How to form a cherry in the middle lane. Cherry: cultivation techniques and the best varieties. In memory of Astakhov - a universal variety with large berries
When growing cherries suburban area in middle lane it must be borne in mind that these trees are less cold-hardy than other fruit and berry crops. Because of this feature, plants are more often damaged by frost both during the winter cold and during short-term spring frosts. Otherwise, the technology of growing sweet cherries is in many respects similar to the agricultural technology of cultivating cherries.
Sweet cherry belongs to the bird cherry species, it is found wild in Central and Southern Europe, Asia Minor, and the Caucasus. In these regions, selection took place in prehistoric times the best forms and their domestication. To date, about a thousand varieties of cherries are known in the world.
You will learn how to grow cherries in the country, and what varieties are most popular with gardeners, on this page.
Sweet cherry belongs to the southern fruit crops, due to the lack of winter hardiness of most varieties, it is not widely used in the Central region of Russia, but recently varieties with increased frost resistance have been created. They are successfully grown in central Russia.
The description of the cherry is as follows. The plant is a large tree with an ovoid crown. It can reach a height of 20 m, modern varieties - about 12 m. Cherry roots can go to a depth of more than 2 m, but the bulk of the roots are concentrated in a layer up to 1.3 m.
The leaves of the sweet cherry are petiolate, elliptical, up to 16 cm long, 6-8 cm wide, with a sharp tip, doubly serrated along the edge. Flowers with a reddish calyx and a white corolla, about 3 cm in diameter, are collected in several pieces in umbrella inflorescences. The fruit is a globular drupe with white, yellow, red or almost black skin and juicy flesh. The stone is spherical or ovoid, smooth.
When growing in central Russia, keep in mind that sweet cherries are among the early-growing fruit crops, it is distinguished by annual fruiting, early ripening (individual varieties in the southern regions of the country are removed in mid-late May). A tree in favorable conditions lives up to 100 years, begins to bear fruit from 4-7 years.
How to grow cherries: planting and propagation
The plant is thermophilic, insufficiently winter-hardy, inferior in these characteristics to apple and cherry, but superior to apricot and peach. Flower buds freeze in winter at a temperature of -24-25°C. During the flowering period, temperatures below -2.2 ° C are fatal.
Trees also suffer winter time from temperature fluctuations and sunburn, which leads to damage to the trunk and the base of the skeletal branches. It grows poorly in areas with very hot summers. Sweet cherry is demanding on soil moisture, but does not tolerate stagnant water. She needs loose, breathable soils.
Cherry growing technology, agrotechnical measures in preparing the site for planting, fertilizing, planting and caring for this crop are similar to cherry care measures.
Most varieties of sweet cherries are self-fertile, so at least 2-3 varieties are planted on the site, taking into account the presence of pollinators. For proper care behind the sweet cherry, the feeding area when growing trees should be 6 × 8 m.
This culture is propagated mainly by grafting. The longevity and productivity of a crop to a large extent depends on the selection of a rootstock for its reproduction. The best stock for most varieties of cherries are seedlings of wild cherries, and for a culture grown on sandy and sandy soils, Magaleb cherry. On the heavy soils The best rootstock for cherries is common cherries.
The main agricultural practices for growing cherries are shown in this video:
Cherry care: pruning and crown formation (with video)
Crown formation and pruning when caring for sweet cherries are somewhat different from similar techniques for cherries, since this crop has a strong growth and low shoot formation ability. In young trees, the trunk develops well, on which strong skeletal branches grow, extending at an acute angle. They form cherries, like most fruit crops, according to a sparse-tiered system.
During the care of sweet cherries, shoots that depart at an angle of at least 45 ° are selected for laying the first tier. Due to the low shoot-forming ability, the shoots are greatly shortened in order to prevent the skeletal branches from being exposed. Skeletal branches are shortened by half the length.
In varieties with good shoot-forming ability, the shoots are shortened by a third of their length.
Shortening the skeletal branches of the first tier allows you to lay 2-3 skeletal branches of the second order on them. The second tier of skeletal branches is laid at a distance of 80-90 cm from the upper skeletal branch of the first tier. Subsequent skeletal branches are laid at a distance of 50-60 cm from the previous ones.
When the crown is formed, strong branches growing inside the crown and located between the tiers are cut out. The height of the cherry crown is limited within 4-4.5 m, cutting out the central conductor at a height of 2.5 m from the ground and reducing the crown by transferring to the side branches.
Note: thinning greatly improves illumination internal parts crowns, increases the durability of overgrowing formations, which helps to lengthen the fruiting period on older main branches.
Rejuvenating pruning. When the growth of annual shoots in adult trees fades and does not exceed 15-20 cm, they start rejuvenating pruning, to which the sweet cherry responds well.
During rejuvenating pruning, along with crown thinning, overgrown branches are cut to 2-3-year-old wood, which causes the growth of new young shoots. With the help of pruning, new top shoots are transferred to overgrown branches, on which bouquet branches are formed. After rejuvenating pruning, organic and mineral fertilizers are applied to the tree trunks for digging.
During the fruiting period, sanitary pruning is carried out.
Watch a video about caring for cherries, which gives recommendations from experienced gardeners:
The best varieties of cherries for different regions: photos and names
More than 70 sweet cherry varieties are included in the State Register of Breeding Achievements, the names of the best of them are presented below.
