How to choose cherries for planting

Variety Drogana

The Drogan yellow cherry acquired its name from the German breeder Drogan. This variety can easily be considered one of the most ancient and famous. Due to its high adaptive properties, it is widespread not only in Western Europe, but also in Ukraine, Belarus, Crimea, Central Asia and the North Caucasus.

An adult, rather tall tree has a medium-density crown of a pyramidal shape, closer to round. The fruits are large in size, weighing up to 8 grams (average weight - 6.5 grams), heart-shaped and have an attractive presentation. They ripen late, but at the same time.

The surface of the skin is smooth, thin, delicate, its color lives up to its name - yellow. The pulp is dense, straw-colored, very juicy and sweet. The taste qualities of the fruit were rated 4.6 out of 5 by professional tasters.

The small stone is difficult to detach from the pulp.

In the 3rd year the first harvest appears. The berries have a universal purpose: they are excellent fresh, as compotes and jam, and can even be dried. Not recommended for freezing due to the thin skin. Due to the fact that Drogana blooms late, the possibility of death of flower buds from spring frosts is practically eliminated - this allows it to be cultivated in the more northern regions of the country.

Take note:

The variety is self-sterile, but if there are pollinators on the site, it has a high, stable yield. Francis, Gaucher, Bigarro, White Grolla, Denissena yellow, Napoleon pink, Bagration are suitable for this purpose.

Both wood and generative tree buds are resistant to low temperatures. Confidently tolerates dry periods and quickly adapts to various soils.

Disadvantages include the possibility of fruit cracking (in rainy seasons this can lead to gray fruit rot) and their low transportability. It resists well the attack of the pest – the cherry fly.

Cherry Franz Joseph: description of the variety

Franz Josef cherry: photo of the variety

The Francesco Giuseppe cherry tree is quite impressive in size, and its crown has a rather thin geometric oval shape. The crown density is average.

The leaves have an ovoid shape typical of fruit plants, and their edges are slightly pointed. The tip of the leaf is also pointed (on both sides), which makes them slightly elongated.

As for the fruits, which are much more interesting to our readers, they have a very beautiful shape, slightly flattened on the sides. Their furrow is very well defined, and the color during flowering varies from yellowish to bright red. However, the berries never turn completely red and remain with yellow spots.

The pulp does not turn red as the berries grow, and therefore even in fully ripe fruits it is bright yellow and, of course, incredibly juicy and tasty.

The taste itself can be described as a perfect balance of sour and sweet, the absence of which distinguishes bad varieties from good ones.

The plant is grown almost everywhere: in Russia, Ukraine, Moldova and throughout Central Asia. However, this variety grows best on the territory of the Crimean Peninsula, because it is there that nature has created the best conditions for its growth.

History of selection

Franz Joseph I Unfortunately, no reliable information has been preserved regarding the history of the selection of this variety, as well as information about why the tree received the name of the famous Austrian emperor from the Habsburg dynasty.

Nevertheless, we know for sure that the variety came to us from Western Europe, most likely from the Czech Republic, where, in turn, it appeared at the end of the 19th century.

It is believed that its author is Joseph-Eduard Prohe, who, by the way, was not a breeder, but a pomologist, that is, a scientist who studies plant varieties. Perhaps it was the author’s own name that was included in the name of the new variety, linking it out of modesty with the name of his great namesake.

Did you know? Cherry is one of the most ancient fruit trees domesticated by man, its seeds were discovered at sites of primitive people dating back to approximately the eighth millennium BC, and in the 4th century BC Theophrastus, an ancient Greek naturalist, mentioned the fruits of sweet cherries in his writings.

In the Soviet Union, they began to actively look at the Czechoslovak variety after the end of World War II. In 1947, this fruit tree was included in the state register, and since 1974 it began to be grown on an industrial scale mainly in the North Caucasus region, in particular in Kabardino-Balkaria, Adygea, North Ossetia, Krasnodar and Stavropol Territories, as well as Karachay-Balkaria. Circassia.

Today, “Francis” is well known, loved and successfully bred almost throughout the entire territory of Ukraine (in particular, in Donetsk, Dnepropetrovsk, Kirovograd, Zaporozhye, Kherson, Nikolaev, Odessa, Ternopil, Khmelnitsky, Chernivtsi, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk and other regions ), as well as in Moldova and Central Asia. The European variety feels especially good on the Crimean Peninsula.

