Photo and description of the Rondo cherry variety
This variety was obtained at the Michurin Institute by breeder T.V. Morozova and her colleagues. Scientists exposed a Leningradskaya yellow cherry seedling to a chemical mutagen. The result was achieved in 1995.
Mature tree height
A tree of medium vigor with intensively growing shoots, reaches 4 meters in height. The culture has a wide pyramidal crown. The bark on the trunk and main branches is peeling and brown. The shoots are erect, medium-length, olive-colored with a yellow tint.
Rondo's buds barely touch the shoots. These vegetative organs are ovoid in shape. The leaves are oval with teeth on the edges of medium size. The surface of the plates is smooth, light green, without the edges inherent in many varieties. The petiole is thin, of medium length, anthocyanin-colored. Cherry blossoms are large, white or pink, with rounded petals. The crop bears fruit on annual growths and bouquet branches.
Flowering and ripening period
Rondo's flowering begins in mid-April and continues until the end of the month. During this period, the trees are covered with numerous white or pink inflorescences. The harvest ripens in June.
Productivity
The fruits are round-heart-shaped, yellow, weighing up to 5 grams. The berries have a medium-sized depression near the base and a clearly visible ventral seam. The skin color is uniform; the black or brown dots characteristic of many varieties are absent. The round-shaped seed is small, easily separated from the fruit, and the flesh is sweet.
Note! Rondo begins to bear fruit from the fourth or fifth year of life. Productivity – 8-10 tons per hectare.
Transportability
The berries are intended for fresh consumption. If the weather is rainy during harvest, the skin of the fruit may burst. The transportability of the Rondo variety is low.
Drought resistance
Rondo cherry can be considered a universal plant. An adult tree resists drought well and can produce a crop even in hot summers. Watering is necessary only for one-year-old seedlings.
Frost resistance
The variety in question tolerates the effects of negative temperatures well. In this regard, the tree can be planted even in central Russia.
Fruit characteristics
When the fruits ripen, which occurs in the fifth year of growing the tree, they turn out to be of a fairly regular, rounded-flattened shape. The fruits are mostly flattened, the average weight of one berry is about 5.5 grams, the size is about two centimeters.
The skin is quite dense, which does not at all affect the taste characteristics and is glossy. When fully ripe, its color is so rich dark red that it appears almost black.
According to the characteristics of the berry pulp, it belongs to the bigarro group. This means that the flesh of the cherries is dense, almost crunchy. Its color is less saturated, reddish-pink.
The base of the berry is characterized by a wide funnel with a small light spot.
The seed makes up about 5% of the mass of all berries. It separates well from the pulp.
Revna cherries make delicious jam
The taste of the fruit can be called excellent. They are very juicy and sweet. Tasting rating of berries is 4.9 points
And this is taking into account the five-point scale
Revna cherries contain about 18.9% dry matter. Of these, sugars make up 12.7%, acids -0.3%.
The ascorbic acid content is 13.2 mg per 100 g of pulp.
The purpose of berries is universal. Although they are most tasty and healthy when fresh, they also make excellent compotes and jams. Revna cherries can be easily frozen; thanks to their dense pulp, they practically do not lose their shape.
Unlike many other varieties, Revna cherries withstand transportation well and can be stored for up to two weeks with virtually no loss of taste.
How to plant Rondo cherries
Fertile, well-aerated soils are suitable for planting trees. Many gardeners are interested in the question of who can plant Rondo cherries with. It could be hawthorn, grapes or the cherry itself. In one garden they plant with any variety of cherry, which will be used as a pollinator.
You should not place trees such as apple or pear next to cherries; they develop faster and can shade the crop. Other undesirable neighbors are raspberries, gooseberries and currants. The plant's root system develops rapidly and depletes the nutrient levels in the soil where the cherry tree grows.
How to choose a seedling
A high-quality Rondo cherry seedling can be purchased at a nursery or specialty store. The plant for planting must be no older than 3 years old, the bark of the crop must be smooth and without signs of disease or injury.
Particular attention should be paid to the buds of the seedling. If the plant does not have such vegetative organs, then it may not take root in the new soil. When choosing a variety, inspect its root system; a high-quality crop should have at least 3 large roots 20 centimeters long.
Important! Be sure to check the roots for frostbite. To do this, cut them and look at the cut line. A healthy cherry has a white cut.