The best varieties of sweet cherries for the Central region:
- very early: Chermashnaya.
- early: Gronkavaya, Iput, Raditsa, Sadko.
- mid-early: Ovstuzhenka, Fatezh.
- mid-season: A gift from Ryazan, Rechitsa, Teremoshka.
- mid-late: Odrinka, In memory of Astakhov, Revna, Tyutchevka.
- later: Bryanochka, Bryansk pink, Veda, Lena, Astakhov's favorite.
See how these varieties of cherries look in the photo:
The best varieties of sweet cherries for the Central Black Earth region:
- very early: Beauty Zhukova.
- early: Ariadne, Italian, Oryol fairy, Early pink.
- medium: Adelina, Oryol pink, Poetry.
The best varieties of sweet cherries for the North Caucasus region:
- Early: Valery Chkalov, Dagestan early, Caucasian improved, Beauty of the Kuban, Memory of Pokrovskaya, Sashenka, Morning of the Kuban, Yaroslavna.
- Mid-early: Goryanka, Dagestan.
- Mid-season: Alexandria, Velvet, Bereket, Rosinka, Ruby Kuban, South.
- Middle Late: Scarlet, Annushka, Golubushka, Lezginka.
- Later: Contrasting, Mac.
These photos show the varieties of cherries, the names of which are given above:
Useful properties of cherries
Cherry fruits contain a large amount of biologically active substances necessary for humans: dry substances - up to 20%, sugars - up to 15%, organic acids - up to 0.9%, vitamin C - up to 15 mg%, as well as a large set of mineral salts. Cherries also contain vitamins PP, Bi, B2, E, K, carotene, which are useful during pregnancy and lactation. Thanks to a large number valuable substances contained in fruits, they are recommended for children.
Thanks to high useful properties cherries are recommended to stimulate the activity of the kidneys and liver, improve blood circulation and blood clotting, stimulate intestinal activity.
Cultivation of sweet cherries is practiced for the use of berries in cooking. Compotes, jams, candied fruits, juices, wines are prepared from them, frozen and canned. Up to 30% of oil is present in the core of the seeds, which is used in the perfume industry.
Not every gardener in central Russia grows cherries on a plot - many people think that this culture is more whimsical and thermophilic than cherries. In fact, modern varieties allow you to choose the right cultivar for almost any climate in our country, trees come in different heights, with excellent yields, without excessive care requirements, but with excellent large berries - white, yellow, red. Without extra effort, but with the observance of agricultural technology, you can get a good harvest of selected berries already 3-4 years after planting. Don't believe me - see for yourself!
How will growing cherries in the middle lane differ from growing cherries
Cherry, plum, apple tree are not uncommon for domestic summer residents. But not everyone wants to get involved with cherries: some people think that this culture is “with character”, others find it difficult to find the right variety. In fact, the State Register offers a choice of almost a hundred different cultivars of this crop, among which there are about three dozen varieties designed specifically for the climate of central Russia.
The central strip of Russia or the European (Central) part includes Moscow, Leningrad, Novgorod, Saratov, Ulyanovsk, Penza, Kirov regions, the regions of the Black Earth Region, Mari El, Chuvashia, Mordovia. The Central European part of Russia is characterized by a temperate continental climate.
Sweet cherry is a close relative of Bird cherry (genus Plum) - the parent of most varieties of cherries and its species. Sweet cherry is self-infertile, characterized by rapid growth of shoots and crowns, especially in the first years of life, it feels best in a temperate climate, it can freeze out in regions with severe winters. Cherry trees reach a height of 3-5 m, with proper crown formation and regular care (this applies to adult representatives of this stone fruit culture), they can give up to 35-40 kg of fruit. In addition, sweet cherry is an excellent honey plant, the wood of the tree is used for the manufacture of joinery.
Cherries and sweet cherries are representatives of the same genus Plum
Cherry is a heat-loving tree, its frost resistance is lower than that of cherries. Cherries are planted where there are no drafts, but there is plenty of sun. This culture does not like acidic soil and does not grow well where groundwater is too close. Usually fruiting of cherries occurs in the 4–5th year from the moment the seedling is planted in a permanent place, and continues until the age of 15–17 years.
From Byzantium, the berry came to Ancient Russia (Kyiv). Since the XII century appeared in Moscow. It is believed that the first gardens in the Moscow region were planted by Yuri Dolgoruky. And Russia owes the ubiquitous spread of tasty culture to the monks. For many centuries the monasteries were the centers of gardening.
Cherry differs from cherries primarily in fruits - large, fleshy drupes of sweet cherries are sweeter, but less fragrant than cherries. Cherry berries can be with bright yellow, whitish, scarlet, carmine peel, some cultivars have round berries, others are oval, there are even slightly flattened, with a scar on the side, heart-shaped, up to 2.5-3 cm in diameter, sweetish taste, no specific odour. How else to distinguish cherries from cherries:
- sweet cherry is a powerful, tall tree, cherry can be bushy, with smaller and thinner shoots;
- unlike cherries, cherries have a tall, straight bole and a light crown;
- cherry leaves are oval, long, with strong notches, hanging.
