Cherry tomatoes Red cherries: description, photos and growing features

Duke features

Cherry-cherry hybrids differ from their “parents” in many ways:

• Unlike pairs of parents, ducks are fertile themselves. “Loneliness” is contraindicated for them. In order for the hybrids to bear fruit, zoned varieties of sweet cherries and cherries, the so-called pollinators, are planted nearby.
• Dukes themselves are ineffective as pollinators.
• In the middle zone and in the central region of the Black Earth Region, self-fertile cherries are usually used to pollinate princes: Lyubskaya, Bulatnikovskaya, Molodezhnaya.
• The best pollinator for dukes is cherry. Recommended cherry pollinators are Donchanka, Priusadnaya and Annushka cherries. Iput cherry is considered an ideal variety for pollination.
  

  You can read about the listed varieties of cherries in the following article.

• By purchasing Duke seedlings, they are also purchasing a pollinator. A high-quality pollinator is able to pollinate more than a third of the flowers - this is enough for the tree to be covered with fruits.
• Princes, compared to cherries, are more winter-hardy. On the contrary, cherries are inferior in winter hardiness. For this reason, in the northern regions they grow in the form of bushes - gardeners shelter them for the winter, saving them from extremely low temperatures.
• Duke, don't feed on life. Due to excess nutrients, the tree begins to develop intensively, which, spending energy on growth, does not have time to truly get stronger and prepare for winter. This leads to a lack of fruit or death of the plant.

The second name for cherry is duke. In the 17th century, a cherry-cherry hybrid was introduced to England and was called "May-Duke", literally meaning "Duke of May".

Characteristics of the hybrid Cherry Winter Cherry

One variety of these varieties is the f1 Winter Cherry tomato. Its characteristics differ from other varieties in that it is not tall and its seeds, when collected and sown, do not retain their species qualities. Tomato f1 Winter Cherry red. It tolerates bad weather conditions well and is able to grow in open ground conditions, even in the regions of Siberia and the Urals. Winter Cherry has been on the State Register since 1998.

Description of the variety

The following are considered positive features:

• plant height up to 70 cm;
• cultivation in open ground;
• resistance to viruses;
• yield per bush is about 3 kg;
• undemanding to pinching and gartering of the stem;
• universal methods of use.

The ability to grow in open ground and good tolerance to low temperatures makes these tomatoes indispensable in the regions of Siberia and the Middle Urals. A non-grafting tomato is also a big plus because it reduces the time it takes to care for plants.

The standard bush has strong stems that do not need to be tied up or hilled to prevent breakage. The stems of the plant do not grow in height, but only become thicker. Its leaves are a rich green color, more dark than light. Each cluster has up to 30 tomatoes, but not very many clusters are formed. Fruit yield per bush is about 2 kg.

Description and characteristics

The cherry tree has a small and compact crown. Symmetrically located branches are covered with elongated glossy leaves. The inflorescences are white, the fruits are cherry-red.

Duke, being an intercrop, combines the characteristics of two plants at the same time:

• Fruits. Duke fruits are closer to cherries in appearance and taste, but are similar in size and sugar content to cherries.
• Foliage. Big as a cherry. Density, color and shine - like cherry.

Characteristics of cherry:

• The average weight of berries is 8-10 g.
• The taste is sweet, with a slight sourness.
• The first fruits appear in the 3rd year after planting.
• The average yield is 10-15 kg per tree per season.

Popular varieties

Even in rather inhospitable areas of Siberia, cherry trees can be successfully grown. For these purposes, there are special varieties that can withstand sudden weather changes and the harsh climate of the district.

Lyubskaya

An ancient domestic variety of folk selection with late-ripening fruits. An alternative popular name is Lyubka.

The cherry is low-growing, with a round or spreading weeping crown. The height of the tree does not exceed 2.5 m. A typical bush-like variety, fruit ovaries are formed mainly on annual branches. It has a high level of self-fertility and is an excellent pollinator for many cherry varieties. The fruits are round in shape, medium in size, with a maximum weight of 4-5 g. The berries have a thin but durable skin of a dark red color. The weight of the seed is 6-8% of the total weight of the berry. The pulp is tender, very juicy, has a dark red color and a sweet-sour taste. The harvest ripens simultaneously in late July - early August. Due to its weak taste, the crop is practically not consumed fresh, but is used for drying, freezing and technical purposes (compote, preserves, wine). Cherry is characterized by an average level of winter hardiness, which reduces the lifespan of the plant. Trees in the southern regions live 20-25 years, and in the middle zone - a maximum of 15 years. The Lyubskaya variety has low resistance to fungal diseases, especially coccomycosis and moniliosis.

