Harvesting a cherry tree?

I apparently have many fruit trees in my backyard. One apple tree, two cherry trees, and two trees producing something that looks like blackberries, but they're trees, not bushes.

The cherries are ridiculously nice, way better than anything i see at the grocery stores here.

Problem: these trees have not been pruned and are probably near 40 feet tall. I can easily only get to about 1/8th of the cherries at best. The best looking cherries and in the largest quantity are at the top of the trees.

Any safe-ish/inexpensive ideas? There are huge amounts of cherries on these trees.

Also: open invitation to GRMers that want some to come get some.

Also also: what do i do with them?

Your big bush is probably a mullberry.

And all I can say is cherry wine is delicious for an after dinner desert

Cherry pie!!

Do you have access to a friends truck with a boom, like an old telephone truck or similar?

In reply to Grtechguy:

It's a legit tree. Probably 4-6" diameter, not real bush-y. I can post pics tomorrow.

Gimme recipe for cherry wine. Was also thinking about cherry crisp, like apple crisp, but cherries.

Maybe fresh cherries and a simple sauce to put on ice cream?

Kia_Racer wrote: Cherry pie!! Do you have access to a friends truck with a boom, like an old telephone truck or similar?

No, thought about renting something though. But... I only have a small freezer. There's probably 50-100lbs of cherries on these. If not more.

Lay down a bunch of tarps around the tree, then shake the ever loving piss out of it, then just collect the fruit. Not sure what to use to shake the tree, you could just run the lawn mower into the tree repeatedly. lol

Swank Force One wrote: In reply to Grtechguy: It's a legit tree. Probably 4-6" diameter, not real bush-y. I can post pics tomorrow.

It may well be a mulberry, they can get pretty big. About the only thing they're good for is the birds like to eat the berries, and then deposit purple poop on everything in sight.

As a youngster I picked cherries in upstate NY. Ladder and nail apron, they are doing amazing things with cherries in moonshine these days

Real grenadine (also the basis for.maraschino cherries) is made from pomegranate. Combine that with said cherries, can, have the bombest old.fashioneds on the face of the earth.

Cherries aren't cheap. Find a local farmers market and sell them by the pound. Hell they're probably organic too.

I know some people up north who have an orchard on their property. They hire a contractor to harvest. They never turn a profit.

For this year, you are stuck. But prune the crap out of it to make it more manageable. Seems like cherry trees are like other fruit plants- only the new growth gets fruit. So you need to move that new growth down to a more manageable height. Fruit plants NEED pruned.

For sources of how and how much- do two sources- check a lot of sources on line AND check the local ag extension (they likely have a web page, too). The first will give you some good generalities for pruning, including aggressive pruning, the second will address issues that can be local to your area. It's more likely the former will provide more information, but your tax dollars go to ag research for local info- so you should use it.

As for what to do with them? I wish I had that problem.

But I'll deal with the peach and plum tree that I'm finally getting stuff from.

Swank, Here is an easy Cherry Wine DIY http://paul.graysonfamily.org/thoughts/cherrywine/

Does this look like your tree?

If so...Jam

Our problem is that our peach trees grow too well and we have to actively prune half of the peaches or the weight is just too much for the tree and it breaks during storms.

As for harvesting ideas, you could try what my uncle did: get blind drunk and crash your pickup into your tree.

In reply to Grtechguy:

That is my tree.

I had some back holler hooch made with that tree once. That was almost 15 years ago and I still don't know what happened.

t25torx wrote: Lay down a bunch of tarps around the tree, then shake the ever loving piss out of it, then just collect the fruit. Not sure what to use to shake the tree, you could just run the lawn mower into the tree repeatedly. lol

I suggest finding a V8 vehicle, bring over a group of friends, add a good amount of beer... I am sure you will work something out.

Oh..and definitely videotape it.

I do have 2 jeeps... 8.0 litres of straight 12 Murica power, 8 wheels driven, put them both in 4 lo?

Swank Force One wrote: I do have 2 jeeps... 8.0 litres of straight 12 Murica power, 8 wheels driven, put them both in 4 lo?

Brilliant!

In my experience harvesting a cherry tree is not an issue/

Cause the motherberkeleying crows know to the second when to arrive and strip it bare!

But in case you are not a crow, there is actually an art to it. Who knew?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1R9YaiTKbQ