Bing Cherry

Bing cherry trees thrive in deep, well-drained loamy soil with a pH of 6.0-7.0. Plant bare-root trees in late winter while dormant, spacing them 20-25 feet apart for standard trees or 10-12 feet on dwarfing rootstocks like Gisela 5. Because Bing is self-sterile, you must plant a compatible pollinizer such as Rainier, Lapins, or Van within 50 feet for adequate cross-pollination.

Water deeply once per week during the growing season, reducing frequency as fruits approach maturity to minimize splitting. Bing cherries require 700-800 chill hours below 45°F to break dormancy properly. Train young trees to an open-center or modified central leader system, making structural cuts in late winter. Avoid heavy summer pruning, which can invite bacterial canker.

Fertilize in early spring with a balanced fertilizer before bud break. Protect ripening fruit from birds with netting, and consider rain covers or plastic canopies to prevent rain-induced fruit cracking. Monitor for brown rot during wet springs and apply preventive fungicide sprays at bloom and petal fall.

The Bing cherry is a distinctly American fruit variety with a specific and well-documented origin: it was developed by Seth Lewelling, a Quaker nurseryman and abolitionist who operated an orchard in Milwaukie, Oregon in the mid-19th century. Lewelling came from a family with deep roots in American horticulture — his brother Henderson Lewelling had famously transported young fruit trees across the Oregon Trail by wagon in 1847, establishing some of the first commercial orchards in the Pacific Northwest. Seth, working at the family orchard, was a dedicated pomologist who recognised the exceptional growing conditions of the Willamette Valley and worked systematically to identify and propagate superior fruiting seedlings.

In 1875, Lewelling selected an outstanding open-pollinated seedling from his orchard — almost certainly descended from an Early Purple Guigne or Republican variety — that produced fruit of exceptional size, firmness, sugar content, and depth of colour. He named the variety Bing in honour of Ah Bing, his Chinese-American foreman who had worked at the Lewelling orchard for over two decades and was an indispensable part of its operation. This naming was an unusual and generous act of recognition for its time, and Ah Bing remained at the orchard until he returned to China in 1889, reportedly never able to re-enter the United States due to the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882.

The Bing variety spread rapidly through the Pacific Northwest as commercial orchardists recognised its superior eating quality and productivity. Washington State, with its combination of cold winters providing the 700–800 chill hours Bing requires, dry summers that minimise disease pressure and fruit splitting, and the fertile volcanic soils of the Yakima and Chelan valleys, proved even better suited to Bing than Oregon. By the early 20th century, Washington had become the dominant Bing-producing region, a position it still holds today — producing over 60% of all US sweet cherries.

Bing's ascent to commercial dominance came at the cost of many earlier and more diverse cherry varieties, as the industry consolidated around varieties that could be grown at scale, handled mechanically, and shipped long distances. The irony is that Bing's success transformed it into a fruit often experienced in a shadow of its potential quality — harvested underripe for durability, packed tightly, and sold days or weeks after picking. Home growers who can harvest Bing at genuine peak ripeness and eat it within hours of picking experience a fruit that arguably justifies its century of dominance entirely on flavour merits alone.

Bing cherries demand well-drained soil and will not tolerate waterlogged conditions, which cause root rot. Ideal soil is deep sandy loam with pH 6.0-7.0. Apply a balanced 10-10-10 fertilizer in early spring at a rate of one pound per inch of trunk diameter. Supplement with calcium to promote firm fruit and reduce cracking. Mulch with 3-4 inches of wood chips keeping it away from the trunk to retain moisture and suppress weeds.

Bing cherries ripen in late June to early July, turning deep mahogany-red when fully mature. Harvest by picking with stems attached to extend shelf life and prevent wound entry for rot. Taste-test for sweetness, as color alone can be misleading. Pick in the cool morning hours and refrigerate immediately. A mature standard tree can produce 50-100 pounds of fruit annually. Handle gently to avoid bruising the tender skin.

Fresh Bing cherries store for 7-10 days refrigerated at 32-34°F with high humidity. Do not wash until ready to eat. For freezing, pit cherries and spread on a baking sheet to freeze individually before transferring to freezer bags, where they keep for 12 months. Bing cherries are excellent for canning in light syrup, making preserves, and drying. They also make outstanding cherry wine and cherry bounce liqueur.

Bing cherries are the gold standard for fresh eating, with their perfect balance of sweetness and tartness. They excel in cherry pie, clafoutis, and black forest cake. Use them for cherry preserves, compotes, and sauces for duck or pork. They make exceptional cherry ice cream and sorbet, and are traditional in maraschino cherry production.