Trees begin to bear fruit 2-3 years after planting and show increasing productivity. By the fifth year, one tree bears 5-6 kg of fruit.

Baby

The variety was bred at the Saratov breeding station by crossing Duke (a hybrid of cherries and cherries) and Rannyaya (a subspecies of cherries), due to which it has a second name - Saratov Baby. The variety is distinguished by its unpretentiousness, resistance to major diseases of fruit and berry crops, and good winter hardiness. The peculiarity of the species is its small size. The tree stops growing at a height of 2–2.5 m and has a spherical crown that is easy to shape. Due to its small size, cherries are easy to care for, they grow quickly and have a short root system that does not come into contact with groundwater. The harvest ripens in mid-June. The fruits of Malyshka have a smooth skin of a bright red hue and weigh on average 6 g. The juicy, tender pulp has a sweet and sour taste.

The variety needs pollinators. The berries are poorly attached to the stems, which is why they fall off in windy weather.

Morel

Chornokorka (Morel black) is the result of Ukrainian folk selection of medium ripening period. Mature trees are medium-sized, bush-like, with a drooping, flat-round crown. Cherries begin to bear fruit 5 years after planting in the second half of June - early July. The fruits have thin, shiny skin of a dark burgundy, almost black hue. Large berries weigh 4-4.5 g. The juicy, dense burgundy-colored pulp has a sweet taste, with virtually no sourness. The variety is characterized by a universal purpose - fresh consumption, freezing, processing (desserts, juices, preserves and jams).

Cherry is drought-resistant, has high winter hardiness, but is susceptible to coccomycosis.

Morel is a high-yielding variety - the average per tree is 30 kg. With suitable care and conditions it reaches 60 kg/tree.

Night

The variety was bred in Donetsk by crossing the Nord Star cherry and the Valery Chkalov cherry. Low trees grow to a maximum of 3 m in height. They have a wide crown in the shape of a pyramid. Begins to bear fruit 3 years after planting. The harvest ripens in mid-summer. One tree produces no more than 10 kg of cherries. The variety is distinguished by large fruits, weighing at least 7 g. The berries are covered with a glossy skin of a rich red hue and have elastic, juicy pulp with a sour taste. The nightstand has a universal purpose and tolerates transportation well. It is resistant to diseases and winter hardiness.

The berries have a cherry smell but a cherry taste.

Radonezh

The variety, developed through selection, is characterized by trees with a round-oval crown, which grow up to 3-3.5 m in height. It begins to bear fruit in the fourth year after planting. It is partially self-fertile, but requires other pollinators for a good harvest. The harvest is harvested at the end of June. Juicy, sweet and sour fruits weigh 4–4.8 g. Due to their delicate taste, they are classified as dessert and have a universal purpose. The Radonezh variety is highly frost-resistant; trees are able to withstand spring frosts, even during the flowering period. Resistant to fungal diseases.

Because of its visual appeal, cherries are often used for landscaping. Trees are demanding of lighting, without which the yield and quality of fruits decrease.

Shpanka

Cherry-cherry hybrid (duke) of early ripening, bred in Ukraine. Vigorous trees with a spherical crown grow up to 6 m in height. The branches are not firmly attached, so sometimes breaks occur in the crown. The tree bears its first harvest 5-6 years after planting. Over the years, the yield increases, and a 15-year-old tree produces up to 50 kg of fruit. The berries ripen from late June to early July; they do not stick well to the tree, so they partially fall off. The large fruits have a glossy burgundy-brown skin. The juicy, light yellow pulp has a sweet and sour taste, with a predominance of sweetness. Read the full description of the cherry variety Shpanka here.

The harvest is poorly transported; it can be used fresh or for freezing, canning, drying, and processing.

The variety is characterized by high winter hardiness - it tolerates temperatures down to -35°C, is drought-resistant, and has good resistance to coccomycosis.

Lighthouse

Developed in Sverdlovsk through long-term cross-pollination of annual seedlings of Michurin cherry varieties. Low bush-type trees grow no more than 2 meters in height. They begin to bear fruit 3-4 years after planting. The berries do not ripen at the same time; the process occurs from late July to early August. The average per cherry is 10-15 kg. Large fruits with dark red skin weigh 4-6 g. The juicy pulp has a sweet dessert taste. The variety has a universal purpose - the berries are consumed fresh, frozen, or used for compote and jam. At high humidity, cherries are susceptible to fruit rot and coccomycosis. The variety is drought-resistant, with average winter hardiness.

