INLAND EMPIRE CHAPTER CRFG
JUNE 2012 NEWS BULLETIN
May Meeting
*Another excellent article and photos submitted by Helen Hibbing!
Cherries by Steven Murray
Steven Murray gave an excellent presentation on cherries in addition to delighting our taste buds with a generous amount
of fresh cherries to sample and to take home. Steven Murray's family grows cherries and other crops as Murray Family
Farms in Bakersfield, California, established in 1983. Murray Family Farms follow sustainable business practice such as
staying local - growing what they sell; biodynamic farming; organic where it is feasible; no pesticide residues on fruit; drip
irrigation; fair pay; live and raise family on the farm; and sell direct to the public. Steven explained there are two types of
cherries, and each is harvested differently. Prunus avium or the sweet cherry is harvested for the fresh market and are
almost exclusively hand harvested. Prunus cerasus or the pie or sour cherry are used in pastries and canned goods. Pie
cherries are mechanically harvested and are mainly grown in Michigan and the Great Lakes area.
Storage
The goal is to hydro cool cherries within two hours of picking before trucking them to the packing house. Japan requires
fumigation of all cherries. Cherries destined to Japan are usually volume filled into five kilo boxes after being sorted at the
packing house. More than a million boxes of cherries are supplied from California to Japan utilizing surplus luggage space
on commercial airlines and airfreight. Cherries are sent cooled all over the world and can arrive at their destination within
three days of picking. (Source: Bob Punta, Prima Frutta Packing House).
Shelf Life
The key to extending cherry shelf life is removing the heat from the fruit as soon as possible after harvest and
maintaining the cold chain. Some cherry varieties held in cold storage start to develop pits that are called "stem pitting,"
which is the result of cellular breakdown. For longer transportation, cherries are bagged and/or stored in controlled
atmosphere to reduce oxidation.
Fresh cherries should be clean, bright, shiny, and plump with no blemishes. Sweet cherries should have firm but not hard
flesh. Consumers should avoid cherries with cuts, bruises, or stale, dry stems. Stemmed cherries are less expensive, but
cherries with stems intact have a longer shelf life, and the stem can be used to grade its quality. Look for fresh looking
green stems that are still attached to the cherry flesh. Stems are judged by color, thickness, and level of attachment to
the cherry.
Food Safety
Most orchards will be Global Gap certified by 2012 in order to meet stringent phytosanitary requirements. Packers and
growers are required to pass third party audits from approved certifying organizations. Inspectors look for food safety
issues including: workers' sanitation, farming practices, use of manure and compost, and water quality. Cherries grown by
Murray Family Farms will be certified through GlobalGap for export and the remainder of their crops through Primus
Labs.
Global Gap inspects pesticide spray records, storage, and spray rig calibrations, and monitors water quality and workers'
sanitation. Farm workers are not allowed to eat in the field and are required to wash hands after smoking, eating, or
using restrooms. Meticulous record keeping is necessary on all food safety risk.
Health Benefits
Seven cherries have the equivalent anti-inflammatory effect of one aspirin and are frequently recommended as a
treatment for gout. Cherries are high in antioxidants including lycopene, which is proven to reduce the risk of vascular
diseases and some types of cancer. Cherries are low in fat and high in fiber and have high nutritional values. Cherries are
high in sugar and are not recommended for diabetics to eat in large quantities.
Cherry Varieties
Sequoia or GlenRed
The Sequoia or GlenRed cherry is from the breeding program of Glen Bradford. The fruit is large, less likely to spur or
double and does not crack in the rain. It has a high pack out and is a good variety.
Brooks
The Brooks cherry is harvested when it is pink to dark red. It is owned by the University of California. It matures 7 to 10
days ahead of Bing and is much larger and sweeter than Bing. The Brooks is the most desired export cherry and receives
a premium due to large size and flavor.
Tulare
Vitale Trees owns the Tulare cherry variety. It is large, dark red to burgundy and matures 7 days ahead of the Bing. It is
sweet, firm, ships well, resists rain cracking, and has very little doubling or spurring. Tulare cherries have a high pack
out due to the lack of rain cracking, spurs, and doubles. This cherry variety is currently a dominant variety in Kern
County.
Champion Corral or "Corral"
The Champion Corral or "Corral" is a large dark red cherry that was developed by the University of California. It is not
approved for export to Japan. It ships well, is moderately rain tolerant, and is a heavy yielder. It is also used as a
pollinator for Brook cherries.Currently, the Champion Corral is the most planted variety of cherry in California.
