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Among fruit trees and shrubs, varieties of the so-called folk selection always stand a little apart. History has not preserved information about their origin, but this does not prevent them from being popular and annually delighting gardeners with a bountiful harvest. Among these crops there is Apukhtinskaya cherry – a well-deserved and respected variety by many.
Description of cherry Apukhtinskaya
Next, a description of the Apukhtinskaya cherry will be presented, its photos will be shown, pollinators will be listed, gardeners’ reviews of the cultivation of this variety will be given. The material is for informational purposes only. More complete information about the Apukhtinskaya cherry can be found in the specialized literature.
Variety of folk selection – Apukhtinskaya cherry
The Tula region, the village of Apukhtino, is considered the birthplace of the Apukhtinskaya cherry. The parental forms of this variety are unknown. According to some reports, the Apukhtinskaya cherry is related to the Lotova Moreli, although it is impossible to say for sure. There is no information on this variety in the State Register. The plant has good winter hardiness and unpretentious care. It grows well in central Our Country, it can be cultivated in more northern regions.
Apukhtinskaya cherries, the photo and description of which are given in this article, in their appearance are more reminiscent of shrub varieties with well-developed skeletal shoots. The stem is short, well developed. The crown is drooping, sparse.
A small video review of this variety can be viewed at the link:
Height and dimensions of an adult tree
An adult Apukhtinskaya cherry tree does not grow above 3 m. This is very convenient when working with it. The crown is round, its diameter is 2-2,5 m. The shoots are rather thin, becoming bare as the tree ages.
Description of fruits
Apukhtinskaya cherry berries ripen quite late, in August. These are drupes weighing 3-3,5 g, dark red, rounded flattened, with a wide central funnel. The peel of the fruit is thin, glossy. The pulp is juicy, ruby-red, medium density. The taste is bright, sweet and sour, classic cherry. The stone is single, oval, rather large, easily separated from the pulp. The stalk is long, thin, firmly attached to the fruit.
The berries of the Apukhtinskaya cherry are quite large
The separation is semi-dry. The variety is not prone to shedding, since ripening occurs gradually. Due to late ripening, the berries do not bake in the sun.
Cherry Pollinators Apukhtinskaya
Cherry Apukhtinskaya is a self-fertile variety. Due to the structural features of the flower, pollination can occur even without opening. However, for maximum yield, planting pollinators nearby is still desirable. Cherry Apukhtinskaya blooms quite late, in June, because of this it is quite difficult to choose a pollinator variety for it according to the description. The vast majority of other varieties fade much earlier. Gorky, Zhuravka, Lotovaya, Lyubskaya, Malinovka, Generous can be suitable as a pollinator for Apukhtinskaya cherries.
All these varieties bloom and ripen at about the same time as the Apukhtinskaya cherry, so they can be used to cross-pollinate each other.
Main characteristics
Cherry Apukhtinskaya has long been successfully grown in many regions of Our Country. Such long-term popularity is associated with the resistance of this variety to various adverse factors, ease of care and stable annual yield.
Drought resistance, frost resistance
The winter hardiness of the Apukhtinskaya cherry is not very high, it is believed that it can easily endure temperature drops to -20 ° C. This is a pretty average. In more severe frosts, shoots can freeze slightly, but in summer they quickly recover. Apukhtinskaya cherry also tolerates a long drought well. However, in the first two years, until the fruit-bearing tree is fully formed, the soil should not be allowed to dry out.
Productivity
Cherry Apukhtinskaya belongs to early-growing varieties. After planting, the seedlings give the first harvest for 2 or 3 years, and after grafting – the next year after the procedure. Every year, the number of fruits increases, and by the age of 5, cherries are capable of producing up to 10 kg of berries. The fruiting of the Apukhtinskaya cherry is annual and stable, with good care and favorable weather conditions, the yield from 1 tree can reach up to 15-20 kg.
Under good conditions, Apukhtinskaya cherry invariably pleases with a harvest
The purpose of the fruits is technical. Apukhtinskaya cherry berries are excellent for processing into jams, jams, compotes. They can also be consumed fresh, but a well-felt sourness, and sometimes bitterness in taste, is perceived negatively by many. It is advisable to start processing berries as soon as possible, since the keeping quality and transportability of Apukhtinskaya cherries are not very high.
Advantages and disadvantages
Experts and gardeners unanimously note the following advantages of Apukhtinskaya cherry:
- Early maturity.
- Annual fruiting.
- Late flowering, so the flowers are not damaged by return frosts.
- Self-fertility
- resistance to major diseases.
- Aversion to shedding berries.
