Which cherries to plant - choosing a variety based on its qualities

Sweet cherries are one of the most favorite garden berries for people of any age. Every gardener tries to purchase cherries for his plot. A rich and tasty harvest is the pride of summer residents, but not everyone knows how difficult it is to achieve this. Each tree in the garden should receive its share of attention and care. But having an abundance of berries is not an easy task and mainly depends on the pollination of the plant.

It is very important to know who pollinates cherries and how. This often requires pollinating insects or wind. Sometimes natural pollination is simply impossible, then an artificial method is required. There is no difficulty in this; the main thing is to have some knowledge on this issue.

Review of the best varieties of cherries: fruit characteristics, pollination and ripening time

There are more than three thousand varieties of cherries all over the world.
Trees live and bear fruit for a long time. With good care, cherries can delight more than one generation of gardeners; there is evidence of fruit-bearing trees that are up to a hundred years old. Cultivated varieties differ in flowering time and fruit formation, frost resistance of trees, their height and crown shape. The berries have different tastes and differ in appearance: color, shape, length of the stalks.

A novice gardener who decides to plant trees on a plot should consult with specialists in advance on the issues of breeding the chosen variety. And we will try to describe the characteristics that you should pay attention to before purchasing planting material for your site.

Step-by-step planting instructions

1. Pour a bucket of water into the planting hole.
2. Place the seedling in the recess of the hole next to the support; the neck of the seedling should be 4-5 cm above ground level.
3. Cover the roots with soil.
4. Compact the top layer and secure the seedling to the support with soft tape. The figure-of-eight loop is made loose so as not to damage the tree bark.
5. Make a circular depression around the perimeter of the hole for watering.
6. Pour out 2 buckets of water, make sure that after the soil settles, the root collar is at ground level.
7. Trim the main trunk to 80 cm, and the side branches to 50 cm. This is necessary to form the correct crown.
8. It is advisable to plant cherries in cloudy weather.
9. Seedlings take root best when they are 1-2 years old.
10. To attract bees, mustard is planted next to the cherry tree; experienced gardeners spray the tree with a solution of water and honey.

Tree height

Cherry variety Revna

According to height they are distinguished:

• vigorous;
• medium height;
• low-growing varieties.

An adult cherry plant is a large tree with large lateral branches and a spreading crown. In nature, a cherry tree can grow into a 20-meter tree. The cultivated plant rarely reaches a height of 7 meters. However, this property - height and the constant desire to grow upwards - creates considerable problems for gardeners.

That is why breeding scientists do not stop working on breeding low-growing or dwarf varieties, varieties with a weeping crown. New varieties are obtained by open pollination, crossing with cherries, and growing cherry-cherry hybrids.

The most famous result of such selection is the Valeria variety. For experimental purposes, young shoots are exposed to radiation. Thus, Canadian scientists obtained the varieties Compact Stella and Compact Lambert.

However, a low-growing plant, as a rule, tolerates cold worse, requires more careful care, and is less viable.

Frost resistance

Francis cherry variety

According to their tolerance to cold, trees are divided into:

• winter-hardy;
• medium-winter hardy;
• varieties with low winter hardiness.

It is worth remembering that cherries are a heat-loving tree that naturally grows in areas with a moderately warm climate. The bark of trees can withstand frost of 20-30 degrees, but the fruit buds are at risk of freezing. It is not uncommon for buds in which the rudiments of pistils and stamens have frozen to retain the rudiments of petals. Therefore, after a frosty winter, flowers bloom on the branches, but they do not leave behind berries.

It is also possible to grow cherries in the gardens of central Russia. Through the efforts of breeders, winter-hardy and medium-winter-hardy varieties have been obtained. The State Register of Breeding Achievements for the Central Region contains 14 winter-hardy cherry species. Among them, the most popular are Leningradskaya Chernaya, Rechitsa, Chermashnaya, Iput.

But for those who want to grow this berry in the northwestern regions of the country, unfortunately, there are no officially registered, verified, zoned varieties yet.

Bee pollinates a flower

According to their ability to self-pollinate, trees are usually divided into:

• self-fertile (the most popular variety is Narodnaya Syubarova);
• partially self-fertile (varieties Revna, Ovstuzhenka);
• self-sterile (Fatezh, Valery Chkalov, Chermashnaya).

A self-fertile fruit tree variety does not need pollinators from other varieties. Such trees do not depend on the number of bees and insects involved in the distribution of pollen. These are trees that can self-pollinate; more precisely, in place of 20-40% of flowers, an ovary is formed, and in the future fruits. Such trees can grow on their own. Unfortunately, there are very few self-fertile cherry varieties. Or more often they belong to partially self-fertile varieties.