Flavor Giant
The Flavor Giant is a small, firm, dark red cherry that is used for pollination. Its dark appearance makes it popular at
farmers markets. It has one of the highest yields per plant of any cherry but has smaller fruit. The fruit would be a good
candidate for use in cherry-based juice and wines. It is a good pollinator with very high yields.
Pie Cherries
The Montmorency pie cherry is the most planted variety of pie cherry available. It is an old variety with pink color and
used in cooking. The chilling requirement is over 1000 hours so it is much more likely to be seen in Michigan than in
Southern California.
Southern California Cherry Varieties
Minnie royal
The Minnie Royal cherry is a medium sized red cherry with a long stem, good flavor and a low chill requirement of 200 to
300 chill hours. The tree is very productive and ripens 11 to 14 days ahead of Bing. It is pollinated by Royal Lee. Patent
number 12942 (Zaiger).
Royal Lee
The Royal Lee cherry is a medium-large firm red heart-shaped cherry with a short stem. It has good flavor with high
acidity. The tree is productive with a low chill requirement of 200 to 300 chill hours. It is pollinated by Minnie Royal.
Patent number 12472 (Zaiger).
Royal Kay
The Royal Kay is currently the earliest marketable red sweet cherry. Its fruit are large and sweet but do not have the
firmness of the Brooks. It is harvested 7 days ahead of any other cherry. It is possible that cultural practices and the
application of gibberellic acid may increase firmness and make the fruit more marketable. The Royal Kay are a main focus
of study due to their early fruiting ability.
Royal Rainier
The Royal Rainier was developed in California and ripens 7 to 10 days earlier than the Rainier. The fruit is sweeter but
has a thin long stem that may dry in storage. Royal Rainiers are very sweet with high acidity and are among the best
flavored cherries but appear virtually identical to the Rainier.
Older Varieties
Rainier
The Rainier cherry was developed in Washington state. It is characterized by its golden yellow color with red blush. The
fruit is very large but requires a longer growing season for optimal sweetness. In Southern California, this plant will
produce beautiful fruit, but if it is not picked late and if it does not get hot enough, the fruit will not be sweet. This
cultivar along with the Royal Rainier bruises easily and must be picked with extra care not to damage the fruit. The fruit
are grown in Kern county. They are similar to the Royal Anne or the Republican yellow cherries.
Bing
The Bing cherry is the industry standard for the last 100 years and is still the main variety of cherry grown internationally.
Originally from a seedling tree found in the backyard of a Chinese immigrant in Washington State, this variety is the main
variety grown from Merced north, where they use the slogan, "Bing is King." Trees generally need more than 1000 chill
hours and will not produce economically viable crops in Kern County. This variety does not do well in Southern California.
Most cherry varieties are bred to look like a Bing cherry.
Lambert
The Lambert cherry was created in 1875 by Joseph Hamilton Lambert when he grafted a Napoleon cherry to a May Duke
rootstock, and the crown died and created an entirely different plant. The tree produces a cherry that is large, richly
colorful, flavorful, and has a small pit. It can be eaten fresh, used in cooking, making sauces, and to sweeten desserts
and salads. In Kern County the Lambert cherry is a smaller later cherry that is prone to spurring.
Risks Associated With Cherry Production
There are many risks associated with cherry production. Cherry yields can be affected by salt burn from excess sodium
and boron, by frost, wind, rain, high or low temperatures and lack of winter chilling. Any one of these factors as well as
labor issues can cause a year to be unprofitable.
Rain
When cherries are rained on between first blush and harvest, they will crack because the fruit will suck in water through
osmosis and swell. The flesh can absorb a lot more water than the skin of the fruit can possibly expand to accommodate.
The cracked fruit are much more susceptible to disease and insect pests. In northern areas, rots can spread because of
cracked fruit but are much less of a problem in Kern County and adjacent areas.
Many methods are in development related to rain damage. There are several oil based waxes sold to growers that can
coat the cherries and decrease water penetration. The problem with them is they can cause marks on the fruit and
change the flavor.
Right after rainstorms pass, one way of dealing with the water in the trees is to employ helicopters to fly right over the
cherry orchards. This is quite expensive, around $750 per helicopter per hour but is much cheaper than losing a whole
crop.