Planting dates and scheme
The best time to plant cherries is spring - mid-April. Choose a time when the air temperature is consistently above +15°. The work is carried out before the buds open. Planting cherries in spring allows the plant to take root and better survive the winter. The Rondo variety can also be planted in the fall, since the tree has good frost resistance. In this case, planting is carried out 20-25 days before the first frost. Trees planted in the fall must be protected from frost; for this, a thick layer of spruce branches is laid in the root zone.
It is advisable to plant the Rondo cherry variety on southern slopes, where there is fertile, loose soil. Peat or clay soils are unsuitable for this. In such an area, the crop will develop poorly or produce a small harvest. Seedlings of the Rondo variety are placed in the garden every 5 meters. The same distance is left between the rows of crops.
Important! When planting cherries in a specific area, consider the surface water level. For normal tree development, the source of moisture must be at least 1.5 meters from the soil level.
Pit preparation
So that the soil can compact properly, preparation of the hole begins two or three weeks before the expected date of planting the seedling. In the intended location, you need to dig a hole 50-60 centimeters deep. The hole is made in the form of a square with a side length of 50 centimeters.
To prevent moisture stagnation near the root part of the plant, drainage made of broken bricks or large stones is placed at the bottom of the hole. To secure the seedling, a peg 1.2-1.5 meters long is provided. During preparatory work, the top layer of soil is thoroughly mixed with organic matter (15 kilograms of compost or humus). This soil is placed at the bottom of the hole and left until work begins. A day before the expected planting date, the roots of the Rondo cherry are dipped in a bucket of water. The next day they begin planting, which is carried out according to the following algorithm:
- Place the seedling in the soil so that its root collar is above the surface. This will prevent wild shoots from growing. The plant will spend nutrients only on itself.
- During planting, the tree is raised slightly, which will fill the voids between the roots of the plant.
- At the next stage, the soil is filled and compacted, and the plants are watered.
Further development of the root part of the crop can be stimulated by pruning. When 25% of the total length of the shoot is removed, the nutrients will be used to form the underground part. This way the plant will take root faster. It is recommended to prune this cherry variety in the spring before sap flow begins.
Proper cultivation
The importance of choosing a planting location is undeniable; each variety has special requirements that must be met, otherwise the cherry will die. Despite the fact that the Rondo variety is winter-hardy, it is necessary to limit access to northern winds as much as possible. Cherries love light very much, so the planting site should also be quite sunny. The most comfortable planting locations for cherries of this variety are:
- on the south or southwest side;
- on flat, flat areas;
- at small elevations.
Read more: Common pomegranate - description of a medicinal plant
The soil must also be selected with care and responsibility. In order for the cherry tree to be comfortable and to enjoy high yields, the soil must be sandy loam, fertile, sufficiently aerated and moisture-absorbing, or have a low clay content. Wood needs moisture, but great care must be taken to monitor for standing water over short periods.
Young trees are planted before the buds swell, in the first days of spring. Preparations should begin with the onset of autumn: dig a hole 50–60 cm deep, 80 cm wide. The earth needs to be loosened to make it soft. It is fertilized by mixing with humus. This compost is stored until early spring and then the following is added to this solution:
- superphosphate (up to 0.4 kg);
- sodium sulfate (up to 120 g);
- wood ash (about 1 kg).
The root neck should be at ground level. When planting a plant in the soil, you need to raise it 5 cm and pour water into the hole created around the seedling. The distance between seedlings should not exceed 3 m.
Caring for Rondo cherries
The Rondo variety has good winter hardiness and drought resistance; it does not require special care.
Feeding and watering
Young plants need to be watered at least once a week. The soil under mature cherries is moistened three times per season (during flowering, ovary formation and autumn). In the presence of prolonged dry weather, cherries are watered more often, because the ripening berries must receive a sufficient amount of moisture.
It is necessary to feed the crop from the third year of life. With the arrival of spring, holes are dug in the tree trunk area and organic matter is placed there at the rate of 10 kilograms of compost or humus per adult tree. In autumn, complex mineral fertilizers are scattered under the crown of the Rondo cherry tree.
Important! To neutralize acidity, slaked lime is added to the soil. Such operations are carried out every 5-6 years.
Weeding and loosening
Weeds in the tree trunk zone can cause diseases and pests to appear on cherries. To neutralize pathogens, it is recommended to loosen the soil under the tree crown while simultaneously removing weeds. Dig the ground to a shallow depth so as not to accidentally touch the roots of the plant. After this, mulch from peat or humus is placed in the tree trunk circle.
