Cherry: variety description and planting
The sweet cherry fruit tree has similarities with its ancestors, cherry and sweet cherry. This wonderful tree will replace tender cherries in summer cottages in temperate climates.
Another name for this hybrid of cherry and cherry is “duke”. The plant has selected the very best from two representatives of fruit trees. From cherries – winter hardiness, and from cherries, large sweet fruits with a slight cherry sourness. In addition, the duke is resistant to disease.
Cherry differs from cherry in larger fruits and sweet taste with slight sourness.
Great tree, but there is also a drawback. The plant is not able to pollinate itself on its own, even if several such trees are planted. To obtain a harvest, you need to place pollinators nearby: cherries or cherries. Better if it is a northern cherry variety.
Planting and caring for cherries
With the relative cold resistance of the duke for the middle strip, you need to choose a winter-hardy variety. The plant is more hardy than sweet cherry, but cannot match the hardy cherry. For the winter, it is supposed to wrap the plant with foil.
The soil for the plant needs neutral and light. Add 1,5 kg of limestone to acidic soil. To land the duke:
- Dig a hole 1 m in diameter.The depth should be about 60 cm.
- Fill it with an equal proportion of fertilized soil and sand.
- Lower the seedling and cover with soil.
- Water the plant.
Be sure to plant 2-3 pollinating plants around. The distance between the trees is 4-5 m. Watering the seedlings should be done regularly, but you should refrain from fertilizing. Digging and mulching with grass will be enough for proper development. Excess feeding will increase the growth of the trunk to the detriment of fruiting.
The main tree care is to remove weeds and loosen the tree trunk circle. After planting, the trunk must be shortened to 60 cm. If the seedling already has branches, leave only the three thickest ones. Each needs to be cut in half. In this case, shorten the trunk so that it rises 25-30 cm above the shoots. Carry out the same formative pruning every year. The distance between the two tiers should be about 50 cm. The fifth year is the final one, the trunk should be shortened to the upper tier of branches.
Not every variety is suitable for growing in the middle lane, the “Miracle-cherry” sweet cherry, for example, is thermophilic. It can be planted in regions with a warm climate.
Winter-hardy plants are more adaptable to harsh conditions if they are protected from frost. Hybrids that are suitable for the middle lane:
- “Krasa Severa” – the very first grade, bred by Michurin;
- “Pivonya” has a winter-hardy American progenitor, its berries are small;
- “Ivanovna” is a sour, late-ripening variety, resistant to frost;
- “Nurse” – her berries have the highest rating on a five-point tasting scale;
- “Spartanka” tolerates frosty winters well, but the berries are not suitable for transportation: they are too tender.
These varieties give a good harvest in summer cottages in temperate climates, in contrast to thermophilic hybrids.
It is not difficult to grow a duke on a garden plot. The plant does not like excessive fertilization and is quite disease resistant.