Cherry is a many-sided berry, but the taste is always worthy
Choosing the most delicious cherry variety: descriptions and reviews
Cherry assortment is quite diverse: most varieties are self-fertile, but domestic farmers also cultivate partially self-fertile varieties of modern selection (which do not require additional pollination), tall trees and dwarf ones. There are early-growing cultivars - fruiting occurs already in the 3-4th year, varieties with low early-fruiting are ready to give a crop only in the 5-6th year. Variety experts advise choosing more winter-hardy varieties, especially for the regions of the middle lane, located closer to the North-West.
There is an opinion that yellow-fruited cherries are more insipid, but sweet, and red cherries are sour and have a specific aroma.
Video: Odrinka, Iput, Revna cherries in the Moscow region
Tyutchevka - does not need comments
This is an old cherry variety, for more than 40 years Tyutchevka has been valued for its productivity and delicious berries. The cultivar is practically self-fertile, it is best to plant Iput, Revna or Ovstuzhenka nearby for additional pollination. The winter hardiness of Tyutchevka is average, and fruiting occurs only in the 5–6th year. The berries of this cherry are carmine, wide-round, with dark subcutaneous patches - juicy, fragrant, sweet, weigh up to 6–8 g.
My Tyutchevka grows and bears fruit. But in my conditions it begins to ripen on the twentieth of July, just as the rains begin. She has been fruiting for the third year and she has never fully matured 100%, she bursts from the rains, wasps and flies fly in. Of course, it is still tasty, sweet and everyone likes it.
Valery Gor.
https://forum.prihoz.ru/viewtopic.php?t=253&start=2145
Tyutchevka's resistance to moniliosis is high, to coccomycosis and clasterosporiasis is average
Fatezh: for taste, winter hardiness and productivity - "five"
High winter hardiness and incredible yields from one adult Fatezh tree will make you fall in love with this cherry variety forever. The expert assessment of Fatezh berries is average, in comparison with other representatives of this crop, the berries of this sweet cherry are small - 4 g each, red, cartilaginous pulp, with sourness, universal in consumption. But the return of a tree in adulthood can exceed 40 kg. The average yield of Fatezh reaches 139 q/ha. Coccomycosis and moniliosis rarely affect the shoots of this cherry, fruit rot Fatezh is also not afraid. In addition, the variety is fast-growing - berries appear already in the 4th-5th year, pollinators are required for effective fruiting (for example, Iput, Revna).
The Fatezh variety does not have the largest berries, but stable returns and tolerance to weather incidents are more important
Chermashnaya - yellow cherry with melting pulp
The yellow-fruited variety Chermashnaya pleases domestic farmers with good yields - up to 150 centners per hectare for almost 10 years. In addition, this is one of the sweetest varieties of sweet cherries with golden drupes: the berries of this sweet cherry are round, light yellow, sweet, with almost imperceptible sourness, weigh just over 4 g, and are suitable for allergy sufferers. Most often, the Chermashnaya crop is used for fresh consumption. The cultivar is winter-hardy, bears fruit already in the 4th year, but is absolutely self-infertile - it is pollinated by the varieties Iput, Revna, Tyutchevka. Chermashnaya rarely gets sick: the main enemy is fruit rot, which often occurs in wet rainy summers.
Chermashnaya fruits are one-dimensional, slightly flattened, the stone is easily separated from the pulp
Iput - an old proven cultivar with a powerful crown
The early ripe vigorous variety Iput is suitable for cultivation in the temperate continental climate of Central Russia. The yield of cherries ranges from 100–140 c/ha, diseases practically do not appear on this cultivar, winter hardiness reaches -36 °C. Iput is self-sterile, the yield in a monoculture will be very low, therefore, additional pollination by Tyutchevka, Revnaya, Bryanochka is required. The berries of the variety are bright burgundy, egg-shaped, rather large - up to 9–10 g. Due to the dense pulp, the berries can be stored for up to 2 weeks and transported over long distances.
Dear friends, you can and should try to grow cherries. The main thing is to look at what varieties are included in the State Register for your region or what is being tested. In the Leningrad region, it is recommended to grow about six varieties. But the area is rather big. From successful cultivation and good fruiting, at the moment I know Iput and Revna, they are planted together, since sweet cherries are self-fertile, and these varieties are mutually pollinated. But even a perfectly growing, non-freezing and fruitful sweet cherry has a big minus - it grows as a tall, thin tree (thin, which means that it is problematic to lean a ladder against it), which means it needs to be shaped. So it happened with my friends in Len. areas: excellent harvests (without shaping), a gorgeous berry, but everything goes to the birds.
http://www.tomat-pomidor.com/forums/topic/1728-cherry-try-or-not/
The first ovaries on Iput appear no earlier than the 4–5th year.
Sweetheart is a self-fertile and hardy Canadian hybrid.
The Canadian variety Sweetheart is the standard of productivity and impeccable taste. Moreover, this cultivar rarely gets sick and is not prone to freezing, and most importantly, Sweetheart is a self-fertile cherry. The berries of the variety are dark red, heart-shaped, with a red center, very sweet, weighing from 6 to 11 g. Fruiting can be expected as early as 2-3 years after planting the seedling. The yield of an adult tree reaches 150 kg / ha.