Crown formation
Rondo cherry pruning is carried out in the spring. You need to shorten all the shoots that are directed inside the crown and interfere with the growth of the main branches. In case of intensive growth of the crop, the branches are pruned at a height of 2.5 meters. The Rondo crown is formed in tiers. At the first level, 4 branches are left, the rest are removed. All subsequent tiers are formed according to the principle of the first, with at least 9 branches left in the second, and 27 shoots in the third. During the formation of the cherry crown, branches damaged by disease and frost are removed. More about pruning is described in the video below.
Rondo cherry pollinators
The Rondo variety is considered a self-sterile plant. To obtain a good harvest of this cherry, pollinators are needed, which are planted in the same area, at a distance of 3-4 meters from the main crop. The best of them are the Michurinka and Pink Pearl varieties. A good effect can be achieved by combined planting of cherries and ordinary cherries.
Landing Features
Growing Rondo cherries will not cause much trouble if simple recommendations for planting and care are taken into account.
Recommended timing
Seedlings are planted in early spring. This should be done before the first buds swell.
Choosing a suitable location
The tree must be protected from drafts. Despite the frost resistance of the Rondo cherry, it does not react well to gusty, cold winds. The landing site should be well lit. The best options are those on the southern and southwestern sides of the site.
What crops can and cannot be planted next to cherries?
It is worth planting next to the cherry:
You should not place trees with a lush crown (pear, apple) close to each other. They will shade the plant. Raspberries, currants, gooseberries are undesirable neighbors. Their root system quickly spreads, hindering the growth of the tree.
Selection and preparation of planting material
Tree planting takes place in early spring. It is necessary to prepare for it in advance. To plant cherry seedlings you will need:
- shovel;
- fertilizers for young shoots;
- cuttings;
- water for irrigation;
- device for loosening soil.
Landing algorithm
Proper planting of Rondo begins in the fall:
- Preparing the holes. Their width should be at least 80 cm. Depth - up to 60 cm. Fertilizer mixed with a layer of soil is poured inside. The soil is loosened. Leave it in this state until spring.
- Before directly planting the seedlings, two types of fertilizer are added to the holes.
- The cutting is lowered, covered with soil, compacted, and loosened.
- Around the new planting, depressions are dug into which water is poured.
Planting the Rondo variety will not cause much trouble. Simple instructions will allow even a novice gardener to complete the task.
Diseases and pests of Rondo cherries
Pests rarely attack the Rondo variety, but cherries can suffer from a wide variety of diseases. One of the main ones is gum bleeding, which is accompanied by the secretion and crystallization of juice on the branches and berries of a tree. Periodic pruning of the crop, as well as spraying the tree with a 1% concentration of copper sulfate solution will help prevent the appearance of gum.
Rondo cherry is not resistant to phyllosticosis. A sign of the disease is brown spots on the leaves of the crop. In the absence of control measures, cherries begin to dry out. Periodic pruning and spraying with copper sulfate will help defeat the disease.
Disease Prevention
Cherries are often affected by two diseases.
- phallosticosis - small dark brown spots with dark edges covering the foliage, can lead to drying out of the entire tree; to get rid of the problem, you need to cut off the damaged branches and rub the resulting wounds with garden varnish;
- Clusterosporiosis - brown spots turning into holes cover the entire cherry tree; you can also get rid of the problem by pruning.
To prevent the development of diseases, you need to carry out prevention: spray the plant with a 1% solution of copper sulfate or Nitrafen. It is better to carry out the procedure before the kidneys swell.
Phyllosticosis manifests itself as small spots
Advantages and disadvantages: is it worth planting on the site?
Among the positive characteristics of Veda cherries, experienced gardeners highlight:
- excellent consumer and product qualities;
- high degree of resistance to adverse environmental factors;
- frost resistance (up to -30 degrees);
- friendly ripening of fruits;
- fruit buds do not freeze;
- the degree of survival in a permanent place is excellent;
- relative unpretentiousness to growing conditions;
- possibility of cultivation in regions with cold climates.
But when growing this fruit crop, some disadvantages were noticed:
- the need for pollinating plants;
- drought resistance is average;
- protection from diseases and parasitic individuals is needed;
- long period of entry into fruiting.