In Russia, in addition to the regions mentioned above, the tree is also grown in the Rostov region.

Read also the description of the cherry varieties: “Adelina”, “Regina”, “Revna”, “Bryanskaya Rozovaya”, “Iput”, “Leningradskaya Chernaya”, “Fatezh”, “Chermashnaya”, “Krasnaya Gorka”, “Ovstuzhenka”, "Valery Chkalov."

Photo and description of the French black cherry variety

The variety was imported from Western Europe; more precise information about its origin is not available. In 1959, cherries were included in the state register and recommended for cultivation in the North Caucasus. Most often this variety is found in the Krasnodar region.

The cherry tree is vigorous, reaching a height of 4-5 m. The crown is spreading, round, and dense with a large number of branches and leaves. Annual shoots are light brown in color. The leaves are medium-sized, dark green with a pointed apex and a wide base. Petioles are 4-5 cm long.

Flowering and ripening period

The buds bloom late. The flowers are medium in size, collected in inflorescences of 2-4 pieces. The white petals touch slightly. Ripening later - at the end of July. The berries are large, weighing 6.5-7.5 g and measuring 22x23x24 mm. The shape is oval with a rounded top. The color is burgundy, darkens and becomes black as it ripens. The pulp is dense and contains a lot of juice; the tasting properties are rated 4.5 points. The bone is small and easily separated.

Pollinators of the French black cherry

The variety is self-sterile and requires a pollinator to form ovaries. Therefore, the crop is planted in groups. Choose 2-3 varieties that bloom at the same time. Cross-pollination requires a number of conditions: warm weather, absence of rain, temperature fluctuations and extreme heat.

The best pollinators for the French Black variety:

• Melitopolskaya. A large, fast-growing tree with a wide crown. The fruits are one-dimensional, weighing up to 8 g, almost black in color. Sweet cherries are distinguished by high transportability, commercial and taste qualities. The variety is resistant to diseases and moniliosis.
• The beauty of Kuban. Cherry with large fruits, the main color is beige with a red blush. One of the most winter-hardy varieties, immune to coccomycosis and cherry fly. In rainy weather, fruits are susceptible to gray rot.
• Napoleon black. An ancient Western European variety that grows up to 6 m. The large burgundy fruits can be stored and transported without problems. Napoleon black is distinguished by abundant fruiting and resistance to diseases and pests.
• Daibera. Tall tree with a wide crown. The fruits are large and sweet, suitable for transportation. Winter hardiness is below average; at high humidity, the berries are susceptible to gray rot.

Productivity

About 65 kg of fruits are collected from one tree. Maximum figures - 184 kg. Fruiting begins at 6-7 years. A stable harvest is harvested for 25 years.

Transportability

The fruits of the French variety have good taste and commercial qualities. The separation from the stalk is dry, the skin does not crack. Therefore, the berries can withstand long transportation without problems. The fruits are used for universal use: fresh consumption, freezing, making preserves, compotes, jams.

Drought resistance

French cherries are endowed with increased drought resistance. The tree has a powerful root system and independently obtains moisture. At the same time, stagnation of water in the soil is detrimental to the crop.

Frost resistance

Wood and generative buds are resistant to severe winter frosts. However, spring cold snaps can destroy a significant part of the crop. In warm climates, due to late flowering, this variety rarely suffers from frost.

Cherry Franz Joseph: planting varieties

Franz Josef cherry: photo of the variety

Of course, if you want your tree to grow efficiently and be as healthy and strong as possible, you will have to put a lot of effort into planting it correctly. It’s not for nothing that professional gardeners say that good planting is half the success of a tree.

Therefore, we invite you to read the detailed instructions on how to plant this tree, as well as give you a couple of useful tips. Let's start, of course, with the time of landing.

• Recommended time

Most often, like any other fruit plant, cherries are planted in the spring. This is done so that before the onset of cold weather, the tree has time to form a powerful root system, which will allow it to survive the winter calmly.

In addition, as in the coming summer, the tree will be extremely positively affected by good weather and bright sunlight, and thus the tree will be able to better develop and grow in preparation for future fruiting.

