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Cherries have become an integral part of our gardens. This fruit tree has a wide variety of varieties. In this article we will talk about felt cherries. The felt cherry variety has its own characteristics and characteristics that have made this tree an important element in many household plots. This article will be devoted to the description of felt cherries, its species and varieties.
Characteristic view
Few people know that the Chinese cherry belongs to the Plum subfamily. For the first time, a Chinese woman was raised, no matter how difficult it is to guess – in China. But still, Korea, China and Mongolia are considered its homeland. The wild species of this tree grows here. The spread of felt cherries as a cultivated species occurred in the middle of the XNUMXth century. During this period, it began to grow in Eastern Europe and North America. Today it is one of the most common species, which mainly grows in Ukraine and Our Country. So, in the Moscow region there is a nursery where a large number of varieties of this type of cherry are grown.
The Chinese cherry blossoms beautifully and start to yield early. This species is very well suited for the harsh conditions of Siberia.
Felt cherry in its appearance, more like a bush than a tree. This is a rather small shrub that can reach a length of about one and a half meters. But with proper care, it can grow up to three meters in height. A photo of felt cherries is shown below.
Branches, especially perennials, are grey-brown in color and are thick and rough. But the annual shoots are green or brown-green. The buds on the shrub itself are located on bouquet and very short fruit twigs. On annual shoots, they are collected together in three pieces. The buds that are located on the sides are fruitful, and vegetative ones grow in the middle. Fruit formations live up to four years.
The leaves of the felt cherry are small and wrinkled, the leaf blade is smooth on top and pubescent below. A distinctive feature of the felt cherry is the presence of a fleecy and fluffy crown. The shrub has a fairly dense, spreading and oval crown. It was this crown that caused the name of this variety of cherry “felt”. Pubescence, to varying degrees, can be found on leaves, pedicel, fruit skin, and even on annual shoots.
Flowering
The blooming Chinese tree looks great. Chinese pink buds turn into white and pink flowers. This species begins to bloom approximately two weeks earlier than other varieties. The flowers are pink in color and begin to turn white towards the end of flowering. Flowers bloom in May (middle or end of the month, blooms profusely and for two weeks. Due to the presence of a short stem, during flowering it seems that the color is located directly on the branches. Cherry during this period resembles a huge, wonderfully smelling bouquet.
Fruit
A distinctive feature of this species is polymorphic berries. Also, this type of fruit tree differs from other cherries in sweeter fruits. Berries are sweeter due to the fact that they contain much less acid. Their pulp contains a large amount of useful nutrients: vitamin C, polysaccharides, etc. The color of the fruits is red or pink, but sometimes they are white or black (depending on the variety). The weight of one berry varies within 3 g. The first fruits on the felt cherry appear in the second year after the planting. Berries ripen at the end of June, and they can stay on the branches for a long time. The stone is very small and quite problematic separated from the pulp.
The use of berries of this type increases appetite, strengthens capillaries and improves digestion. They are suitable for preparing compotes, preserves, jams, marmalade and other preservation options.
Often, felt cherries are planted as an ornamental crop, although it has a fairly high fecundity and up to 12 kg, sometimes even 15 kg of fruits, can be harvested from one bush in a season, and with proper care for felt cherries, you can get all 20 kg.
Growing conditions
This species is absolutely unpretentious to soil indicators tree. But they should be planted in fairly sunny places. In the case of planting in a darkened area, as well as with frequent rains, berries may rot right on the branches.
One of the positive properties of felt cherries is that it has a higher frost resistance compared to other varieties. It can tolerate temperature drops to -40 degrees without problems. At lower temperatures, freezing of the cambium and core can occur. In this case, the branch data should be deleted. During the flowering period, a sudden cold snap can damage the color. A particularly important plus is the great resistance of this type of cherry to coccomycosis.
This type of fruit tree is self-fertile. This means that both male and female flowers are on the same bush. For this reason, such cherries are planted close to each other and in an amount of not less than 3 – 5 shrubs. In this case, pollinators are located very close, which will contribute to fruiting. It is characterized by the formation of a large number of shoots, which is very convenient to seat. The only thing you need to make sure that this growth does not spoil the appearance of the garden.
You can cross such a cherry with peach, plum, apricot and cherry plum. But it cannot be crossed with an ordinary cherry, since genetically they are very far from each other.
Video “Felt cherries”
In the video below, you can find out some details of the characteristics of the variety. In addition, this video contains information about the features of the growth of felt cherries in Siberia.
Sorts
This type of cherry is characterized by the presence of a large varietal diversity, which have certain properties and features.
According to the ripening period, Chinese cherries are divided into 3 groups:
- early-fertile – Delight, Alice, Nursery;
- medium-fruited – Eastern, Ocean Virovskaya, Fairy Tale, Natalie, Princess;
- late – Altana, Beauty, Summer.
