Glass cherries include various types of sour cherries. Here you will find tips about the glass cherry tree - from the differences to cherries, the selection of varieties and the care of the glass cherry tree to harvesting and using the fruit.
The little-known glass cherry (Prunus cerasus var. cerasus) is a subspecies of the sour cherry and is characterized by its colourless, almost glassy texture , pulp out. Here you can find out how to optimally care for the glass cherry tree, what different varieties there are, what distinguishes the glass cherry from other sour cherries and much more.
Glass cherry: A short profile
What are glass cherries? The glass cherry is a cross between sweet cherry (Prunus avium) and sour cherry (Prunus cerasus) - most people are familiar with these species . In Bavaria and Austria, the glass cherry is also known as a sour cherry. However, this name denotes tart cherries in general. The more well-known siblings of the glass cherry include the tree sour cherry varieties of the sweet Vistula and the bush sour cherry varieties of the morella. The glass cherry was originally native to the Caucasus, but was then introduced around 60 BC. It was brought to Italy by the Romans and from there to Germany.
The glass cherry tree quickly grows to a meter tall, and in old age it even grows up to ten meters. It forms juicy green, oval leaves that taper to a point at the end. The tree crown appears large and globular. The glass cherries themselves are almost completely round and, depending on the variety, have a diameter of up to two centimetres. Their skin is light red in color, while the flesh is almost colorless, but can also take on a delicate red hue. As with all types of cherry, there is a round stone core in the middle of the fruit. Early-blooming glass cherry varieties develop their splendor as early as April, while later varieties only develop in May. Depending on the variety, the ripe glass cherries can be harvested over a period of several weeks in June and July.
Glass cherries and cherries: the main differences
Typicallyonly the bright to dark red, thick sweet cherries are known, but glass cherries look completely different: They are lighter, smaller and have a cloudy, transparent flesh. As already mentioned, the glass cherry is a hybrid of sour and sweet cherries. The ingredients are similar to those of sweet cherries. Sour cherries are characterized by a higher proportion of fruit acid. There are some significant differences between glass cherries and the other tree tart cherries, morelle and sweet cherries. The acidity levels of the morella are highest, while the glass cherries have a less acidic taste. In comparison, the sweet sour cherry takes on a sweet and sour taste. Morelle and sweet cherries have a red to deep red coloration of the skin and flesh, while glass cherries are much lighter to glassy. In addition, the flesh of glass cherries is firmer than that of other sour cherries. The juice of the glass cherry is also almost colorless. Like sour cherries, glass cherries bear fruit on the one-year-old canes and tend to form long, bare and worn lashes.
The varieties of the glass cherry
In contrast to other types of sour cherries, the glass cherry is hardly ever cultivated, and commercial cultivation does not take place at all. Unfortunately, the light color is often interpreted as unripe, which is why the deep red varieties in particular were able to assert themselves. Some glass cherry varieties are still more popular:
- The 'Diemitzer Amarelle', also known as 'Ludwigs Frühe', has a mildly sour but intensely distinctive aroma. She originally comes from the Middle Rhine.
- The 'Spanish glass cherry' is an old, rare variety and is a hybrid of sweet and sour cherries. Their aroma is therefore also sweet and sour, but differs from that of sweet sour cherry.
- The 'Werdersche Glaskirsche' is characterized by its juicy flesh and a slightly sour aroma. Their red juice, which is not typical for glass cherries, is special.
Care of Glass Cherry Trees
If a new cherry tree is planted, we recommend using a soil activator such as the Plantura organic soil activator. This improves all soil life in the immediate vicinity of the tree, loosens the soil structure and promotes a symbiosis with mycorrhizal fungi. Mycorrhiza are beneficial fungi that help plants absorb nutrients and in turn are allowed to live under the protection of the roots. Is theGlass cherry tree older, organic fertilization should be carried out regularly. This serves to preserve the nutrient reserves in the soil and promotes the build-up of soil humus reserves. A tomato fertilizer such as the Plantura organic tomato fertilizer is suitable for this. This is characterized by a high potassium content and meets the needs of the cherry trees. Other organic fertilizers such as compost or manure can also be used. These should be worked into the soil in spring so that they can develop their effect. In this article we explain how to fertilize cherry trees properly.
Tip: Like almost all cherries, glass cherries are cross-pollinators. So they only bear plentifully if another cherry can be reached as a pollinator within flight distance of the pollinating insects.
