Van is a traditional sweet cherry variety valued for its strong flavour, good firmness, and reliable performance. It is commonly used in commercial orchards both as a fresh market variety and as an effective polliniser for other cherry cultivars.
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Tree Characteristics
- Vigour: Medium to high
- Growth Habit: Upright to spreading
- Flowering: Mid season
- Pollination: Not self-fertile; widely used as a polliniser
- Productivity: Moderate to good
- Alternate Bearing: Low
- Site Suitability: Well suited to cooler Australian cherry-growing regions with adequate winter chill
Grower note: Van is often planted strategically to support pollination of other commercial cherry varieties.
Fruit Characteristics
- Colour: Dark red at maturity
- Colour Timing: Mid season
- Finish: Glossy with good skin strength
- Shape: Medium to large, round
- Stem: Medium length
- Eating Quality: Firm, juicy flesh with a rich, traditional cherry flavour
Harvest & Storage
- Harvest Window: Mid season, typically around or slightly before Lapins in Australia
- Picking: One to two picks depending on maturity and market requirements
- Storability: Short to medium storage potential
Grower note: Van is commonly harvested for fresh market and pollination support rather than long-term storage.
Performance & Management
- Packout: Moderate, with emphasis on eating quality rather than size
- Thinning: Rarely required
- Cropping: Reliable when pollination conditions are favourable
- Canopy Management: Regular pruning needed to maintain tree structure and light penetration
- Pest & Disease: Standard cherry pest and disease management required
Market Advantages
- Excellent flavour profile
- Reliable pollination compatibility
- Broad adaptability in cooler cherry regions
- Established acceptance in fresh market programs
Ideal For
- Growers requiring an effective cherry polliniser
- Mixed-variety cherry orchards
- Fresh market programs valuing flavour
- Cooler Australian cherry-growing regions