Review of self-fertile cherry varieties suitable for Central Russia

If you cannot boast of a large plot, then when choosing a cherry variety for yourself, you should focus not only on its characteristics (yield, fruit weight, taste, resistance to pests and diseases), but also on its self-fertility.

Self-fertility is the ability of trees to produce fruit without cross-pollination with trees of other varieties. Those gardeners who own small plots and do not have the opportunity to place several varieties blooming at the same time for mutual cross-pollination will have to select self-fertile varieties of cherries. Unfortunately, not many varieties are capable of self-pollination.

We have selected the top 7 best self-fertile cherry varieties and placed them in descending order of self-fertility (from the highest to the minimum value of this indicator). All these varieties will definitely please you with a decent harvest, even far from the “sister” trees.

It is important to understand that the yield of mutually pollinated cherry trees will always be higher than that of self-pollinated plants. This is a specific feature of the crop - to obtain the maximum yield stated in the description of the variety, cherries need pollinating varieties.

Homestead yellow

This variety is the leader of our top, as it has the highest self-fertility among the known cherry varieties. Due to the fact that the tree is of medium size, and the fruits are tasty and aromatic, the Garden Yellow is always a welcome guest in any garden plot, even a small one.

The yellow color of the fruits will add charm and charm to the garden, decorate the table and diversify the gardener's diet. You don’t have to wait long for fruits - the trees quickly begin to bear fruit, are characterized by active growth and high resistance to both diseases and pests, and to winter frosts, and even spring frosts.

Cherries of this variety will always provide you with a harvest, because its fruits hang on the branches without falling off or cracking even in rainy weather.

First, let's look at what self-fertility is.

Most of the existing varieties of trees and shrubs are cross-pollinating. Roughly speaking, if there is no pollen of another variety nearby that will pollinate their flowers, then there will be no harvest. Pollination occurs thanks to insects, so many gardeners are unaware of this process.

If the plant is fertilized only by its own pollen, as a rule, it will experience a decrease in viability, and the harvest will be insignificant or completely absent.

Self-fertile plants produce a stable harvest regardless of weather conditions and insect activity. Of course, cold weather or strong winds during the period of ovary formation will not turn out to be anything good, but self-fertile varieties do not need cross-pollination, which increases the likelihood of a good harvest. You can safely plant such trees in a single mass and be confident in their fertility, but if you plant pollinating varieties in places, the yield will be even better.

Bereket

This variety is highly self-fertile, but to increase the yield, one or a couple of varieties of pollinators can be added to it. The variety was obtained at the very beginning of the 21st century, and therefore is characterized by all the characteristics inherent in modern varieties - high winter hardiness and drought resistance, as well as resistance to pests and diseases.

Trees of the Bereket variety are medium in size; they are suitable for any, even the most modest plot. The plants quickly begin to bear fruit and produce beautiful dark red fruits with juicy, surprisingly tasty pulp.

The undoubted advantages of the variety include the high transportability of the fruits and the absence of the need for formative pruning of the tree, which makes it simply ideal for planting in the country.

What variety of cherries is best to plant in the Moscow region?

First of all, it is important to decide on the variety. Before purchasing seedlings, experienced gardeners recommend studying special literature to find out the characteristics of the type of cherry you like. Most varieties are hardy, so they can be grown in regions with arid and temperate climates. In the Moscow region, weather conditions are quite acceptable for cultivating even hybrid plant species.

Cherry varieties for the Moscow region can be divided into the following categories:

• late - the harvest is harvested at the end or mid-July (rarely - at the beginning of August);
• medium - berry picking occurs in late to mid-June;
• early - harvested in early to mid-June.

Experienced gardeners recommend following certain criteria when choosing varieties. The cherry variety must first of all be hardy. Zoned subspecies are classified according to frost resistance and ripening period. Almost all varieties have certain soil requirements. Cherry is a heat-loving plant. Frosts, especially early ones, can damage the plant. Most hybrid cherry varieties are frost-resistant.

Goryanka

The variety was bred in the last century, but this does not mean that it is obsolete. It will give a head start to any, even the most modern cultivar, because its trees have moderate growth, resistance to drought and frost, as well as diseases and pests.

The fruits of this variety quickly set after flowering and ripen together, turning into elegant dark burgundy “dresses” with pleasant, juicy and very tasty pulp.

The variety is remarkable in that it produces good yields even if only a single tree is planted on the site. The fruits can be transported over long distances without damage, and the seeds in the berries are small and are very easily separated from the pulp.

The variety is suitable for growing in dachas and small farms.

How to protect cherries from frost?

For better resistance of cherries to the onset of cold weather in September, it is a good idea to recharge the moisture around the tree in the amount of ten buckets of water and add a little superphosphate and potassium fertilizers. It is best to whiten the trunks and cover them with spruce branches for the winter. If the bark on the tree freezes a little, it should be removed, the wound formed on the cherry tree should be treated with a solution of copper sulfate and covered with a special varnish. In the summer, we couldn’t think of a better treat for the whole family at the dacha, especially for children. Be sure to plant cherries in your area

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Tyutchevka

A modern variety of sweet cherry with a whole range of useful and necessary traits for any summer resident - this is sufficient self-fertility, and modest size of the tree, and resistance to diseases, pests, frost and drought, as well as early entry into the fruiting season and, of course, excellent taste and color fruits that are good both in compote and fresh when they are full of sweet juice.

