Growing sweet cherries in Siberia and the Urals

Cherry for Siberia and the Urals has not been an exotic plant for a long time. Breeders have worked hard to adapt this southern culture to the harsh climate of these places. Their painstaking work was crowned with success, and at present there are quite a few varieties of sweet cherries suitable for cultivation in the Urals and Siberia.

Sweet cherry for the Urals and Siberia

The main danger for sweet cherries in these regions is severe winters. Often at this time, the air temperature drops to -40 .. -45 ° C, which is detrimental to such a southern culture as sweet cherries. Only a few varieties have suitable winter hardiness.

Return frosts are also a great danger for sweet cherries. It is these two parameters that you need to pay attention to when choosing a variety for planting: winter hardiness and resistance of flower buds to return frosts.

Do cherries grow in the Urals

The Urals is not the most favorable place for growing cherries. The climate of this region is far from ideal, so its cultivation here is considered in many ways not even risky, but adventurous. Severe winters and short cool summers with an average temperature of no higher than +20°C, relatively low rainfall in the summer – these are the main problems that the gardener will have to face.

The best varieties of cherries for the Urals

Few varieties of sweet cherries can develop and bear fruit normally in such harsh conditions. These include the following:

• Ariadne.
• Brianochka.
• Knowledge.
• Gronkova.
• Iput.
• Large-fruited.
• Ovstuzhenka.
• Odrinka.
• Oryol pink.
• Poetry.
• Revna.
• Tyutchevka.
• Fitting
• Cheremashnaya.

Most of these varieties are a selection product of the All- Research Institute of Lupine, located in the Bryansk region. It was there that work was carried out to develop winter-hardy varieties of sweet cherries. The frost resistance of these varieties is about -30 ° C, which is not enough in the harsh Ural winter.

Planting and caring for cherries in the Urals

The procedure for planting sweet cherries in the Ural region is no different from planting it, for example, in the Crimea or the Krasnodar Territory. Landing pits are preferable to prepare in the fall. The place should be chosen on the sunny side of the site and sufficiently protected from the north wind. The soil removed from the pit is mixed with humus. They will need to cover the roots of the cherry seedling when planting, adding another 0,2 kg of superphosphate there.

A two-year-old sweet cherry seedling is usually planted along with a clod of earth on the roots. If the roots are bare, they must be straightened along the earthen mound, which must be poured into the bottom of the pit. The seedling is installed vertically and covered with nutrient soil, periodically compacting the soil. If this is not done, voids may form inside the planting hole and the roots of the seedling will simply hang in the air.

The root neck of the seedling should be 3-5 cm above ground level. After planting, the plant should be poured with plenty of water, and the soil should be mulched with humus.

The subsequent care of the planted cherries includes the formation of a crown using pruning, as well as sanitary pruning, fertilizing and watering. Periodic spraying with various preparations is also carried out to prevent the occurrence of diseases and pests.

The nuances of growing cherries in the Urals

When growing sweet cherries in the Urals, gardeners almost completely refuse to use nitrogen fertilizers so as not to stimulate the excessive growth of the tree. The plant is formed small and compact.

To increase frost resistance, grafting is often done on more winter-hardy cherries, and at a fairly high level, about 1–1,2 m. This protects the tree from sunburn. Grafting is done both on seedlings and on cherry shoots or in the crown.

Cherry cultivation in the southern Urals

The Southern Urals is undoubtedly a more favorable region for growing sweet cherries. This applies primarily to the Orenburg region, the southernmost in the region. The prevailing winds here are not cold arctic, as in the Northern and Central Urals, but western ones, so winters are milder here, and there is more precipitation.

Preparing cherries for winter in the Urals

To increase winter hardiness, cherries are grafted onto local frost-resistant cherry varieties, for example, Ashinsky. Often grafting is done in the crown of an already mature tree. If a tree is grown from a seedling, it is formed into a bush to limit its growth to a height of 2 m. This will allow its branches to be bent to the ground in winter and covered with snow. Branches begin to bend at the end of summer.

