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Candidate of Biological Sciences N. TSARENKO, Doctor of Biological Sciences V. TSARENKO (Far Eastern Experimental Station of VNIIR named after NI Vavilov, Vladivostok).

Many gardeners have appreciated and successfully grow a distant relative of common cherries - felt cherries. Due to the annual abundant fruiting, winter hardiness, and the ability to reproduce easily, it has become widespread both in Russia and in neighboring countries. Felt cherries have long been cultivated in Japan, China, and Korea. From these countries it was introduced to the northern part of the United States and Canada.

Felt cherry is unusually beautiful at the time of flowering: the bush is completely covered with pinkish flowers and resembles a huge bouquet.

The branches of the felt cherry are, as it were, covered with fruits. In the photo - Harvest variety cherry.

Cherry varieties Damanka. (Breeders G. Kazmin, V. Marusich.) In terms of taste - the best variety of felt cherries. Fruit weight - 3-3.8 g. Average yield per bush - 8 kg.

Science and life // Illustrations

Science and life // Illustrations

Science and life // Illustrations

Varieties of felt cherries of early ripening (July 15-25): Natalie (1), Children's (2), Fairytale (3), Fairy Tale (4).

The fruits of felt cherries of the Belaya variety are distinguished by a rare white color.

Science and life // Illustrations

Varieties of felt cherries of medium ripening (July 16-26): Smuglyanka eastern (above), Yubileinaya.

From the end of June to the end of July (depending on climatic conditions), felt cherry begins to ripen in the gardens of our country. A characteristic feature of this plant is a felt-like pubescence of varying degrees of intensity, covering annual shoots, leaves, pedicels and even the skin of fruits.

Felt cherry (Cerasus tomentosa) belongs to the genus of small-fruited cherries (microcherries), Microcerasus Webb.emend.Spach is a species of M. tomentosa (Thunb). Despite the external similarity of the fruits, the common cherry and the felt cherry are genetically very far from one another and cannot be crossed. Felt cherry crosses with plum, peach, cherry plum and apricot.

Externally, the plant is a small shrub or tree 1-3 m high with a dense, wide-spreading crown, often oval, less often flattened. Perennial branches - gray-brown, rough, thick. The buds on them are located on short fruit twigs or bouquet branches. Annual shoots are greenish or greenish-brown. Buds on annual shoots are collected three together: on the sides - fruit, in the middle - vegetative. The life expectancy of fruit formations is 3-4 years.

The leaves are small, with a wrinkled and corrugated surface. The flowers are pink, whitening by the end of flowering, bloom in mid - late May, simultaneously with the leaves. Flowering is plentiful and long (10-15 days). Due to the short stem, the flowers almost sit on the shoot, and during flowering the bush turns into a huge bouquet that attracts a lot of bees. Flowers tolerate frosts down to -3°C.

According to the flowering time of felt cherry, early-flowering, medium-flowering and late-flowering varieties are distinguished. In the area where return frosts are observed, it is not advisable to plant early-flowering varieties in the garden.

The fruits of felt cherry are unusually polymorphic. Morphological features are determined by the individual characteristics of varieties and seedlings: the mass of fruits in seedlings ranges from 0.6 to 1.1 g; in the best, selected forms - from 1.2 to 2 g; in varieties - from 2 to 4.5 g. In dry periods, the fruits become smaller, but do not crumble.

Fruit color ranges from pink to almost black (as a rule, these are hybrids of felt cherries with sand cherries) and very rarely white. The pulp is juicy and tender. In recent years, varieties have been created with dense, cartilaginous pulp, like that of sweet cherries. The taste is pleasant, from sour to sweet. The stone is small, does not separate from the pulp.

The average duration of cherry ripening is 10 days, but the fruits can remain on the branches for a long time.

Felt cherry helps to increase appetite, improves digestion, it is consumed fresh, it makes delicious jam, marmalade, jams, marshmallows, compote, wine, juice.

