Contents
Cherry is one of the most popular fruit crops. Even those who do not like fruits containing a large amount of acid, love jams and juices from this wonderful berry. Varieties of general purpose are especially valued. Chernokorka cherry is rightfully considered one of the best.
History of breeding
Chernokorka Cherry is a Ukrainian variety of folk selection. Where and when it was bred is not known for certain. Since 1974, Chernokorka has been included in the list of varieties recommended for cultivation in the North Caucasus region.
Description of the culture
Chernokorka cherry grows no higher than three meters. It looks like both a bush and a tree at the same time, it all depends on how it is formed. The crown of Chernokorka is wide, rounded. Because of the drooping branches, the cherry seems squat. The leaves are dark green, medium in size, oval in shape with a sharp tip and base.
The flowers of Chernokorka cherry are white, large, wide open, collected in 2-5 pieces. Ripe fruits are almost black, the pulp and juice are maroon. It follows from this that the Chernokorka variety is a typical griot. The berries are flat-round, rather large, their average weight is 4-4,5 g, with high agricultural technology or in a good year they can reach 5 g.
People who are far from gardening often ask themselves the question: is the Chernokorka variety cherry or cherry? Doubts arise because of the excellent sweet taste of the berries, the tasting score of which is 4,5 points. But the acid in the fruits is present in sufficient quantities, it is simply softened by a high content of glucose and fructose.
The stone of the cherry of the Chernokorka variety is small, it separates well from the pulp. The berry is firmly attached to the stem and is not prone to shedding.
Chernokorka cherry grows well not only throughout Ukraine and in the North Caucasus region. It is planted in the Krasnodar Territory, Rostov Region.
Features
There are no perfect cherry varieties. But before the mass death of the culture from coccomycosis, the inhabitants of the south of Our Country and Ukraine believed that they were lucky. Chernokorka cherry had such a popularity that even the best modern varieties cannot be compared with. And this despite her self-infertility. However, in the south, the culture is so widespread that residents rarely think about pollinators – at least several varieties of cherries and sweet cherries grow in every yard.
Drought resistance, winter resistance
Chernokorka cherry is highly resistant to drought. It should be watered only when there is no rain for a whole month. True, this does not cancel the autumn moisture recharge – it helps the tree to winter well.
The frost resistance of the Chernokorka variety is high. But this applies only to regions where it is recommended to grow this cherry. In colder areas, a different variety should be chosen for the garden.
Pollination, flowering period and ripening period
In the south Chernokorka cherry blossoms in late April or early May. The timeframe depends on weather conditions. Berries begin to sing in late June – early July. For the southern regions, these are average terms. The fruiting period is extended by 2-3 weeks.
Chernokorka cherry variety is self-infertile. This means that without pollination, it will give no more than 5% of the possible harvest. To obtain a large number of fruits, one should plant Lyubskaya cherries or Yaroslavna, Donchanka, Aelita cherries nearby.
yield, fruiting
The Chernokorka cherry gives its first harvest after four years of being on the site. The variety enters full fruiting in the seventh year. Yields are highly dependent on pollination, agricultural practices and weather conditions.
If the recommended pollinators are planted next to the cherry, it is regularly pruned, fed and watered during the dry season, an adult tree can produce up to 60 kg of berries. If Chernokorka is pollinated by unknown varieties and grows as it should, then the yield will drop to 30 kg. However, this is also not bad for a small cherry.
Variety Chernokorka stably bears fruit, constantly increasing productivity. As the tree becomes old, the number of berries decreases.
Scope of berries
Variety Chernokorka is classified as a universal cherry. Her berries are so tasty that when there are few of them, everyone is eaten fresh. When the tree enters full fruiting, jams, compotes are made from it, juices and wine are prepared. Of the alcoholic drinks made from Chernokorka, aromatic liqueurs are especially popular.
Despite the abundance of juice in the berries, Chernokorka is often dried. True, it is problematic to do this in the sun, you need to use an oven, oven or a special dryer.
Disease and pest resistance
Unfortunately, the Chernokorka cherry variety, remarkable in all respects, is strongly affected by coccomycosis. Even in normal years, several treatments are needed to get away from the disease. During epizootics (epidemics of plants), even multiple sprayings do not guarantee the health of the variety. Pests also do not bypass Chernokorka, however, it is much easier to deal with them.
Advantages and disadvantages
Perhaps we need to start with the disadvantages, since the main one – low resistance to coccomycosis can make the variety undesirable in the backyard. Self-infertility should also be noted, as well as the fact that the characteristic of Chernokorka as a frost-resistant cherry is true only in the southern regions.
The advantages of the variety include:
- Delicious large berries.
- High frost resistance of the variety in the regions recommended for cultivation.
- Strong attachment of berries to the stem.
- Consistently high yield.
- Universal fruits.
- Chernokorka cherry grows low, which simplifies harvesting.
- Prolongation of fruiting.
- High drought tolerance.
Features of landing
Chernokorka does not impose special requirements that are different from other varieties of cherries. But the harvest depends on regular care for it. A cherry left unattended can cut it in half, even in the presence of the “right” pollinators.
Recommended dates
Since Chernokorka cherries are grown in the south, they should be planted in the fall, after leaf fall. Before the onset of frost, it will have time to take root, and at the beginning of next year it will immediately begin to grow. If you plant Chernokorka in the spring, most likely, the tree will die. In the south, often a short spring is immediately replaced by heat, and no watering can compensate for the heat.