To prepare the tree for winter, it is often foliarly fertilized with potassium monophosphate in August. In addition, defoliation is used – spraying with urea at the end of summer to accelerate leaf fall. Defoliants significantly increase winter hardiness.

If by August 1, the growth of shoots has not stopped, it is necessary to complete it artificially. For this, annual shoots are pinched. This will speed up the lignification process and improve frost resistance.

Reviews about cherries in the Urals

Do cherries grow in Siberia

The Siberian region is famous primarily for its harsh winters. Therefore, it is quite difficult to grow such a southern plant as sweet cherry here. However, due to the emergence of varieties with high frost resistance, it is possible to obtain a sweet cherry crop even in such adverse climatic conditions.

The climate of Siberia is sharply continental. Because of the Ural Mountains, the warm and humid western winds of the Atlantic simply do not reach here. Therefore, in addition to cold winters, the Siberian region is characterized by low precipitation and short hot summers. A short summer imposes an additional condition on the types of fruit trees grown here: they must be distinguished by precocity.

By itself, sweet cherry is a rather tall tree, and even a formed one can reach a height of 4,5–5 m. However, the climatic features of the Siberian region will not allow growing a tree of this size there. Sweet cherries will need very heavy pruning to moderate their growth. Not all varieties tolerate it well.

Winter-hardy cherry varieties for Siberia

You can grow in Siberia the same varieties as in the Urals. These varieties include:

• Tyutchevka. Winter hardiness of a tree – up to -25 ° С. A tree covered with snow can withstand up to -35 ° C. The variety is also good in that it recovers very quickly after freezing. Ripens in late July – early August.
• Ovstuzhenka. Winter hardiness up to -45°C. The ripening period is the end of June, in the Urals and Siberia – later.
• In memory of Astakhov. Winter hardiness down to -32°С. Ripening time is the end of July.
• Teremoshka. Winter hardiness of wood down to -34°C. Medium maturity variety.
• Odrinka. Winter hardiness down to -29°С. Medium late variety.

In addition to these varieties, the following are grown in Siberia:

• Annushka.
• Astakhov.
• Bull’s Heart.
• Vasilisa.
• Diber black.
• Drogana Yellow.
• Drozdovskaya.
• Leningrad Black.
• Milan.
• Michurinskaya.
• Napoleon.
• A gift from Orlu.
• Gift to Stepanov.
• Homestead Yellow.
• Raditsa.
• Regina.
• Rondo.
• Rossoshanskaya. 
• Syubarovskaya.
• Franz Joseph.
• French Black.
• Julia.
• Amber.
• Yaroslavna

Sweet cherry varieties for Eastern Siberia.

Eastern Siberia is the most severe region of the country. Frosts of -45°C are far from uncommon here. However, even in this region it is possible to grow cherries. In addition to those already mentioned earlier, the following varieties can be grown here:

• Adelina.
• Bryansk Pink.
• Valery Chkalov.
• Astakhov’s favorite.
• Rechitsa.
• Homeland.
• Fairy tale.

Cherry varieties for Western Siberia 

The climate of Western Siberia is slightly milder compared to Eastern Siberia, and winters are not so severe. Here are some varieties of sweet cherries suitable for cultivation in this region:

• Zhurba.
• Cordia.
• Surprise.
• Pink pearl.
• A symphony.

Of course, all the previously mentioned varieties with sufficient winter hardiness can be grown here.

Cherry in Siberia: planting and care

The requirements for the planting site of this crop are almost the same in all regions: the sun, a minimum of cold drafts and a place with a low level of groundwater.

How to plant cherry trees in Siberia

Landing in Siberia is carried out only in the spring. In the fall, the seedling simply does not have time to take root and freezes out in the very first winter. Cherry care in Siberia also has its own characteristics. The tree should be undersized, therefore it is formed, as a rule, by a bush. At the same time, the low trunk is completely covered with snow in winter and is additionally protected from freezing.

