Good Fruit Grower

May 15

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www.goodfruit.com GOOD FRUIT GROWER MAY 15, 2015 23 Montana, can be in markets in Italy, Germany, England, or China within a day. Washington growers have, by and large, much larger orchards than Herring, and Glacier Fresh, at 55 acres, is much larger than most around Flathead Lake. In that way, Herring feels comfortable among the Canadian growers, who are usually smaller as well. Making money on a small acreage, he said, requires attention to the kind of detail that can put fruit into pre- mium markets. Part of the task is careful pruning and thinning to get large, sweet cherries. What about small cherries? Last year, Herring said, he was able to sell 100,000 pounds of small cherries to a local distillery that makes cherry brandy. Buyers aren't much interested in Lamberts, he's found. He thinks a Canadian variety called Kootenay, which was discovered in Creston, British Columbia, is promis- ing. He planted some in 2010. It's as late as Sweetheart, but the fruit is larger. It is firm with a high sugar content and has a long, green stem. The variety has not been pop- ular in Washington because it doesn't tolerate intense heat, but he thinks it could be a good fit for Montana. Late-season prices Dale Nelson, the past president of the Flathead Lake association, manages a new orchard of Sweetheart cher- ries on a farm owned by Dale Webster. The orchard was designed with advice from Monson field personnel. "We tore out an old Lambert orchard, fenced the area to keep out deer, elk, and sometimes bear, and planted the high density orchard with trees seven feet apart and rows 14 feet," he said. "We kept the trees cool until planting, installed trickle irrigation, gave them fertilizer from day one, and began pruning right away to develop a two-leader tree," he explained. "We have this orchard on the latest growing site in North America. We think we'll harvest August 20 to 25. We've seen the price of cherries go up $1 a pound in the week after the season ends. A dozen growers here are trying to harvest in that season." • COURTESY KEN EDGINGTON AND PAT MCGLYNN With a view like this over Flathead Lake, sweet cherry orchard land is prime for conversion into housing sites, something that good markets and good cherry prices keep in check.

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