In most cases, cherries are not capable of self-pollination. In order for fruits to form in place of flowers, it is necessary to plant several varieties nearby that bloom at the same time.

However, when planting trees, “neighbors” must be selected, because not all varieties are compatible. The Iput variety has proven itself well as such a pollen distributor. But we remember that no variety is an optimal pollinator for other varieties.

Classification of cherry varieties

You need to purchase seedlings from special stores or garden institutes that can guarantee that the grown plant:

• resistant to drought, frost and disease;
• is self-fertile and precocious;
• will bear fruit regularly and produce a good harvest.

The seller must indicate the period of flowering and ripening of cherry fruits. Unfortunately, at markets they may sell the wrong variety by name or it may be self-sterile.

Self-fertile varieties

The self-pollinating group includes new varieties and hybrids of cherries, which will also not be hindered by pollinators, since their yield is only 40-50% of the number of flowers. The most commonly planted cherries are: Altai, Crimson, Bolotovskaya, Brunette, Veteranka, Molodezhnaya, Cinderella, Griot, Rossoshanskaya black, Kent, Lyubimitsa, Lada, Nord Star, Podbelskaya, Rastorguevskaya, Sudarushka, Finaevskaya, Shokoladnitsa.

The flowers of self-fertile trees have the same height of the stamen with anther (pollen) and the pistil, where the fruit will form, since pollination will occur inside it even before the flower opens. Pollen in such varieties takes 13-16 days to germinate, so there are many ovaries: they can be noticed already on days 15-20.

Partially self-pollinating varieties

Partially self-fertile varieties suitable for cultivation include: Altai, Banquetnaya, Vstrecha, Dessertnaya, Dolgozhdnaya and Malyshka, Morozova, Maksimovskaya. And also Turgenevka, Rubinovaya, Shpanka and Saniya, Trofimovskaya, Kompotnaya, Lebedyanskaya, Donetsk spanka, Olympic and others. These cherry varieties require suitable pollinators, since only 10% of their flowers self-pollinate.

Self-sterile varieties

Own pollen pollinates only 1-3% of flowers in the following varieties: Vladimirskaya, Melitopolskaya Griot, Zhukovskaya, Komsomolskaya, Lebedyanskaya, Saratovskaya, Uralskaya, Chernokorka, Krasa Tataria, Malinovka. And also Alpha, In Memory of Vavilov or Sakharov, Vole, Student, Shubinka, Large Black, Miracle Cherry.

These trees, including cherry-cherry hybrids with large berries, require companions in the neighborhood and a pollinator for the cherry should bloom during the same period. But it must be taken into account that at a cool temperature of 10-14°C, the ability of fruit germination after pollination is still lost.

Berries ripening time

Leningradskaya black cherry

Cherry varieties are usually divided into:

• very early. These include Ruby Early, Early Mark. These varieties bear the first fruits by the end of May;
• early;
• early-middle;
• mid-late;
• late ones, which include Large-fruited, Izyumnaya, and Drogana yellow cherries. Ripen in the first ten days of July.

Cherries of different varieties

The color of the berries can range from orange, yellow (oddly enough, such a berry is often called white) to dark cherry or black.

• Cherry is black, or rather its color is dark red. An example of such a cherry would be Melitopol black;
• cherry with pink fruits. The color of the berries is fixed even in the names of the varieties: Leningradskaya pink, Pink Pearl, Bryansk pink, etc.;
• yellow (white). The most common varieties of yellow (white) cherries are Chermashnaya, Drogana Zheltaya, Radiant light.

Fruit shape and weight

According to the size of the fruit, cultivated varieties of cherries are divided into:

• large - the mass of which is more than 5 g. These include: Revna, Drogana yellow, Tyutchevka, Iput, Raditsa, Sadko;
• medium (3-5 g);
• small (up to 3 g). The berries of these varieties are more like large cherries, but they have a sweet taste. Varieties with small berries include Early pink and Leningrad pink.

The shape of the berries is usually round, but there are varieties with a heart-shaped shape, slightly flattened on the sides.

What pollinates cherries and how does this process occur?

Sweet cherries are one of the most favorite garden berries for people of any age. Every gardener tries to purchase cherries for his plot. A rich and tasty harvest is the pride of summer residents, but not everyone knows how difficult it is to achieve this. Each tree in the garden should receive its share of attention and care. But having an abundance of berries is not an easy task and mainly depends on the pollination of the plant.