Fresh fruits contain: sugars - 4.1-9.1%, acids - 0.3-1.3%, dry matter - 8.0-15.2%, ascorbic acid - 11.3-32.6 mg / 100 g. Felt cherries are rich in biologically active polyphenols that strengthen capillaries.

The average yield from one bush is 5.5-14 kg, depending on the variety and weather conditions. With good care in some years, amateur gardeners receive 15-20 kg per bush or more.

Seedlings bear fruit very early, in the fourth year of life; seedlings from green cuttings - on the third; seedlings grafted with lignified cuttings - on the second. For better mutual pollination in the garden, it is necessary to plant several varieties. Having picked up varieties of early, middle and late ripening, you can have fresh fruits for a month or more.

In years with a long warm autumn, the growth of one-year-old shoots is delayed in felt cherries and they do not have time to fully mature; unripened parts die from freezing or winter desiccation, but this does not significantly affect the vegetation and productivity of the bush.

Felt cherry is one of the winter-hardy crops; tolerates temperatures as low as -40°C. In severe winters, the core and cambium of perennial branches freeze slightly. Such branches should be removed.

TIPS FOR GROWING AND CARE

The agrotechnics of growing felt cherries is similar to the agrotechnics of berry crops.

Plants are photophilous. In the shade or with thickened plantings, the branches are strongly extended, fruiting worsens, the fruit ripening period is extended.

Seedlings are planted at a distance of 1.5-2 m from one another. By 8-10 years, the crown of the bushes closes. The best planting time is early spring, before bud break. In autumn, the bushes are not planted, they are dug in. Cherry prefers light, loamy, sandy, well-drained soils. Heavy, clay soils, low relief areas, peat bogs are unsuitable for cultivation. The plant does not tolerate prolonged waterlogging of the soil. The root system is superficial, located in the soil horizon at a depth of up to 30-35 cm.

Felt cherry is characterized by intensive growth, it begins to bear fruit early and quickly ages. When pruning shoots in the year of planting by 1/3-1/4 of the length of the seedling, the main skeleton of the bush is laid already in the second or third year. The early onset of fruiting in the first years causes an active growth of branches, on which a large number of fruit buds are laid annually.

After flowering, fertilizers are applied along the edges of the near-trunk circles; 5-7 kg of organic fertilizers, 70 g of phosphorus, 30 g of nitrogen and 20 g of potash are required for each meter of area. The efficiency of applied fertilizers is higher if the soil is limed once every five years: apply 200-300 g of lime fertilizer per square meter for digging.

In an adult felt cherry bush, no more than 10-12 strong shoots are left. Bushes are prone to excessive thickening, therefore, to create an optimal lighting regime, the center of the crown is thinned out annually. Annual shoots that carry the bulk of the crop are cut off by one third only if their length exceeds 60 cm. When carrying out rejuvenating pruning, the center of the crown and peripheral skeletal shoots are lightened. Several side shoots are removed "on the ring". As a result, annual shoots appear near the place of shortening. All parts of the old crown located above them are removed. The same pruning is used every four to five years to enhance growth, as well as to restore the crown of frozen bushes.

The main method of propagation of varietal felt cherries is green cuttings. Cuttings are used much less often with lignified cuttings and layering. Grafting is also used: with an eye (budding) and a cutting. However, in the European part of Russia, in seedlings grown from green cuttings and layering, it is possible to prop up the root neck to the height of the snow cover. In this case, it is recommended to plant seedlings grafted above the snow cover or into the crown of the plant in the garden. The cuttings are grafted onto the VVA-1 clonal stock or plum and apricot seedlings.

Felt cherry is a culture valued by Russian gardeners from Kaliningrad to Vladivostok. The plant takes root and bears fruit in any climate, except for the arctic and subarctic. The trees regularly bring a bountiful harvest with a compact size, are not capricious, undemanding in care, and tolerate harsh winters well.

