# Any one growing Nanking bush cherry?



## margo (May 29, 2002)

I see in the seed catalogues among the fruiting shrub items advertising for bush cherries. We are looking for fruit producing varieties including berry bushes to supplement apple, peach, and grape vines we have.

Looking to hear from anyone who grows and harvests from them. What do you think of the flavor and are they easy keepers? (grow well without undue care)
May order some starts based on opinions here if they kinda sorta resemble actual sour cherries.
thanks


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## KimTN (Jan 16, 2007)

I have a whole row of them. The birds just love them and totally strip the bushes. I guess I could put a net over the bushes, but I really don't want to get into that. I guess the birds will just have them.


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## Melissa (Apr 15, 2002)

I have them. The seed is fairly large in relation to the fruit part. I juice them and use them for sour cherry jam. They are tasty enough to eat plain, but they are tart, not too sweet. The main plant seems to last about 5-6 years and then it dies off. However they seed themselves all over the place, so I just move them where I want them.


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## rags57078 (Jun 11, 2011)

I am ordering these
http://www.farmerseed.com/detail.asp?pid=5543&nav=fan


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Bought 3 a couple years ago, had my first harvest last year. Japanese beetles LOVE LOVE LOVE the leaves. The longer the fruit stays on the plants the sweeter they get. I ate as much as I could stand fresh. Don't know what happened to the fruit that I didn't harvest since I couldn't get to the bushes easily. I assume the birds got them. But the mulberries were ripe at the same time and the birds do prefer the mulberries.


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## Oldcountryboy (Feb 23, 2008)

Melissa said:


> I have them. The seed is fairly large in relation to the fruit part. I juice them and use them for sour cherry jam. They are tasty enough to eat plain, but they are tart, not too sweet. The main plant seems to last about 5-6 years and then it dies off. However they seed themselves all over the place, so I just move them where I want them.


Ditto! I've had several on he place for several years and we love them and sell quit a few when we get a good spring. Seems about every other year we get a late freeze or like last summer the heat and drought done them in. But when they do hve berries on them, we love them and make several jars of jelly or jam with them.


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## Sanza (Sep 8, 2008)

My nanking cherry bushes are at least 20 years old and produce prolifically if they don't get a late frost. I've picked gallons off of 2 bushes each year and it makes great jelly. The only problem I have had is with wasps so now I've taken to hanging fake wasp nests on the bushes to keep them away. The birds here don't seem to go after them because they're filling up on the saskatoons 
I don't do anything to them except the occasional pruning of low branches. If someone comes to pick for themselves they rave about how large the cherries are.


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## Jan in CO (May 10, 2002)

I have them too, but in my dry area, they don't produce tons of fruit and the bushes themselves are about 18 to 24 inches tall after being in for years. As Melissa said, they are mostly pit, but at least it's something! I cooked, then put through a food mill and canned the result for pie filling or jam.


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

We have both, bush cherries and trees.

The bushes are subject to bird activity, but seem to be close enough to the house and walkway that they're generally not bothered. We eat them as they ripen, due to the large seed and the pleasant flavor.

We use out bigger cherries from the trees for canning, pies, wine, etc.


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## unregistered65598 (Oct 4, 2010)

rags57078 said:


> I am ordering these
> http://www.farmerseed.com/detail.asp?pid=5543&nav=fan


oh I am going to order some of those. They sound good and will grow in my zone.


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## Melissa (Apr 15, 2002)

Sanza said:


> My nanking cherry bushes are at least 20 years old and produce prolifically if they don't get a late frost. I've picked gallons off of 2 bushes each year and it makes great jelly. The only problem I have had is with wasps so now I've taken to hanging fake wasp nests on the bushes to keep them away. The birds here don't seem to go after them because they're filling up on the saskatoons
> I don't do anything to them except the occasional pruning of low branches. If someone comes to pick for themselves they rave about how large the cherries are.


I wonder what the trick is to make them last that long. Mine just seem to die out over a winter. Do you mulch them? I have plenty since they seed, but it would be nice to have them stay alive longer.


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## ldc (Oct 11, 2006)

Melissa, Sanza's in saskatoon...maybe the bushes need more winter cold, or consistant cold? We can't grow them here!


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## kasilofhome (Feb 10, 2005)

Saskatoon is a berry bush. Aka Service Berry


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## Sanza (Sep 8, 2008)

Lol I'm in Alberta, which is about a 5 hour drive from Saskatoon (Saskatchewan)
While we do get a longer winter period we do not get colder then your northern states, in fact we're in the mountain shadow so we get less snow and warmer temps.
Melissa your problem could be the location your nankings are in....they seem to do great if they are close to larger trees that act as windbreaks. Your yard also has little micro climates that can make a big difference to fruit bearing trees and shrubs because of the damaging winds and late frosts. Could they be getting killed off in the spring? 
My plum trees which are standing alone in an open area and get no shelter from late frosts or spring winds very rarely bear fruit, while other fruit trees just 20 ft away (close by larger trees) bear prolifically.
Ask for tips at your local Ag office for the best spots for planting them.


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