Sweetheart - high-yielding, frost-resistant cherry variety
In 2019, Sweetheart was offered to us in the nursery - we did not know where to stop, and the choice of cherries for Central Russia is simply huge. Although literally 20 years ago, the offer was limited to 3-5 varieties, all of them are self-fertile and slightly winter-hardy. The young Sweetheart tree has grown by more than 0.5 m over the summer. Now we will check for frost resistance, and if we are lucky, we will try the Sweetheart harvest next year.
Revna - the sweetest cherry, partially self-pollinated
Highly resistant to coccomycosis, the partially self-fertile Revna variety grows no more than 4 m - an excellent option for a small garden where it is not possible to plant many trees. With additional pollination (Ovtsuzhenka, Raditsa are suitable), the cultivar will delight with unprecedented yields - up to 100 centners / ha already in the 5th year, the maximum return of the tree is up to 137 centners / ha. Revna's berries are round, wide-sided, dark scarlet, the middle is also dark, juicy, sweet, weight 4.7 g. According to reviews, the cultivar winters flawlessly in the Chernozem and Volga regions, it is practically not affected by diseases.
Well, for today - the Revna cherry is an excellent variety for the north (and I think it will be no worse in Belgorod). The taste of the berry is like honey, no worse than any Hungarian and Spanish that we sell. The size of the berries is also normal, not small. The minus of the variety (for whom it may be a plus) is extremely uneven ripening. The first berries began to ripen about 2 weeks ago. And some of the berries are still unripe.
tomato expert
Revna is highly resistant to fungal diseases
Bryanochka: sweet cherry for the North-West and the Moscow region
The relatively young variety Bryanochka is acclimatized in the Chernozem region, in the south of the Moscow region, in the Bryansk and Leningrad regions, the Volga-Vyatka region and Nizhny Novgorod. They say that the flower buds of a tree practically do not freeze slightly in the climate of the middle lane, coccomycosis and moniliosis are rare. With regular watering and fertilization, Bryanochka is able to give up to 98–110 c/ha. Self infertility - feature Most varieties of sweet cherries, as well as this cultivar, Bryanochka are well pollinated by Tyutchevka and the Iput variety. The tree begins to bear fruit from the 4-5th year of growth.
The berries of Bryanochka are round, some are slightly pointed, burgundy, weigh 4.8–5.5 g
Ovstuzhenka - a stunted species, when the spool is small, but expensive
The medium-early variety Ovstuzhenka belongs to undersized cultivars, bears fruit already in the 4th year, but is tied only with additional pollination - Tyutchevka, Raditsa, Bryansk pink are suitable. Ovstuzhenka berries are medium-sized - up to 4 g, ovoid, dark red, juicy, with a pleasant sourness, do not crack and tolerate transportation well. The maximum return of the cultivar is more than 200 centners per hectare, on average, Ovstuzhenka receive 100–105 centners per hectare. This sweet cherry has good immunity, it is well adapted for wintering in central Russia.
I have 3 cherries growing in the Moscow region: Olenka and Ovstuzhenka (overwintered 3 winters) and Fatezh (overwintered the first winter). They bloom regularly and beautifully, a little earlier than cherries. Last year, a few fruits set on Ovstuzhenki, I think there would be more, if not frost to -3 on the night of May 3rd. This year there were no frosts for flowering, so I hope for a harvest. When planting, I covered all the cherries with coconut trunk circles, this is both mulch in summer and insulation in winter, in my opinion. I don't add any extra insulation for the winter.
striped
http://www.tomat-pomidor.com/forums/topic/1728-cherry-try-or-not/page/2/#comments
Ovstuzhenka - a variety developed by M.V. Kanshina
Krasnaya Gorka - for dessert and compote
This cultivar is not in the State Register, but is famous for its excellent yield and good immunity to many diseases of fruit crops. Krasnaya Gorka is partially self-fertile (it is additionally pollinated by varieties Iput, Tyutchevka, Bryanochka), early-fruiting - comes into fruition in the 4th year. The berries of the variety are golden-ruddy, with a pleasant sourness, the skin is dense, but easily eaten. The harvest of Krasnaya Gorka can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3–3.5 weeks, but it is difficult to transport the berries - the pulp is juicy and quickly deteriorates in heat.