Description of felt cherry

Variety history

Felt cherry or Prúnus tomentosa (formerly Cerasus tomentosa) is a plant belonging to the numerous genus Plum (Prúnus). It is closely related to all kinds of plums, peaches, apricots, cherry plums. Fruit formation is also possible with cross-pollination. Interestingly, with closer "relatives", steppe and common cherries, viable hybrids do not work. The culture got its name because of its appearance. Young shoots, the underside of the leaf plate, stalks, berries - everything is covered with small short hairs, similar to pile or felt.

Felt cherry - low compact shrub

The historical homeland of felt cherries is the central regions of China, as well as territories with a similar climate in Korea and Mongolia. But it was from the Celestial Empire that culture began its triumphal procession around the world. Therefore, it is also known to gardeners as Chinese.

Felt cherries reached Russia (then the Russian Empire) relatively late - only towards the end of the 19th century. The novelty was quickly appreciated in the Far East. There is still the first association with the word "cherry" is precisely "felt". Due to the specifics of the climate, other varieties do not take root well, therefore they are practically absent. To the west of the Urals at that time, felt cherry was grown for purely aesthetic reasons, decorating the garden with flowering bushes with elegant leaves.

Soon, the domestic breeder I. V. Michurin became interested in culture, having acquired several plants in Blagoveshchensk in 1912. It was Michurin who first "domesticated" wild seedlings, achieving a significant increase in the mass of the fruit. As a result, he developed the Ando variety. The matter was not limited to one hybrid. In the USSR, the Far Eastern Research Institute of Agriculture regularly pleased gardeners with interesting and successful new products. Most of them are cultivated to this day, remaining an unsurpassed standard.

Felt cherry is a low (maximum 3 m), but sprawling shrub with a spherical or slightly flattened crown. The shoots are thick, the leaves are small, wavy at the edges. Compactness makes the plant, affectionately nicknamed "microcherry" by gardeners, a desirable crop for all happy owners of standard 6 acres, where there is not enough space simply catastrophically.

You can admire flowering for 1.5 - 2 weeks

The berries are small (up to 2.5-3 g), but very dense and sweet. Light sourness, present in some varieties, only adds spice. The color varies from white to maroon, almost black. The stone is small, poorly separated from the pulp.

Advantages and disadvantages (table)

Video: fight against moniliosis

Distinctive features

Felt cherries are sometimes confused with steppe cherries. But the latter can be easily identified by the presence of dense growth at the roots, which is basically absent in felt cherries. Most often, the steppe cherry has the appearance of dense, randomly overgrown thickets.

Steppe cherry at first glance looks like felt, but there are many differences

It is also characterized by increased flexibility of branches and smaller sizes. The tallest steppe cherry bushes do not grow above 1.5 m. Another characteristic feature is the stone, which is pointed at both ends.

The life span of the steppe cherry is longer - on average, about 20 years. On one bush you can find ripe berries of different shades - from bright scarlet to deep burgundy. The fruits of felt cherries are designed in a single color scheme.

Steppe cherry in its natural form can be found infrequently. Due to its rarity, the plant is listed in the Red Book.

The most common varieties

Natalie

Felt cherry Natalie enjoys the well-deserved love of domestic gardeners

Natalie is a common variety of felt cherry. His homeland is the Far Eastern Experimental Station of the All-Union Research Institute of Plant Growing. The variety was obtained in 1979 by pollinating Leto felt cherries with a mixture of pollen from varieties Krasnaya Sladkaya, Ogonyok, Damanka. The tests lasted almost 20 years. The variety Natalie was included in the State Register in 1997.

The plant is quite low (1.7–2 m), but sprawling. The crown is not too dense, but the shoots quickly add in length. The leaves are small - a maximum of 6 cm long, the tip is strongly pointed. The flowers are very large (up to 2.5–3 cm in diameter), pinkish, fully bloomed specimens look like small saucers. The petals are also pubescent on the outside.

