Contents
Natalie is one of the most popular varieties of felt cherries. Due to its undemanding care and universal characteristics, it has long earned approval among professional agronomists and amateur gardeners.
History of breeding
The felt cherry variety Natalie was bred in 1979 in the Far East, at the experimental station of the All-Union Research Institute of Plant Industry named after V.I. N. Vavilov. The parent variety for him was Summer, pollinated by mixed pollen of Damanka, Red Sweet and Light.
The authors of Natalie are V.P. and N.A. Tsarenko. Work on the breeding of this cherry variety has been going on for 20 years.
Natali entered the State Register in 1997.
Description of the culture
Felt cherry Natalie is a tree-like sprawling shrub from 1,7 to 2 m tall.
The bush is wide, ovoid or slightly flattened oval in shape, has a medium density. Perennial branches are thick, gray in color, covered with rough bark. Young shoots are greenish-brown.
The buds are small, pointed, slightly deviated from the shoot. The leaves of Natalie are light green, small (up to 6 cm long), wrinkled, with a pointed tip. The edge of the leaf blade is corrugated. The length of the petiole is 7 mm, the thickness is medium.
The flowers are numerous, large (from 2 to 2,5 cm in diameter), saucer-shaped. Initially, they are white-pink in color, after a week they fade and become completely white. Five petals. The type of flowering is continuous, this applies to all branches (both annual and perennial).
The fruits of the Natalie variety are very large for felt cherries (weighing up to 4 g). The shape resembles a wide oval, tapering downwards. The peduncle is short (about 4–5 mm), slightly pubescent, detaches from the fruit without effort. The skin is dark red, covered with short, barely visible hairs. The pulp is scarlet, dense, juicy, with small cartilages (like a cherry fruit). The stones of the felt cherry Natalie are beige, oval in shape, small (only 5% of the total weight of the fruit). The taste of fruits is harmonious, sweet with a pleasant sourness.
Natalie’s life expectancy with proper care is up to 18 years.
Due to the universal characteristics of this variety, the cultivation of Natali felt cherry is recommended in all regions of Our Country. It is suitable for breeding in nurseries, in intensive gardens (with fruit processing centers nearby), as well as for amateur gardening.
Features
Drought resistance, winter resistance
Natalie is a variety of felt cherry, characterized by high winter hardiness. The trunk and branches of the bush are able to withstand frosts down to -35 degrees. The flowers tolerate spring frosts well (up to -3 degrees).
This variety is highly resistant to drought.
Pollination, maturation and flowering period
Felt cherry Natalie belongs to the early varieties. It blooms around May 20-27, the fruits ripen in the first or second decade of July.
The variety is self-infertile. Pollinators for Natalie’s felt cherry should grow in the same area as her and bloom at the same time.
In this role, they can perform well:
- plum;
- peach;
- apricot;
- cherry plum;
- cherries of other felt varieties.
yield, fruiting
Felt cherry seedlings Natalie begin to bear fruit in the second year. The variety is characterized by high productivity – 7–10 kg can be harvested from a bush. The berries ripen en masse and simultaneously.
Berries felted cherries Natalie are much less acidic than ordinary cherries. There is no bitterness in their taste. In their composition: 12% solids, 8,3% sugar and 0,8% acids. The content of ascorbic acid in 100 g of the pulp of Natalie berries is 24 mg.
The tasting score of the Natalie variety is 3,8–4 points (with a maximum of 5).
Fruit transportability is low. They must be collected by hand. In the refrigerator, Natalie’s berries can be stored for no more than 6 days. And only 3 days – at room temperature. It is advisable to recycle them immediately after collection.
Scope of berries
For economic purposes, the fruits of Natalie’s felt cherries are considered universal. They are eaten fresh, and are also used to make juice, jam, marmalade, jam, marshmallow and marmalade. Natalie’s berries make delicious wines and liquors.
Disease and pest resistance
Like most varieties of felt cherries, Natalie is highly resistant to coccomycosis, a formidable enemy of ordinary cherries.