The Krasnaya Gorka tree grows no more than 3.5–4 m; it is a medium-sized cherry variety
In memory of Astakhov - a universal variety with large berries
It is a mid-late dessert variety and is often grown for sale. Ordinary amateur gardeners also appreciated Astakhov's memory cherries, and there is something for it: the berries of the cultivar are large - 6–9 g each, blunt-hearted, one-dimensional, very juicy, with a cartilaginous middle. The yield of this sweet cherry is about 80 centners per hectare, sometimes reaching 100 centners per hectare. The variety is predominantly self-fertile (pollinators Tyutchevka, Revna, Iput), the first berries appear in the 4–5th year. Video: a selection of the best varieties of sweet cherries for the middle lane (Veda, Krasnaya Gorka, Revna, Bryanochka, In memory of Astakhov and others)
Table: other varieties of sweet cherries successfully cultivated by gardeners in the middle lane
| Variety name | Productivity, c/ha | Description of fruits | Other features of the cultivar |
| Valery Chkalov | 80 | Heart-shaped, purple-red, weight 6–8 g |
|
| Veda | 77 | Wide-hearted, dark red, weight 5.1 g |
|
| 115 | Heart-shaped, dark red, with sourness, weight 4.3 g |
|
|
| Lena | 87 | Large (weight 6 g), black-red, sweetish |
|
| 110 | Round, red, very sweet, weight 6.8 g |
|
|
| 62 | Oval, red-pink, sweet, weight 4.4 g |
|
|
| Sinyavskaya | 109 | Round, red, weight 6.1 g |
|
| 41 | Dark red, round, weight 5 g |
|
|
| 103 | Round, pink, sweet, weight 4–5 g |
|
|
| Ariadne | 54 | Flat-round, bright red, with a pleasant taste, weight 4.6 g |
|
| 104 | Dark cherry, large (weight 6.1 g), sweet |
|
|
| 146 | Round, maroon, sweet, weight 4.9 g |
|
Photo gallery of cherry varieties presented in the table
Despite the fact that Odrinka ripens rather late, its fruits are sweet, rich in taste, with pleasant honey notes. garden plot Rechitsa - you don’t have to worry about treats for guests. Bryansk pink has been pleasing gardeners with its rich crops for more than two decades. Sadko variety is relatively resistant to fungal diseases. Teremoshka is not demanding to care for and is not afraid of heat. consumption
It seems to some that sweet cherries are fresh, but few people, with rare exceptions, do not seek to eat sweet cherries in June - July. This is one of the first summer berries, healthy and tasty: excellent juice is obtained from cherries, it is indispensable in multi-fruit compotes, gourmets will definitely appreciate pitted cherry jam. And growing this crop is not at all difficult - zoned varieties of sweet cherries will bear fruit annually and will not require much attention to themselves. Watering, periodic top dressing and disease prevention are standard care, as for most horticultural crops. It remains to choose the appropriate variety. Dare!
Cherry fruits conquer with taste and are in great demand. Gardeners also love the culture for the fact that it is almost not damaged by diseases and pests. The cherry tree is powerful, reaches a height of 20 meters and has a semi-spreading crown. On calcareous soils with a high content of organic matter at good care The cherry tree will live up to 100 years.
Popular varieties of cherries
Many cherries are grown in Moldova, Ukraine, Georgia. In the Russian Federation, the culture is successfully cultivated in the Stavropol Territory, in the Crimea, the Krasnodar Territory and in Dagestan. In these regions, due to the mild southern climate, any variety can be planted.
Recently, excellent cultivars have appeared for the temperate climate of the middle lane. The first sweet cherry varieties for the Central Chernozem region were obtained at the Rossoshansk Experimental Station:
- Julia- a tree up to 8 meters high with vertical branches. Berries are pink-yellow.
- early pink- tree height up to 5 m, pink berries with a yellow side.
- Rossoshanskaya large- late-ripening variety with large dark berries - up to 7 gr. The tree is tall.
Sweet cherry breeding is successfully carried out at the Oryol Experimental Station. Oryol breeders have developed 3 new varieties:
- Oryol pink- the most frost-resistant of all Oryol varieties, withstands spring thaws. The berries are yellow, the height of the tree is 3.5 m.
- Poetry – large-fruited variety with heart-shaped fruits of dark red color. Tree 3.5 m high.
- Baby- a tree no more than 3 meters high, which is rare for a tall culture. The crown is compact. Due to its small size, the variety can be covered during spring frosts with any nonwoven fabric. The fruits are bright yellow.
Oryol varieties can withstand temperatures down to -37, giving an average yield of 10 kg per tree. They are resistant to coccomycosis, begin to bear fruit for the fourth year after planting.
Cherry seedlings are bought in autumn and spring. It is better to purchase annuals - they take root faster. Pay attention to the roots - they should be powerful, and the cuts should be light in color.
It is better not to buy seedlings with dried leaves on the branches - their root system can be overdried, as seedlings with leaves quickly evaporate moisture. Dried seedlings take root poorly or do not take root at all.
Nurseries grow tall seedlings for industrial gardens. Plant height reaches 2 meters. From them grow trees on a high trunk, which are convenient to care for in an industrial culture. For growing in summer cottages, other trees are needed: more compact and undersized.
In the southern nurseries, sweet cherries are grafted onto Antipka - the Magaleb cherry. They, even planted in autumn, have time to take root, ripen by winter and overwinter well. If a tall seedling is planted in a cold climate, it will go into the winter unprepared and freeze.
In central Russia, it is better to choose seedlings grafted onto wild cherries and grown on a small trunk - about 20 cm. You can cut the stem to the desired height after planting, and then grow a tree from it in a bushy form, without a central trunk.
Preparing cherries for planting
When planting cherries, it is important to choose the right place.
Light
Culture is demanding of light. In the wild, it never grows near tall trees, preferring places where it can occupy the top tier, overwhelming other plants. If the cherry tree in the garden is shaded by taller trees, the crown will begin to stretch upwards and the tree will become inconvenient to care for. Fruiting will focus on the top, and the fruits will become small and lose their sweetness.
The soil
The second requirement of culture, after light, is the quality of the soil. For sweet cherries, soil with a good structure is suitable, allowing air to penetrate deep into the ground.
A tree will not grow on clay. Loose, warmed, organic-rich loams and sandy loams are better suited, in which the roots can master a layer of 20-60 cm from the surface. Individual vertical roots of sweet cherries can go as deep as 2 meters or more.
