Felt cherry

Felt cherry, or rather, its wild form, grows in Mongolia, Korea and China. In the middle of the last century, a cultivated shrub plant became popular in Europe and North America. Gradually, the popularity of felt cherries reached Our Country. According to some reports, our famous botanist I. V. Michurin brought to Our Country wild seedlings of the Chinese cherry (as this plant is also called) and, having carried out certain selection work, received the first variety of large-fruited felt cherry. His work was continued by enthusiastic successors. And since then, they have bred many new varieties of this crop, one of which is Ogonyok.

History of breeding

In 1965, at the Far Eastern Research Institute of Agriculture of the USSR, a group of agronomists led by G. A. Kuzmin carried out work on breeding a new variety of felt cherry. From the seeds of the already well-known variety Early Pink, a completely new variety of shrubs was obtained. Its berries were larger and richer in color. Perhaps that is why the variety was named Ogonyok.

Description of the culture

Cherry felt varieties Spark is a perennial shrub or semi-shrub plant. The fruiting period begins 2-3 years after planting. It lasts from 10 to 15 years, but with timely rejuvenation, constant care and maintenance, the culture can bear fruit up to 20 years or longer.

The shrub brings tasty and juicy berries, which are estimated at 4,5 points (with a five-point system) in taste. It can also serve as a decorative element in the landscape of the garden, decorating it in the spring with its abundant flowering, and in the summer with a bright red decoration of beaded berries.

The berries of the felt cherry Spark do not differ in large sizes, but their number on the bush is amazing. All branches are strewn with fruits like sea buckthorn. Like sea buckthorn, felt cherry Spark is not a self-pollinating plant. Felt cherry Spark requires pollinators to set fruit. Therefore, you should plant the felt cherry Spark next to such shrubs and trees as plum, apricot, common cherry.

The unpretentiousness of the Ogonyok variety makes it possible to grow this shrub in gardens and areas where climatic conditions are harsh and unpredictable: in Siberia, the Urals, the Moscow region and the Leningrad region. One of the important conditions for the cultivation of felt cherries is the right planting site. It should be well lit by the sun. Acidified, low-lying and swampy areas must be prepared in advance (1-2 years in advance) for planting seedlings: drain, reduce the acidity of the soil, add the necessary additives (dolomite, lime, sand) and fertilizers. With proper implementation of agricultural activities, the fruits of the plant will be larger, sweeter, and the yield will increase.

Features

The characteristics of the felt cherry Spark are displayed in a small table below.

Drought resistance, winter resistance

During periods when there is not enough natural moisture, cherries must be watered, especially during the formation and ripening of berries. Otherwise, the fruits dry out and wrinkle due to lack of moisture. The plant tolerates winter colds down to -25 ° C steadfastly, its buds do not freeze slightly. At lower temperatures and prolonged periods of frost, an insulating shelter should be prepared in the form of shields made of slate or other materials.

Pollination, flowering period and ripening period

Felt cherry Spark is a self-fertile culture. For normal fruiting, she needs a neighborhood of plants that bloom at the same time as her. And insects, carrying pollen, pollinate the flowers of the shrub. Such garden plants include different varieties of apricots, plums, ordinary cherries, peaches, and cherry plums. The flowering period of cherries depends on the region of growth. The warmer the climate, the earlier flowering will begin. In the middle lane, this period lasts from late May to mid-June. Cherry berries of the Ogonyok variety reach full maturity already in July, fruiting lasts until the end of August.

The fruits do not crumble, they can mummify and stay on the branches all winter.

Productivity

There are always a lot of berries on cherry bushes, but their total mass, when calculating the harvest, is significantly inferior in comparison with the harvest of ordinary cherries. The average yield of felt cherry fruits can be from 8 to 12 kg per bush per season. The record harvest was 15 kg per plant.

Scope of berries

Cherries of the Ogonyok variety are berries for fresh consumption, as a dessert or a children’s treat. But in large areas it is grown for the preparation of juices, wines and mixes with other berry and fruit crops. Gardeners who have been growing such bushes in their plots for a long time make compotes and jams with seeds from berries. These blanks are stored for a short time, no more than 2-3 months.

During their removal, most of the juice and soft flesh are lost. It is not recommended to store blanks with bones for a long time due to the accumulation of hydrocyanic acid in them, which eventually turns into poison.

Disease and pest resistance

Cherry Spark is resistant to some fungal diseases – these are coccomycosis and moniliosis. In the absence of preventive treatments in the garden, cherries can be affected by clasterosporiasis, pocket disease. The main pests are plum aphids, codling moth and mites.

Advantages and disadvantages

The undeniable advantages of the Ogonyok variety:

• compactness and low growth of the bush, which is convenient for care and harvesting;
• excellent taste of berries;
• decorative plant.

The disadvantage is the low level of transportability and short shelf life.

Features of landing

Felt cherry Spark is very unpretentious. Planting and caring for felt cherries Spark imply compliance with certain rules. Seedlings of the variety can be purchased at nurseries or ordered through online stores.

Recommended dates

It is recommended to plant seedlings in spring, at the end of March or in April, depending on weather conditions. The air temperature must be at least +10°C.

Choosing the right place 

Cherry Spark prefers well-lit areas that are not blown by the winds, protected from drafts. The composition of the soil is not a priority, but on acidic, infertile lands, bushes grow slowly, yields decrease.

What crops can and cannot be planted next to cherries

You can plant next to cherries: cherries, spicy perennial herbs, undersized flower crops, blackthorns, plums, cherry plums.

Cannot be planted near cherries:

• apple trees, pears, quince, low and dense fruit bushes;
• garden nightshade crops (tomatoes, peppers, eggplants).

Selection and preparation of planting material 

Cherry seedlings can be purchased from special nurseries or grown independently. You can learn about some methods of propagation of felt cherries of the Ogonyok variety by watching the video.

A feature that you need to pay attention to when buying a seedling is the characteristic layering of the bark in the form of uneven scales (in ordinary cherries, the bark is even and smooth).

Landing algorithm

Seedlings are planted in the spring on prepared areas. Just before boarding:

• loosen the earth and dig holes with a depth and diameter of 50 cm;
• 1/3 fill the pits with compost;
• make mineral fertilizers for fruit and berry crops;
• water, and then place the roots of the seedling in the hole, straightening the shoots;
• covered with fertile soil, compacted.

In the next 2 years, the seedling will not require top dressing. They begin to feed him in the third year of life.

Culture aftercare

Starting from the third year of life, bushes require annual sanitary pruning, feeding and preventive treatment from diseases and harmful insects. For spraying for this purpose, solutions of copper and iron sulfate, Bordeaux solution are used.

Variety Ogonyok is a winter-hardy shrub; it does not require additional shelter for the winter.

Diseases and pests, methods of control and prevention

Diseases and pests of the garden do not bypass felt cherries. Therefore, the most effective way to protect against them is preventive spraying of bushes at least 3 times per season. Breaks between treatments should be from 7 to 12 days.

Conclusion

Gardeners who choose to grow felted cherries Ogonyok get a double benefit: a delicious berry and a decorative garden decoration. And it is also worth noting the ease of caring for the crop, its winter hardiness, which is of great importance in regions with cold climatic conditions.

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