In 2012, our family purchased 17 acres of old cherry trees on land that needed quite a bit of love. Over that Winter, we pulled out all the old trees (they were producing hardly any cherries) and let the land lay dormant while we cleaned and enriched the soil. Then in early Spring of 2013, we planted 15 acres in all new baby cherry trees. Here are a few photos of the trees in 2013.
New baby cherry trees take awhile to get to the point where they are producing a steady crop. We had our inaugural opening in May of 2016. Four years of loving, and we have 15 acres of cherry goodness. Below are several photos taken during May 2016.
Our U-Pick cherry orchard is unique because we have not just one or two types of cherries, but many. At the Walnut Boulevard location, we grow five different varieties that mature over a period of several weeks. We are Harvest Time member #25.
The cherry varieties are:
- Chelan
- Brooks
- Coral Champagne
- Lapin
- Sweetheart
The harvest season for cherries is generally a short one. Our cherries ripen beginning in May sometime (every year is a little different), and last only 3 to 5 weeks.