It is very important to know who pollinates cherries and how. This often requires pollinating insects or wind. Sometimes natural pollination is simply impossible, then an artificial method is required. There is no difficulty in this; the main thing is to have some knowledge on this issue.

Features of planting cherries

Planting cherries has its own characteristics. So, the procedure differs depending on the time of year, the type of root system and other aspects.

In autumn

Many owners of garden plots in the Moscow region decide to plant cherries in the fall. In this case, the landing algorithm looks like this:

1. Remove some of the soil from the hole.
2. Drive a small peg into the side.
3. Place the seedling so that the root collar is 5-8 cm above the ground. There is no need to form a hill in the middle.
4. Spreads out the roots.
5. Cover the seedling with soil, constantly compacting it.

Attention!

When the hole is filled, you need to check the position of the measles neck. To do this, you need to tie the shoot to a peg.

After completing the procedure, the seedlings need to be watered. Consumption should be 20-40 liters per plant.

In early spring

The planting procedure carried out in the spring is no different from the autumn one. But only at the stage of preparing the hole should fertilizer be added to the soil. This should be 200 superphosphate, 100 g of potassium sulfate. The last element can be replaced with 1 kg of ash.

With closed root system

Cherries from a container are planted according to the same principle as seedlings with an open root system. But there are some features:

1. You should carefully remove the earthen lump from the container.
2. The hole should be twice the volume of the pot.
3. The growth conditions of the tree should not differ from growth in a container. Depression is allowed by 1-2 cm.

This procedure can be carried out in the summer, but not in the southern regions, which is due to the climate. This is important, since any seedling needs to adapt to a new place of growth.

At high groundwater levels

Cherry is a crop that does not tolerate close proximity to groundwater. In areas where their level is high, it is necessary to plant the tree on slopes, embankment beds, and there must be drainage. In addition, gardeners place a stone at the bottom of the hole in order to direct the growth of the main root to the side.

Who pollinates the tree?

Cherry pollination is a natural process of plant fertilization, which involves the transfer of pollen from the stamens of one flower to the stigma of another. The pollen that falls on the pistil grows in the style and penetrates the ovule. The result of fertilization is the ovary, from which the berry is formed.

Most often, the tree is pollinated by insects and the wind, which carry pollen from flower to flower. But there are situations when it is not possible to carry out pollination naturally, then it is carried out by a person manually.

How to pollinate a tree by hand?

Situations are different, for example, during early flowering, when there are not yet enough insects. It also happens that trees grow in greenhouses, where access for pollinators is difficult.

Before artificial pollination, pollen maturity must be checked. Usually you check it with your hands, run your finger over it and see whether there are lumps of yellow color or not. If they are present, it is judged that the pollen is mature. Then they choose a good time, most often it is lunchtime on any warm and not rainy day.

Pollination must be done in such a way that pollen is easily transferred from one plant to another. To do this, use a brush or cotton swab.

Among the cherry varieties there are practically no self-pollinating ones, that is, those that pollinate themselves with their own pollen.

How to pollinate with different species?

Only those trees whose flowers bloom at the same time are capable of cross-pollination, otherwise the process will not end with the formation of an ovary. Interestingly, some scientists claim that cherries can be pollinated by cherries, but not vice versa.

Cherry varieties are divided into three types depending on the pollination method:

1. Self-fertile.
2. Partially self-fertile.
3. Self-sterile.

The number of ovaries from which fruits are formed completely depends on the type of pollination.

Self-fertile varieties can pollinate themselves. This results in a rich harvest. Fruits are formed on almost every second pollinated flower. Such trees are planted by summer residents of small plots where it is not possible to plant a large garden. Popular varieties of this type of pollination are:

Partially self-fertile trees are those that are capable of pollinating both independently and with pollen from nearby growing plants. Of the entire mass of flowers, fruits are formed in 1/5 of them. Among these varieties are:

Self-sterile are those that under no circumstances can pollinate themselves, so they need self-fertile varieties to be planted nearby. These are:

• Julia;
• Syubarovskaya;
• Robin;
• Orlovka;
• Chereshnya Yaroslavna;
• Cherry Cordia;
• Cherry Vasilisa.

Advice. Every cherry-cherry hybrid is not self-pollinating. And only 1% may not be self-fertile.

Proper planting of cherries in the Moscow region

It’s not enough just to decide when to plant cherries in central Russia, in particular in the Moscow region. It is still necessary to carry out the procedure correctly: choose a place for the seedlings, prepare them and plant them. You also still need to choose a rootstock for the cherry and what to graft onto.

