Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/128999
Photo courtest of dave wilson nursery California cherry grower Jeff Colombini says that Coral Champagne tastes good, is productive, and sizes well, but is more susceptible to bacterial canker than any other culitvar. Variety creates FIZZ in California Bacterial canker susceptibility is the biggest negative. by Melissa Hansen C oral Champagne has done well in both north and south regions of California, likely a key reason for its growing popularity, orchardists say. "Growers in the south like it because it doesn't spur and double much," said Jeff Colombini, a cherry grower from Stockton, California who also runs a farm management company called Lodi Farming, Inc. "In the north, we like Coral Champagne because it's earlier than Bing, is more rain cracking resistant than Bing, and the variety is very productive." Coral Champagne sizes well if the crop load is managed, but he warned against planting it on dwarfing rootstocks. "It's very productive, so don't put it on Gisela 5 or 6," he said, adding that G. 5 and 6 are also more prone to bacterial canker than other rootstocks. "Even on Mahaleb, you can overcrop it if you're not careful." But when planted on Mazzard rootstock, Colombini said it produces a nice crop, and with summer pruning and tight spacing, growers can contain the large Mazzard tree size. Pollenizers that work well with Coral Champagne include Bing, Tulare, and Brooks. Fruit is firm, but can become soft if picked past peak maturity. "You don't want to pick it at mahogany stage or it will get soft," he said. "But it stays firm if picked at red color. " Colombini added that the fruit is very sweet and lower in acid than Bing. "Asians love the low-acid cherries. It's not as low as Brooks, but not as high as Bing and does well in exports to Asian countries." Coral Champagne cherries are distinctive in shape, said nursery tree broker Henry Sanguinetti from Sacramento, California. "They have a blocky shape that stands out compared to other varieties when holding a handful of fruit." Fruit color is dark red, though not as dark as Bing and stems tend to be short, which can loosen during handling. In warm regions, like the southern San Joaquin Valley, the variety doesn't spur and cause fruit doubles as badly as Brooks, though it's not as clean a variety as Tulare, Sanguinetti said. Another plus is the variety's timing, maturing between Chelan and Bing. In the Stockton area, Chelan ripens around mid-May and Bing around the last week of May. "But Coral Champagne has one really enduring quality—that of taste," Sanguinetti said. "It's very good tasting if you let it color." However, no fruit variety is perfect, including Coral Champagne. Its biggest weakness is extreme susceptibility to bacterial canker. "Coral Champagne seems to be one of the worst when it comes to bacterial canker," he said. "Even if you avoid pruning in winter, there's so much inoculant around in some areas that it's still a problem." Colombini added that growers should be especially diligent in the early years of establishing Coral Champagne orchards and have an aggressive bacterial canker control program in place. "Winter pruning should be avoided and growers should consider putting copper sprays on until the trees are several years old. Once trees are established, bacterial canker is not as great a threat, but you still need to avoid winter pruning." • 30 May 15, 2013 GOOD FRUIT GROWER www.goodfruit.com