If you decide to grow a variety in a temperate climate, you need to plant it in early spring.
Choosing the right place
What cherries do not like is the close standing of groundwater. If they approach the surface less than 2 m, you need to arrange good drainage or plant a tree on a gentle slope.
Cherries need good light and protection from strong winds. And not only cold winter, but also summer, withering.
The soil should have a neutral reaction and a loose structure. Organics must be applied even to black soil.
What crops can and cannot be planted next to cherries
It is best to plant pollinating varieties next to cherries. Other stone fruit crops located nearby will not interfere. But the walnut should be planted away from the cherry. The same applies to oak, birch, elm. It should be remembered that blackcurrant and cherry do not tolerate each other, and shrubs with rapidly expanding rhizomes (raspberries, sea buckthorn) will compete with the culture for nutrients and water.
When Chernokorka takes root, you can cover the near-stem circle with a lawn or ground cover. This will protect the root from overheating and slow down the evaporation of moisture.
Selection and preparation of planting material
1-year-old seedlings up to 90 cm high, or two-year-old up to 110 cm, take root well. One and a half meter trees are most likely overfed with nitrogen or stimulants. The root system must be well developed, healthy and undamaged. The greenish color of the bark indicates that the wood has not matured, the cracks show that the seedling is either sick or has undergone sudden changes in temperature, and this is unacceptable.
Immediately before planting, Chernokorka cherries with an open root system must be soaked for at least 3 hours, and the container plant must be watered.
Landing algorithm
A planting hole for cherries must be dug in advance, preferably a month in advance. If this is not possible, it must be completely filled with water several times, and wait until the moisture is completely absorbed. The diameter of the pit should be approximately 80 cm, the depth should be at least 40 (if drainage is done, this figure increases by 1,5-2 times). Acidic soil is neutralized with lime, sand is added to dense clay soils. Further landing is carried out in the following sequence:
- A fertile mixture is being prepared: a bucket of humus and 50 g of potash and phosphate fertilizers are added to the top layer of the earth.
- A strong support for tying a seedling is driven in 20 cm from the center.
- Cherry is installed at the bottom of the pit so that the horse’s neck rises 5-8 cm above its edge.
- The root is gradually covered with a fertile mixture. It must be compacted to avoid voids.
- The seedling is tied to a support.
- Around the trunk circle, a roller is formed from the remaining earth.
- Cherries are watered with 2-3 buckets of water and mulched with humus.
Culture aftercare
The seedling is plentifully watered all autumn and the whole next season. Then it is necessary to moisten the soil only if the summer is hot and dry. In autumn, moisture charging is mandatory.
It is best to feed the culture with ash and mullein. Mineral fertilizers for cherries are selected so that they receive a lot of nitrogen and potassium. Phosphorus is needed in a limited amount, but it cannot be excluded at all.
To obtain a good harvest, shaping pruning is carried out before the start of sap flow. Sanitary – as needed. This operation will help to avoid thickening of the crown, which contributes to the development of fungal infections, in particular, coccomycosis.
It is not necessary to cover Chernokorka for the winter in the regions recommended for growing the variety. From hares and other rodents, the stem is tied with straw or burlap for the winter, if the cherry is formed in the form of a bush, a wire fence is installed.
Diseases and pests, methods of control and prevention
Unfortunately, the tasty and beautiful Chernokorka cherry is severely damaged by coccomycosis. The signs and measures to combat the most common problems of the variety are indicated in the table.
Diseases, pests | Symptoms | Treatment | Prevention |
Kokkomikoz | The leaves turn yellow, spots appear on them, which grow and eventually turn into holes. In the middle of summer, the affected vegetative organs fall off | On a green cone and after leaf fall, cherries are treated with a copper-containing preparation. Before the onset of frost, the tree is sprayed with iron sulphate. During the fruit pouring period, 2 kg of wood ash and 60 g of laundry soap are dissolved in a bucket of water. Number of treatments – 2-3 with an interval of 10-14 days | Timely cleaning of fallen leaves, sanitary and formative pruning, preventive spraying. Treatments with non-toxic preparations epin and zircon can increase the immunity of cherries |
Monilial burn (moniliosis) | Shoots and flowers (fruits) begin to dry out. This often happens in wet weather. The fruits are deformed, cracks form on the bark | First, all the affected organs are removed, capturing part of the healthy tissue, the sections are processed with garden pitch. Treatment is then carried out by spraying with copper preparations or other suitable fungicides. | Same as for coccomycosis |
cherry aphid | Most of all, it affects young leaves and shoots, sucking out cell sap from them. Vegetative organs become deformed, become sticky, then wither and dry out | With a small number of insects for spraying, you can use a solution of laundry soap. If the aphid colony is large, treat with an appropriate insecticide. | Fighting ants. Regular pruning |
cherry fly | The insect lays eggs in the berries, from which the larvae hatch and eat the cherry from the inside. The fruits soften, rot, crumble | Folk remedies are ineffective. 60-70% of pests can be destroyed with special traps. Need insecticide treatment about a month before harvest | Timely pruning, cleaning of fallen leaves, digging the trunk circle in the fall |
Conclusion
Chernokorka Cherry would be the best solution for a southern garden, only a strong susceptibility to coccomycosis can hardly please. If you are ready to fight this scourge, plant a pollinator variety nearby and enjoy tasty, healthy and beautiful berries.
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