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I planted two Montmorency from a big box store in the spring when we had that late freeze which damaged them severely. So I returned them, and they exchanged them for me. I planted the second pair. Both developed canker which I saw was only to get worse and kill them. It was nasty, the bark starts to peel away, and they ooze sap. So late last summer, I purchased from a nursery and had planted two North Star trees like I had for at least 30 years but finally died. It was sudden, not sure what happened, think a bole got one.

There is one little freezer bag full of pitted cherries from the new trees which fruited earlier this summer their first year for me. Now I'm fighting to keep the damage down from Japanese Beetles who love them. Luckily they fruited before the beetles reared their ugly nasty obnoxious selves this season.

So I sprayed with Sevin but we've been having a lot of rain, and it washes it off rendering it ineffective. So now I'm going to use something else that continues to work after a rain. When they get bigger, I'll have to cover them with netting. I had no problems with my North Stars, no Jap beetles yet in our area, and never ever sprayed; no matter how hard the winter, they produced well. I never worried about the birds getting some as there were always plenty left and some to share.

I tasted one of the Montmorency cherries and it was less tart than North Star and a little larger, but I wasn't that impressed with the flavor. North Star is really tart, and I dilute the juice some with water before thickening for pies, have to use plenty of sugar but I did with the frozen ones I'd buy as well. My those are expensive.

Next week I’m planting two Montmorency cherry trees. These are the full size trees that reach 25-35 feet. Production begins in 3-5 years. I will stay awake until then . . .

I planted an Italian plum and two cherry trees last summer. The cherry trees can't handle the brutal summer heat followed by the subzero winter temps in Pocatello. The plum tree survived just fine. My wife reports some growth low on the trunk of one cherry tree this week. Perhaps there is some life left in them.