Choosing a landing site

It is necessary to plant cherries in a warm area. The best option is the southern, southwestern and southeastern slopes. The soil should be loose and fertile.

Attention!

The selected location should not be in a draft or in an area with high groundwater levels. Otherwise, the cherries will hurt.

It’s not bad if the tree covers a small fence - a tall one will block the sunlight. Also, lowlands are not suitable for planting plants, since melt water and cold air will accumulate in them. Good soil is sandy loam and loam.

Due to the fact that you will have to plant at least 2 trees, you need a lot of space: the distance between the cherries should be 4-5 m. But gardeners often use one trick: they graft several branches of other varieties into the crown of one plant. This approach allows us to solve the pollination issue.

Preparing a place for a tree involves digging it up, removing weeds and applying fertilizer. If the soil is acidic, then it must be limed. In the Moscow region, cherries are often planted on artificial mounds that prevent flooding of the root system in the event of heavy rains. The hill will not dry out quickly if it is sown with lawn grass.

Preparation of seedlings

Seedlings with a closed root system must be watered before planting. This is what preparation is all about. At the same time, the earthen lump of cherry trees, whose roots are lined with burlap, also needs to be moistened. There is no need to remove it, since when it decomposes in the ground it will become a good fertilizer.

Seedlings with an open root system undergo special preparation. So, the roots need to be trimmed. It is necessary to get rid of broken shoots that have dried out, show signs of rot, are affected by diseases and pests.

Attention!

If the roots are intact and alive, then there is no need to trim them.

There should be no very long shoots that will interfere with planting. In seedlings aged 1-2 years they must be absent. If they are present, the hole should be deepened.

If the root is thick, then such a plant is not worth buying, as this is a clear sign that it is more than 2 years old. Otherwise, the cherry tree may not only not take root, but also often get sick later.

If planting is done in the fall, no pruning is required. Otherwise, there is a high probability that during the thaw, side shoots will begin to grow and the tree will die. Therefore, it is better to postpone the formation of a culture until spring.

During the planting period at the beginning of the new season, the seedling must be pruned. There are no branches on the annual plant, so it needs to be shortened, leaving 50-70 cm. In cherry trees at the age of 2 years, it is necessary to cut off the central conductor. There should be 3-4 side shoots left. If there are more of them, then only the strong, formed ones should be kept, and the rest should be cut into a ring. Gardeners decide to shorten the outer bud, getting rid of 1/3 or 1/2 of the length.

How to pollinate a tree yourself?

The advantage of artificial insemination is always considered to be a 100% result. It often happens that there are too many fruits. With this method of pollination, the tree is always protected from problems that arise when transferred from other trees by insects.

Even with sufficient labor costs for this procedure, the compensation will be an excellent harvest of sweet and healthy berries.

To maximize the effect of cross-pollination, you need to plant three or more varieties of cherry trees in your garden plot, which have the same flowering dates.

If this is not possible, some breeders advise finding a pollinator branch that is flowering and placing it in a container between the trees. Thanks to this, after a while you can enjoy delicious berries.

In recent years, many varieties have been zoned to harsh regions of the country. But the following are considered sweet and medium-late: Veda, Revna, Rossoshanskaya golden cherries. Regina cherries, for example, are late-ripening. Early-ripe Rodina cherry is recommended as a high-yielding one. And one of the winter-hardy cherry varieties is the Podarok Stepanov variety.

Pollinator requirements

Regardless of whether the cherry tree is pollinated by cherries or cherries of another variety, the chosen pollinator must match it in three ways:

• flowering period;
• fruiting period;
• life expectancy.

To minimize the likelihood of error, when forming a garden, you should choose diverse varieties, planting cherry and cherry trees in groups of 3-4 seedlings. This will ensure high yields of tasty berries from varieties with different abilities for pollination and self-pollination.

Compatibility options for cherry varieties

Breeders draw the attention of gardeners to the fact that not all varieties planted nearby are compatible for pollination. This happens even when the distance between the trees is very small.

At the stage of planting a garden, you need to immediately select not one, but at least three varieties that are close to each other in terms of flowering time, ripening and durability of the tree in principle.

Cherry-cherry hybrid

Both sweet cherries and sour cherries are close relatives. Many gardeners are concerned about whether they can be each other's pollinators.

In fact, hybrids of cherries and sweet cherries were bred a long time ago. They are called DYUK. But only recently have gardeners had to deal with them. It’s just that many gardeners bought seedlings under the guise of “cherry”, which was previously presented by sellers as a new variety of large-fruited sweet cherry.