Cherry Apukhtinskaya is not without flaws. The main negative aspects of this variety are the following indicators:
- Mediocre taste of fruits and their technical purpose.
- Low keeping quality and transportability of berries.
- Susceptibility of trees to coccomycosis.
Despite the shortcomings, the Apukhtinskaya cherry variety remains popular among gardeners, and this is largely due to the plant’s resistance to the vagaries of the weather and undemanding care.
Rules of landing
The average lifespan of a cherry tree is 20 years. It is undesirable to transplant it to another place, therefore, before planting a seedling, you need to correctly assess the situation and choose a suitable place. Quality planting material is of great importance. Apukhtinskaya cherry seedling should have a healthy appearance, a good root with lateral branches, while it should not be mechanically damaged.
Apukhtinskaya cherry seedlings are best purchased from ZKS
Recommended dates
Cherry enters the growing season very early, much earlier than many other fruit plants. It should be planted in early spring, as soon as the ground thaws. In areas with a warm climate, the planting of Apukhtinskaya cherries can be postponed to autumn. At the same time, it should be borne in mind that at least 3 weeks should remain from the moment of planting until the onset of frost, so that the seedling is guaranteed to take root in a new place.
Site selection and soil preparation
The best place for Apukhtinskaya cherry is the south side of a fence or a low building. At the same time, the seedling should not be in the shade of other buildings or tall trees, the lack of sun adversely affects the growth and yield of berries. Mail should be loamy or sandy, neutral or slightly alkaline. Groundwater at the landing site should lie at a depth of at least 2 m, if they are located higher, then you need to add soil.
Normal soil acidity is the key to successful cherry cultivation
Before planting, it is advisable to check the acidity level of the soil. Too acidic soil must be neutralized by adding lime or dolomite flour. For the spring planting of the Apukhtinskaya cherry, it is better to carry out all manipulations with the ground in the fall, at the same time clearing the area of debris, stones and old vegetation. Before the autumn landing, it is better to prepare the site 2-3 weeks before the start of work.
How to plant
Before planting Apukhtinskaya cherry seedlings, it is necessary to dig planting pits, the dimensions of which should be slightly larger than the volume of the root system. Practice shows that a depth of 0,6 m and a diameter of 0,6-0,8 m is enough. The extracted earth is mixed in equal proportions with humus, while adding a few tablespoons of superphosphate and 0,5 kg of wood ash to the composition of the nutrient soil. In the spring, it is advisable to add 1-2 tbsp to the above components. l. nitroammophoska or other nitrogen fertilizer, but during autumn planting it is better to do without it.
Before planting Apukhtinskaya cherry seedlings, a peg must be driven into the center of the pit, which for the first time will become a support for the future tree. If you do this after planting, then there is a high risk of damaging the roots of an already planted plant. Also, an earthen mound is poured in the center of the pit, on the sides of which the roots of the seedling are straightened. After that, the root system is gradually covered with nutrient soil. From time to time it is advisable to add water and compact the soil, so you can reduce the likelihood of voids in the roots.
Planting cherries is always more convenient to do together.
After the planting hole is completely filled with soil, the seedling is tied to a support. A small earthen roller 8-10 cm high is poured around the stem so that the water does not spread, and then the root zone is intensively watered. Planting ends with mulching the near-stem circle with peat or humus, this will keep moisture in the soil longer.
Features of care
Cherry Apukhtinskaya is rather undemanding to growing conditions, therefore, caring for it is not difficult. It includes only such mandatory procedures for gardeners as watering, fertilizing, various types of pruning, as well as periodic treatments for diseases and pests.
Watering and fertilizing schedule
The first 2 years after planting, watering the Apukhtinskaya cherry should be plentiful and regular. In dry weather, young trees should be watered at least once a week, pouring at least 1 liters of water under each specimen. It is better to do this in the late evening, so that evaporation from the soil surface under the influence of the sun is minimal. Adult fruit-bearing cherries are less demanding for watering, however, they also need water, especially during the period of formation and filling of berries. In dry weather, trees of mature age should be watered at least once a week, while the watering rate for each plant should be 10-1 liters.
Cherries, especially at a young age, require regular watering.
In the first 1-2 years after planting, there is no need to feed the Apukhtinskaya cherry, since for this period there is enough fertilizer applied to the soil during planting for its development. With the onset of active fruiting, nutrients begin to be consumed much faster, and their lack in the soil must be replenished in a timely manner.
The introduction of organic matter is an important part of the care of cherries
Top dressing of Apukhtinskaya cherries is carried out in several stages.