• Select landing site

Franz Josef cherry is a plant that cannot tolerate excess moisture, and therefore in no case should it be planted in lowlands, since this is where absolutely all the water will collect during rains.

Therefore, hills or flat surfaces, which are sure to be found on your site, are most suitable for planting.

It is also necessary to ensure that the plant receives enough sunlight, as this is the most important factor in the early years of the cherry tree, when the tree has not yet grown.

Do not forget that you will have to choose the right soil, which means that clay or sandy soil should under no circumstances predominate in the place where you plant cherries.

Instead of such unsuitable soils, it is advisable to use only fertile and high-quality soils, which will also be neutral in acidity, since only in such conditions the plant can express itself one hundred percent.

Just like high humidity, the use of excessive amounts of fertilizers will have a very negative effect on the tree, and therefore, when applying them, it is necessary to carefully calculate the dosage.

• Cherry Neighbors Franz Joseph

As you probably know, proximity is a fairly important aspect of growing a large number of different crops in one area. In the event of such a relocation, absolutely everything must be taken into account, as well as the fact that some cultures will not be consistent with each other at all, and some may form a “cooperation”.

Either way, as you already know, you will need to plant a pollinator along with this cherry variety. We have already talked about which varieties are suitable for this role.

But unsuitable neighbors for Francesco Giuseppe cherries may be fruit plants such as apples or pears. Plum also has a very negative effect.

• Selection and preparation of seedlings

Perhaps there is no need to explain that only a good tree can grow from a good seedling, and therefore you will have to approach the choice of planting material very carefully.

First of all, you must understand that sellers should be treated with at least some skepticism, since there are many fake and regular wild cherries in the markets, but in three to four years, when the truth is revealed, you will not be able to prove the fraud.

Therefore, the best way to make sure that the seller is providing you with a truly high-quality product is to ask him to provide his documents to this factory. If they exist, then in this case you should learn more about the seedling itself.

After making sure that the product you are buying is truly varietal, you also need to pay attention to the age of the seedling: it should be about three years old, and it should also have a relatively large number of branches.

It is also recommended to discard the seedling if any obvious damage to the roots is repaired, whether physical or caused by disease.

Also, after purchasing, be sure to follow the transportation rules, as this process can be incredibly stressful for the tree.

• How to plant cherries?

Now that you have chosen the planting time, the planting location, and the seedlings that will soon be in the ground, all that remains is to perform the most difficult procedure: the planting itself, during which you need to be more careful and focused.

It is not necessary to start preparing in the fall - the soil in the place where you are going to plant the plant must be fertilized with a bucket of compost and, if possible, chemical fertilizers. Also, if the soil is excessively acidic, it must be treated with wood ash.

Already in the spring - right at the time of planting - it is necessary to dig a hole, the diameter of which will be eighty centimeters and the depth - fifty centimeters. In this case, it is necessary to loosen the bottom a little so that the roots of the tree can take root in it more easily.

The seedling must be placed in the hole so that its roots are evenly distributed along the bottom.

Subsequently, the roots are covered with earth. In this case, you need to ensure that each swollen layer is thoroughly crushed, otherwise air bubbles may form, which can cause suppuration of the root.

All already planted cherry branches should be shortened by a third to control crown growth.

After all the above tips, you need to water the seedling well.

And, of course, the most important thing is to be careful throughout the entire process. And in order not to make unnecessary mistakes, you need to relax and not stress.

Growing and Harvesting

Farewell cherries are grown in forest-steppe and steppe regions of Ukraine. Favorable conditions for growing this species are:

• Light sandy soils have a neutral reaction. Calcareous soils are also suitable. Peat soil, sand or clay are soils that are least suitable for growing cherries;
• Sunny places, protected from cold winds;
• Groundwater should pass no closer than 1.5 m from the root system. Low-lying places where melt water stands for too long in the spring are not suitable for planting cherries;

For cross-pollination, Proschalnaya cherries require cherries of 2-3 other varieties. The most suitable species are Donetsk beauty, Drogana yellow, Yaroslavna, Valery Chkalov, Valeria, Annushka, Early pink.

