Columnar trees first appeared in 1964 in Canada. A natural mutation of the apple tree was identified on one of the private farms. It became the basis of selection. Further work on consolidating the characteristic features has already received results in Europe. In private gardens, columnar trees are still rare. The most common are apple and pear trees, but columnar cherries are still considered rare. How does this tree differ from traditional species?
Columnar cherry is a cylindrical tree that grows only upward. The crown is formed by short side branches. It does not exceed one meter in diameter. The peculiarity of the lateral branches is the huge number of fruiting shoots and the absence of branching.
Advantages of columnar trees
Columnar cherries have a lot of advantages when grown on site. Among them:
Decorativeness
These trees are able to maintain the integrity of the landscape direction in the design of the site. This breeding novelty will not leave any amateur gardener indifferent.
Compactness
Due to the small diameter of the crown, the trees allow you to use significantly less space for fruit trees. They are much easier to process, care for and harvest.
Taste and precociousness
Columnar cherries of the varieties bred to date have retained the basic taste characteristics of the classic varieties. In different varieties, technical ripeness occurs from early to mid-June, and therefore allows you to enjoy vitamins already at the beginning of summer. The height of the column does not exceed two meters.
Columnar cherries are in demand in industrial gardening. When obtaining a new variety, scientific methods of influence are used:
- selection;
- agrotechnical and chemical techniques;
- mechanical and surgical effects.
Thanks to these techniques, the yield and early maturity of trees increase. Industrial cherry orchards are formed with the prospect of a yield of each tree from 8 to 10 kg. When landing, the following options are used:
- trees are planted according to the scheme - 3.0x2.5 and 2.0x1.5 meters;
- planting density of up to 13,300 trees per hectare.
Compact trees are also grown in trays and containers. This allows trees to be protected in winter and thus promotes industrial horticulture to the north.
Characteristics
Columnar cherries have the following characteristics:
- An adult tree does not grow higher than 3 meters. The average size of the crop is 2 meters.
- The branches do not grow in width, and the diameter of one seedling is no more than 1 meter.
- The first harvest is harvested 3 years after planting.
- The life cycle of a tree is 20, and in rare cases, with good care, 30 years.
- It has an impressive yield - on average, 13 kilograms of cherries are harvested from a tree.
- The variety is distinguished not only by the pleasant taste of the fruit. The fruits are rich in vitamins and minerals of various groups.
Resistance to drought and frost
Columnar cherries have average frost resistance and are suitable for growing primarily in regions with a warm, mild climate. Of course, the crop is also planted in regions with cold climates, but in this case the gardener will have to spend more time and effort on growing and caring for it.
The tree does not like excessive dryness, but do not overdo it by flooding the seedlings with large amounts of water. It is optimal to water with a moderate amount of water, which is increased only during particularly dry periods. Gardeners can also slightly increase the amount of water when watering during fruit set.
Pollination, flowering period and ripening
For crop pollination, the Sem variety would be a good choice. It is a kind of universal pollinator that goes well with other popular varieties. For pollination of the Sem variety, the following varieties are suitable:
- Van Big;
- Helena;
- Hedelfinska.
The Cordia and Silvia varieties also grow well together.
The flowering period of cherries is late, but due to the resistance of flowers to low temperatures, they can withstand frosts down to -2 o. Most varieties ripen in June, closer to the middle of the month, approximately on the 15th.
Yield quantity and taste of berries
Cherry has a high fruit yield and begins to bear fruit already 2-3 years after planting. Experienced gardeners who have been growing this crop for several years recommend removing all ovaries that form on the tree in the first two years after planting on the site. This will allow new seedlings to take root on the site and subsequently produce a stable, high-quality harvest.
Adult specimens can produce a harvest of up to fifty kilograms of cherries. Such intense fruiting negatively affects the lifespan of cherries. Most trees live no longer than 20 years. The fruits of the tree have a pleasant, rich taste that can compete on equal terms with other varieties.
Immunity to diseases and pests
Susceptible to the following diseases:
- scab;
- brown spot;
- tinder.
If signs of these diseases are detected, the affected leaves are torn off, after which the tree is treated with Bordeaux mixture.
The crop is vulnerable to attack by pests such as:
- aphid;
- weevil;
- caterpillar;
- codling moth.
To destroy harmful insects, treat the tree with special preparations.
Important! To prevent the appearance of pests, treat the tree trunk with a solution of slaked lime. You need to paint from the base, approximately 40-50 centimeters up
Popular varieties: Black cherry
A highly productive, unpretentious variety that is highly decorative. During flowering, this slender tree is completely covered with a lace of light pink petals. After flowering, they cover the ground with a continuous carpet.
