Contents
There are only 5 types of edible cherries: ordinary, steppe, sweet cherry, felt and Magaleb. Each has its own characteristics. For example, the steppe cherry grows as a multi-stemmed bush and is able to withstand severe frosts. It is cultivated in cold regions.
History of breeding
Variety Bolotovskaya was created by an amateur gardener A.I. Bolotov by selective selection of steppe cherry seedlings. Further, this cultivar was tested at the Sverdlovsk Horticulture Station. With the participation of N. I. Gvozdyukova and M. G. Isakova, a study of the variety was carried out. The selected seedling was transferred to the State Variety Test. Since 1989, the Bolotovskaya variety has been recommended for cultivation in the Ural region.
Description of the culture
Cherry Bolotovskaya forms a sprawling bush up to 1,8 m high. The crown is of medium density, with drooping branches, the buds are located at an angle to the shoot. An oval elongated leaf with a triangular base and a sharp apex along the edge is serrated, slightly wavy. It is painted green, glossy, straight. The stalk is about 8 mm long from the upper part of anthocyanin coloration.
The flowers are white, with loose petals, collected in 5 pcs. on bouquet twigs and last year’s shoots. The fruits are dark red, wide-round, with a medium funnel. Their mass reaches 3-4 g, which is considered a good indicator for steppe cherries. The pulp and juice of Bolotovskaya are red.
The sweet and sour taste of the berries is considered satisfactory. It is rated at 3,8 points. Cherries are well attached to the stem. Berries are not prone to cracking or shedding. The stone is brown, small (0,17 g), well separated from the pulp.
Variety Bolotovskaya showed itself well when grown in the Ural region.
Features
All the characteristics of the Bolotovskaya cherry variety below are fully manifested only in the region recommended for cultivation. In the south, the culture will suffer from the heat, and to the north it will freeze.
Drought resistance, winter resistance
Cherry steppe variety Bolotovskaya is quite drought-resistant. In rainy summers, it does not need watering at all, although it requires mandatory autumn water charging.
Winter hardiness varieties Bolotovskaya high. Even if the cherry is frozen, it will quickly recover.
Pollination, flowering period and ripening period
Cherry Bolotovskaya has a high self-fertility. It is able to give a good harvest, planted alone, and is pollinated by any variety.
Bolotovskaya blooms in mid-late terms – the buds bloom by the end of May or even the beginning of June. This allows them to get away from possible return frosts. Fruiting is extended, begins in the first decade of August. Variety Bolotovskaya belongs to the cherries of medium-late ripening.
yield, fruiting
Cherry Bolotovskaya bears fruit regularly. It gives an excellent harvest from the third year after planting. It should be noted that the variety is able to bear fruit for 30 years. Of course, this applies to native rooted plants. You should also not neglect top dressing and rejuvenating pruning – without them, even Bolotovskaya grown from seed or overgrowth will not be productive for so long.
Despite its modest size, the variety yields 70-80 centners per hectare. Due to its high yield, Bolotovskaya cherry is used not only in private, but also in industrial gardening.
Scope of berries
Variety Bolotovskaya – cherry, the fruits of which have a technical purpose. Its taste is mediocre, only 3,8 points, eating berries directly from the tree is a little pleasure. But jams, juices, compotes are good.
Disease and pest resistance
Variety Bolotovskaya is susceptible to fungal diseases, in particular, to moniliosis and coccomycosis. But the culture is rarely affected by typical cherry pests. Only in some years Bolotovskaya is pestered by slimy sawfly and aphids.
Advantages and disadvantages
When it comes to the advantages and disadvantages of a variety, one should not forget about its purpose. So, Bolotovskaya cherry is a technical culture, it makes no sense to expect delicious sweet berries from it. Here, the yield and the content of a large number of useful substances in the fruits come to the fore. The advantages of Bolotovskaya include:
- High frost resistance.
- Self-fertility
- Drought tolerance.
- High yield.
- The small size of the bush, which makes it easy to collect fruits.
- Bolotovskaya berries are not prone to shedding.
- The fruits do not crack.
- Late flowering, which allows the variety to get away from return frosts.
- Regular fruiting.
- The berries are removed with a dry separation.
- For steppe cherries, the Bolotovskaya variety has large fruits.
- Low susceptibility to typical cherry pests.
Disadvantages of the variety:
- Fruits of mediocre taste, sour.
- Susceptibility to fungal diseases.
- Bolotovskaya can not be grown in all regions.
Features of landing
Variety Bolotovskaya – steppe cherry. From here come all its features and requirements. Bolotovskaya is not capricious and easy to care for, you just need to choose the right time and place of landing.