Cherry yield in the garden

Farewell cherries are planted in the spring - if the process takes place in warm regions, and in the fall - if in the northern regions. Before digging planting holes, you need to take into account that the rhizomes of an adult tree are located at a distance of 30-80 cm from the soil surface. The depth of vertical roots can reach two meters. For this reason, the planting hole must be made at least 80 cm wide and 1 m deep.

If several plants are planted at the same time, it is necessary to provide a distance between them of at least 3-5 m. Planting too close will result in the spreading crown of adult plants shading neighboring trees.

How to plant cherries correctly? Let's take a closer look:

• Two weeks before planting the seedling, it is necessary to prepare the planting hole. One third of it must be covered with a soil mixture consisting of soil, ammonium sulfate, superphosphate, wood ash, and undiluted manure, which, if necessary, can be replaced with humus.
• If the soil is clayey, it needs to be diluted by adding 2 buckets of sand to the bottom of the hole. If the soil is sandy, on the contrary, add a couple of buckets of clay. Acidic soil is limed, and this must be done at least a week before applying fertilizer. After this, you can add soil mixture to the hole.
• At the bottom of the hole you need to install a support for the seedling, after which you can plant the tree, carefully straightening the roots.
• When the seedling is attached to the support, the soil is gradually added, lightly compacting it.
• The root collar of the tree should be left 3-4 cm above the surface.
• Finally, abundant watering and mulching are carried out. To do this, use humus, fallen leaves or peat.

Before planting a seedling in a hole, you need to remove dried roots, as well as those that do not fit in the hole. The roots of the plant are first placed in water for 2 hours. This time should be increased if the roots are very dry.

Variety Franz Joseph (Francis, Francis)

The variety was bred at the end of the 19th century in the Czech Republic. The material has been under state variety testing since 1947, and in the same year it was entered into the State Register of Breeding Achievements for the North Caucasus District under the name of Franz Joseph.

A tall, healthy, spreading tree with a round crown and large leaves looks great in the garden. The branches form an oval wide crown.

The fruits are yellow in color, almost completely covered with a bright, carmine blush, quite large in size and weighing up to 7 grams. The juicy pulp is pink-yellow in color and colorless juice has a pleasant sweet taste with a sour note; it is assigned 4.5 points on the tasting scale.

The small bone is difficult to free from the pulp. The variety is self-sterile; the berries ripen relatively late - towards the end of June.

Good to know:

The best varieties for pollination are the cherries of Gedelfingen, Drogana yellow, Denissena yellow, Zolotaya, Zhabule, Daibera black, Kassina rannyaya, Krupnoplodnaya, Napoleon pink, Melitopol black.

After 6 years, the first harvest appears on the trees, and in the future productivity can range from 70 to 115 kg, depending on the growing area. The berries are good both fresh and after processing, however, they are not suitable for freezing.

It tolerates winter periods with low temperatures well, only sometimes in severe winters damage to the trunks is noted. Perhaps, Franz Joseph is one of the most transportable varieties of cherries, which, along with the ability to produce high yields, the attractive appearance of the fruit and their excellent table qualities, distinguishes it from its analogues. It is characterized by satisfactory winter hardiness, as well as resistance to drought, good immunity to diseases and pests.

yellow color is no different from the cultivation of other varieties of this species. Considering that these crops practically do not pollinate on their own, and the ovaries are formed by transferring pollen from the flower of one plant to another (so-called cross-pollination), we advise you to plant not just one tree, but two or three specimens of different varieties.

When initially planting, the branches can be shortened by a quarter. In subsequent years, in the spring, when the tree is still dormant, it is carried out by removing dry, frozen and excess branches.

The cut areas must be lubricated with garden varnish or other antiseptic. The main thing is to prevent it from growing too much in the second half of summer and to keep the size of the tree at the size required by the gardener.

Yellow cherries require regular watering throughout the growing season, but they do not like excess liquid in the soil - this can lead to the death of the roots. She is sensitive to feeding - mineral and organic.

The main fertilizing is applied to the plant in the spring, in the fall - only phosphorus fertilizers (no more than 60 grams per 1 m2 of area). Like many fruit trees, cherries can become infected with fungal diseases - coccomycosis and clasterosporiosis. To combat these diseases, we recommend cutting and burning affected branches and shoots in the fall, as well as destroying all fallen leaves.