- Early spring, before flowering. At this time, fertilizing with nitrogen fertilizers (urea, ammonium nitrate) is carried out. Approximately 30 g is spent on each tree. Fertilizer can be applied in dissolved form (usually they are diluted in 10 liters of water and the root zone is watered with a solution) or dry, evenly scattering granules over the surface of the earth. Many gardeners scatter dry dressings even over the last snow, in which case the nutrients go into the soil along with melt water.
- At the end of the flowering period. The best top dressing at this time is liquid organic matter – an infusion of chicken manure or slurry. Such solutions are poured over the earth in the near-trunk circle.
- During fruit ripening. During this period, foliar top dressing is carried out, spraying the trees with a solution of carbamide (20 g of fertilizer per 10 liters of water).
- After fruiting. At this time, top dressing is carried out with complex potassium-phosphorus fertilizers. You can also use organic matter, such as humus or old rotted manure. Organic fertilizers are applied to the near-stem circle when it is dug up in the fall.
Trimming
Cherry pruning helps to form a beautiful and practical tree crown, the most convenient for the gardener and optimal for fruiting. In addition, some of the shoots are removed for preventive purposes.
Here are some types of Apukhtinskaya cherry pruning:
- Formative. Produced to give the tree a certain shape. Depends on the preferences of the gardener and the climate.
- Sanitary. It is carried out annually at the beginning and end of the season to clean the tree from old, diseased, broken and dry branches.
- thinning. Produced to remove thickening the crown, improperly growing shoots, as well as to clean the trunk and root zone from unnecessary growth.
Preparation for winter
In the southern regions, the Apukhtinskaya cherry is not covered for the winter. In more northern areas, young trees must be protected from frost. They are wrapped with a layer of breathable material, and also tied with spruce branches. Barrier nets are installed around the trunks, which will protect them from hares.
Apukhtinskaya cherry seedlings for the winter must be covered
In adult trees, it is imperative to whitewash the trunk and lower skeletal branches to a height of 1,5 m to protect against sunburn.
Diseases and pests
Cherry Apukhtinskaya has a good immunity to diseases. However, diseases can still appear, especially on weakened and aged specimens. Below are some of them.
Kokkomykoz, Apukhtinskaya cherry has a tendency to this fungal disease. You can recognize it by multiple reddish-brown small rounded spots that begin to cover the leaves of the tree in abundance.
Progressing, the disease begins to affect not only the leaves, but also the fruits, due to which a significant part of the crop is lost. The disease greatly reduces the winter hardiness of cherries and can lead to its death in winter. Prevention is the timely cleaning of plant residues, sanitary pruning, as well as whitewashing the trunks and treating the tree with fungicides (Bordeaux mixture).
Moniliosis is a fungal disease, especially noticeable on one-year growth. On diseased shoots, leaves begin to curl and turn brown, flowers or berries dry up. If you cut off an infected branch, then you can find the presence of black rings on the cut.
Treatment and prevention of moniliosis consists in the timely treatment of cherries with fungicides, Fitosporin or Fitolavin preparations, as well as maintaining the cleanliness of the bush and the near-trunk circle.
Scab, the disease usually manifests itself in regions with a warm climate. Scab-affected leaves curl up, turn yellow and dry, fruits dry out or crack. The disease cannot destroy a tree, but its productivity can suffer quite a lot.
For the prevention and treatment of scab, cherries are treated with Bordeaux liquid several times during the season. Affected leaves and shoots must be cut and burned. The trunk of the cherry must be whitened, and the fallen leaves and affected shoots must be removed and burned in time.
No less dangerous for the Apukhtinskaya cherry are various insect pests that spoil both the tree itself and the harvest of berries. Here are some of them:
- aphid – a microscopic insect found in large quantities on many horticultural crops. Large colonies of aphids suck the juice from the leaves, which greatly damages plants and young shoots. You can scare away aphids from cherries if you plant some types of plants next to the trees: fennel, thyme, dill. The pest does not tolerate their pungent smell. To kill insects, trees are sprayed with various insecticides: Iskra, Inta-Vir. A good result is the use for this purpose of infusion of ash, garlic, celandine or tansy.
- Ants These insects appear on cherries along with aphids, which they themselves spread. Hunting belts, various mechanical obstacles, as well as special chemicals are used against ants.
Conclusion
Cherry Apukhtinskaya is a variety that has long been known and loved by many gardeners. Due to its unpretentiousness, it still remains popular, despite the emergence of new, more productive species. And this picture is unlikely to change. Varieties of national selection, such as the Apukhtinskaya cherry or the Antonovka apple tree, will always be in demand, since they are already a living history of Our Country.