This variety is relatively resistant to clasterosporiosis.
A significant danger to Natalie is monilial burns (a fungal disease that affects the plant during flowering).
Felt cherries are isolated from pests:
- rodents (primarily mice);
- pocket and gall mites;
- aphid;
- weevil;
- scale shield.
Advantages and disadvantages
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| Early variety | Self-infertility |
| High yield | Does not tolerate waterlogging |
| Large and tasty fruits | Fruit size shrinks with over-harvest |
| Frost and drought resistance | Poor transportability of fruits |
| resistance to coccomycosis |
Features of landing
Recommended dates
Planting Felt Cherry Natalie can be carried out:
- early spring (preferred);
- autumn (September).
When planted in spring, young plants will have time to take root better and endure the cold more easily.
Choosing the right place
The place for landing Natalie in the ground should be sunny, the acidity of the soil should be neutral.
Optimal soil types:
- peat;
- sandy loam;
- loam
An important characteristic of felt cherries of the Natali variety is intolerance to excess moisture in the soil. It should be planted in places where there is no stagnant water, and where groundwater does not come close to the surface.
What crops can and cannot be planted next to cherries
Next to the Natalie variety bush, it is recommended to plant:
- trees are potential pollinators;
- elderberry;
- lilies of the valley, violets, periwinkle.
Do not plant in the neighborhood:
- coniferous trees;
- nightshade plants;
- hazel;
- currants, gooseberries, raspberries.
Selection and preparation of planting material
The material for planting are one- and two-year-old seedlings.
Immediately before planting in the ground, the roots of young plants should be cut off (by about 20 cm), and then dipped in a clay water mash.
Landing algorithm
Basic landing techniques:
- the pit for the seedling should be about 60 cm wide and 50-80 cm deep;
- a mixture of humus and fertile soil, supplemented with hydrated lime and complex fertilizer, is laid at the bottom of it;
- the seedling is installed in a pit, making sure that the root neck is not deeply buried, after which it is covered with ready-made soil;
- the earth is carefully compacted and watered (1-20 liters of water are needed for 40 bush).
Culture aftercare
Pruning felt cherries Natalie produced in the spring. For a tree younger than 5 years old, a crown is formed in this way, while an older plant needs it as a rejuvenating procedure. Regular and proper pruning can almost double the life of a cherry tree, without which it is about 10 years.
Natalie should be watered very moderately, no more than 3-4 times during the season, primarily during the drought period, making sure that the root collar does not prop up.
Felt cherry Natalie should be fed:
- spring (mineral fertilizers);
- autumn (organic).
In the autumn, when the crop is already harvested, you should carefully loosen the soil in the near-stem circle, carefully inspect the shrub, removing dried and damaged branches. It is also possible to wrap the trunks at the base with roofing felt or metal mesh in order to protect against rodents.
Useful tips for planting and caring for felt cherries – in the video:
Diseases and pests, methods of control and prevention
| Diseases/Pests | Symptoms | Prevention and control measures |
| Monilial burns (moniliosis) | Flowers, and then leaves, ovaries and shoots dry immediately after flowering. Affected parts of the tree look “burnt” | Pruning “with a margin” of the affected branches, cleaning fallen leaves. Spraying with a solution of foundationazole (0,1%) during the flowering period |
| pocket disease | Deformed ovaries, from which fruits grow, resembling soft sacs. Fungal spores grow inside | Remove and burn all diseased parts of the cherry. Prevention is regular pruning. Treatment – treatment with fungicides |
| Aphids, weevils, scale insects, mites | Timely processing of trees with kinmiks, mitak, baksin, karbofos |
Conclusion
Felt cherry Natalie is an early variety that is universally suitable for growing both in the temperate climate of central Our Country and in harsh Siberian conditions. It is favorably distinguished by high productivity, it is unpretentious in care and tolerates winter cold well, but it is extremely intolerant of excess moisture. Due to self-fertility, Natalie should be planted on the site next to pollinating trees.
Reviews
Reviews of summer residents about Natalie’s felt cherry are generally positive.