It is undesirable to get carried away with spraying chemical mixtures without any particular reason, since they have the ability to accumulate harmful substances, but if signs of disease are present, then you can use a solution of Bordeaux mixture:

• to combat coccomycosis, treat the plant with a 1% solution two weeks after flowering and after harvesting the fruits;
• To protect against klyasterosporiosis, use a 3% solution in the spring before the start of the growing season.

If signs of disease by harmful insects appear, it is necessary to treat the cherry trees with an appropriate insecticide. In winter, to protect against rodents, the cherry tree trunk must be tied with suitable material, and the tree trunk circle must be covered with hay to prevent freezing.

Many people consider cherries to be capricious and caring for them is a troublesome task.

However, firstly, any plant needs care and attention, and secondly, it’s worth it. All your efforts will be gratefully accepted by your wards, and they will delight you with a good harvest

Watch a video about how yellow cherries of the Priusadbnaya variety bear fruit:

Everyone's favorite cherry comes in many varieties. Through the efforts of breeders, varieties have been created that differ in color, shelf life, ripening, and resistance to bad weather conditions. Some species are developed specifically for cultivation by large garden farms. The Franz Josef cherry stands out from this category.

Cherry Franz Joseph: characteristics of the variety

Franz Josef cherry: photo of the variety

Franz Josef cherries were specifically designed to be most convenient and useful when produced on an industrial scale, so their characteristics may seem unusual as they are very different from most varieties on the market.

• Resistance to drought and frost

Perhaps the most important advantage of the Franz Joseph cherry variety is its adaptability to changing weather conditions, including both periods of drought and severe cold waves.

In fact, it should be noted that the tree’s drought resistance is so developed that even with a lack of moisture, it will not only grow and live normally, but also fully bear fruit. However, moisture is still needed to grow and maintain the plant's ability to quickly form fruit, which can be damaged by particularly prolonged drought.

But with frosts, a slightly more ambiguous situation arises, since the tree cannot fight the cold any less miraculously than with a lack of moisture, however, at the same time, it will take a little longer to recover from a particularly winter to other varieties.

• Cherry pollinators Franz Joseph

Surely the name of this object frightened many gardeners, and for good reason, because most of us like to grow exclusively self-sustaining plants that can consistently bear fruit without pollinators.

However, Francesco Giuseppe cherries are unfortunately not one of them. After all, given his amazing qualities, one would expect him to have such flaws.

Also, it's worth noting that without a pollinator, this cherry is completely self-fertile, and so it will not only give you less fruit, but it won't bear any fruit at all, so you'll have to take care of the pollinator.

First of all, varieties such as Napoleon, Jaboulet or Drogana Zheltaya are suitable as pollinators for Franz Josef cherries. These crops have the same fruiting periods as Franz Josef cherries, and also have other qualities similar to the variety in question.

However, there is still an alternative: you can try hand pollination, which will allow you to get the most out of your cherries without even thinking about planting a pollinator.

However, this procedure can be incredibly expensive and troublesome, as well as incredibly complicated, so we strongly do not recommend it if you are just starting out in gardening and have not yet learned the ins and outs of the process.

For those who still decide to carry out pollination by hand, let’s say that the honey solution attracts bees more, and therefore it is advisable to use it.

By the way, about the timing of fruiting: Franz Joseph begins to bear fruit only at the end of June, which is quite late for cherries. This happens because the plant loves heat very much and is able to ripen only under the warm rays of the sun.

• Productivity and fruiting of the Franz Joseph variety

Since the variety was bred for production purposes, of course, its yield should be higher than that of other varieties. However, the numbers shown by the Franz Josef cherry variety are simply incredible, because on average one of his trees bears at least two, or even three times as many berries as the others.

However, such figures are obviously achieved through hard work, careful caution, and also due to some random factors such as weather conditions.

However, it will take at least four years for you to get such amazing yields, as only then will the variety reach fruiting age, and you will also have to wait another couple of years before the trees reach their peak fertility.

So, to summarize, we can say that, with enough effort, a truly royal harvest can be obtained only after eight, or even seven years.

