Schmidt Sweet Cherry (Schmidt Bigarreau)
Pollination & Compatibility Guide
Schmidt cherry pollination guide: S-genotype (S2S4, Group XIII), compatible partners (Bing, Rainier, Van), bloom overlap, and orchard management.
Schmidt is Self-Incompatible (Needs 1 Partner)
Mutually sterile with Sam, Royalton and Kaiser Franz. Schmidt needs at least one compatible pollinizer from bloom group 2–4 to set a reliable crop.
- S-Genotype / Genetics
- S2S4 (Group XIII)
- Required Companions
- 1 Compatible Partner
- Bloom Group
- Group 3 (Mid-Spring)
- Harvest Timing
- Mid Season
Flowering Period & Overlap Window
Sweet and sour cherry flowering periods are classified into numbered bloom groups (1 through 5). Cross-pollination requires overlapping bloom timing between genetically compatible cultivars.
Any compatible cherry cultivar flowering within Group 2 to 4 provides matching blossom overlap.
Compatible Pollination Partners (20)
| Cultivar | Bloom Group | Overlap Type | Harvest | Primary Uses | Interactive Test |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group 3 | Adjacent Overlap | Mid-Late | Fresh Eating, Canning | Test Cross | |
| Group 3 | Adjacent Overlap | Mid | Canning, Fresh Eating | Test Cross | |
| Group 3 | Adjacent Overlap | Mid | Fresh Eating | Test Cross | |
| Group 3 | Adjacent Overlap | Mid | Fresh Eating | Test Cross | |
| Group 3 | Adjacent Overlap | Mid | Fresh Eating, Dessert | Test Cross | |
SelahGuideUniversal Donor | Group 3 | Full Overlap | Mid | Fresh Eating | Test Cross |
StellaGuideUniversal Donor | Group 3 | Full Overlap | Mid | Fresh Eating, All-Purpose | Test Cross |
SunburstGuideUniversal Donor | Group 3 | Full Overlap | Mid | Fresh Eating | Test Cross |
| Group 3 | Adjacent Overlap | Mid | Fresh Eating | Test Cross | |
| Group 3 | Full Overlap | Mid | Fresh Eating, Canning | Test Cross | |
Attika | Group 4 | Full Overlap | Late | Fresh Eating | Test Cross |
| Group 2 | Adjacent Overlap | Early | Fresh Eating | Test Cross | |
| Group 2 | Adjacent Overlap | Early | Fresh Eating | Test Cross | |
| Group 2 | Full Overlap | Early | Fresh Eating | Test Cross | |
| Group 2 | Adjacent Overlap | Early-Mid | Fresh Eating | Test Cross |
Incompatible Varieties & Exclusions (3)
These cherry varieties overlap in flowering time with Schmidt but cannot fertilise it due to shared S-allele genetic incompatibility groups.
Utah Giant's S-genotype is not recorded. For this crop compatibility is computed from S-alleles, so it cannot be offered as a partner without one.
Vibrant's S-genotype is not recorded. For this crop compatibility is computed from S-alleles, so it cannot be offered as a partner without one.
Vindskörsbär (Victor)'s S-genotype is not recorded. For this crop compatibility is computed from S-alleles, so it cannot be offered as a partner without one.
Schmidt Bigarreau Pollination & Cultural Management
Schmidt (Schmidt Bigarreau) is a celebrated heritage sweet cherry renowned for its large, mahogany-black, heart-shaped fruit with firm, deeply flavoured flesh. Originating in Europe and widely planted across the northeastern United States and Great Lakes, Schmidt is prized for superior bud hardiness, upright tree architecture, and excellent resistance to fruit cracking compared to Bing.
Genotypically, Schmidt belongs to Incompatibility Group XIII (S2S4). Historical literature occasionally confused Schmidt with Group III due to shared S4 alleles, but it is mutually sterile only with Group XIII selections (such as Sam and Royalton). It cross-pollinates cleanly with standard Group III cherries (Bing, Emperor Francis, Kristin) and Group IX cultivars (Rainier), as well as universal S4′ donors.
Schmidt blooms reliably in Bloom Group 3 (mid-spring). Planting Schmidt alongside workhorse pollinizers like Van (S1S3) or Lapins (S1S4′) guarantees abundant reciprocal pollen transfer and counters its natural tendency toward modest fruit set in cool blossom seasons.
Key Orchard Considerations for Schmidt
Schmidt exhibits superior winter wood hardiness in northern climates but requires white trunk paint or tree wraps to prevent southwest winter sunscald during rapid freeze-thaw cycles.
The tree displays strongly upright, columnar growth when young. Use limb spreaders and early heading cuts to establish open scaffold angles and encourage horizontal fruiting spurs.
Schmidt naturally sets lighter crops than cluster-bearing varieties, resulting in consistently large fruit size without aggressive chemical thinning, though adequate bee hive density is vital.
Take Schmidt from Planning to Planting
Use Kropigo's free browser tools to model your block density, tree counts, and pollinizer rows, then maintain permanent orchard records row by row.
Pollination Checker
Check Schmidt against supported cultivars with compatible flowering and pollination data.
Commercial Block Planner
Calculate high-density tree spacing, row geometry, and establishment costs.
Block Record Keeping
Track pruning, chemical thinning, and harvest tallies block by block from the orchard.