The fruits of Natalie are one of the largest among felt cherries. The average weight of a berry reaches 4 g. But in especially successful years, when the cherry is literally hung with fruits, they become noticeably smaller. In appearance, the berries look like wide ovals, tapering downwards. The shade of the skin is dark scarlet, almost the color of blood (from a distance, the berries may appear black). The pulp is bright red, dense, very juicy. The presence of small "cartilage" is characteristic. The bone is very small, beige. Its mass does not exceed 5% of the total weight of the berry. Natalie's taste is sweet and sour. Ripe berries are separated from the stalk quite easily. The total yield from one bush is 8–10 kg.

Cherry blossoms in the second decade of May. The berries ripen in 2 months - closer to the twentieth of July. Natalie is characterized by massive fruiting. The first harvest from grafted seedlings can be expected 2 years after planting in a permanent place, from trees grown from seed - for 4–5 seasons. The average lifespan of a tree is 15–20 years.

Natalie needs pollinators. It is better if there are several bushes. Choose varieties that bloom at the same time as it.

A significant advantage is resistance not only to coccomycosis, but also to clasterosporiosis.

Princess

Because of the short stem, the Tsarevna cherry resembles sea buckthorn from a distance.

Felt cherry Tsarevna in some nurseries is found under the name Tsaritsa, but this is wrong. The variety was bred at the Far Eastern Research Institute of Agriculture in 1977. To obtain it, breeders crossed felt cherries Leto and Red sweet cherries. After testing and zoning, the variety was included in the State Register (1999) with the note "recommended for cultivation in the Northern, North-Western, Far Eastern regions." The extreme popularity of the variety is due to its exceptional cold resistance (up to -40ºС), undemanding care.

The plant is low, maximum 1.5 m, sprawling. The crown is medium density, in the form of a wide oval. Young shoots are reddish in color. Even old branches are quite thin. The flowers are snow-white, collected in inflorescences of several pieces. There are a lot of them, the flowers completely stick around the branch. The leaves are small (up to 5 cm long, on short petioles).

Berries of the Princess on average weigh about 3–3.5 g. At the base, the fruits are slightly sloping. The skin is very thin, crimson-pink in color, covered with almost transparent short hairs. A characteristic strip is clearly visible - a “seam”. In the sun, the berries shine beautifully. The pulp is not too dense, but juicy, sweet, with fibers, there is a slight sourness.

Despite the more than compact size, the Princess bears abundant fruit. About 10 kg of berries can be removed from one bush. They ripen at the same time, usually at the end of July. About 2 months have passed since flowering.

A significant drawback is that after 15 years the tree ceases to exist. The best pollinators for the Princess are other varieties of felt cherries - Natalie, Delight, Skazka.

Like any felt cherry, the Princess categorically does not tolerate excess moisture. Even in a hot sunny summer, it needs to be watered a maximum of 2-3 times per season.

Alice

Felt cherry Alice - a productive crop with large berries

The “birthplace” of felt cherry Alice, like many other varieties, is the Far Eastern Experimental Station of the All-Union Research Institute of Plant Growing. It was there that in 1977 successful results were obtained for the first time from the pollination of the Leto variety with a mixture of pollen from Damanka, Ogonyok and Sandy felt cherry. After 20 years, Alice was entered into the State Register.

The plant is a low (up to 1.5 m) densely overgrown bush. Young shoots on it are light brown in color, old ones turn gray, but retain small specks.

The berries are large (up to 3.5 g), noticeably elongated along the vertical axis. At the stalk, the so-called beak is well distinguished, and on the side there is a wide “seam”. The skin is dark, burgundy, to see the edge, you need to try very hard. The flesh is bright scarlet, as is the juice. The taste is balanced, sweet, with a noticeable sourness. The berries are very dense, juicy. Noticeable fibers in the pulp do not spoil them at all.

Alice blooms at the end of the second decade of May. Fruits in the twentieth of July. Fruiting is massive. In the most successful years, 8–8.5 kg of berries can be removed from one bush. The tree will exist in your garden for 15-18 years.