Advice. DYUKs practically do not get sick, since they received the large-fruited cherries and winter hardiness from the cherries.

The most important thing when planting these hybrids is not to forget that they are completely self-sterile and do not pollinate each other at all, that is, hybrids do not pollinate their own kind. The best pollinator for them will be cherries.

For beginning gardeners, it is important to know whether cherries can pollinate cherries. Most cherry trees cannot be pollinators for cherries. The Lyubskaya cherry can be an ideal pollinator. but other cherry pollinators may be suitable.

Compatibility of cherry varieties

Iput is considered the best pollinator among cherry trees; ideally, it is recommended to plant it with its own pollinator - the Revna cherry variety. This is the only way to guarantee a high harvest of cherries, sweet cherries, and DYUKs.

A good example of a rich harvest is the hybrid Griot Ostheim, which is pollinated by cherries. Its harvest is about 1 quintal from an eight-year-old tree. But the same tree, but pollinated by cherries, produces a yield of only 0.5 centners. And if you completely leave the tree without a pollinator, the yield will be only about 5 kg.

With properly organized pollination of cherries, gardeners can safely be proud of a tasty and rich harvest!

Reviews and recommendations from experienced gardeners about cherry varieties and methods of pollination

Gardeners often face a lack of harvest for several years. Even if you follow all the rules of fertilizing and watering, without the necessary pollinator neighbor, the crop yield will be extremely low.

Gardeners recommend preparing and clearing a suitable area of ​​weeds before purchasing to plant several varieties. Seedlings must be purchased only from trusted breeders or nurseries.

The cherry plant requires quite a bit of care, but even a novice gardener can handle it. All the work more than pays off during the harvest, when from one adult plant you can collect several tens of kilograms of fresh and tasty berries, from which excellent compotes and jams are made. Properly organized pollination is the key to a rich and healthy harvest of universal berries.

Cherry varieties: description and photo

To get a bountiful harvest, it is necessary to choose varieties taking into account the climate in a particular region. Thus, frost-resistant varieties are suitable for central Russia, but more heat-loving plants can be grown in Ukraine.

Unlike cherries, cherries ripen much earlier; their tasty and aromatic fruits can already be enjoyed in early summer - June. This is a real source of useful microelements (iron, iodine, potassium, magnesium, calcium). The fruits of the plant grow in the form of a single-locular drupe with a juicy pericarp.

Considering the late emergence of cherry fruit buds from a state of forced dormancy, the yield of this crop is characterized as stable. Another advantage of cherries is the presence of reliable protection from return frosts on the anthers and pistils, which cherries do not have.

The leaves of the fruit crop are very large in size, distinguished by an elongated oval or elongated obovate shape and brown glands on the petioles.

It is not so often possible to find self-fertile varieties on the market. They can be purchased by order from abroad. Popular hybrid forms include: Alex, Peter, Stella, Sandor, Sweet Hart.

Below is a list of the most popular cherry varieties with descriptions and photos.

• Average height
• Early fruit ripening
• High yield (up to 30 kg of berries are harvested from one tree)
• High taste (the fruits are black in color and have dark red juicy pulp)
• The berry is removed along with the stalk
• The harvest is not afraid of transportation
• High degree of resistance to fungal infections
• Tolerates low temperatures well (down to -28 degrees)

• Average rate of early fruiting (yields a harvest 5 years after planting)
• If there is too much moisture, the fruits will crack.
• The pulp is difficult to separate from the stone

According to reviews:

Valery Chkalov

• Early berry ripening
• Large fruit size (weight up to 6-8 g)
• High taste characteristics of the fruit (the pulp is dark red in color, juicy, semi-cartilaginous consistency)
• Dessert type
• Universal use of berries
• High degree of productivity (62 kg per tree on average)
• High level of frost resistance (-23.5 degrees

• Tallness (up to 5 m)
• Wet separation of the berry from the fruit, juice is released
• The level of precocity is average (yields a harvest in the 5th year)
• Self-sterile variety
• Average level of resistance to diseases, including fungal ones

Pollinators: Dnieper, Bigarro Burlat, Aprilka, June early Skorospelka

• The tree is medium-sized, compact
• The crown has no sharp forks
• Easy to care for
• The fruits have high taste and consumer qualities
• Due to the dense skin, the crop is transportable over long distances
• High level of frost resistance (up to -30 degrees)
• High degree of resistance to frost cracking and sunburn
• Wood resistance to fungal infections

• Average late ripening period
• Self-sterility

Its best pollinators: Raditsy, Compact, Iput, Venyaminova, Tyutchevka, Ovstuzhenki

Classification of cherry varieties depending on their ability to pollinate

Self-pollinating

For most garden crops, cross-pollination is sufficient to produce a harvest. However, this method has a negative side - insufficient pollination due to rain, wind and frost. In order to eliminate the influence of the external environment, breeders developed self-pollinating varieties of cherries.