The overwintering of the tree depends heavily on the soil. On heavy clays, cherries freeze more often. The tree does not tolerate stony soils due to the fact that they are poorly soaked with water. In the south, industrial plantations are planted in river floodplains and flood-free river valleys.
In the south, cherries are planted in autumn. In the temperate zone, only spring planting is used.
The cherry tree grows quickly and needs a large area of nutrition. Seedlings are planted in the corners of a square with a side length of at least 6 m.
The soil for planting is carefully prepared. Later, the soil in the near-trunk circles will not be able to be deeply cultivated in order to apply fertilizer or ameliorants. Impressive pits for planting seedlings are dug: width 1 m, diameter 0.8 m. Under each seedling, the following is brought to the bottom of the pit:
- 10 kg of humus;
- 3 packs of double superphosphate;
- 500 gr. potash fertilizers.
Cherries have the same agricultural practices as cherries. The main difference between growing crops is that sweet cherries do not have self-fertile varieties.
In the year of planting, nothing is planted in the near-stem circles, the soil is kept under black fallow. Weeds are rigorously weeded out during the entire growing season.
The next year, the aisles can already be used for growing other crops, leaving at least 1 m of free territory next to the tree. Then, every year, another 50 cm is added to the trunk circle. The trunk circles are always kept clean of weeds and, if possible, mulched with any bulk material.
A pollinator variety should be planted next to the cherry tree. A universal pollinator for any sweet cherry is the Crimean variety.
Next to the young cherry trees in the aisles of the garden, vegetables and flowers can be planted.
bad neighborhood
Do not plant perennial crops, such as berry bushes, between rows. Cherries are growing fast. Despite the slender appearance of seedlings, they will quickly turn into trees and their crowns will close.
Watering
Sweet cherries are moderately demanding on moisture compared to other crops. She does not like waterlogging, reacting to it with gum treatment. In areas where groundwater comes close to the surface, the roots rot and the tree dies in a matter of years.
Moisture requirements are influenced by the characteristics of the stock. If antipka was taken for the stock, the tree will be more drought-resistant. A plant grafted onto a wild cherry seedling, on the contrary, is very sensitive to drought.
Three additional waterings are carried out in the garden during the summer, each time mulching or loosening the soil crust. The culture reacts poorly to dry or humid air - the fruits rot or shrink.
Processing of cherry trees from pests and diseases is carried out as they appear. The culture is resistant to phytopathologies and harmful insects, so you do not have to spray the garden often.
| Pest | Symptoms | Preparations |
| The leaves at the ends of the shoots curl up, young branches stop growing. On the back of the leaves are colonies of small light green insects. Aphids appear on root shoots and near weakened trees | cut out basal shoots early spring. If the pests are on the main tree, spray the young branches: 300 gr. laundry soap and 10 l. water. In spring and autumn, whiten the bole and clean the old bark with a metal brush |
|
| fruit rot | The pulp rots on the branch. Even unripe fruits are affected. Rotten berries are covered with hard cushions with fungal spores | Immediately collect fallen and rotten fruits on the branches. Spray the bushes immediately after setting the berries with Bordeaux mixture |
| coccomycosis | Weakened seedlings and trees are susceptible. The leaves are covered with red-brown spots, 2 mm in diameter. The spots merge on the lower surface of the plates. Infection overwinters in fallen leaves | Collect and burn leaf litter in autumn. During the growing season, spray the trees with oxychome or Bordeaux mixture at the dosage indicated in the instructions for the preparation. |
top dressing
Cherry is a fast-growing crop. Individual varieties enter the offering in the fourth year. To do this, the tree will need a lot nutrients. The garden is fertilized in the fall, introducing organic matter and mineral fats. It is advisable to close the fertilizer to a depth of 20 cm.
In dry areas, dry fertilizers should not be applied - they will burn the roots. Mineral granules are first dissolved in water, and then the solution is poured out, after spilling the soil with clean water.
The largest accumulation of suction roots near the sweet cherry is located along the perimeter of the crown - it is worth pouring a fertilizer solution there. It is useless to pour fertilizers near the trunk - they will not be absorbed, since an adult tree does not have suction roots in this zone.
You can improve the condition of the tree and increase productivity using green manure. For this purpose, the trunk circles and aisles of the garden are sown with perennial legumes:
- lupine;
- clover;
- sainfoin;
- Lyadvinets;
- alfalfa;
- sweet clover.
The above-ground part of the grasses is regularly mowed, leaving no more than 10-15 cm on the surface. Nitrogen-fixing bacteria develop on the underground parts of the legumes, enriching the soil in the garden with nitrogen useful for sweet cherries. A garden where the aisles and trunk circles are kept grassed will need to be watered much more frequently, as the deep root system of perennial legumes pumps a lot of water out of the soil.
pruning
If the sweet cherry is not formed, the yield will be low, and the tree will grow bulky, inconvenient for care and harvesting. Birds love cherries. Forming a tree compact, low, it is possible to cover it with a net during the ripening of the crop, and then the birds will not get to the tasty fruits.
The sweet cherry has a sparse crown, few skeletal branches are formed on the tree, so the formation is not difficult. The shape of the crown to be given to the tree depends on the type of garden. When thickened planting trees form in the form of palmettes. In medium-density gardens, flat-round and cup-shaped formations are preferred.
