jkh, I have been through the same situation. I finally got so fed up with my Montmorency sour cherry I pruned it back really hard. This is its 8th year and I must say, the tree takes its time, but this year it is finally loaded with blossoms, so that I will have to net the tree to keep away the birds. It is patience with this tree, however once it takes off it should be good. I have seen photographs of spindley trees loaded with cherries, not mine! Finally I will have a pie. Hang in! Mrs. G

Rainier needs another variety and bees in order to set fruit. It won't set a thing without both. Montmorency on the other hand is self fertile and I think it doesn't even need bees. Maybe someone else is sure about the bee part on Monty.

Thank you for your quick replies. I am nearly ready to get out the chainsaw. Does anyone know if Montmorency will fertilize Ranier?

Thank you for your quick replies. I am nearly ready to get out the chainsaw. Does anyone know if Montmorency will fertilize Ranier?

Montmorency is a pie or sour cherry and is not going to pollinate Ranier. You need a second sweet cherry whose bloom overlaps it.

Good tasting sweet cherries that will pollinate Rainier, not Ranier, are Lapins, Bing, and Van.

Took me almost 7 years to get cherries off my 2 Rainer's and have a Lapins and Windsor as pollinators. This year I was so sad after having sweet cherries last year and many blooms that were froze the prior year before that due to a quick warm up then frost. This year I was hit with a hard winter and aphids. Seems like Sweet Cherries are the tough ones to grow and to get to produce. Apples, sour cherries, blueberries, gooseberries, and rhubarb no problems!!

Hoosier-

I've had one good sweet cherry year out of the last 5... Lapins seems to work the best for me plus its self pollinating. I also have Black Gold and Kristin. No flowers this year... Sweet cherries are tough, but man they are delicious. The trees are also very nice looking (IMo).

Generally speaking there are dwaft, semi dwarf and full size fruit trees with the dwarf taking 3 years to first fruit, semi dwaft 7 years and full size 10 years. If not self fertile need a pollinator. Even though they are prone to diseases and pests and require a lot of maintenance to get to fruiting size, that is the easy part, as getting the fruit to ripening perfection is a dance with mother nature to keep the birds, bugs, pre harvest rain storms, etc. from ruining your crops!