Backyard Troubles
Chilling - Getting enough chill hours
Birds
Birds can cause up to 30% loss of fruit. One bird peck to a fruit makes the fruit fail to meet phytosanitary requirements.
To scare birds away, Murray Family Farms use shiny plastic scarecrows, employ a machine that sounds like a
mockingbird, and/or a propane tank that makes a popping sound like a cannon to scare the birds away.
Sunburn
Overhead Irrigation
Reflective Ground
Pruning
Bowl shaped non-central leader trees with 5 to 6 mains
Dormant Pruning - Between leaf fall in autumn and before the start of buds in Spring
Pollination
Irrigation
- Rain
- Drip Irrigation used by Murray Family Farms:
.5 to 1 gph pressure between 7 to 45 psi. Water in April, May, June, July, August, and September depending on amount
of rain
Fertilizing
These fertilizing methods are used by Murray Family Farms:
-All fertilizing runs through the drip system
-Thiosol, calcium sulfur product. Improves water penetration and strengthens cell walls for firmer fruit. It also helps leach
out salts.
-Can 17, when cold; un-32 when warm
-Test the soil pH and use leaf or tissue analysis to know when to fertilize
-Needs all the necessary macronutrients and micronutrients
70% N
60% P and K
Pest Management
-Weeds and Weed Control
-Examples, Chickweed and Dandelion
-Damage. Will take nutrients and water away from vines
-tillage - 15 to 20 cm
-Herbicides - Glyphosate. Use 10 to 40 gallon water/acre with 1 lb/acre
Cherry Diseases Prevalent in Kern County
1. Bacterial Blast, pseudomonas syringae
2. Buckskin
3. Crown Gall, agrobacterium radiobacter var. tumefaciens
4. Phytophthera
5. Blossom blight
6. Brown rot
7. Almond leaf scortch
8. Powdery mildew
9. Root knot nematode
10. Lesion nematode
11. Dagger nematodes
12. Drosophila melanogaster or vinegar fly, Drosophila suzukii or spotted wing
drosophila (See http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/exotic/drosophila.html and http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/G/I-HOGATR-AD.001.html ) Steven states there are no organic cherries because of these pests. He said this is a reason to use
malathion.
Cherry-like Fruit
Cornelian Cherry (Dogwood Family)
Cornelian cherries, also called cornus mas, are native to Eastern Europe and are not common in the United States.
Varieties include red fruit, yellow fruit, and one that has green and white variegated leaves with red fruit.
Elaeagnus Family
This is a diverse group of interesting fruit that tastes similar to cherries but are smaller. They are in the same genus as
Russian olive. Most can be grown outside with no protection. Steven Murray finds the most tasty species is the goumi
berry (Elaeagnus multiflora). Lingaro (Elaeagnus philippinensis) is another species in the same genus along with autumn
olive (Elaeagnus umbellata).
Acerola Family
Acerola or Barbados cherry (Malpighia glabra) has fruit that is the second highest of all fruit in vitamin C. One fruit
contains the same vitamin C as 10 oranges. See chart, Natural Food - Fruit Vitamin C
Content, http://www.naturalhub.com/natural_food_guide_fruit_vitamin_c.html
Myrtaceae Family
The speaker has a large assortment of fruits from this family, including. Jaboticaba (Myrciaria cauliflora Berg), and
Strawberry guava (Psidium cattleianum).
Eugenias
Cherry of the Rio Grande (Eugenia aggregata), Pitomba (Eugenia luschnathiana), and Surinam Cherry (Eugenia uniflora).
Rosaceae
Rosaceae is one of the largest families that produce fruit. More than 80 percent of commercial fruit species belong to this
family. Chokecherries (Prunus virginiana); Catalina cherry (Prunus lyonii), which is native to California; Prinsepia
(Prinsepia sinensis), a fruit from China.
Plant Sources:
www.burntridgenursery.com
www.ediblelandscaping.com
www.onegreenworld.com
www.raintreenursery.com
Information about Murray Family Farms, tours, calendar of events, and online shopping:
www.murrayfamilyfarms.com
JURUPA MOUNTAINS DISCOVERY CENTER ‘GREEN FAIRE’
First of all, hats off to the volunteers that pitched in and beautified our ‘Citrus Garden’ at JMDC. The area was
absolutely pristine for the Green Faire! And there was no sign that an ancient olive tree had dominated the area in the
past!! Special thanks to Andy Johnson, Edie Cole, Glenn Bauer, Helen Hibbing and Charles Lee for their
meticulous manicuring of the area!
