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A very young, but interesting in its characteristics, sweet cherry variety will delight all lovers of fruit trees. Sweet cherry Gift to Stepanov is a weather-resistant plant that both experienced and novice gardeners can grow.
History of variety breeding
A gift to Stepanov – one of the new varieties bred by the famous breeder M.V. Kanshina in the Bryansk All- Research Institute of Lupine. The variety appeared in the State Register only in 2015.
Description of the cherry Gift to Stepanov
The variety belongs to the category of medium height: the maximum height of the tree is 3,5 m. The shoots of the sweet cherry are straight, thickened, covered with brown-gray bark with a slight olive tint at the edges. After autumn leaf fall, the bark acquires a pronounced silvery hue.
The natural shape of the crown is pyramidal, the upper branches of the tree grow quite quickly. The leaves are dull green, large, with sharp teeth along the edges, and white flowers are presented in inflorescences of 3 flowers each.
The variety bears fruit with medium-sized heart-shaped berries with rounded outlines. As a rule, sweet cherries are dark red, the skin is dense, tender and glossy. The average weight of one berry is 4-5 g – not very large fruits. The berries taste sweet, their tasting value is very high – 4,9 points out of a possible 5.
In the State Register, the variety is marked as suitable for cultivation in the Central region. But also Gift to Stepanov grows well in the Urals, where it calmly endures harsh climatic conditions.
Characteristics of a variety
Not much is known about the young Bryansk cherry variety: most gardeners who planted it on their site have not yet had time to wait for the first harvest. However, some information is still available.
Drought resistance, frost resistance
Like most Bryansk varieties, Podarok Stepanovu cherries, bred for growing in the middle lane, nevertheless have high resistance to more severe climates.
- The variety tolerates drought well. – Excess moisture is much more dangerous for him. In summer periods with a minimum amount of precipitation, it is recommended to water the sweet cherry weekly in the amount of 3-4 buckets under the trunk, while it is advisable to mulch the topsoil. In the presence of natural moisture, watering should be carried out only when necessary. If the tree receives enough moisture from the rains, it does not need additional watering.
- Resistance to low temperatures in the variety is high: the tree retains the ability to bear fruit well even in conditions of -30 … -32 degrees in winter. The main thing is to prevent deep freezing of the trunk.
Cherry pollinators Gift to Stepanov
The variety is not capable of self-pollination, and if suitable pollinating varieties are not planted next to the sweet cherry, you can not expect a rich harvest.
The following varieties of cherries are ideal as pollinators for a tree:
- Teremoshka – sweet cherry blossoms in the middle terms, approximately May 10-15, and the fruits are harvested from it in mid-July.
- Favorite Astakhov – the variety blooms in mid-May, and begins to bear fruit abundantly after 2 months, in mid-July.
- Bryansk pink – the tree usually blooms at the end of May, from the 15th to the 25th, the berries appear on its branches at the end of July.
Yield and fruiting
The variety brings rather high yields: up to 82 kg of fruits can be harvested from one hectare, and in a home garden a tree will give up to 60 kg of berries. Cherries reach maturity by 4 years, in other words, only after such a period after planting can the first harvest be expected. But subsequently, the sweet cherry will bear fruit annually.
Fruiting occurs at the end of July – after the 20th.
Scope of berries
The berries of this variety have a pleasant sweet taste, the pulp is easily separated from the stone. You can eat fresh fruits at your own discretion or prepare healthy drinks from them, add berries to pastries and homemade sweet desserts.
Disease and pest resistance
Cherry is very rarely sick: the level of resistance to pests and fungal infections is high. At the same time, scab and cancer, white, brown and gray rot, powdery mildew and rust remain dangerous for the variety.
Cherry fly, aphids and weevil can harm the fruits of sweet cherries. When they appear, it is also necessary to carry out urgent sanitization with special means.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
Positive, from the point of view of gardeners, the qualities of the variety Gift to Stepanov, of course, are more than negative.
The pluses include:
- a high level of resistance to harsh climates: the tree tolerates frost and lack of water well;
- abundant harvests and dessert taste of fruits;
- good immunity to diseases dangerous for fruit trees, and to garden pests.
There are three main disadvantages of cherries.
- The variety is self-fertile, so it is pointless to plant a tree without pollinators in the neighborhood: the Gift to Stepanov will not give a harvest.
- The first berries appear on the branches of a tree no earlier than 4 years of age.
- Cherry fruits are not very large in size, their mass is rather small.
Features of landing
There are no unique planting requirements for the Stepanov Gift cherry, but you need to know the basic rules.
Recommended dates
The planting time of the tree depends on the specific region. In the southern regions of Our Country, it is preferable to plant sweet cherries in the fall, a few weeks before the first frost. But in the middle lane and in the Urals it is better to carry out a spring landing.
Choosing the right place
The lack of light, excess moisture and cold wind become fatal for the variety. Therefore, they plant cherries on the sunny side, in well-ventilated sandy soil or on loam. Groundwater should not come close to the surface.
What crops can and cannot be planted nearby
- A gift to Stepanov, like many other varieties of cherries, does not get along well with apple trees, currants, pear trees.
- But you can plant rowan or cherry in the neighborhood.
Selection and preparation of planting material
The main requirement for a seedling is its quality.
- The roots of the tree should be whole, healthy and fairly developed.
- There should be a trace of the vaccination on the trunk, in addition, it is desirable that the seedling has only one main conductor.
Before planting in the ground, it is advisable to hold the seedling in water for a couple of hours so that the roots swell.
Landing algorithm
- This variety requires a planting hole approximately 60 cm deep and 80 cm wide.
- The bottom of the pit is filled with humus and ash, a tree is lowered into it and sprinkled with earth to the very top of the hole, not forgetting to pour 2 buckets of water into the soil.
- The earth around the trunk is covered with mulch, and the trunk itself is tied to a support.
Aftercare for cherries
- The Gift to Stepanov is pruned, mainly for sanitary purposes, to remove dried and improperly growing branches. Fruiting shoots are shortened annually by a third.
- Additional watering is done once a month, during the summer heat: weekly 20-40 liters of water. At the same time, the earth around the trunk is mulched.
- Fertilization will be required only a year after planting the plant. In spring, it is customary to feed sweet cherries with nitrogen compounds, in summer you can add a little potassium to the soil, and in autumn, top dressing containing fluorine is useful for sweet cherries.
- Preparing for winter does not require much effort from the gardener. In September, it is good enough to water the cherries, scatter manure under the trunk and spray the crown with fertilizers containing fluorine. To protect the trunk from freezing, for the winter it can be wrapped with a material with heat-insulating properties. In case of heavy snowfall, it is recommended to form a snowdrift near the stem and properly trample the snow around the tree.
Diseases and pests, methods of control and prevention
Sweet cherry Gift to Stepanov is rarely sick, but it is still recommended to carry out disease prevention.
- In the spring, in early April, the variety is sprayed with a 3% solution of Bordeaux liquid – it is made from water, copper sulfate and lime.
- Spraying is repeated after flowering begins, but a 1% solution is already used.
Conclusion
Cherry Gift to Stepanov is an easy-to-care and quite productive variety. Due to its frost resistance and good immunity to drought, it will successfully take root in almost any summer cottage.
Reviews of summer residents about sweet cherries A gift to Stepanov