Sweet cherries can be pruned only in spring, removing branches that have frozen over the winter, thinning and shortening the one-year growth. When shortening the side branches, the rule is that the central conductor should always be 20 cm higher than the skeletal branches.
The most popular undersized form of sweet cherry in amateur gardens is called the "Spanish bush", as it was developed in Spain. It represents a short trunk, on which a crown is formed in the form of a bowl.
Step-by-step guide to forming a "Spanish bush":
- When planting, cut the seedling at a height of 60-70 cm.
- In the first year, when the seedling takes root, leave 4 lateral shoots on it, giving the tree a cupped shape.
- It is necessary that in the first year the shoots grow at least 60 cm.
- The rest of the shoots growing from the stem, remove the ring.
As a result of the formation of the "Spanish bush", a plant will be obtained on a low stem with four skeletal branches. The branches growing inside the bush can be removed completely or, if the tree is young, shortened to 10-15 cm. When the tree grows, the internal branches must be removed if fruit formations do not form from them.
Each skeletal branch of sweet cherry can bear fruit for no more than 10 years, after which it must be cut down and replaced with a new one. The culture bears fruit on fruit formations - fruits.
A fruit is a short branch, on the side or at the end of which there are flower buds. They form the main crop of cherries. The fruit is slow growing, grows no more than 1 cm per year, but is durable.
Pruning should be done in such a way as to preserve the fruits. They try to remove berries from the tree without damaging the fruit formations, since the size of the crop depends on their number on the tree.
Sweet cherries may also have another type of fruit formations - bouquet twigs. Their length reaches 8 cm. For comparison, the length of the bouquet branches of plums and apricots is on average 4 cm.
The life expectancy of each bouquet twig is 5-6 years. Each of them has fruit buds, and at the tip there is one growth bud. Fruit buds die after fruiting, and a new shoot can form from the growth bud.
Cherry grafting
There are few seedlings of varieties suitable for the middle lane. Horticultural firms offer seedlings brought from Moldova. They do not take root well not only in central Russia, but even in warm Ukraine.
It makes sense to breed cherries on your own, especially since there are no particular difficulties in this matter. The culture lends itself to spring grafting with cuttings on cherry rootstocks. A graft - a branch of sweet cherry of a suitable variety - can be taken from neighbors or acquaintances.
Cherry grafting methods:
- in summer - a sleeping eye;
- in winter and spring - with a cutting (copulation, splitting, butt, in a side cut).
Good results are obtained by grafting sweet cherries into the crown of Magaleb or antipka cherries, but this operation requires a lot of experience.
What is the cherry afraid of?
Cherry almost does not get sick. The only weak point of culture is thermophilicity. In terms of winter hardiness, the cherry tree is inferior to other rosaceous trees: apple, pear, cherry and plum.
Cherry grows best in areas with a mild warm climate. First of all, frost damages fruit buds. They die at -26. After a cold winter, a tree may survive, but there will be no berries on it. Wood freezes at temperatures below -30.
Cherries of the middle lane are afraid of winters without snow. Without snow shelter, the roots of a tree freeze slightly. Such a situation can develop when the autumn heat is abruptly replaced by severe frosts, and there is little or no snow in the root zone. November frosts in snowless years can kill a tree.
The long February thaws are also dangerous, when the buds are preparing to leave the dormant state and can bloom and then die from frost. Blooming buds die if the temperature drops to -2.
Gone are the days when cherries were grown only in the southern regions. Now varieties have been bred that allow residents of the Moscow region and even the Leningrad region to feast on berries from their garden.
- Read about.
Choosing varieties of cherries
When solving this important issue, it is necessary to pay attention to the flowering period of the tree and to the fact that many varieties are self-fertile. That is, for a good fruit setting, it is necessary to plant not one, but at least 2 trees. different sort that would bloom at the same time. A photo will help to see what this beautiful tree looks like, although whoever has not seen it live ...
In the southern regions, heat sets in early, so flowering trees there practically do not fall under frost. In cooler areas, early maturing varieties may be subject to this nuisance, as cherries bloom in the spring. But, if you want to taste the berries as early as possible, then, during frosts, you can cover the cherry trees with non-woven material, make smoke fires near them, etc.
- Homestead yellow. Productive, winter-hardy cherry. The fruits have a sweet and sour taste. The variety is self-fertile.
- Oryol amber. Winter hardiness is average, the variety has a good yield, resistant to coccomycosis. The average weight of tasty, large yellow-pink fruits is 5.5 g.
- Iput has excellent winter hardiness, resistant to coccomycosis, partially self-fertile. Fruits weighing 6?9 g, dark red, almost black in color. Cultivation of Iput cherries is preferred by many gardeners.
- Raditsa. The fruits ripen very early. The variety is winter-hardy, high-yielding. To obtain fruits that are dark red, it is necessary to plant a pollinator variety nearby, since this variety is self-fertile. The tree is stunted, has a compact crown.
- Chermashnaya has a high winter hardiness. Fruits weighing up to four and a half grams of yellow color. Berries are sweet and juicy. The variety is self-fertile, has good indicators of resistance to fungal diseases.
- The trees of the Ovstuzhenka sweet cherry variety are low, with a spherical dense crown. Fruits with an average weight of 5 grams of dark red color. The variety is winter-hardy, fruitful.