A self-pollinating plant can be distinguished by the characteristic structure of the flower, when the pollination process occurs inside the unopened flower, since the stamen and pistil are located at the same level. Self-fertile varieties have one of the highest pollination rates with minimal yield losses.

Self-pollinating varieties:

• “People’s” cherries are suitable for growing in any region of the country. The crop is resistant to external influences: strong winds and heavy snows do not cause significant damage to the tree. Young seedlings take root well in sandy and loamy soils. Ripe berries have a pleasant taste. The yield, depending on the region of planting, reaches 50 kg.
• “Homestead yellow” cherry. The berries are large, elongated, the weight of the fruit reaches 6 g. The fertility of each tree is up to 60 kg.
• The Tyutchevka variety is a fairly young type of cherry. Despite the fact that “Tyutchevka” refers to medium-sized plants, the fruits reach 7 g. Ripe dark red berries are easily separated from the stalk. Productivity - 40 kg per season. According to reviews of many gardeners, the fruits of this variety are considered one of the most delicious.
• The Goryanka cherry variety was bred on the basis of the Jaboule and Gaucher varieties. The berries are heart-shaped and dark burgundy in color. Maximum weight - 6.4 g. The taste of the ripe fruit contains slight sourness. The shelf life of collected berries is up to 6 days. Productivity reaches 19 kg per tree.
• The “Bereket” variety was bred from “April black” and “Drogana yellow”. The maximum height of the plant is 5.5 m. The berries are round in shape and have a dark red skin. The weight of the fruit averages 6.3 g. The stone is easily separated from the pulp.

Partially self-pollinating

This type includes cherry varieties that can be pollinated both independently and by pollen from plants growing in the neighborhood.

The most popular varieties:

• The variety "Valery Chkalov" is named after the famous Soviet pilot. The height of the plant reaches six meters. The fruits are dark red in color, large in size, weighing up to 8 g. The ripe berry has a dessert taste and is consumed both fresh and canned. The yield of one adult plant reaches 70 kg in the southern regions, and 30 kg in the central regions. The variety is resistant to sub-zero temperatures. During cultivation, preventive measures should be taken to protect the plant from coccomycosis and gray rot. Pollination of the “Valery Chkalov” variety of cherries occurs by planting “jaboulet”, “aprilka”, “quick ripening” and “bigarro” at a sufficient distance.
• The “Ovstuzhenka” variety is able to tolerate sub-zero temperatures down to -45 degrees. Cherry fruits are dark in color and large in size. The weight of the berry reaches 6 g. The seasonal yield of one tree is 25 kg. Gardeners plant Tyutchevka, Iput and Raditsa as a pollinator.
• A characteristic feature of the “revna” variety is its many small fruits with excellent taste and aroma. With proper storage, the berries do not lose their shape and taste for a long time. The yield of one tree reaches 20 kg with a maximum berry weight of 6 g.
• “Iput” is considered the best partially pollinated variety. Sweet cherries are highly resistant to prolonged low temperatures. A peculiarity of the culture is the change in color of the fruit during the ripening process, from dark red to charcoal at the time of ripening. The weight of the berry reaches 7 g, with a total yield of 40 kg. The variety has one significant drawback: due to excess moisture, some of the ripe berries may crack.

Infertile

To obtain a rich harvest, this type of plant requires a pollinator planted nearby.

Fruitless varieties:

• Cherry "Yulia" was selected in the Voronezh region. The variety was bred on the basis of “Red Guinea” and “Yellow Denissena”. Recommended regions for planting: Lower Volga and Central Black Earth. The fruits have a pink-yellow skin. With an eight-meter height of an adult tree, the yield is low - 25 kg.
• “Orlovskaya pink” is a cherry variety bred through pollination of the “folk” cherry. The height of the tree reaches 3.5 meters. Oryol pink cannot boast of large berries. Weighing 4 grams, the size of the berries is 1.7–1.8 cm. The color of the ripe berries, like the pulp, is pink. The variety also does not show high yields.
• An adult plant of the Yaroslavna variety has a rounded and branching crown. Depending on the region, the color of the fruit changes from dark red to black. Recommended pollinators are Donetsk beauty, Annushka and Valery Chkalov. With proper care, the yield reaches a record 60 kg.

