The most popular cherry grown by commercial farmers is also available for growing in home gardens. In this article, gardening expert Wendy Moulton shares how to care for fantastic ‘Bing’ cherry trees! The sweet fragrance of white cherry blossoms in spring will burst into rich, large fruits in summer with their tasty, sweet flesh. In autumn, the green serrated leaves turn golden – truly a tree for all seasons. It is, however, the cherries that they are known for. ‘Bing’ cherry trees produce deep red heart-shaped fruits with a sweet, delicious taste and small seeds, giving you more cherry for your pie. These vigorous growers are perfect for temperate climates and will produce up to 50 pounds of fruit per year for many years to come. The prolific fruit on this tree, the large size of the cherries, and the deep red color all make this the variety to plant. It requires a pollinator tree planted nearby, which adds to the variation in cherries you can grow in a home garden. Here, I’ll share the requirements ‘Bing’ cherries need to perform at their best. What Is It? Prunus avium ‘Bing’ is America’s most produced variety of cherry in the commercial market. Its origins have a colorful history, starting in the mid-1800s when the Lewelling family traveled west across the country from Iowa to Oregon, bringing with them 700 fruit trees. They started the first nursery on the West Coast and planted orchards of prunes, apples, and cherries, which is believed was the beginning of Oregon’s fruit-growing industry. The ‘Bing’ cherry tree was named for Chinese horticulturalist and foreman at the Lewelling orchards, Ah Bing. His legacy lives on in this award-winning cherry cultivar. For the nearly 150 years that the ‘Bing’ cherry has been in production, it has set the standard by which other cultivars are judged. Native Area Originally from Germany, these trees are descendants of the ‘Napoleon Bigarreau’ variety. The ‘Bing’ cherry was bred in Milwaukie, Oregon, from original trees brought from Iowa by the Henderson Luelling. Characteristics ‘Bing’ is a tall tree with a rounded canopy that can grow up to 35 feet and 25 feet wide. Dwarf varieties are more compact, with a mature height of around 15 feet and 12 feet wide. The leaves are long, serrated, dark green for most of the year, and turn golden yellow in the fall. The tree will be full of pretty, fragrant spring blossoms that form the sought-after large fruits, a deep red when ripe in the summer. This tree is a vigorous grower and a prolific producer of quality, firm cherries. ‘Bing’ requires another pollinator cherry close by to set fruit; it is not self-pollinating. The best-recommended varieties to plant as pollinators are ‘Sam’, ‘Van’, ‘Rainier’, and ‘Stella’. Planting Find a position in full sun and with enough space for the mature size of a ‘Bing’ cherry—at least 25 feet—and a pollinator cherry. Locate it away from other plants and buildings in a spot with plenty of sunlight. Dig a hole at least twice the width and height of the root ball so that the roots have a chance to expand and sit in the ground well to hold the weight of the tree. A stake is necessary, particularly in windy areas. Add the tree and backfill the soil, pressing it down as you go to remove any air pockets in the soil and prevent any bacterial infections from getting to the roots. Create a basin around the tree’s base to help direct water toward the roots. After planting, water the plant well and add a layer of mulch, making sure that the mulch does not touch the tree’s bark.

Are you curious about growing your own wild strawberries? Just because they are “wild” doesn’t mean you can’t grow these tasty little fruits in your own landscape. In this article, gardening enthusiast Liessa Bowen introduces the wild strawberry and how to successfully grow your own! You won’t find wild strawberries for sale at your local grocery store. They aren’t practical for commercial enterprises, but you can easily grow these tasty treats at home. They are relatively small, delicate, and immensely sweet. The best way to eat them is straight off the plant at their peak of ripeness and freshness. Wild strawberries, Fragaria virginiana, are a member of the rose family (Rosaceae). This plant is a cool-season perennial that is native to woodland edges and meadows throughout much of North America. The home gardener will find these berries both interesting and useful because they are easily incorporated into a variety of gardening styles. Individual wild strawberry plants are small but readily spread by numerous runners, each producing a new plant that then creates its own runners. They eventually form a loose ground cover for your garden plot. Wild strawberry plants are also an ideal candidate for a raised bed or container, making them very versatile. In mild climates, your wild strawberry may stay evergreen for year-round landscaping interest. In the spring, notice the delicate white flowers, soon followed by small, delicious, scarlet red fruits. Strawberry flowers attract valuable pollinators to your garden and support native bees. Add them to your bird beds because many species of birds relish the tasty fruits as well. Are you ready to grow some wild strawberries in your garden? Let’s dig a little deeper into the proper care and maintenance of these fascinating and prolific plants! Plant Natural History There are two species of strawberry native to North America: the wild strawberry and the woodland strawberry. Commercial strawberries that you find at the grocery store, farmer’s market, or pick-your-own farms are hybrids. Many delicious cultivars with various fruit qualities have been developed from these hybrids. Humans have long used and appreciated strawberries as a source of food. Wild strawberries are also important for pollinators and the many animal species that use them as a food source. Because they provide food for so many different animals, these plants play a vital role in the natural ecosystem. Characteristics Wild strawberry is a very low-growing, ground cover plant that typically stays only about six inches tall. Each plant is a rounded clump of single, short stems that end in a group of three coarsely-toothed leaflets. The leaves and stems are covered with fine hairs that give them a slightly soft feel. Wild strawberry plants bloom reliably each spring. The flowers are white; each typically has five petals, although occasionally, a flower has only four petals. Shortly after flowering, the pollinated flowers produce small, red berries that are extremely sweet. Each mature berry is rounded, scarlet red, and covered with many indentations, each with a tiny, dark red seed. Wild strawberry plants are evergreen or semi-evergreen, retaining their green leaves throughout the winter. In the heat of summer, however, plants grown in full sun partially die back, regrowing fresh foliage when the weather cools again in the fall. These plants spread by numerous runners and eventually create an effective ground cover. Individual plants are short-lived and die after a couple of years, allowing the runners to continue propagating within a healthy patch. Propagation These plants are very easy to propagate by dividing healthy runners. While you can start a strawberry plant from seed, this is not the easiest method. If you purchase just one or two plants from a nursery specializing in native species, you can easily allow them to multiply into a large and prolific patch.