Recommended dates
Planting Bolotovskaya cherry in early spring is not recommended. It is placed on the site not earlier than the soil warms up well. This usually happens in May, and in the north of the Ural region sometimes even in early June.
Choosing the right place
Like all cherries, steppe ones do not like wetlands and lowlands. You need to choose an open space or a small hill. It is important to cover it from cold winds with a fence, building wall or other trees.
Lighting should be good – with a lack of sunlight, the Bolotovskaya cherry will bear fruit, but the lower berries will begin to rot before reaching full ripeness, and the upper ones will quickly dry out. In the shade, they simply will not tie.
Steppe cherry Bolotovskaya prefers carbonate soils. In other soils, except for humus, it is imperative to add dolomite flour.
What crops can and cannot be planted next to cherries
The best neighbors for the Bolotovskaya variety will be other cherries. You can not plant other rapidly growing shrubs next to it – the steppe itself gives a lot of growth. Then you will have to deal with thickets of intertwined roots of different cultures.
Even after the Bolotovskaya cherry is well rooted, it is not recommended to plant ground covers under it. To reduce the amount of overgrowth and a better supply of oxygen, the near-stem circle must be constantly loosened.
Selection and preparation of planting material
Steppe cherry reproduces well by root shoots. It is the own-rooted seedlings that should be given preference when buying – they are less capricious and more durable. In order not to miscalculate with a variety, it is better to buy planting material in nurseries or large garden centers.
The root system of the cherry should be well developed, the bark intact, the branches elastic. Before planting, container seedlings are watered. The open root system is soaked in water for at least 3 hours. If the cherry was bought at the exhibition or its root has dried up, this period is increased to a day.
Landing algorithm
Since Bolotovskaya cherries need to be planted no earlier than the soil warms up, it is not necessary to dig a planting hole in the fall. Fertile soil is prepared in this way: the top fertile layer of the earth is mixed with about 500 g of dolomite flour, a bucket of humus and 50 g of phosphate fertilizers.
The hole is dug 2-3 weeks before planting. Its size should be approximately 60x60x60 cm. Next, the actual landing is carried out:
- The seedling is placed in the center of the hole.
- Its root is gradually covered with a fertile mixture and gently rammed. This will help prevent voids from forming. The root neck should rise above the edge of the planting hole by about 5 cm.
- A rim is formed around the trunk circle.
- The bush is watered with 2-3 buckets of water.
Culture aftercare
In the first season after planting, the Bolotovskaya seedling is regularly watered, the soil is loosened, and weeds are weeded out. In subsequent years, the earth is moistened only in the absence of precipitation during the month and in autumn.
When fertilizing with organic matter (ash and humus), it is necessary to add additional doses of phosphorus – steppe cherries need it more than ordinary cherries. When using mineral fertilizers, nitrogen is applied in spring, potassium and phosphorus in autumn.
The soil under the cherry is regularly loosened and freed from weeds. Sanitary and formative pruning is carried out annually. From the age of 15, they begin to rejuvenate the bush – they gradually remove the old skeletal branches.
For the winter, the Bolotovskaya cherry does not require shelter – the steppes are able to endure frost down to -50⁰ C. The bush is protected from hares by installing a special net – it is inconvenient to wrap with burlap or tie straw around numerous stems.
Diseases and pests, methods of control and prevention
Cherry variety Bolotovskaya has a high resistance to pests and a low resistance to fungal diseases. The main problems and ways to solve them are given in the table.
Diseases, pests | Symptoms | Treatment | Prevention |
Kokkomikoz | Dots appear on the leaf blades, then they grow and turn into holes. Leaves turn yellow and fall | During bud break, treatment with a copper-containing preparation, after leaf fall – with iron sulphate | Cleaning of fallen leaves, preventive treatments, regular pruning |
Moniliasis | First, young vegetative organs dry out, then entire branches. The bark is covered with cracks when the disease is advanced | Removal of affected wood with part of healthy tissue. Then treatment with preparations containing copper | See coccomycosis |
cherry aphid | Small winged insects literally stick around young leaves and shoots, suck cell sap from them. Vegetative organs are deformed and become sticky to the touch | If there are few aphids, the cherry is sprayed with a solution of laundry soap. For severe infestations, use appropriate insecticides. | Destruction of ants. Regular pruning |
Cherry slimy sawfly | Leech-like larvae gnaw on leaves | Treatment with insecticides, for example, Aktelik | Regular pruning, preventive insecticide treatments |
Conclusion
Although the Bolotovskaya cherry is a technical variety, it grows well in the cool climate of the Ural region. From berries you can make excellent jam, compote or juice. The variety is suitable for intensive cultivation and is grown in large farms in the Chelyabinsk and Sverdlovsk regions.