A slender, tall, upright tree with no horizontal branches. The height does not exceed two meters. This is a self-pollinating variety, so its yield does not depend on its pollinating neighbors. The fruits are dark burgundy, sometimes almost black, and large. The berries are juicy and very sweet, shiny. They are distinguished by excellent presentation and high transportability.
Delight
This columnar cherry is a mid-early ripening variety. The tree grows no more than 2.5 meters in height. The crown in diameter is no more than a meter. The variety is famous for its high yield and winter hardiness. The berries are ruby red in color and large: weighing up to fourteen grams. The pulp is dark red, with small pink spots, and very juicy. The plant is resistant to many diseases characteristic of stone fruits.
Description of culture
The tree is a trunk that grows only upward. Skeletal branches are short. Together with fruit trees, they create a crown shaped like a vertical cylinder. The plant is compact. This makes it easier to maintain the column: only light sanitary trimming is required. Columnar cherry varieties are popular due to their advantages:
- Compactness. Plants take up little space. The diameter of their crown is small. Therefore, the crop is easy to process and trim.
- Decorative. Trees make a great addition to landscape design.
- Taste, precociousness. The berries taste sweet and juicy. Ripeness occurs in June, the exact timing depends on the variety.
Read also: Almonds: benefits and harms, roasted almonds
The disadvantages include low yield.
Cherries love light, nutritious and loose soil, and are afraid of wind. Grows well on southern slopes with deep groundwater deposits.
Helena
A small tree no more than 2.5 meters high, which pleases with consistently high yields (12-14 kg per tree) and tasty large berries. Ripe berries appear in the first half of June. The fruits are burgundy. The flesh is dark red with thin pinkish veins. This variety is self-fertile, but if you want to increase your yield, plant the tree next to the Sylvia variety.
Revna
Today in the Moscow region you can successfully grow columnar cherries. The varieties that breeders have developed today are distinguished by an amazing sweet taste, juicy berries, and excellent transportability. An example of this is the Revna variety.
Its berries are distinguished by a characteristic wide funnel with a round top. Their weight is from 5 to 8 grams. The tree begins to bloom in May, and the first berries ripen in early July. The advantages of this variety include outstanding taste, frost resistance, increased resistance to fungal attack and sunburn.
When to plant a tree?
It is advisable to carry out this work in the spring, when the temperature rises above zero at night, and before the sap begins to flow. In the southern regions, autumn planting is no different from spring planting. Before the onset of cold weather, the root system is strengthened, and in the spring it will produce new shoots. In more northern regions, you cannot be sure that the tree will adapt to winter, so it is more advisable to bury it until early spring, and then decide on its permanent location.
Comments (2)
Irina
05/21/2018 at 01:20 |
Where can I get cuttings of this miracle Helena cherry? I really liked the description, the vegetable garden at my dacha is not large, the compactness of this tree will come in very handy.Answer
Yulia Expert Plodogorod
03/13/2020 at 01:30 |
Hello Irina! We recommend contacting one of the nurseries located in your region, this will simplify the acclimatization of the plant in the future. When buying at the market or from visiting sellers, the chance of getting exactly the variety you need is much lower. In such places there is often mis-grading.
In addition, it is unknown in what conditions the seedling was cultivated. If it is grown in a warm region, then in the middle zone it can quickly get sick or generally develop poorly.
We recommend choosing a cherry seedling with a closed root system. Plants take root better in this form. They can be planted both in autumn and in spring. If cherries were purchased with bare roots, you should take care of transportation in advance, for example, prepare a damp cloth with which you can wrap the root system.
The young tree should not have stains, growths, mechanical damage, dry or rotten areas. This applies to both the crown and the underground part of the crop. The trunk should be smooth and developed. It is better to touch the branches and roots; the feeling of elasticity is important.
Immediately after planting the plant, it needs to be watered thoroughly, preferably with slightly warm water. This will reduce the stress of the transplant. In the first season, it is necessary to thoroughly cover the seedling before the start of winter.
Answer
Columnar cherries: planting
To plant a seedling, you will need a hole measuring 60x70x70 cm, since the root system of these species is rather weak. Make a homogeneous mass from compost, thin twigs and manure and place it on the bottom of the hole in a layer of 30 cm. Pour ten centimeters of sand on top, which over time will become good soil and settle a little. In the first years, this will allow the plant to tolerate frost well and protect it from overwatering in the summer. The last layer should contain fertilizers, but preferably organic rather than mineral.