The ground cherry is a unique fruit that is easy to grow. The tasty fruit is eaten fresh or made into pie filling or jams. Physalis peruviana is a large shrubby perennial for temperate and subtropical zones. Kaleigh Brillon will take you through the steps to growing this useful shrub. They’re on the ground, but they’re not cherries! This unique fruit is in the nightshade family, offering a little sweetness and umami flavor. Some varieties are sweeter than others, and the ‘Aunt Molly’s’ cultivar is reminiscent of a pineapple, so you’ll definitely want to try out more than one ground cherry plant to see if there’s one you like. Unlike the tomatillo that ground cherries closely resemble and are related to, ground cherries grow close to the ground. Ripe ground cherries will fall out of their husks, so you’ll have to harvest them from the ground. You’ll probably want to heavily mulch the area if you don’t want your fruit on the dirt! Ground cherries are a unique addition to any garden that you should try out if you haven’t already. Let’s take a look at how to grow so you can start finding the varieties you like best. What is a Ground Cherry? The paper husks of ground cherries may make you think of Chinese lanterns, but don’t confuse them with Physalis alkekengi, the plant actually called Chinese lantern! The ground cherry, Physalis pruinosa, is related to the tomatillo. Its scientific name means “bladder,” which refers to the outer husk. Lanterns are certainly a better visual! Native Area Ground cherry is native to parts of the Americas, including Argentina, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, and Venezuela. It is a perennial that returns each year in USDA hardiness zones 8 and higher and can be grown as an annual in cooler climates. Characteristics Ground cherry is indeterminate and will continue growing until it dies. Unlike tomatoes and tomatillos, ground cherries stay close to the ground, so you’ll need some space to let them sprawl. Start the seeds indoors in late winter, transplant them outside in the spring, and you’ll get fruit in late summer and into fall. People grow ground cherry for the ripe fruit that falls to the ground. Every variety tastes a little different, but you can expect some sweetness from each one. Some varieties will seem savory, and others may taste like fruit with a hint of vanilla! You can use ground cherry fruits in pies, salsa, jams, and other dishes you might use tomatoes or fruit in. Varieties The Virginia ground cherry is native to the northeastern United States and is one of the few varieties that is a perennial down to zone 6. It’s slightly sweet, making it a decent option for jams and pies. ‘Aunt Molly’s’ is another sweet variety that tastes a bit like pineapple. The husks are much rounder than other varieties. Physalis peruviana is known by several nicknames, like goldenberry, poha berry, Inca berry, and Peruvian ground cherry. It’s not as sweet as the ‘Aunt Molly’s’ variety, and it has a taller growth habit, reaching up to four feet. The husk comes to a point at the end. Often called ‘Goldie’, Physalis pubescens has smaller fruit than other varieties, but it’s quite sweet and pairs well with chocolate. Physalis grisea is often nicknamed the strawberry tomato or the grey ground cherry. It’s not as common as other varieties, but it’s fun to grow because the tiny little hairs make it look grey. Planting Start ground cherry seeds indoors six to eight weeks before the last frost. They need a long growing season, so it’s good to get a head start. Set the seeds an eighth of an inch deep and lightly cover them. The soil should be 70-90°F (21-32°C) and should stay moist to help the seeds germinate. The germination process should take one to three weeks. You can keep your seedlings in a sunny window or use a grow light to make sure they get at least eight hours of light each day. Transplant seedlings outside after all danger of frost has passed. If you want to move them to a container, choose something with a drainage hole so excess water can drain out. For best results, the container should be at least eight inches deep and twelve inches wide. If you to grow your ground cherries outside, space them one and a half to two feet apart so they can have plenty of room to grow. Give them a thick layer of mulch to retain soil moisture, but make sure the soil is well-draining.