses here

I am in W. Washington and grow 200 varieties of apples (2000 trees)15 varieties of blueberries (1500 ), 15 varieties plums 15 var grapes 15 var cherries 15 var pears 15 var brambles, 15 ribes tribe, a few kiwi, elderberry, aronia and autumn olive, half dozen of diospyros, ficus, and cranberry, barberry and tomatoes too. I propagate all that I succeed -with least input. 7 acres Skipley Farm and Nursery is a place of education, as pickyourown, tasting events. We put it all together as Borealis Landscape & Design to bring you the finest edible landscape as Permaculture intended. Design and consult -winter months