Single hen

[Guest]

We planted a cherry tree last year in our back garden, and actually managed to get a couple of the cherries before the birds decended and ate them all.

 

This year, the tree is absolutely laden with cherries, but we are going to be away when the cherries turn red, and the birds are going to get them all.

 

Can we pick them now, while they are still turning, and store them, or will they not ripen once they are picked?

[Ms Cluck]

hi

 

if the tree is not too big and you have some garden fleece - could you drape that over till you get back. The fleece lets the rain and light thru so they should still ripen

 

Lyn

[Boris70]

I know what you mean. We planted a tree a tree last year, and got zero cherries from it.

 

This year we actually had about 30 cherries on it - which we were on holiday for - so the brids had a nice tasty feast

[Lindy Loo]

We have a cherry tree which we netted this year to keep the birds off. it is quite small so it was easy to do. One Friday afternoon, just before leaping in the car to go away for the weekend I noticed the cherries were ripening nicely. Ah ha, I thought - on Sunday I will pick these but alas when we got home on Sunday the tree had been stripped bare! Conversely, my brother has a cherry tree in his garden. Both the tree and the garden thrive on neglect and he gets bucket loads of cherries from it - the birds don't seem to bother. Is there no justice in the world?

Good luck with the cherries Chookiehen!

[Mel (& Paul)]

We have a morrello cherry tree.

It has lots of cherries on it.

Apparently they are quite sharpe so you need to cook them with sugar and alcohol and they make a great compote.

I wouldnt know

The birds eat them the second they go ripe (and Charlie eats every one that falls to the ground, whether they are ripe or not )