• Use of berry varieties

As you already know, the fruits of this variety of cherries have an exceptional taste, so they are suitable both for consumption raw and for use as an ingredient for preparing dishes and preparations for the winter.

In addition, many gardeners claim that the method of preparing berries by drying is not only original, but also very effective, since the result is incredibly tasty and even better than dried apricots and raisins.

However, there is another application for which these cherries are not entirely suitable: freezing. Unfortunately, berries, subjected to prolonged cold treatment, completely lose their sugar content, juiciness and taste.

• Resistance to diseases and parasites

In fact, not only this variety, but cherries in general are much less susceptible to attacks by insects and parasites than, for example, cherries themselves.

In addition, the Franz Josef variety itself has innate resistance to a number of fungal diseases, but this does not mean that this plant is invulnerable. It, of course, has weak points and can get sick, so we strongly recommend preventive spraying.

Pink cherry “Sunny Ball” (summer variety, early ripening)

There are many people for whom cherries are their favorite fruit. From the end of May until mid-summer, red, dark cherry and yellow berries tempt us on market stalls. However, the tastiest cherries are those grown in your own garden. Store-bought fruits will never compare in taste and aroma with those that can be plucked from the branches. Cherry planting technology

Sweet cherry is a more heat-loving plant than cherries. Some varieties cannot tolerate too low winter temperatures. When choosing a variety, in addition to taste and appearance, frost resistance must be taken into account. It is advisable to start growing cherries with two or three trees that bloom at the same time. In this way, pollination from each other is ensured. Seedlings can be planted both in early spring and autumn. During these periods, the ground is softest and wettest. Both early spring and autumn planting have their pros and cons

In warm autumn the rhizome grows well, but in winter freezing may occur. In spring, planting is carried out before the buds swell. If the rhizomes of the seedlings have dried out after transportation, they should be kept in water for about 6-10 hours before planting. For cherries, it is important to choose a place well protected from the wind. On a personal plot, the best option is a plot near the south side of the building. It is necessary to take into account: cherry is a light-loving plant

Shade and a place with poor ventilation will not suit her. The plant loves fertile and loose soil and does not tolerate stagnant moisture. It is advisable to prepare the planting hole two weeks before planting the plant. The optimal depth is up to 80 centimeters, diameter – up to 1 meter. It is worth filling the hole with humus. But it is not advisable to sprinkle mineral fertilizers directly on the roots. This leads to burns.

Cherry care

Cherries require annual formative pruning. The growth of shoots in this plant occurs very intensively. Formative pruning should be carried out in early spring before the buds swell. Annual shoots are shortened by one fifth. In addition to shaping, it is necessary to regularly remove dry and diseased branches and shoots directed into the crown. It is recommended to treat the cuts with garden varnish. The optimal shape of the tree crown is sparsely layered. The height of the trunk should be 60 centimeters. Four to five branches are left in the lower tier, two or three in the second, and two in the third. The intervals between tiers are up to 80 centimeters. In spring and autumn, trees need whitewashing of the trunk to prevent a number of pathogenic processes. In September it is recommended to apply phosphate fertilizers. Regular watering in the spring and summer helps strengthen the tree and increase its frost resistance.

Approximate intervals between watering procedures should be 15-20 days. Moisturizing should be approached with caution during fruit ripening. Excessive soil moisture can cause fruit to crack.

Harvesting and storing cherries

• To prevent birds from interfering with the cherry harvest, it is sometimes necessary to use a special net or other devices to scare them away.
• Cherries should only be collected when they are completely ripe. The sugar content of berries increases sharply in the last few days of ripening.
• The classic option for preserving cherries for the winter is making compote. However, it is quite possible to make jam or marmalade from these berries.
• The berries fit perfectly into assorted fruits.

Franz Joseph cherries: advantages and disadvantages

Franz Josef cherry: photo of the variety

As you may have noticed, the Franz Josef cherry really got its status for a reason, because its taste truly exceeds all expectations, and its physiological characteristics are also ideal for industrial crop production.

However, growing Franz Josef cherries at home in small quantities is also a great idea, and the fruits can be used both as a treat for relatives and for sale, which will significantly expand the family budget.

However, of course, this plant also has disadvantages, the main one being that cherries are incapable of self-pollinating, and therefore you will have to plant a pollinator or resort to a rather complex procedure of manual pollination.