The variety is durable; with proper care, trees bear fruit for 30 years or more.

Sakhalinskaya

The wild cherry variety is popular due to its unpretentiousness and attractive appearance. The trees are capable of growing more than 20 m in height and do not require constant fertilization and pruning.

Hybrid varieties based on Sakhalin cherries are distinguished by their growth rate, frost resistance, and high yields.

Wild species are not capable of producing a good harvest, but this indicator can be adjusted by crossing with other varieties.

The variety is resistant to frost - trees can withstand temperatures down to -40 °C.

Advantages and disadvantages of a hybrid

Each of the parent trees - cherry and sweet cherry - are good in their own way, but their hybrid has enough advantages. Benefits of cherries:

• Disease resistance. They are immune to juvenile blight and coccomycosis, diseases that prevent many cherry trees from being harvested. There are ducks that are almost not affected by cherry.
• High taste characteristics. Duke fruits have an excellent taste: the unique cherry aroma combines favorably with the sweetness of cherries.
• Big fruit. The maximum fruit weight reaches 15-20 g.
• Frost resistance. The tree tolerates frosts up to 24-26 ° C
• Unpretentious care. Requires virtually no power. The amount of watering becomes minimal with age.

Cons of cherries:

• The kidneys cannot tolerate frost and are prone to frostbite.
• Poor portability.
• Requires regular pruning as it is prone to overgrowth.

Advantages and weaknesses of the variety

Cherry cherry tomatoes have much more advantages than disadvantages, which should be taken into account when deciding to grow tiny tomatoes on your plot or in a greenhouse.

The main advantages of breeding them are:

• the variety’s unpretentiousness to growing conditions;
• invulnerability to weather changes;
• immunity to characteristic diseases;
• in attractiveness and decorativeness;
• in the early stages of ripening and simultaneous removal of fruits;
• in excellent taste;
• in high productivity;
• in the possibility of preservation in whole bunches.

Pests practically do not damage the cherry tomato variety.

The disadvantages of cherry tomatoes cannot be called too serious; there are very few of them:

• demanding of lighting;
• extreme pickiness about watering;
• unsuitable for transportation;
• the large height of the bush, making it difficult to grow at home;
• obligatory tying and systematic pinching.

Optimal growing regions

Since breeders developed dozens of winter-hardy cherry varieties, they were grown in almost all regions of Russia. When choosing a variety to plant, it is important to compare its hardiness—the coldest temperature it can withstand—with the winter temperatures typical for a particular region. Depending on climatic conditions, the appearance of the plant is formed - in the form of a tree or in the form of a bush.

Early cherries were uncomfortable even in the middle zone, while today's frost-resistant varieties have moved much further to the north. Today, ducks grow and bear fruit in the Leningrad, Nizhny Novgorod, Novosibirsk, Siberian, and Far Eastern regions.

Reviews from gardeners

If you study the reviews of forum gardeners, you can note that most of them grow the following varieties of dukas on their plots:

• Beauty of the North.
• Nurse.
• Excellent Venyaminova.
• Ivanovna.
• Miracle cherry.

This is due to the fact that the first 4 varieties can be grown almost throughout the entire territory of Russia. At the same time, they are high-yielding and do not require special care. The latter variety, although more heat-loving, produces the largest (10 g) and delicious berries (score 4.8 points).

Dukes have long been growing in the gardens of Russian summer residents and are deservedly loved by them. Many of them note the taste and size of their fruits. Others, although they praise the fruits of the dukes, are dissatisfied with the fact that there are few of them. Some gardeners compare the yields of dukes and ordinary cherries, preferring hybrids. You can read reviews here.

Landing

The main features of proper planting of cherry seedlings are maintaining intervals between neighboring plants and preparing the pit. All other agrotechnical measures are the same as for other fruit trees.

Selecting a location

When creating duke, cherry and sweet cherry plantations, it is recommended to select a site that meets the following requirements:

• Sunlight all day. There should be no shade, but partial shade is allowed.
• The soil must be nutritious. Wetlands are excluded.
• A hill is preferable; the presence of groundwater should not exceed 2 m.
• Protection from drafts and wind.
• Cherries and/or cherry trees must be close for pollination.
• The minimum distance from neighboring crops is 5 m.

Dukes don't plant in lowlands. In winter, cold masses are concentrated here, and in summer the humidity is too high. The best option for ducks is areas with sandy loam soils and indirect diffused light.

