Last year, the Norwegian, Jøran Wiig, planted 580 morello cherry trees in an old tomato greenhouse. This year, in June, he harvested the first of these fruits.
This means, this year, the grower from the village of Orre, will supply the first Norwegian morello cherries. Wiig is taking part in a project together with ten other farmers in the southern province of Rogaland. In this project, new ways of cultivating morello cherries in greenhouses and cultivation tunnels are being tested. These new farming methods are aimed at achieving higher yields and a longer season. This will ensure that the Norwegian morello cherries will be able to be brought to market earlier. Their quality will also be better.
Room in empty greenhouses
Jøran Wiig has two hectares of tomato greenhouses. He is experimenting with different morello varieties in one of these old greenhouses. He is optimistic about the future of this kind of cultivation. He does, however, fully realise that it will be a while before all the circumstances are optimal. The number of available greenhouses is not an issue. Wiig has a number of old empty greenhouses in which these cherry trees can be grown.
Åge Jørgensen is a consultant at the Norwegian Institute for Bio-economics (NIBIO). He thinks these old greenhouses are perfect for the job. "A morello tree, including the pot and soil, costs in the region of EUR20. Let's say you can harvest three kg per year from one tree for the first three years. After three years, you will have made your money back", he explains. "We have not yet tested to see how long a tree will bear fruit. We are hoping for seven to eight years." Jørgensen does not recommend building new greenhouses for the morellos. In contrast to tomatoes, greenhouse morello cherries do not need energy supplies. You can, however, make use of the perks of an existing greenhouse.
A hundred trees per acre
Up until now, it has been customary to cultivate morello cherries in the ground. These are covered with plastic or cultivation tunnels. Here, trees are planted directly into the ground. In the research project, the trees are planted in 35-litre pots or bags. Diverse growth mediums, species, soil trunks, and propagation methods are being tested. Various types of climate controls and ways of fertilisation are also being examined. The greatest advantage is that the greenhouses offer space for a hundred morello trees per acre. Open field cultivation only provides for 15 trees per acre.
Early and late in the season
Turkey is currently the main competition in Norway when it comes to the morellos. Wiig admits that the Turkish morellos are tasty. The Norwegian variety can also not compete when it comes to price. On the other hand, there is an advantage to cultivating these cherries in greenhouses in Norway. They can remain on the trees for longer, making them larger and sweeter. "In the long run, we hope to be able to deliver morello cherries even before Norway's National Day on 17 May. Demand will, however, most likely be higher at the end of the season", Wiig says in conclusion.
Source: gardsdrift.no