Cherry Varieties
| Origin: | P. Matthews, John Innes Institute, Hertford, Norwich, U.K. |
| Fruit size: | Medium to large for season. |
| Shape: | Rounded heart-shape. |
| Skin: | Attractive dark red. Shiny. |
| Flesh: | Red. Moderate firmness, juicy. Handles well. |
| Flavour: | Excellent, sweet well-balanced flavour. |
| Blossom: | Mid-season. |
| Pollination: | Possibly ‘Stella’, ‘Ron’s Seedling’ |
| Cropping: | Good. Consistent. Uneven maturity. Fruit hangs on tree well which increases fruit size, improves flavour and lessens the problem of uneven maturity. |
| Tree habit: | Spreading, upright. Vigorous with good branching. |
| Maturity: | Estimated -18 days 'Bing'. |
| Comments: | Proven to be an attractive, reliable cultivar with good size and flavour. Best for eating fresh. |
| Origin: | T.K. Toyama, Irrigated Research and Extension Centre, Washington State University, Prosser, Washington, U.S.A. |
| Fruit size: | Medium for season. |
| Shape: | Rounded to heart-shape. |
| Skin: | Dark red to mahogany. Glossy. Susceptible to cracking. |
| Flesh: | Dark red. Firm, juicy. |
| Flavour: | Good, sweet. |
| Blossom: | Mid-season. Possibly with ‘Chelan’, ‘Bing’, ‘Van’, ‘Early Burlat’, ‘Merchant |
| Pollination: | Self-fertile. |
| Cropping: | Light to Medium. |
| Tree habit: | Vigorous. Upright, spreading. |
| Maturity: | Estimated -4 days 'Bing'. |
| Comments: | A self-fertile cherry with an attractive appearance and a very good flavour. New to Australia. Best for eating fresh. |
| Origin: | S. Lewelling, Oregon, U.S.A. 1875 |
| Fruit size: | Medium to large depending on seasonal conditions. |
| Shape: | Heart-shaped. |
| Skin: | Dark red with an attractive lustre. Susceptible to cracking in some conditions. |
| Flesh: | Juicy. Firm red flesh and red juice. |
| Flavour: | Sweet. |
| Blossom: | Mid-season. |
| Pollination: | ‘Stella’, ‘Early Burlat’, ‘Van’, ‘Chelan’. |
| Cropping: | Moderate. |
| Tree habit: | Upright, spreading. Vigorous. |
| Maturity: | Bing is used as the guide for all cherries in Australia. Mid-season. |
| Comments: | The main cultivar grown in the U.S.A., 'Bing' has proven to be an excellent, firm, sweet cherry in areas suited to its production in Australia. |
| Origin: | Agriculture Canada, Summerland Research Station, Summerland, Canada. 1968. |
| Fruit size: | Medium to large for season. |
| Shape: | Heart-shaped. |
| Skin: | Red to dark red. Loses its sheen when over-mature. Susceptible to cracking, which is minimised with heavy cropping. Can soften quickly after harvest, requires good management. |
| Flesh: | Dark red flesh. Moderately firm, medium-coarse texture. |
| Flavour: | Good. |
| Blossom: | Mid-season. |
| Pollination: | Self-fertile. Universal pollen donor. |
| Cropping: | Precocious. In some areas young trees tend to self-thin. Mature trees produce large crops in heavy clusters. |
| Tree habit: | Very vigorous. Upright and spreading. |
| Maturity: | Estimated -3 days 'Bing'. |
| Comments: | One of the first commercial self-fertile cherries bred. A reliable performer, proven over a number of years. Very attractive fruit. Great for pick your own cherries due to heavy cropping. |
| Fruit size: | Large |
| Shape: | Heart-shaped. |
| Skin: | Red to dark red. Loses its sheen when over-mature. Susceptible to cracking. |
| Flesh: | Dark red flesh. |
| Flavour: | Excellent Sweet Flavour. |
| Blossom: | Mid-season. |
| Pollination: | Self-pollinatin |
| Cropping: | Precocious and heavy bearing. Trees produce large crops in heavy clusters. Tends to have short fruit stems. |
| Tree habit: | Tree grows to approximately 4 x 4 metres. |
| Maturity: | Estimated same as 'Bing'. Mid-to late season. |
| Comments: | Used for fresh fruit, jam and preserving. |
The Orchard
The orchard was the first part of the property to be developed with a planting of the original 40 Cherry trees in 2003. Apart from a fence breach by the cattle all of the trees survived and have flourished. The following year the orchard was expanded to it full size of 250 Cherry Trees and 50 more of various varieties of stone fruit and nuts. All tress are irrigated and when fruit is ripening, not irrigated which allow us to control the sweetness and intensity of flavour we aim to achieve. The orchard is completely covered by a permanent 4 metre high bird and hail net which covers the 1.5 acres.
We try to avoid using chemicals through the orchard, however when controlling pest we chose organic methods over others.
The orchard consists of:
- Starkrimson Cherries
- Bing Cherries
- Stella Cherries
- Merchant Cherries
- Index Cherries
- May Grand Nectarines
- Arctic Rose Nectarines
- Santa Rosa Plums
- Mariposa Plums
- Moorebank Apricots
- Castleton Apricots
- Rich Lady Peaches
- Spring Treat Peaches
- All In One Almonds
- American White Hazelnuts
- Cosford Hazelnuts
- Wilson Wondering Walnuts
- Wonderful Pomegranates