Depending on the size of the seedling, it is watered abundantly (from 20 to 30 liters of water). The contents of the pit are compacted, a hole is made and a tree is planted. After this, add soil so that a small mound about fifteen centimeters high is formed. It is advisable to support and tie the seedling for stability. When planting, the distance between cherries can be from 2.5 meters.
Diseases and pests
The Summit variety has good immunity against many diseases characteristic of cherries, but this resistance does not extend to pests.
Most often the tree suffers from:
- aphids. Spraying with Confidor (30 g of the drug per 10 liters of water) will help get rid of it, and treating the leaves on the tree with a soap solution is suitable as a preventive measure;
- codling moths. This pest is controlled with Bordeaux mixture (3 g per 5 liters of water). The preparations “Fufanon”, “Kemifos”, etc. will help prevent the appearance of codling moths on cherries;
- mole crickets. “Regent” is used against it (50 g per 10 liters of water), and to prevent the pest, you need to dig up the garden 2-3 times a year to destroy the nests and mole cricket larvae.
If pests have already infested the cherry tree, then the tree must be treated with a suitable method at intervals of 10–14 days until the result is achieved. The main dangers for the Summit variety are moniliosis and bacteriosis - diseases that cannot be cured.
We recommend that you learn how to deal with cherry diseases.
Only the eradication of the infected tree, subsequent disinfection of the soil and a 2-year quarantine of the area will help rid the area of them, so it is better to carry out timely prevention using a solution of colloidal salt (10 g per 1 liter of water). Spraying is carried out in 3-4 stages with an interval of 10 days.
Cherry care
These small, slender trees will not require much effort from you - pruning is done quite rarely if necessary, the crown is formed using the central shoot. In the first year, three to four abundant waterings are sufficient, since excess moisture reduces the level of air in the soil, which the plant requires to strengthen the still fragile root system.
Despite the plant’s resistance to most diseases, to prevent the appearance of pests or when they are detected, treat the tree with special means, but always in the evening.
The crop can be propagated in two ways: by seed or grafted seedling. In the second case, grafting is carried out using a two-year-old cherry tree at a height of about one and a half meters. In the first one, plant a seed of a ripened berry in a pot with soil and sand, after it sprouts, dig it in.
Requirements for agricultural technology
Chereshnya Julia
When growing columnar cherries, experts note that the maximum yield of trees depends on agricultural technology. The first is the choice of seedlings. They should be examined for damage and signs of disease. It is better to purchase seedlings in containers. They ensure the integrity of the root system. You should make sure that the top bud is not broken, otherwise the tree is considered defective.
Saplings
Of no small importance in agricultural activities is the choice of the future location where the seedlings will grow. It should be well lit by the sun, without drafts
Trees do not like close groundwater. If there is a possibility of their occurrence, gardeners recommend creating a thick drainage layer at the bottom of the hole. Fertilize the soil at least two weeks before planting by mixing the soil with microelements, which include potassium and phosphorus. The hole for planting should be larger than the size of the root system, and the distance between seedlings should be from 1 to 2 meters.
Abundant watering is carried out 3-4 times in the first year. If the weather is dry, without rain, the amount of watering needs to be increased. If the season is rainy, naturally, artificial irrigation stops.
In the Moscow region, gardeners recommend planting seedlings in the spring for better rooting. The planted tree must be tied to a support. During the first 3 years of life, trees are fed twice a season. Ash fertilizers are applied in combination with nitroammophoska. For older trees, the doses of fertilizers are increased. Fertilizers are applied at a distance of half a meter from the trunk by plowing into the ground, followed by watering.
Watering
Pruning and disease prevention
Experienced gardeners, who have been growing columnar cherries in their gardens for many years, note that many of them do not require pruning, mainly this means adjusting the side branches, if necessary. In older trees, a sanitary procedure is carried out to cut out dry branches.
As a preventive measure and to avoid infection with diseases, it is recommended to whiten the cherry tree trunk with lime in the spring, and treat the tree itself with a fungicide solution or Bordeaux mixture before flowering. If necessary, treatment is repeated after harvesting.
Shelter for the winter
In the harsh winter conditions of the northern regions, young trees need preparatory measures, which include abundant autumn watering and mulching of the tree trunk, as well as covering the trees. To do this, experts suggest installing a pyramid frame made of boards around the tree and wrapping it with any non-woven material.
Shelter for the winter