As for the plant sale, given the sluggish economy, we did quite well…$502.00 for the two days! (This money will help us
with chapter operating costs- newsletter copying and mailing, supplies for the tasting table, July BBQ foods, Holiday Party
raffle items, monetary ‘thank yous’ for speakers, etc.) Between the plant donations offered by our members and the
Orange County chapter we had an interesting mix of zone friendly plants, sub-tropicals and tropicals. I honestly believe
we served an objective of CRFG by introducing the public to a variety of rare and unusual plant material!
Thinking back, I’m on the fence as to who I enjoyed more , the volunteers from our chapter or the eager and inquisitive
customers. Also, some of our curious buyers were chapter members!! Thanks for your support!
Now to thank the cast of players! Edie Cole, Andy Johnson, Glenn and Julia Bauer, Charles Lee, Tom Pope,
‘Frenchy’, Jim Barkley, Angie Venegas, Helen Hibbing, Larry Dodson, Lee Johnson and your truly, Sandy
Millar. All helpers were offered a free plant of their choice!!
JUNE MEETING (WE WILL NOT MEET AT JMDC IN JUNE)
June 16 (Saturday) 10am-1pm
Tour of Larry and Martha Dodson's Property 18790 Hermosa St. Riverside 92508
Larry writes:
We moved to our one acre in 1987. Our home is in an area of Woodcrest that was once an orange groove. About 100 of
the original groove trees remain on our plot. I started planting other fruit tree and plants right away, having brought
seedlings and cuttings from our previous home in Rowland Heights. I found out about CRFG from an article describing
Arno Kutzner's backyard orchard in The Press-Enterprise newspaper. I went to the very next meeting and have been a
member ever since. I have around twenty guava plants, most of them seedling with good fruit quality. With varied types,
guavas are ready for picking at least 8 months of the year. Other seedlings that have produced good fruit are my white
sapote, loquats. A pecan that was probably dropped by a passing crow has grown onto a large tree and started producing
two years ago. I have a macadamia tree that our departed CRFG friend John Radich gave me as a small seedling in a
five-gallon pot more than ten years ago. It's blossoming right now for the very first time.
One of my favorite trees is my seedless American persimmon. It's flavor brings back memories of my early years in Fort
Scott, Kansas when we would go out in the fall and pick wild persimmons and paw paw in the countryside. I have a hican
(hickory/pecan cross) that is reaching a good size. If it doesn't produce nuts, I can always use wood from it in my
smoker. That's what I intend to do with branches from the mesquite that I planted from a seed.
Other fruits that I grow include passion fruit, bananas, a few varieties of berries, apricots, plumcots, cherries, peaches,
nectarines, pears, avocados, a variety of citruses, apples, jujubes, pomegranates, jaboticaba, several figs (all from
cuttings), mulberries (also from cuttings), grapes, nopales, goji berries, elderberries, persimmons, ice cream bean, curry
leaf tree, and che (Chinese mulberry). Also plums, pitanga, quince.
Please bring a dish for the ‘Tasting Table’ to Larry’s!!!
Contact Sandy Millar (951)369-9784 or rustlover@gmail.com
COMMUNITY GARDENS PLANT DONATION
I have had the pleasure of befriending a local permaculturist, Daniel Francis. He is involved with several blossoming
community gardens, Arlanza and Riverside City College for example. On behalf of the IE CRFG chapter the board has
okayed offering him some leftover plant material for these wonderful projects. This year we have lots of small, hardy
plants that are sure to succeed in their gardens. Our chapter will receive recognition for the donation. Daniel has
promised to keep us updated on their progress! He also made a donation of $40 for our chapter!
UPCOMING EVENTS
July Meeting
July 12 (Thursday) 6pm
Jurupa Mountains Discovery Center 7621 Granite Hills Dr. Jurupa Valley, Ca 92509
Annual BBQ and Plant Sale (for members and prospective members)
Special ‘Meet and Greet’ for new and prospective members! Chapter supplies BBQ and attendees are asked to bring a side
dish. Members will discuss their unusual plantings and we will have a workshop on root ball (anti) gopher cage building.
Contact Sandy Millar rustlover@gmail or (951)369-9784
October 6th
Save the date for a memorial for Joe Casey at the Sim’s Tree Learning Center in Pedley. Members of all the gardening
clubs he belonged to will be invited. More information will follow.