In addition, the plant is in dire need of pruning, since the natural shape of the crown eventually reaches an extremely deplorable state. In addition, no one canceled the plumbing finishing either.

Rules for caring for seedlings Franz Joseph

Sandy loam soils are most suitable for this type of cherry. Prefers the south side of the garden plot. It is advisable to plant near the house or next to a mature tree.

The variety is sterile, so pollinating trees are required. Cherries of the Melitopol, Drogana yellow, and Zhabule varieties are recommended. Cherries cannot be used for fruit setting. Pollination is best done using cherry varieties that bloom around the same time.

Advice. To attract bees, trees can be sprayed with a weak solution of honey. The best option would be to plant honey plants nearby.

It is preferable to purchase a seedling in a tube from a gardener who specializes in distributing elite varieties. There should be no traces of rot on the roots.

Before planting, the hole is well drained and 1-2 buckets of rotted manure, 1 bucket of compost, 100 g of superphosphate and 80 g of potassium are added. If the soil is heavy and saturated with peat, it is necessary to add additional river sand to the hole. When covering the tree with soil, you cannot fill up the grafting site. The roots need to be carefully straightened and dipped into mud or clay mash.

After planting, systematic care is required for better survival of the Franz Joseph seedling. Apart from nitrogen substances, fertilizers are not applied over the next 3 years.

If the dry season begins after planting, you can water the tree using the sprinkling method. It is recommended to trim the branches immediately after finishing the work, leaving 3 skeletal shoots, 4-5 buds and a central conductor no more than 70 cm from the ground.

If the trunk is thin and the tree has stood for a long time without water, pruning is not recommended. For support it is necessary to equip a wooden or iron stake.

During the first years, the Franz Joseph seedling should be protected from severe frosts. For this you can use special fabric, burlap, spruce branches.

To retain moisture, you need to make a layer of mulch from rotted sawdust, pine needles, and compost. If the sawdust is dry, the wind will carry it throughout the area.

Pest and infection control measures

Initially, diseased branches, leaves, and fruits should be removed. Wounds must be treated with chemicals. If the trunk is affected, the diseased growths must be carefully cleaned off with a knife and a garden varnish applied, having previously been treated with antifungal agents.

Coccomycosis manifests itself in the form of small, brown spots on the leaves of the plant. Over time, they increase in size and the leaf becomes completely brownish-red. A white or pink coating forms on the reverse side. The infection passes quickly and the young tree dies within a few weeks.

To cure cherries, you need to spray with the following preparations:

• Bordeaux mixture. Dilute 100 g of copper sulfate in 10 liters of water with the addition of 100 g of lime. Treatment is carried out before buds open, during the growing season and after fruiting.
• Abiga Peak. It is necessary to dilute 40-50g with 10 liters of water.
• Speed You will need 2 ml of the substance per 10 liters of water.
• Horus. Use 3.5 g of the drug per 10 liters of water.

Processing is carried out during the growing season. The drugs are effective against clusterosporiosis and coccomycosis. With these diseases, the fruits dry out and become covered with gray spots.

Advice. To protect the Franz Joseph tree, it is necessary to add copper sulfate to the lime solution to whiten the trunk.

To avoid infection, you should not leave fallen leaves on the ground, as the spores may survive until next spring.

Bacterial cancer affects cherries starting from 3 years of age. Ulcers form on the branches, and the plant releases juices (gum). The wood peels off and the branches dry out. The trunk is affected first, then the leaves and fruits. The tree sheds its leaves prematurely. Brown spots appear on the fruits and they lose their taste. Bacteria remain inside the tree even after wintering.

To resist bacteriosis, it is necessary to care for the tree and systematically feed it with nitrogen fertilizers no more than 2 times a year. Treatment takes place in early spring and after fruiting.

The Franz Joseph cherry variety is easy to care for and resistant to drought. A humid climate is not recommended for the plant. If the summer is rainy, constant spraying with fungicides is required. The fruits have good keeping quality. Cherries can withstand significant distances during transportation.

Classification of cherries according to pollination method

Cherry varieties are divided into categories according to the type of fertilization: self-fertile cherries produce about 8% of the fruits, self-fertile ones - 50%, partially self-fertile ones - no more than 20%.

