Lambert cherries are a highly regarded sweet cherry, prized for its rich flavor. These trees are a rewarding addition to home gardens, offering bountiful harvests of delicious fruit for fresh eating and various culinary uses.
Distinctive Features
Lambert cherries are easily recognized by their unique characteristics. The fruit is large and heart-shaped, with skin that deepens from dark red to nearly black as it ripens. The firm, juicy flesh is often purplish-red, marbled with lighter hues. These cherries offer a sweet, rich, and classic taste, distinguishing them from other sweet cherries.
Cultivation Essentials
Successful cultivation of Lambert cherry trees begins with understanding their environmental needs. They thrive in full sun, requiring at least six hours of direct sunlight daily for optimal fruit production. They prefer well-draining, loamy soil with a slightly acidic to neutral pH, ideally between 6.2 and 6.8. If your soil is heavy clay, consider planting on raised mounds to improve drainage.
Lambert cherry trees need cold winters to accumulate around 800 chill hours below 45°F (7°C), making them suitable for USDA Hardiness Zones 5 through 9. Choose a planting site protected from strong winds and low spots where cold air and late frosts could damage early spring blossoms. Ensure the top of the root ball remains slightly above ground level, with loose soil to encourage root spread. Given their mature height of 15 to 25 feet, space trees at least 8 feet from structures or other trees for canopy and root development.
Ongoing Care and Maintenance
Once established, Lambert cherry trees benefit from consistent care. Young trees require deep watering, especially during dry periods, about once a week during their first few growing seasons. For the first year after planting, water deeply two to three times per week, allowing the topsoil to dry slightly between waterings. Established trees generally need watering every two to four weeks during prolonged dry spells, focusing water around the drip line.
Fertilization supports vigorous growth and fruit development. When planting, incorporate organic matter like peat moss or compost. Mature trees require fertilization every two to three years, applied in early spring before new growth begins.
Pruning is best performed in late winter when dormant, focusing on shaping the tree, removing dead or diseased branches, and promoting good air circulation and fruit production. Bacterial canker can be managed with preventative copper sprays in fall and winter. Bird netting or flash tape can deter birds from ripening fruit.
Pollination Needs
Lambert cherries are not self-fertile; they require cross-pollination from another sweet cherry variety to produce fruit. This necessitates planting a compatible pollinator tree nearby, ideally within 100 feet, to facilitate pollen transfer. Suitable pollinator varieties include Van, Rainier, Stella, and Sam. It is important to avoid using Bing cherries as a pollinator for Lambert, as they are not compatible. The pollinator variety chosen must have a bloom time that overlaps with that of the Lambert cherry to ensure successful pollen exchange. Bees play a fundamental role in this process, transferring pollen between the blossoms of different trees. Honey bees are especially effective pollinators for cherries, with studies showing a significantly higher fruit set in trees exposed to bee activity. Wild bees, such as bumblebees and mason bees, also contribute to pollination efficiency.
Harvesting and Enjoying Lambert Cherries
Lambert cherries typically ripen from early to mid-July, extending through early August depending on the climate. Indicators of ripeness include a deep, dark red to nearly black color and firm texture. Pick cherries by hand, carefully twisting the stem from the branch to avoid damaging the fruit or tree. Harvesting when fully ripe ensures the best flavor and sweetness.
Once harvested, Lambert cherries can be enjoyed fresh or in various culinary applications, including baking pies, tarts, crisps, and cobblers. They are also well-suited for canning, making preserves, jams, or homemade cherry sauces and wines.