The fruits have a bizarre, wide-rounded shape, a pleasant dark red “outfit” and surprisingly juicy, tasty red pulp.

It is recommended to plant this variety on your own plot because its fruits are very pleasant to collect. The thing is that their stalk is thick and quite long, and the berries themselves come off easily, almost effortlessly, and the ripe ones hang on the branches without falling, as if waiting for you.

Due to the fact that the fruits are well transported, you can easily transport them from your dacha to your home.

Basic growing rules

In the north, it is better to plant cherries in the spring, in the southern zones in the fall. In an adult tree, the root is located 40-80 cm from the surface, while the vertical roots go deep to a distance of up to 2 m. Therefore, instead of digging a hole to place a seedling, you can plow the plantation on the site of the future garden, if there are a lot of trees.

A hole is dug about 80 cm deep; it should not be less than 1 m wide. The distance between seedlings is maintained at 4-5 m.

Note!

Future trees need enough space so that adult plants do not touch each other or other objects.

A soil mixture is placed in the dug holes, which should fill them by a third. The mixture consists of:

• 2 buckets of earth;
• ammonium sulfate (about 2 kg);
• 1 kg of ash;
• 3 kg of superphosphate;
• about 1 kg of fertilizers with potassium;
• 35 kg of manure.

For clay soil, you can add 2 buckets of sand before the mixture. 2 buckets of clay are introduced into the sandy soil.

The support bar is installed in the hole before planting. Then a hill is made in the center and a sapling is placed on it. Its roots should be well straightened and the trunk should be attached to the bar. The earth is covered, slightly crushing it in the process. The neck at the root of the seedling remains above the soil by about 5 cm. The final stage will be good watering of the seedling and mulching the soil with peat or humus.

Danna

A rare variety can boast of a complete absence of flaws, Danna is one of them. The trees stand out among others with their luxurious pyramidal crown, which practically does not thicken and requires only sanitary pruning, its highest resistance to winter frosts and spring frosts, as well as to pests and diseases.

It is worth planting at least one seedling of the Danna variety on your plot, and you will soon receive a good harvest of large and lined fruits of a pleasant dark red color. And their pulp will be juicy, tender and so pleasant to the taste that you will eat all the berries without noticing.

Dolores

A variety with a romantic name that will not leave anyone indifferent. It will be useful for gardeners in a hurry who are not used to waiting for a long time for the harvest, for those who do not want to use a stepladder to pick every last berry, and for those who want to see healthy and lushly flowering plants when they arrive at the dacha or return to the garden in the spring.

Those with a sweet tooth will also not be disappointed - the fruits of the Dolores variety have all the qualities to satisfy the taste of even the most fastidious cherry lover. Each fruit, like fresh candy, is “packed” in a dark burgundy wrapper and contains a small, almost imperceptible seed, which is hidden in a juicy, tasty and aromatic burgundy pulp with a piquant sourness, which does not spoil at all, but, on the contrary, gives the taste sophistication.

The fruits are suitable for all types of processing, and the trees are suitable for planting in any, even the smallest area.

Pridonskaya

This variety closes our top 7. But you should not think that it does not have sufficient self-fertility to produce crops, even if you have only one tree growing on your site. It's not like that at all. Despite partial self-fertility, Pridonskaya cherries will supply you with a harvest in the form of very large, one-dimensional fruits of a rich bright red color with pink, slightly gristly and very juicy pulp with a pleasant, refreshing sweet and sour taste.

The variety is also valuable because its yield is stable and annual, because the flowers are not afraid of spring frosts, and the plant itself is not afraid of severe frosts and summer heat.

The variety is suitable for growing both in the country and in a medium-sized garden; its trees do not require any pruning, except sanitary, and no protection, because they do not get sick and are extremely rarely affected by pests.

We looked at the most interesting varieties of cherries that deserve the attention of both amateur gardeners and professionals. The listed varieties have all the characteristics inherent in modern varieties and are also characterized by high self-fertility, which will allow you to grow not only cherries, but also plants of other species on your plot. Do not forget that it is best to plant trees of self-fertile varieties, like other stone fruits, in the spring.

Diseases and pests

To maximally protect self-fertile cherries from pests, you need to whitewash the trunk every spring (at least 40 cm up) - this will allow you to forget about harmful insects and rodents.

During the fruiting period, berries can be stolen by birds, so you can install stuffed animals on the tree.

Such trees are rarely affected by diseases, but they can occur:

1. Brown spot. For treatment, you need to treat the tree with 1% Bordeaux mixture or Nitrofen.
2. Coccomycosis. To get rid of the problem, dilute 300 g of copper sulfate in 10 liters of water, spraying it is carried out at the moment the buds swell.
3. Powdery mildew. The drugs “Topaz”, “Strobi”, “Fitooktor” will help.

To protect trees from rodents and dangerous insects, it is necessary to whitewash 40 cm in height of the trunk. Birds are crop pests. You can install a scarecrow on a tree or throw a net.

The drug "Strobi" will help against powdery mildew