terminology
Become an expert on the common words a cherry farmer uses on a daily basis.
brix
Degrees Brix or "Brix", measures the sugar content in a solution, which in this case is the inside of a cherry. The device shown is used for measuring Brix by extracting juice from the cherry, placing a drop or two of fluid in the stainless steel well and press a button. The custom-designed microprocessor delivers a nearly instantaneous readout in degrees Brix. This will show what the density of the sugar is and other solid content.
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For Example: 21.8 Brix means approximately 21.8% sugar.
firmness
Fruit firmness is universally considered the most accurate ways to test for a fruit maturity and quality. By measuring the cherry's firmness you can make decisions about when to harvest and sell by dates. Firmness is an important quality attribute of sweet cherries from the perspective of superior eating quality and enhanced storage life.
Cherry sizing
The larger the cherry, the more flesh on the fruit. The industry measurement for cherries is determined by their row size. The smaller the row number the larger the cherry.
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For Example: If 9-1/2 cherries fit in a row inside the box, the cherries were called a 9-1/2 Row Box. (This is equivalent to 28.17mm.)
dormancy
To prepare for the winter months, there is a plant hormone called Abscission, which causes the leaves of the plant to drop and the buds to go dormant. There needs to be enough hours of cold weather, called chilling units --(usually counted by the number of hours cold below 45 degrees F and above 32 F). The amount of chilling units is crucial in development of the foliage for the upcoming cherry season.
bloom
Bloom is when the pink to white blossoms that cover the tree branches like confetti, signaling the end of winter. Most cherry varieties bloom in spring, but weather conditions may have an impact on the timing of bloom. Generally the milder the climate, the earlier the blossoms open.
petal fall/fruit set
Bloom season can be relatively short, depending on the variety. It can take anywhere from 2 or 3 weeks between the opening of the first blossom to petal fall. Noting that strong winds and rain can reduce the blooming season even shorter.