Summer

Felt cherry berries. Summer is noticeably lighter than that of relatives.

The birthplace of the felt cherry of the Leto variety is the Far Eastern Research Institute of Agriculture. It was obtained as a result of spontaneous pollination of seedlings grown from the seeds of sandy-felt cherry. Leto is one of the oldest varieties, which has become the basis for many more modern breeding hybrids. Experiments with the first plants began in the mid-1950s. In 1997, the variety was zoned for cultivation in Primorye and the Khabarovsk Territory.

The bush has external signs of both felt and sand cherries. It is quite compact, upright, the first few years almost does not increase in growth. Shoots and leaves are strongly pubescent. The leaves are hard to the touch. Branching is expressed moderately or weakly. The flowers are large, pastel pink in color, but there are very few of them. Yes, and flowering compared to felt cherries is "late" by 2-3 days. Most often, it begins in the middle of the third decade of May and ends in 8–10 days. The flowers never fully open, the calyx is like a funnel.

The berries are large (3–3.5 g), rounded. Their characteristic irregular shape is due to the presence of a "bevel" to the base from one side. The seam is clearly visible, including because it differs in color. Be sure to have a sharp hard "beak". The peel is unevenly colored - a bright scarlet color at the base becomes noticeably paler at the stalk. The bone is pointed from above, expanding from below. The pulp is very juicy, sweetish, with sourness. When consumed fresh, it seems a bit bland. The juice is pink.

Felt cherry harvest Summer ripens quite late - by the end of July. You can take your time with harvesting - ripe berries will hang on the tree for about a month without compromising quality. At room temperature, the fruits are stored for 3-4 days. The average yield from one plant is 7–8 kg.

Unlike other felt cherries, the Leto variety is better resistant to moniliosis, but it suffers greatly from the codling moth and is less cold-resistant.

Firework

Felt cherry Salute heavily pubescent

Felt cherry of the Salyut variety is a short plant, the maximum height is 1.6–1.7 m. The crown is rather sprawling, dense, in the shape of a flattened oval. Its diameter almost coincides with the height of the tree.

This cherry blossoms quite nicely, although the loose white petals make the flowers look a little messy.

Flowering later - in the third decade of May. Harvest ripens in 2 months. Fruiting is massive. The first berries can be removed 4-5 years after planting the plant in a permanent place. For felt cherries, this is a rather long period, especially when you consider that the Salyut variety tree lives for about 15 years. But the yield is stable, annual and high - over 10 kg from each bush. Culture needs pollinators.

The berries of the Salyut variety are large - an average of about 3.5 g, crimson-pink (professional artists call this color scarlet), the flesh is bright scarlet, sour. In shape, they resemble a wide oval. The pubescence of the fruits is pronounced, on the shoots and leaves it is also clearly visible.

Morning

Felt cherry Morning rarely suffers from a typical stone fruit clasterosporiasis

Felt cherry variety Morning is a compact shrub with a not too dense crown, quickly adding to growth.

The fruits are quite small - less than 3 g, pubescence is weakly expressed. The berries are round at the stem and sharply pointed at the base. The pulp is permeated with dense fibers, but very juicy, has a balanced sweet and sour taste. The stone is small, rounded, which is generally atypical for felt cherries.

In addition to good winter hardiness, the advantage of the Morning variety lies in its low susceptibility to clasterosporium, codling moths.

Fairy tale

Felt cherry crown A fairy tale is quite rare: it makes maintenance work easier

Variety Skazka is one of the shortest among felt cherries. The height of the plant rarely exceeds 1.2 m. It is relatively new - the first successful hybrids from the pollination of the Leto variety with a mixture of pollen from Pink and Red cherries appeared in 1986. In 1999, the variety was included in the State Register.

The crown of the plant is not too dense, so the task of pruning is facilitated. Young shoots have a pleasant brown color, with age they turn gray and begin to peel off.