- Fatezh. winter hardy, high productive variety. The tree is medium-sized, self-fertile, with a spherical-spreading, drooping crown. The fruits are pink-red, shiny. The taste is sweet and sour.
- Pobeda is a productive variety resistant to fungal diseases. Winter hardiness is good. Fruits are large, excellent taste, red color.
- The Revna sweet cherry variety is winter-hardy, partially self-fertile, has excellent resistance to coccomycosis. Fruits of sweet taste are dark red, almost black, ripening, do not crack.
- Tyutchevka is winter-hardy, resistant to moniliosis. The tree is medium tall with a spherical semi-spreading crown. The fruits are dark red in color, large, weigh 5.5-6 g, excellent taste.
- Revna is a partially self-fertile variety, highly resistant to coccomycosis. Pyramid-shaped tree of medium height. The fruits are almost black in color - maroon, have an excellent taste.
- Bryansk pink is one of the latest varieties. Disease resistant. In the fifth year, it begins to bear fruit. The tree grows to medium size. The fruits are pink on the outside and light yellow inside, do not crack.
Cherry planting
Like many fruit trees, sweet cherries can be planted in autumn and spring. Each term has its advantages and small disadvantages. In the spring, you need to have time to plant a cherry seedling before the onset of heat. In the middle lane - this is the end of April. That is, the period is short. But in autumn it is longer. At this time, sweet cherries are planted from early September to late October. It is necessary that the seedling has time to take root before the onset of frost, then it will winter better.
It is important to choose the most optimal place in the garden. Since the cherry is a guest who came to us from the south, it is necessary to plant it where it will be warm. You need to choose a place that is not blown by cold northern winds. It is better to place the seedling on the south side of the others garden trees. Also, on the north side, a tree can be covered by a wall of a building, a fence. The place for growing cherries should be well warmed up by the sun, it is impossible for a shadow from other trees to fall on it.
In the lowland, the tree will feel uncomfortable. Usually there high level ground water, so the roots of the tree will swell, and it itself may die.
After you have decided on a place, you need to consider the timing of planting cherries. Even winter-hardy varieties cannot be planted if the air temperature is below 0 ° C. At the same time, at spring planting, it is necessary to carry out work before the swelling of the kidneys. Therefore, autumn planting is the most optimal. However, if you have purchased a young seedling with a closed root system, then it can be planted almost at any time - from the end of April to the end of October, but it is better to do this when there is no strong heat, then the cherry will take root better.
A hole for a seedling is dug in advance, this will allow the earth to settle. It is made large - 1 m in diameter and 70 cm deep. 2-3 buckets of well-ripened compost, humus are poured here, or these organic fertilizers are combined. Minerals also need to be added. Pour 200 g of double superphosphate and 150 g of potassium sulfate into the pit. Mix mineral fertilizers with organic ones, give humus, compost the shape of a mound. Put a seedling on it, straightening the roots. Drive in a peg next to it, tie a tree to it.
Fill the hole with fertile soddy soil. Carefully water the cherry seedling with 2-3 buckets of water, then mulch the near-stem circle with peat. Punch this place with your foot, placing the sole perpendicular to the seedling - with the toe towards it. Make sure the root neck is at ground level.
This completes the planting of cherries. Of course, it is better to carry it out in cloudy weather, if the morning after planting is hot, cover the seedling with non-woven material. If you plant several trees, keep a distance of 3 m between them.
Cherry shaping pruning
It is necessary to cut off excess branches, it is necessary to form a tree annually, since sweet cherries are characterized by rapid growth. They only do it in early spring before the buds open.
Until the tree begins to bear fruit, its annual shoots are annually shortened by 1/5 of the height. When the sweet cherry enters the fruiting stage, shortening pruning is stopped. Only branches that grow incorrectly are cut out - directed towards the crown, half of the shoot is removed if two branches form an angle of less than 50 °. It is necessary to cut out diseased, dry branches.
To increase the yield, the following technique is carried out: sharply growing branches are bent so that they begin to be at an angle of 90 ° from the trunk. To do this, weights are hung on the branches of a young tree or the ends of the branches are tied to pegs driven into the ground.
Cherry care
It is imperative to weed the ground under the crown, as the cherry does not like weeds. Gradually increase the diameter of the trunk circle. In the second year it should be 1 meter, after another 3 years 150 cm. This entire area should be freed from weeds.
Cherries are watered and then fed three times a season. You need to do this like this: first loosen the soil of the near-stem circle, while choosing weeds. Then, in several doses, water the tree with water heated in the sun, then pour it with a nutrient solution.
In the initial period of bud break, 5–8 g of urea is dissolved in 10 liters of water, and the tree is watered with this fertilizer. You can notice this organic top dressing by spreading 800 g of manure in 10 liters. water. Make sure that fertilizer does not get on the root collar, otherwise it may rot.
The next do 2 mineral sweet cherry top dressing - the first - during the budding period, the second - at the beginning of fruit set. For such a fertilizer, 1 cup of ash and 30 g of double superphosphate are diluted in 10 liters. water.
For better pollination, you can spray the flowers with a sweet solution by placing 1 tbsp. l. liquid honey in 1 liter. water. Bees will flock to the smell, and the harvest will be plentiful.