Glass cherries: varieties, cultivation, care & use

The glass cherries include various types of sour cherries. Here you will find tips on everything to do with the glass cherry tree - from the differences to cherries to the selection of the varieties and the care of the glass cherry tree to the harvest and use of the fruit.

The little known glass cherry (Prunus cerasus var. cerasus) forms a subspecies of the sour cherry and is characterized by its colorless, almost glassy pulp. 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 actually? The glass cherry is a cross of sweet cherry (

Prunus avium) and sour cherry (Prunus cerasus) - most people are familiar with these types. In Bavaria and Austria, the glass cherry is also known as the Vistula. However, this name generally refers to tart cherries. The more well-known siblings of the glass cherry include the tree sour cherry varieties of the sweet softsel and the shrub sour cherry varieties of the Morellen. Originally the glass cherry was native to the Caucasus, then around 60 BC. Chr. brought to Italy and from there reached Germany through the Romans.

The glass cherry tree quickly grows to a meter tall, in old age it even grows to up to ten meters. It forms juicy green, oval leaves that taper towards the end. The treetop appears large and spherical. The glass cherries themselves are almost completely round and, depending on the variety, have a diameter of up to two centimeters. Their skin is bright red in color, while the pulp is almost colorless, but can also take on a delicate red color. As with all types of cherry, there is a round stone core in the middle of the fruit. Early flowering varieties of the glass cherry develop their splendor as early as April, whereas later varieties do not develop until May. The ripe glass cherries can be harvested over several weeks in June and July, depending on the variety.

Glass cherries and cherries: the main differences

Typically, you only know the bright to dark red, thick sweet cherries, but glass cherries look completely different: They are lighter, smaller and have a cloudy, transparent flesh. As already mentioned, the glass cherry is a cross between a sour cherry and a sweet cherry. 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 sour cherries morelle and sweet softsel. Morellas have the highest acidity, while glass cherries have a less acidic taste. In comparison, the sweet custard takes on a sweet and sour taste. Morelle and Süß Weichsel have a red to deep red coloring of the skin and pulp, the glass cherries, on the other hand, are significantly lighter to glassy. In addition, the pulp of the glass cherries is firmer than that of other types of sour cherries. The juice of the glass cherry is almost colorless. Like the sour cherries, the glass cherries fruit on the annual fruit stalks and thus tend to form long, bald and worn whips.

The varieties of the glass cherry

In contrast to other types of sour cherry, the glass cherry is hardly grown any more, and there is no commercial cultivation at all. The light color is unfortunately often interpreted as immature, which is why the deep red varieties in particular were able to prevail. However, some types of glass cherry are enjoying greater popularity:

• The ‘Diemitzer Amarelle’, also known as ‘Ludwigs Früh’, has a mildly sour, but intensely distinctive aroma. It originally comes from the Middle Rhine.
• The ‘Spanish glass cherry’ is an old, rare variety and is a cross between sweet and sour cherries. Their aroma is therefore also sweet and sour, but differs from that of the sweet pudding.
• The ‘Werder Glass Cherry’ is characterized by its juicy flesh and has a slightly sour aroma. Their red juice, which is atypical for glass cherries, is special.

Care of glass cherry trees

If a cherry tree is being replanted, we recommend using a soil activator like this Plantura organic soil activator. As a result, the entire soil life in the immediate vicinity of the tree is improved, the soil structure is loosened and a symbiosis with mycorrhizal fungi is promoted. Mycorrhiza are useful fungi that help the plants to absorb nutrients and in return are allowed to live in the protection of the roots. If the glass cherry tree is older, organic fertilization should be carried out regularly. This serves to maintain the nutrient stocks in the soil and promotes the build-up of soil humus stocks. A tomato fertilizer like that is suitable for this Plantura organic tomato fertilizer. This is characterized by a high potassium content and meets the needs of the cherry trees. Other organic fertilizers like compost or manure can also be used. These should be worked into the soil in spring so that they can develop their effect. How one Fertilize cherry trees properly we explain to you in this article.