Pollination of different varieties of cherries for a rich harvest

Cherry varieties differ not only in the external characteristics of the trees and the taste of the fruit, but also in the method of pollination. There are fully or partially self-fertile and self-sterile varieties of the crop. To obtain a stable, rich harvest, it is necessary to take into account such parameters as compatibility and flowering time of the variety, select pollinating neighbors and planting schemes. If this cannot be done, artificial pollination is resorted to.

How to determine whether a variety is self-fertile

It will take about three years to determine whether a tree is self-fertile or not. The following experiment is carried out:

1. You need to select a branch before flowering and put a special gauze insulator on it. This is done to block access to pollinating insects. Then you need to take pollen from another tree and pollinate the flowers on the branch that you isolated with it;
2. Select another branch. Put an insulator on it too, but in this case there is no need to pollinate;
3. Select the third branch and mark it. It must remain free to pollinate naturally;
4. When growth begins, you need to compare the number of flowers on the selected branches. Then the yield and quality of the fruit are compared.

If a branch with self-pollination produced almost the same number of fruits as a tree with natural pollination, the variety is self-fertile.

Types of cherries by type of pollination

Sweet cherry is a fruiting plant with long oval leaves similar to cherry leaves. It blooms with lush white inflorescences. The flowers are large, with a pleasant aroma. With proper care, the lifespan can reach 100 years. Sweet cherries love sunny areas with light, nutritious soil. Does not require special care.

Has many varieties. The fruits of some varieties are not transportable, they cannot be rolled, and can only be consumed raw.

Pollination of cherries can be carried out with the help of wind, insects and birds. The method depends on the variety and type.

There are three types of cherries:

To be completely sure, it is better to plant 3-4 trees nearby that bloom at the same period. Not all varieties are compatible for pollination, so it is better to play it safe and plant different ones.

The cherry-cherry hybrid is self-sterile, so the cherry will not be able to pollinate them, just as they will not be able to pollinate it. Pollination should only be done using self-fertile cherries.

The cherry-cherry hybrid is pollinated only with the help of a self-fertile cherry planted nearby.

Features of caring for cherries and tips for increasing productivity

You can get a rich harvest from a cherry tree only with proper care of the plant. Experienced gardeners recommend carrying out preventive work against pests and diseases twice a year: in the spring before sap flow and in the autumn, when the crop is actively shedding its leaves.

For preventive treatment, spraying with a solution of 700 g of urea in a bucket of water is suitable. This allows you to get rid of pathogens and insects after the winter season. Before processing, it is necessary to make sure that the process of sap flow has not begun. Otherwise, contact with the solution on the kidney will cause a burn.

Purchased preparations “Fitoverm”, “Iskra-bio” and “Akarin” will help get rid of migrating pests. You can increase resistance to unfavorable climates by spraying with Zircon or Ecoberin solutions. The main thing is to carefully read the description of the drug to prevent damage to the plant.

It is extremely important to prevent prolonged absence of moisture in the soil. Gardeners divide watering into three stages:

1. Before flowering, pour in several buckets of water for each year of the plant’s life.
2. In mid-summer, watering depends on the amount of precipitation and soil moisture.
3. In the fall, before the winter season, watering is combined with the application of fertilizer. Such moisture charging increases the frost resistance of the tree. The minimum depth of soil moisture is 70 cm.

The amount of harvest obtained largely depends on the correct application of fertilizers.

Algorithm for applying fertilizing for cherries:

1. In the first days of May, it is necessary to loosen the tree trunk and apply mineral fertilizers in the following proportion per 1 sq. meter: 20 g of potassium sulfate, 20 g of urea, 20 g of superphosphate.
2. Upon completion of the harvest, foliar feeding of the plant is carried out with fertilizers based on potassium and phosphorus.
3. At the end of summer it is time for organic fertilizers. The optimal composition of such fertilizers is mullein and water, mixed in a ratio of 1:8.

Artificial pollination of cherries

This type of pollination is perfect for increasing the productivity of self-fertile trees, because... In this way, you can increase the probability of pollen getting into the queen several times. The procedure is simple and requires only attentiveness, accuracy and time.