Variety Fairy Tale blooms very beautifully. Large (2.6 cm in diameter) flowers with pale pink, almost overlapping petals literally dot the plant.

The berries of Skazka are quite large - 3.2–3.5 g, elongated vertically, of the correct spherical shape. The "funnel" in which the stalk is attached is very deep. The skin is dark scarlet, almost black, the hairs on it are transparent, short. The pulp is fibrous, but very dense and juicy, blood-red in color (like the juice).

Felt cherry Skazka blooms at the beginning of the last decade of May. Fruiting can be expected by the twentieth of July. The plant will survive on the garden plot for no more than 18 years. The variety needs pollinators. The average yield from one bush is about 10 kg. An additional advantage is the high resistance to clasterosporiasis. As a disadvantage, a decrease in the size of the berries is noted when the harvest is too plentiful.

Delight

The felt cherry Rapture has slightly wrinkled leaves.

Felt cherry of the Vostorg variety is an achievement of the breeders of the Far Eastern Experimental Station of the All-Union Research Institute of Plant Growing. The hybrid was obtained in 1977 as a result of pollination of the Ogonyok variety with a mixture of pollen from felt cherries Krasnaya Sladkaya, Leto and Damanka. After testing, the variety entered the State Register in 1999. It is mainly grown in central Russia.

The bush, compared with other felt cherries, has an average height (about 1.5 m), the crown is sprawling, dense. The leaves are slightly wrinkled. The flowers are rather small (1.8–2 cm in diameter), but there are many of them.

The average weight of one berry is 3.3 g. The specific form is characterized by the presence of a deep funnel at the point of attachment of the stalk, a small bevel at the top, and a pronounced seam-strip. The peel, like the pulp, and the juice, is bright scarlet, the first shines glossy in the sun. The pulp is dense, juicy, it does not spoil even the presence of fibers. The taste is very pleasant, refreshing, sweet and sour.

Flowering begins at the very end of the first decade of May. The berries ripen towards the end of July. The average yield from each bush is a little more than 9 kg. With proper care and regular anti-aging pruning, the plant can live up to 20 years. Culture needs pollinators.

Ocean virovskaya

The branches of the Ocean Virovskaya are literally strewn with fruits

Felt cherry Okeanskaya Virovskaya is the result of pollination of the Red sweet cherry variety with a mixture of pollen from Summer, Ogonyok and Damanka, carried out in 1987 at the Far Eastern Experimental Station of the All-Union Research Institute of Plant Growing. The variety got into the state register very quickly - less than 10 years have passed.

The culture is quite tall. The average plant height is 1.8 m, in warm southern regions it increases by almost a meter. The flower is very large (2.8 cm in diameter), fully opening, it resembles a saucer. It has only 24 stamens, which is unusual for felt cherries - almost all have one more.

The berries are not too large (2.7-3 g), but beautiful. They are distinguished by a bright burgundy color of the skin, the almost complete absence of a seam, a not too deep funnel at the stalk and a slight bevel to the base. The stalk is very short - 0.2–0.3 cm. The flesh is bright scarlet, with noticeable fibers, but dense and juicy. The taste is harmonious, sweet, with piquant sourness. The fruits of Okeanskaya Virovskaya have practically no characteristic cherry aroma.

Flowering begins in mid-May, the culture bears fruit in the last decade of July. From one bush you will remove 8.5–9 kg of berries. The average life span of a plant is 15–17 years. The variety needs pollinators.

Damanka

Damanka because of the color is very similar to small cherries

Felt cherry Damanka ripens later than all relatives - only in the first ten days of August. Such terms are connected with the fact that one of its "parents" is a sand cherry. The variety is relatively new, but has already managed to win the love of domestic gardeners. This is due to the outstanding taste of the fruit and high yield. Compared to other felt cherries, Damanka suffers significantly less from moniliosis. Now, for some reason, culture has been excluded from the State Register, but this does not affect people's love in any way.