The further maintenance effort is limited. However, pruning should be done annually to direct growth and produce fruiting wood. This leads to good yields in the following year and prepares the trees for winter. The ideal time to prune a glass cherry tree is November to March. The cherry is generally one of the fastest growing fruit trees, but glass cherries grow less vigorously than sweet cherry varieties. The aim of the cut is to achieve a loose crown that also allows light to reach the inner areas. In addition, the pruning must result in the production of new annual fruiting wood. This is important, because otherwise the fruit growth threatens to migrate further and further into the outer areas, which makes harvesting more difficult and causes the tree to become more and more sprawling. Since glass cherries mainly grow on one-year-old branches, the older branches must be removed. In order to obtain a loose crown, side shoots and strong branches should be cut off. It is not uncommon for glass cherries to develop so-called whip shoots. These are long, drooping shoots that only have leaves at the bottom and rarely fruit. However, this can easily be prevented with regular and professional pruning.
Tip: Glass cherries are cut like sour cherries. In our special article on pruning cherry trees you will find everything you need to know about pruning cherry trees as well as valuable expert tips.
Glass cherries: harvest, storage and use
Harvesting glass cherries is just as easy as harvesting other types of cherries: you only need a sturdy ladder and a bucket. The cherries should thenbe picked individually to avoid damage from bruises. Harvesting time depends on the variety and usually takes a few weeks, since not all cherries are ripe at the same time.
If the glass cherries are stored in the refrigerator, they stay fresh for up to five days. At room temperature, the shelf life is reduced accordingly. If there is no space in the fridge, a cool place like the basement is also a good choice. When storing, you should pay attention to the size of the container, as small containers can cause pressure points that quickly begin to rot.
All sour cherries can be used in much the same way: Eaten raw and fresh from the tree or processed into jam or cake. If the harvest exceeds hunger, glass cherries can also be canned without any problems and stored for a later date. You can also get delicious cherry juice from the particularly juicy varieties. The glass cherry is extremely tasty as a fruity addition to a tiramisu, as it rounds off the dessert perfectly with its slight acidity.
Glass Cherry Tree: Common Diseases and Pests
Glass cherry trees, like other cherry tree species, can suffer from diseases and pests. Bacterial blight, a bacterial disease of the bark, is widespread and cannot be fought. However, an airy cut that allows the branches to dry off quickly after the rain can prevent this.
Monilia tip drought or fruit rot can also be problematic. This can usually be combated by vigorously pruning the affected parts of the plant down to the he althy wood. Affected fruits must be collected and disposed of, otherwise they allow the fungus to easily hibernate.
The fungal diseases shotgun disease and spray spot disease are particularly aggressive. On the other hand, removing the leaves helps preventively, since the fungus overwinters there, as well as good care and annual pruning of the tree. Fungicides should only be used in emergencies and under professional supervision.
Birds are the primary animal pests of glass cherries, as they can cause great damage by stealing cherries and pecking at unripe fruit.
Another pest is the cherry aphid, which in extreme infestations can be affected by the use of beneficial insects, such as ladybird larvae, can be controlled. It usually gets good naturallyRegulated, a natural garden design helps preventively.
The small winter moth is a species of butterfly whose caterpillars eat leaves and thus damage the tree. The caterpillars can be easily deterred by a glue ring on the trunk of the glass cherry tree. In the case of an intensive infestation, a bee-friendly caterpillar repellent is a good way to combat it. Our Zünslerfrei XenTari®, for example, can be used in an environmentally friendly manner, which not only acts against the larvae of the box tree moth, but also against other harmful caterpillars.
In order to combat the more stubborn cherry fruit flies and cherry vinegar flies, infested cherries must be removed and disposed of as quickly as possible. So you can not only harvest what you want to eat, but also maggot cherries. In addition, a fine-mesh cherry fly net can be stretched. A tarpaulin spread out is also useful to catch falling cherries. This prevents the pupae from overwintering in the ground and makes an infestation less likely next year. As an alternative to a tarpaulin, if you like something a little more unusual, you can also keep chickens under the cherry tree, which eat the cherries along with the pupae and fruit flies. Another way to control the cherry fruit fly is to use nematodes, as we describe in our article on nematodes to control pests.
We all know the cherry as a tasty little fruit from our childhood, but where does the cherry originally come from? You can find an answer here.