The composition of the soil and the application of fertilizers should not provoke the tree to grow too strongly. Therefore, the amount of fertilizers is limited, and the use of nitrogen can be completely abandoned.

Experience of growing sweet cherries in Siberia

Even in Soviet times, materials about attempts to grow southern crops in Siberia appeared in the periodical press. With the advent of frost-resistant varieties of sweet cherries, gardeners got the opportunity to experiment on their own in their summer cottages. As a result, there are already quite voluminous statistics, on the basis of which certain conclusions can be drawn.

First. Pruning is a must. Otherwise, the tree will spend a lot of energy on growing shoots, which still do not have time to mature and freeze in winter. In early August, the growth of all shoots must be stopped by cutting them by 5-10 cm. Throughout the summer, shoots that thicken the crown should be cut out, since they still do not have enough sun for normal ripening.

Second. No need to overfeed the tree. Sweet cherries grow well on infertile soils, and there is no need to artificially stimulate their growth. In recent years, many gardeners recommend using only AVA complex mineral fertilizer, and doing this with caution.

The third. The slate method of growing fruit trees and shrubs has proven itself well. In this case, they can be completely bent to the ground in the fall and sheltered from frost. More on this below.

Fourth. There are no zoned varieties for Siberia. The productivity of cherry cultivation here varies greatly even within the same region. Therefore, it is impossible to say with great certainty which variety is more suitable for growing in a particular area. Someone will feel better Revna, someone Tyutchevka.

The fifth. Before planting cherries on the site, you can try to plant a plant called “dog rose hips”. If it takes root, the cherry will also grow.

Cherry reviews in Siberia

How to prepare cherries for winter in Siberia

It is very important that the tree sheds its leaves on its own before winter. This means that it is ready for winter. Helps him in this pruning, which is carried out in early August, shortening the growing shoots. At the same time, fertilizer application should be limited.

The next important step is whitewashing the bole. It will help protect the tree trunk from frost and sunburn. This is done in the fall, immediately after the leaves fall. You can use both ordinary lime and special whitening compounds.

Sheltering trees with snow can significantly reduce frost damage. Often, under the influence of a dry cold wind, a tree without shelter does not even freeze, but dries up. Snow is very good at preventing this.

Classification of sweet cherry varieties for the Urals and Siberia

Cherry varieties for the Urals and Siberia are divided according to the same principles as everyone else. They are classified by tree height, ripening time and fruit color.

By maturity

The timing of flowering and fruit ripening is very dependent on weather conditions and may vary by several weeks in different regions. There are early-ripening cherries (ripening early-mid June), medium-early (late June – early July), medium-late (mid-late July) and late (early August).

By fruit color

The most common colors of cherry fruits are red (Teremoshka, Iput, In memory of Astakhov), pink (Pink pearl, Bryansk pink) and yellow (Zhurba, Chermashnaya).

By tree height

Classification according to the height of the tree is rather arbitrary, since sweet cherries in Siberia and the Urals are formed as a low bush or grown in a slate form. In any case, its height usually does not exceed 2–2,5 m.

Growing sweet cherries in Siberia and the Urals in creeping form

The main idea of ​​this form of cultivation is the ability to cover the tree for the winter. It all starts with planting, while the seedling is planted not vertically, but at an angle of 45 °. A tree tied to a support is held in this position until autumn, and then it completely bends down to the ground and is covered first with covering material, and then with sawdust and snow. In the spring, the shelter is removed, and the tree is again tied to the support.

This method is used when growing sweet cherries on dwarf rootstocks, for example, steppe cherries. It is very convenient to work with such bushes about a meter high.

Conclusion

Sweet cherry for Siberia and the Urals has not yet been zoned. However, even the available varieties intended for planting in the Central regions of Our Country also feel good in the vast expanses beyond the Ural Mountains. The main thing is not to be afraid and follow all the rules for caring for a tree, then the result will not be long in coming.