About 10 kg of large, almost black (actually maroon) berries with dense juicy pulp, practically without fibers, can be removed from one bush.

The only drawback is that the plant is self-fertile. Plant 2-3 pollinating varieties side by side.

Children's

Felt Cherry for Children is really loved by children because of the sweet taste

Felt cherry for children is the result of the creativity of breeders of the Far Eastern Experimental Station of the All-Union Research Institute of Plant Growing. Her "parent" is Leto. There was a free cross-pollination with seedlings of Pink and Selected cherries. The first hybrids with stable varietal characteristics appeared in 1986. 13 years have passed before being included in the State Register. Zoned for cultivation in Primorye, Khabarovsk Territory.

The bush is quite high (1.8–2 m), the crown is oval, flattened, not too dense. The flowers are quite large, about 2.5 cm in diameter, the petals are loosely arranged.

The berries are large, on average 3.5 g. Under especially favorable weather conditions, the berries can reach a weight of 4 g. The fruits are round, slightly compressed from the sides, the “beak” is clearly visible at the stalk, there is a side seam. The skin is bright scarlet, pubescent. Juice and pulp of the same color. The pulp is very dense, sweet-sour, with noticeable fibers. On average, 10 kg of berries are removed from one bush.

Flowering begins in mid-May or a little later. Mass fruiting - in the second decade of July. Compared to other felt cherries, Nursery is quite durable - the life of a tree will be about 18 years. Culture needs pollinators.

Darkie

Felt cherry Smuglyanka brings more and more fruits every year

Felt cherry Smuglyanka, she is Smuglyanka eastern, appeared in 1978. Breeders crossed varieties Leto and Peschanovoylochnaya. The variety entered the State Register in 1999.

The bush is very low (not higher than 1.2 m), but with a dense spreading crown and large flowers. Unlike most varieties of felt cherries, they are located on rather long (0.7–0.8 cm) pedicels. Young shoots have a noticeable reddish or brick tint, the leaves are slightly concave due to a powerful central vein. There are 24 stamens in a flower - one less than most felt cherries. Almost exclusively last year's shoots bear fruit.

The berries are medium-sized, about 2.5 g, rounded, with a noticeable beak. As it matures, the skin color changes from bright scarlet to burgundy. From a distance, the fruits may appear black. Characterized by the presence of a side seam and a deep funnel at the stem. The pulp is very tender, fragrant, almost without fibers.

Flowering occurs in the second decade of May. Harvest - in mid-July. At first, the yield is low (4–5 kg), but every year it increases. The average life span of a tree is 16–18 years. Culture is self-fertile.

Anniversary

Felt cherry Yubileinaya quickly won the recognition of specialists

Felt cherry Anniversary - a relative novelty. It was obtained in 1997 by pollinating Damanka with a mixture of pollen from Summer, Red sweet, Light. The success was obvious - after 2 years the culture was included in the State Register.

Bush of medium height (1.6–1.9 m), with an oval crown, not too dense. Shoots quickly add in growth. The youngest have a noticeable reddish hue. The leaves are concave in the middle. The flowers are small, each with 26 stamens - one more than the vast majority of felt cherries.

One berry weighs an average of 3.5 g, has a rounded shape at the base, closer to the stem is slightly sloping from the sides. The funnel is deep, the lateral seam is well distinguished, the presence of a “beak” is characteristic. The peel is a bright burgundy color with a glossy shine. The pulp, like the juice, is bright scarlet, very juicy, with noticeable fibers. The taste is refreshing, sweet and sour.

Anniversary blooms quite late - in the last decade of May. Mass fruiting begins in mid-July. The average yield is 8–9 kg from each bush. With proper care, you can count on the fact that the tree will live 17-20 years. The variety requires pollinators.

White

Felt Cherry White - one of a kind albino

The felt cherry of the Belaya variety during the fruiting period is easily and unmistakably recognized by any person who does not have even minimal knowledge in selection. It fully corresponds to the name - it is a one-of-a-kind albino hybrid.