Tip: Like almost all cherries, the glass cherries are cross-pollinators. So they only bear plentifully if another cherry, the pollinator, can be reached within flight distance of the pollinating insects.

The further maintenance effort is limited. However, a cut should be made annually to guide growth and produce fruit 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 rapidly than sweet cherries. The aim of the cut is to obtain a loose crown that also allows light to reach the inner areas. In addition, the cut must lead to the production of new annual fruit wood. This is important, because otherwise the fruit growth threatens to migrate further and further into the outer areas, which makes the harvest more difficult and makes the tree more and more expansive. Since glass cherries mainly grow on annual branches, the older branches must be removed. To get a loose crown, side shoots and strong branches should be cut off. It is not uncommon for glass cherries to form so-called whip shoots. These are long, drooping shoots that only bear leaves at the lower end and rarely fruit. However, this can easily be prevented by a regular and professional cut.

Tip: Glass cherries are cut like sour cherries. In our special article on the topic Cut the cherry tree correctly you will find everything about the pruning of cherry trees as well as valuable expert tips.

Glass cherries: harvest, storage and use

Harvesting glass cherries is just as easy as with other types of cherry: all you need is a sturdy ladder and a bucket. The cherries should then be picked individually to avoid damage from bruises. The time of harvest depends on the variety and usually takes a few weeks, as not all cherries are ripe at the same time.

If the glass cherries are stored in the refrigerator, they will stay fresh for up to five days, at room temperature the shelf life will be shortened accordingly. If there is no space in the refrigerator, a cool place like the cellar is also a good option. When storing, you should pay attention to the size of the container, since if the containers are too small, pressure points can occur that quickly begin to rot.

All sour cherries can be used roughly the same: eaten raw and fresh from the tree or processed into jam or cakes. If the harvest exceeds hunger, glass cherries can easily be canned and stored for a later date. You can also make 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 light acidity.

Glass cherry tree: common diseases and pests

In the case of glass cherry trees, just like other cherry tree species, diseases and pests can occur. Bacterial burn, a bacterial disease of the bark, is widespread and cannot be combated. An airy cut, which allows the branches to dry off quickly after the rain, can prevent it.
Even Monilia peak drought or fruit rot can become problematic. This can usually be combated by cutting back the infected parts of the plant right through to healthy wood. Infested fruits must be collected and disposed of, as they otherwise allow the fungus to easily overwinter.
Fungal diseases are particularly aggressive Shotgun Sickness and spray blotch disease. On the other hand, the removal of the leaves helps as a preventive measure, since the fungus there overwinters, as well as good care and annual pruning of the tree. Fungicides should only be used in absolute emergencies and under professional guidance.

Birds are considered to be animal pests of the glass cherry, as stealing cherries and picking on unripe fruits can cause great damage.
Another pest is the cherry aphid, which, in the event of extreme infestation, can be controlled by using beneficial insects such as ladybird larvae. As a rule, it is well regulated in a natural way; a natural garden design helps as a preventive measure.
The small Frost wrench is a species of butterfly whose caterpillars eat leaves and thus damage the tree. The caterpillars can be kept away simply by a glue ring on the trunk of the glass cherry tree a bee-friendly caterpillar repellent is a good way to deal with an intensive infestation Combat. Our Moth free XenTari® use, which works not only against the larvae of the box tree moth, but also against other harmful caterpillars.
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 bad cherries. In addition, a fine-meshed cherry fly net can be stretched. A spread out tarpaulin is also useful to catch falling cherries. This prevents the pupae from overwintering in the ground and makes an infestation less likely in the next year. If you like it a little more unusual, as an alternative to a tarpaulin, you can also keep chickens under the cherry tree, which will eat the cherries with pupae and fruit flies. Another way to control the cherry fruit fly is the use of nematodes, as we discussed in our article Nematodes for pest control describe.

We all know the cherry as a delicious little fruit from our childhood, yes where does the cherry originally come from? You can find an answer here.