Before planting a tree, you need to read the description of a particular type of Chinese cherry in order to know all the features of the variety.
For the southern varieties of felt cherries, similarly to the varieties of plums, early ripeness and the formation of a large number of fruits that form on the tree during the fruitful period are characteristic. In this case, the felt variety looks like a tree with a wide and spreading crown. In these varieties, the fruits are very sweet and tasty. The content of useful substances (vitamins, microelements) in them is the highest. This type includes the following varieties: felt cherry Natalie, Tsarevna, Lyubskaya, Apukhtinskaya, Alice, Bagryana.
Also, the differences between the varieties are in resistance to diseases. For example, the Malinovka variety, which belongs to the early varieties, has the lowest susceptibility to coccomycosis. It is this property that increases the attractiveness of such species.
The most classic variety of felt cherries is Vladimirskaya, which is most widely distributed in Europe and East Asia. In the suburban nursery, you can find all of the above varieties.
Varieties that are intended for planting in the middle lane have increased winter hardiness. These include Mayak, Nezyabkaya, Vole.
Recently, a new variety Chocolate Girl has become very popular, which can grow in height by 2,5 meters. Its fruits are maroon, and sometimes almost black, which led to its name.
Before planting a particular variety in your garden, you should familiarize yourself with its characteristics and useful properties.
Care
As mentioned above, this variety in care is an unpretentious tree. The Chinese tree is easy to grow at home.
Felt cherry care begins from the moment it is planted in your garden. Felt cherries can be planted in spring and autumn, in rare cases – at the end of summer. It is best to plant felt cherries in light sandy and loamy soils. Do not plant it in peat bogs or waterlogged soils. The place of its placement should be well lit, and stagnant water must be prevented. If the cherry is in the shade, then its branches will lengthen, and the yield and quality of the fruit will decrease.
With proper care, felt cherry begins to bear fruit in the second or third year. But even with a plentiful and high-quality harvest, caring for felt cherries should not be stopped. This tree will bear fruit annually, and its annual yield will average about 10 kg. But if the cultivation of felt cherries is correct, then you can expect a harvest of up to 14 kg.
Adult cherries should be cared for in autumn and spring, but only after flowering is complete. During this period, rejuvenating and shaping pruning should be carried out, as well as the necessary feeding. Do not forget about the prevention of various diseases and protection from pests.
It is necessary to water the tree abundantly immediately after planting and during periods of drought. At other times, moderate watering is required.
By doing all this, you will not only be able to increase the yield of the tree, but also improve the characteristics of its fruits and significantly extend the fruiting period.
Trimming
It is important not to forget about pruning Chinese cherries. Pruning a bush or tree occurs in autumn or spring. It is carried out both for the purpose of thinning the crown, and for rejuvenation. It is also produced with a strong increase per year. The bush must have at least 6 strong skeletal branches. Annual shoots are shortened to 40 cm. The next year, side branches are cut by 1/3. Broken, dried and diseased branches must be removed and burned to prevent infection. Pruning, for better fruiting, should be done every year.
Spring pruning is carried out, leaving 8 strong skeletal shoots.
Anti-aging pruning is carried out only in adult bushes or trees. During it, the branches of the first and second rows are cut, which go to the first branch. With a large number of branches, it can be carried out twice a year. But you should not get carried away with this process in order to prevent the cherry from freezing.
Additional fertilizing
After the seedling has been planted, the fruit tree is fertilized annually. It consists in introducing organic and mineral fertilizers rich in nitrogen into the soil. Top dressing is distributed along the perimeter of the near-stem circle. The soil should be loosened to a depth of 5 cm. But this must be done carefully so as not to damage the roots.
In autumn, top dressing is carried out with fertilizers that do not contain nitrogen, so as not to stimulate the growth of branches in the winter. In winter, the Chinese cherry is not fertilized.
Reproduction
Reproduction of this type of cherry is carried out in the following ways:
- with the help of bones;
- vegetatively;
- cuttings.
The most effective is the stone method, since the seedlings are already accustomed to environmental conditions. However, trees planted in this way are more susceptible to disease. Only large seeds are involved in planting. In early autumn, they are subjected to stratification by placing them in wet sand.
First, the bones are cleaned of pulp and dried. Before planting, they must be stored in a cool and dark place.
At the end of autumn, they are planted in the ground to a shallow depth, at a distance of 2 cm between them. They should be covered with sawdust, foliage and humus. Seeds after stratification should be planted in a permanent place of growth in early spring. During the summer, seedlings germinate by 1 cm. With proper care, they can reach 40 cm in one year. They are seated in spring or autumn.
When propagated by green cuttings, excellent varietal material is obtained. But this can only be achieved in a greenhouse, which is equipped with a fogging installation.
As you can see, felt cherry, due to its characteristics and properties, will be a useful acquisition for your garden.