| Sweet
Cherry - Hedelfingen |
| Dormant |
|
No swelling visible |
| Bud Swell |
 |
Swollen buds become noticeable and no green
tissue is visible. |
| Side Green |
 |
As the bud continues to expand, green tissue is visible on
the sides of the bud. |
| Bud Burst |
 |
Also called "Green Tip" or "Tight
Cluster" the top of the bud has opened and the individual flower buds are visible.
Cherries have several flowers in each bud. |
| Early White Bud |
 |
The flower buds continue to open and the white petals are
visible. |
| White Bud |
 |
Also call "Popcorn". This is the stage just before
bloom. |
| First Bloom |
 |
When the first flowers begin to open. |
| Full Bloom |
 |
All or most of the flowers on the tree are open. |
| Petal Fall |
|
When the petals are falling off the tree. |
| In the Shuck |
 |
When all the petals have fallen and the shuck hides the
fruit. The shuck is formed by the floral cup, composed of the fused sepals. |
| Shuck Split |
 |
When the growth of the fruit splits the shuck. |
| 6 - 22 mm Fruit |
|
Refers to fruit diameter. |
| Pit Hardening |
Not really a visible stage. It is when the pit of
the fruit becomes hard. This is tested by trying to cut the fruit in half. This
usually occurs before the fruit is 10 mm. |
| Straw-colored Fruit |
|
The fruit color changes from green to yellow. |
| Coloring Fruit |
 |
The fruit color changes from yellow to red. |
| Harvest |
 |
 The fruit is ripe and
ready to harvest! |
Michigan Cherries
The fruit is ripe and
ready to harvest!