Acidic soils are neutralized with gypsum - per 1 sq. M add 1.5 kg. When planting, heavy clay soils are replaced with fertile soil and sand mixed in equal parts.

When preparing the soil for planting, you should maintain the fertilizer standards for ducks - they do not like soil that is too nutritious.

Purchase and preparation of seedlings

Cherry seedlings are prepared for planting, like any planting material for fruit trees. The seedlings are immersed in water the day before planting, and then all damaged roots are cut off with scissors.

When purchasing duka seedlings, pay attention to:

• age and time of landing;
• degree;
• pollinators.

2-3 year old seedlings are considered to have the best survival rate. Other recommendations for choosing planting material:

• the presence of a tag indicating the age of the seedling, varietal, pollinator variety and other details of agricultural technology;
• the body is straight;
• the root system is developed, without signs of disease;
• shoots are evenly colored, without wrinkling or damage;
• the height of the main trunk is about 60 cm, the branches are shortened by a third - such signs indicate correctly prepared planting material;
• the variety needs to be regionalized in the region and adapted to specific climatic conditions.

The health of the roots of seedlings is indicated by the white color of their cuts.

It is worth purchasing duke seedlings in specialized nurseries or on farms that professionally grow fruit trees.

Landing in the ground

It is best to plant princes in early spring, when the soil has warmed up to the desired temperature. If planted in the fall, they may die without taking root. Autumn sowing is suitable only for regions with warm climates.

Features of planting Duke seedlings:

• The pit is prepared a month before planting.
• The distance between adjacent holes is 4-5 m if 2 or more cherry seedlings are planted. This is enough so that the trees, when they become adults, do not interfere with each other.
• The size of the hole should be such that the root system fits freely into it.
• It is necessary to lay drainage at the bottom of the hole to avoid stagnation of water near the root system. The drainage layer consists of broken stone or brick.
• The drainage is watered with a mixture of manure and soil. The mixture includes a fertile layer.
• The soil obtained by digging a hole is mixed with superphosphate (300-400 g), potassium sulfate (250-300 g) and ash (2-3 cups).
• If sowing is done in sterile depleted soil, compost or humus is added to the hole - a bucket.
• The seedling is placed in the hole, its roots are straightened. Sprinkle with soil so that the root collar and the surface of the soil are at the same level. You should not go deep into the seedling: rot may develop, which will lead to the death of the young tree.
• When the seedling is planted, water is poured under the root - 2 buckets.

Cherry DUK planting and care

It is best to buy duke seedlings in a nursery, since only in this case high-quality planting material is guaranteed. It is necessary to pay attention to the root system. A healthy seedling can be identified by a cut of the root, which should be white. The tree, two years old, has a straight trunk of at least sixty centimeters without damage. Before planting the seedling, the rhizome is immersed for a day in water in which the root is dissolved.

The next step is choosing the right location. It should be protected from winds and drafts, and be well lit. The composition and acidity of the soil is of no small importance. The ideal option is a site with sandy loam soils, with an acidity level of pH 7. Acidic soils are neutralized with chalk, the amount of which should be 1.5 kilograms. If the soil is heavy and clayey, add a mixture consisting of sand and fertile soil in equal proportions. Either superphosphate - fifty grams, potassium sulfate - fifty grams, wood ash - three hundred grams.

Low-lying areas with high groundwater levels are not suitable for planting cherry trees.

A hole for planting is dug and the correct distance between trees is maintained.

Fertilizers are added to the pit and mixed with the soil.

A seedling is planted in the hole, the roots are straightened, the root collar should not be buried, otherwise the hybrid may die. After the duke is planted and covered with soil, you need to shake the trunk. This will help fill voids in the soil. Then the soil at the planting site must be well watered with settled and not cold water (two buckets).

Mulching will help maintain soil moisture and prevent the top soil from drying out. In the future, it is recommended to loosen the top layer. If all conditions have been met, the seedling will definitely take root.

Care for dukes can be kept to a minimum, as they are an unpretentious crop. After planting a tree, do not forget to water the seedling for the first month - from one to two buckets per root. Further watering is required infrequently, but you need to monitor soil moisture depending on weather conditions. Mature trees do not need watering; they tolerate drought well.

Frequent watering can lead to cracking of the trunk and rotting of the roots.

After planting the seedling, you need to prune it. The central trunk and branches are shortened by one third. After a year, the side shoots are pruned by two centimeters.

To prevent the crown from becoming thickened, in subsequent years, excess shoots are cut off, leaving five to seven branches. Sick and dry branches are removed.