Recommendations for the procedure

1. To collect pollen you need a sunny, windless, dry day. In the wind, insects will not fly actively, the tender parts of the inflorescence may die, the entire flower may become weathered and will not be suitable for pollination. When it rains, water can wash away pollen, which turns into heavy clumps. The heat dries out the flowers, it is difficult for bees to fly in such weather, so optimal spring temperatures, sunshine and a lot of working insects are desired.
2. Before starting the procedure, you need to prepare paper bags for pollen. It is important that they close tightly to prevent loss of raw materials.
3. When a self-fertile cherry blossoms, you need to shake the pollen from the inflorescences into bags and close them tightly so that it does not spill out. This must be done very carefully so as not to damage the delicate flowers.
4. You need to get a soft wool brush (or cotton swabs) and carefully apply the pollen from the bag to the flowers of self-sterile cherries. The flowers must not be damaged.
5. You should not pollinate all the inflorescences at once. There won’t be enough time and energy for this, and the extra cherries will fall off later, so don’t waste your energy. It is better to pollinate one flower in the inflorescence in the very center. Then the cherries will be large and sweet.
6. If you get a lot of ovaries, you don’t need to feel sorry for them, but rather pick off the extra berries while they are still green. They weigh down the tree, the cherries grow small, ripen prematurely, and do not gain flavor, color, size or aroma.
7. By hand pollinating a tree, you protect it from diseases that pollinating insects can carry. The results from hand pollination are almost always perfect.

Preparing berries for planting in spring

Variety selection

A mistake for many cherry lovers is choosing a variety that is not zoned for a given region. Gardeners are seduced by beautiful descriptions, bright labels and do not take into account the survival rate of seedlings, the impact of climate and the biological characteristics of cherries.

This is especially true in areas with harsh and long winters. Moreover, when choosing a variety, it is necessary to take into account not only sub-zero winter temperatures; temperature changes in the spring are very dangerous - recurrent frosts.

For seedlings to die, a decrease in temperature after a thaw to -2°C is sufficient, unless it has a high level of winter hardiness. Experienced gardeners in this situation additionally use smoke from fires.

The yield can also be affected by the composition of the soil in a given region, the duration and intensity of daylight hours, and the presence of stable cold winds.

The result is small yields, freezing, poor taste, and sometimes the death of the plant.

Recommendations for choosing varieties for different regions:

No special zoned varieties have been bred for the Leningrad region and the North-Western regions; gardeners successfully grow the most frost-resistant and unpretentious varieties intended for the Urals and Siberia.

Now 2 varieties are being developed for this region - Seda and Yurga. A serious disadvantage for growing cherries in these areas is the cold winds from the Baltic Sea.

Planting dates for different regions

Requirements for soil and planting site

The soil for cherries should have a breathable structure, well heated, moderately moist, and slightly acidic.

The groundwater level is very important, since already at a level of 1.5 m from the surface of the ground gum begins to flow and the cherry dies. It is preferable to plant it on loams rich in nutrients; peat soils, clay, and sand are absolutely not suitable.

It is better to choose a planting site for cherries on the southern and southeastern slopes, well warmed by the sun. Lowlands from which water does not drain for a long time are not suitable for it; in addition, it must be protected from northern winds.

Soil preparation

When planting in the fall, the soil is completely dug up 2-3 weeks before planting, adding humus at the rate of 10 kg per 1 sq. m. meter.

When planting in the spring, the soil is prepared in the fall by digging it up and adding fertilizer. Many gardeners prepare planting holes in the fall.

If the land on your site is not suitable for planting cherries, then this can be corrected. Sand is added to clay soil, and clay is added to sandy soil. Additionally, add soil mixture, which is sold in specialized stores, manure or humus. The soil is dug up and after a few years it is ready for planting cherries.

Light mode

Cherry is very demanding on light conditions. It feels good next to low-growing trees, forming a crown in the middle and upper tier for better absorption of sunlight.

Shading of cherries in orchards with tall fruit trees leads to the fact that fruiting switches to the upper branches, the fruits become smaller and their number decreases. For cherries, it is better to choose an open, sunny and warm place. For better crown lighting, annual pruning is used.

Additional recommendations

1. High air humidity is contraindicated for cherries; the fruits begin to crack and rot, but excessively high dryness leads to the fact that the leaves begin to fall off.
2. Cherry does not tolerate proximity to walnuts, rowan berries, pears, peaches, and black currants. Apple, plum and cherry trees are recommended as neighbors.
3. The distance between trees should be at least 4-5 meters, due to the highly developed root system of the surface.
4. Once every 5 years, the soil around the cherry tree must be limed.
5. Do not buy 3-year-old seedlings, they practically do not take root.

When planting cherries, care must be taken to protect them from birds. Otherwise, most of the berries will be pecked and not suitable for use. To do this, many people hang shiny, rustling foil ribbons or old computer disks on the tree. As a rule, this does not help, therefore, it is necessary to prepare a mesh net (50x50 mm) in advance and throw it over the cherries during the period of fruit ripening.