An early-season evaluation of five of the orchards where trees in the Flathead County cherry variety trials program are growing was filled with optimism.

About 30 cherry growers and personnel from the Montana Department of Agriculture toured orchards last week with Montana State University Agriculture Extension Agent Pat McGlynn. The group evaluated tree size, fruit growth and the different pruning styles used at different orchards. They also talked about how the different soil at different orchards and the famed Flathead Lake microclimates affect each of the tree varieties.

Trial trees are growing in seven orchards in the Flathead. Six orchards were planted in 2010 and the seventh in 2011. A total of 308 trial trees were planted, including pollinator trees.

McGlynn said the in-kind value of the seven growers — who gave up orchard space and expend labor caring for the trials trees — is $244,000.

The trials varieties include Santina, an earlier cherry; and four later-ripening varieties: Regina, Attika, Hudson and Pinedale ruby. Pollinators are Skeena and Sam varieties. All the varieties produce dark red cherries that look much like the lapins and lamberts that are most prevalent in the Flathead, but cherries from the test trees have firmer skin and are slightly larger.

All of the varieties are showing promise, McGlynn said. The Attikas are doing well at every test site.

The Pinedale ruby exhibits more branching than other varieties, which make it especially suitable for the modified-Spanish bush growing method used by some growers. Those trees are pruned to much shorter heights, meaning pickers don't use ladders.

The Reginas, which are very popular in Washington, are not demonstrating the vigor of the other trees in the trial, McGlynn said.

The original Hudsons purchased for the trials test were smaller than the desired size for the project and haven't fared well, she said. Many Hudsons died the first winter they were in the ground. But, Hudsons planted the second year to replace those that died are doing well, she said.

Some of the young Reginas and Attikas suffered from gummosis and canker because of the very wet spring in 2011. It's too soon to tell if the trees can get past those diseases, she said.

Grower Barry Hansen said his trial trees suffered damage from deer the first year they were in the ground. He doesn't have an irrigation system in place for the trial trees yet, “an issue for us.” So far this year, though, Hansen hasn't had to irrigate his Finley Point orchard because plenty of rain has fallen.

Consultant Matt Whiting said with “some harsh pruning,” Hansen’s trees could still take off. Whiting, a Washington State University cherry research scientist, has been hired as a contract consultant for the trials.

“We were waiting to see if there were dogs in the bunch,” McGlynn said of the trial. “But all of them are doing really well. None are unsuccessful.”'

The majority of Flathead cherry orchards are planted with lambert and lapin cherries, both varieties well-suited to the Montana climate and both deemed to have unrivaled flavor, McGlynn said. Lapins don't grow well in Washington, because it's too hot when lapins are getting picked and the heat stresses the fruit.

An objective of growers in the Flathead is to have their cherries ripen later than the Washington cherry crop. Less competition generally means the cherries demand a higher price and there's more room in the market for Flathead cherries.

“We compete head-on with Washington,” Finley Point grower Dick Beighle said. “Our goal is to get later trees and not compete with Washington.”

In 2009, because the cherry market was saturated, the Monson Fruit Co. bought less than half of the cherries from members of the Flathead Cherry Growers group and many growers simply left their cherries on the trees.

Some local growers also want an earlier cherry to sell at roadside fruit stands.

Those timing desires and harvest concerns led to the variety trials, McGlynn said.

She received a total of $53,975 in three grants from the state agriculture department, funding the three years of the study to date.

A goal is to identify at least two varieties to recommend to Flathead growers interested in changing out some of their trees to different varieties.

Obviously, she said, growers have to decide if they'll plant other varieties, but the information about the trials will be made available to the public and all cherry growers can review it and make their own decisions.

If an orchard is planted with multiple varieties of trees, “not only do you spread out your harvest season, but you spread out your risk,” McGlynn said.

If growers can plant trees that are faster to pick, more economical to grow and have a spread-out harvest, they see many advantages, she said.

This growing season, McGlynn and her research assistant are collecting data on the timing of the flower and fruit sets and harvest. Vigor and winter hardiness will be compared, too.

Two root stocks are being tested in the trial to determine which stock results in trees bearing fruit fastest. Trees vary in how old they have to be to bear quality fruit.

Not all the trial trees will bear fruit this season because some small trees got nipped by a late frost, preventing fruit from setting.

The growers who have trial trees in their orchards all want to leave the trees in the ground for at least another season so they can actually taste all the fruit, McGlynn said.

She and Whiting had suggested some of the trees be removed this year and new varieties planted to increase the number of trees tested.

“But the growers said 'No, we want to eat these cherries before we move on,'” McGlynn said.

In the last two years, with a couple of exceptions, trials trees that budded out had their blossoms stripped off so the trees could concentrate on growth, not on fruit production. The trees that were allowed to bear fruit were reported last year by McGlynn to have excellent taste.

McGlynn said not all of the grant funds have been spent yet and plans now call for buying and planting two more varieties of early cherries at the test sites next year to see if there are more options for those growers who want more early cherries to sell at stands. Plans call for planting Kiona and Kowiche varieties next year.

Whiting did suggest during the tour that the individual trial trees which have shown minimal growth be removed and new trees planted.

“After three years of really trying, it may be time to dig up some of them,” he said. “If you can't put out two feet of growth this year on the tiny trees, get rid of them.”

No grower immediately took that suggestion to heart. And grower Charlie Sedminik  pointed out to Whiting that “two years in Washington is the same as seven years here.”

Reporter Shelley Ridenour may be reached at 758-4439 or sridenour@dailyinterlake.com.