The sections must be treated with a solution of copper sulfate and garden pitch.

Young trees need to be fed very carefully so that excess fertilizer does not harm the plant. In the spring, in order for the plant to start growing, it can be helped by adding nitrogen fertilizers in the amount of twenty grams. In the autumn, phosphorus-potassium fertilizers are used, keeping a ratio of three to two.

Although dukes are disease resistant, cool and rainy weather can encourage disease and infection, especially in poor soils. For preventive purposes, the trunks of dukes are whitened with lime, and the crown is irrigated with a urea solution. Foliage can be sprayed with phytosporin.

For the winter, it is advisable to wrap the dukes lightly, especially in the northern regions, where the air temperature drops below thirty degrees. A seedling experiencing its first winter on the site without shelter may die from temperature changes. To prevent rodents from damaging the trunk, its lower part is wrapped in burlap.

Cherry care

Caring for cherries and cherry hybrids is not difficult even for novice gardeners. By spending a minimum of time on this unpretentious tree, you will get a large harvest of delicious berries. Unlike other fruit trees, ducks do not need feeding, which makes care even easier.

Regularity of watering

It is recommended to water the planted young plants every week. Water generously, use settled water, not cold. The older the tree, the less it is watered. Watering for ducks is a must, regardless of age. An adult tree needs about 20-40 liters of water. During periods of prolonged drought, movement increased.

Like all stone fruits, cherries do not like frequent and abundant watering. Stagnation of water leads to rotting of the roots and destruction of the trunk bark and skeletal branches. Watering is most necessary for trees under 5 years of age, so the frequency of watering is reduced based on time.

The need for digging and mulching

To make the root system feel comfortable, two loosenings per season are enough. Loosening saturates the soil with oxygen and at the same time removes weeds. It is recommended to loosen the soil in circles near the trunk after watering. Gardeners often sow green manure in their gardens to fertilize the soil; for dams, this option is allowed, but with one condition: the circle near the trunk should only be under black fallow.

To prevent the tree roots from overheating and moisture from the soil from evaporating too quickly, the tree trunk circle is mulched. The recommended mulch is hay. Do not mulch on dry soil.

Top dressing

The lack of feeding is an important advantage of ducks. Fertilizers are applied only when planting a seedling. In the future, the gardener is spared from feeding - the ducks develop better and bear fruit on soils of average nutritional value.

Pruning and crown formation

For the first time, cherries are cut immediately after planting. From the soil surface to the cut point - 0.6 m. After cutting off the top, cut off the skeletal branches. In 2-year-old seedlings, the side branches are cut off by 1/3.

While there is no harvest, the young animals are growing rapidly. And as soon as the first berries appear, growth activity decreases. The crowns are thinned out in a timely manner - their thickening leads to a decrease in yield. When cutting branches, consider the angle at which they extend from the trunk - the sharper it is, the smaller the cut end.

In old trees, rejuvenating pruning is carried out every 5 years - shoots are removed along the entire crown - to the level of four-year-old trees.

Diseases and pests

Among the fungal diseases that threaten Duk, the most dangerous and common are presented in Table 2.

table 2

Preparing for winter

Modern varieties of dukes are quite frost-resistant, so there is no need for insulation for the winter - just mulch the tree trunk circle. Hay or fallen leaves are used as mulch. It is best to select slightly frost-resistant varieties grown in regions with harsh winters. Seedlings under the age of 5 years are isolated for the winter, regardless of the growing region.

Duck insulation:

• the top of the head is covered with thick and dense polyethylene;
• The tree trunk is covered with snow.

Many gardeners wrap the trunks of fruit trees, including ducks, with burlap. Or cover it with spruce branches. This method of shelter allows you to solve two problems - to save the tree from frost and rodents. Hares pose a terrible danger to young trees, and the smell of pine needles effectively frightens them.

Harvest and storage

Cherry fruits are ready for harvesting in June or July - it all depends on the climatic characteristics of the region and the ripening period of a particular variety. The harsher the climate in the region, the later the harvest.

The berries are removed without tearing them away from the stalks - this extends the shelf life and allows the harvest to be transported. The transportability of ducks is not important; storing the berries is not recommended - it is advisable to process them as soon as possible.

If you can't process the fruit right away, you can extend its life by placing it in the refrigerator. They do not need to be washed before putting away as the containers are not sealed. Cherries can be stored for no more than two weeks. The berries are used to make candied fruits, marshmallows, jams, and liqueurs. Fruits can also be dried and frozen.