Self-fertile varieties

Among the abundance of self-fertile varieties, the following can be distinguished. They have generous yields and high immunity levels.

1. Homestead yellow - produces the first fruits at 5–6 years of age. It is self-pollinated; fruit harvesting work is carried out in early July.
2. Bereket - fruiting for 4-5 years. The need for pollinators is not revealed, but with additional pollination by the Revena variety, harvest volumes significantly increase. Fruit harvest - early to mid-June.
3. Horny goat weed - the first harvests should be expected 4 years after planting the seedling. It does not require additional pollinators, but cross-pollination with the Iput variety increases productivity. Fruit harvest - mid to late June.
4. Italian - first fruits in the third year of life. Cross-pollination with the varieties Ovstuzhenka and Slava Zhukov increases productivity. Fruit harvest - early July.
5. Danna is the first abundant harvest in the sixth year of the tree’s life. Increasing productivity due to cross-pollination with Iput and Revena varieties. The fruit harvest occurs at the beginning of June.
6. Dolores - does not require pollinators. Assembly work is recommended to be carried out in the last weeks of May.
7. Pridonskaya - fruiting begins in the sixth year of life. Harvesting takes place starting in the second week of July.

Homestead yellow - self-fertile variety

Self-sterile varieties

Self-sterile varieties that require well-selected pollinating neighbors include Antarnaya, Zhabule, Cypress Black, and Yuzhnoberezhnaya.

To get a harvest from trees of this type, they need to be planted in close proximity to pollinator varieties. But by crossing a cherry and a black cherry tree, you risk getting a self-sterile plant, for which it will be extremely difficult to find a pollinator.

Partially self-fertile

A number of popular partially self-fertile ones with high immunity to bacterial diseases include Red Revena, Ovsuzhenka, Tyutchevka, Turgenevka, Vstrecha, Malysh.

The above varieties are suitable for cultivation on farm plots and in home gardens, but to obtain fruits, attention must be paid to the compatibility of the species

Cherry Vstrecha - partially self-fertile variety

Cherry Franz Joseph: review from a gardener

Antipin Sergey Alexandrovich

“In fact, I probably wouldn’t have discovered this cherry if it weren’t for my neighbor, who constantly treated the children to berries. Of course, they constantly asked me to plant the same tree. Since I didn't explain anything about the trees not growing as fast as they want, I still planted cherries. And, to be honest, I have never regretted it. The Franz Josef cherry tree is truly superb - very easy to care for but produces a fantastic yield if well cared for. Having received the first berries in the fourth year, we were very happy, because they were no less tasty than those of our neighbor, who periodically helped me with advice. Of course, there weren’t many of them, but we also had enough for a certain amount of winter preparations. Of course, I was told that there would be more berries soon, but I could not even imagine how many there would actually be. Now - in the eighth grade of the tree - we simply cannot process even a third of what we collect, and so I decided to start selling Franz Joseph cherries. Of course, if you are ready for all this, then the tree will become a real heavenly manna for you. Well, for me it was an interesting and useful experience, although a little unexpected.”

Basic feeding methods

Regular feeding of cherries is necessary to stimulate tree growth and abundant fruiting. The quality of the fruit and its taste also depend on the nutritional composition of the soil.

The main feeding of early Melitopol cherries is carried out twice a year:

In early spring, in March, it is recommended to apply nitrogen-containing fertilizers to the cherries. The most commonly used is urea. Proportions per square meter of area are calculated depending on the age of the tree: up to 3 years - 40 g, 4-5 years - 130 g, for trees older than 5 years 170 g. Granules are scattered at a distance of 0.5-0.7 m from the trunk .

Late autumn. In order not to activate the growth of young shoots, nutritional components must be added just before frost, in October or early November. During this period, the soil is enriched with both mineral and organic fertilizers. With this feeding, rotted manure, compost, and peat are used. They are scattered under the crown in a layer of 7-10 cm and dug up the tree trunk area. Also in the fall, mixtures containing nitrogenous fertilizers and superphosphates are added to the soil.

When fertilizing cherries, nutrient mixtures are selected depending on climatic conditions, crop volume and soil composition.