Everything is white in this cherry - the skin, the pulp, and even the stone. The bush itself is small, compact, the berries are small (up to 2.5 g), sweet and sour. The variety does not have any outstanding advantages, it is more interesting as an exotic, grown to the envy of its neighbors. Suitable for growing in many areas, including the Moscow region.

Gorgeous

Felt cherry Beauty fully justifies the name

The “parent” of the felt cherry Beauty is the Leto variety. In 1985, at the Far Eastern Experimental Station of the All-Union Research Institute of Plant Growing, it was pollinated with a mixture of pollen from Pink and Red cherries. The variety received recognition in 1999, hitting the State Register.

The average bush has a height of 1.5–1.8 m, the crown is wide, rounded, rather dense. The flowers are not too large, with 26 stamens and loose petals. It seems that the slightest breath of wind is enough for them to separate from the pedicel.

The berries are large, each weighs about 3-3.5 g, sweet, with a slight sourness. They are rounded in shape, slightly flattened laterally. The seam is only visible as a narrow strip. The color of the skin is crimson, the pulp and juice are bright scarlet. The pulp is juicy, dense, with noticeable fibers. The stone, unlike most varieties of felt cherries, is rounded.

Flowering begins in the last decade of July, fruiting - after 2 months. Productivity is high - more than 10 kg per bush. The tree will live on the garden plot for 15–18 years. Culture needs pollinators.

Features of agricultural technology

Basically, the rules for growing felt cherries are no different from the agricultural practices characteristic of common cherries. But there are some nuances.

Landing

• For planting, choose only a dry place well warmed by the sun, preferably a small hill or hillside. Felt cherry categorically does not tolerate shade and heavy silty, clayey, peaty soil. Failure to comply with these conditions adversely affects the quantity and quality of berries, the growth and development of the plant, its winter hardiness.
• It is advisable to immediately plan the planting of three or more seedlings, even if the selected variety is declared as self-fertile. The minimum distance between shrubs is 1.5–2 m.
• If possible, remove plantings as far as possible from ordinary cherries. Crops suffer from the same diseases and pests, mass infection and loss of the entire crop are not ruled out.
• The best time to plant felt cherries is early spring, before the leaves appear. In warm southern regions, the procedure can be postponed to the beginning of September, but not later.
• They dig a shallow hole - they take out a cube of soil with an edge of about 0.5 m. Good top dressing is required - rotted manure or humus (2.5–3 l), dolomite flour or sifted wood ash (700 g or half as much) simple superphosphate (50 g), potassium sulfate (25 g). Everything is thoroughly mixed beforehand.
• Immediately before planting, cut the roots to a length of 15–20 cm so that the lateral ones develop better. When purchasing a seedling, ask the nursery how deep it was planted there, and try to withstand the parameters in the garden.
• A lot of water is poured into the landing pit. It should be enough to get a thick porridge at the bottom from the soil and fertilizers mixed with it. It is in this "talker" that the roots are placed.
• Having planted a felt cherry, be sure to mulch the near-stem circle with dry peat. So you can reduce watering and, if necessary, adjust soil moisture.

The place for felt cherries must be sunny and dry

top dressing

Felt cherry is demanding on the presence of nutrients in the soil. Therefore, in the near-stem circle, when the plant fades, 5 liters of organic matter, 30 g of urea or ammonium sulfate, 70 g of simple superphosphate, 20 g of potassium nitrate are annually added. Every 3–5 years, the soil acidity index is brought to neutral by adding dolomite flour or wood ash.

Simultaneously with the application of fertilizers, the soil is loosened, but very shallow (maximum 4–5 cm). Felt cherry roots are very close to the surface.

When it becomes necessary to apply additional fertilizers or pest control chemicals, they are carefully tested on individual side branches 10–12 days before the intended treatment, empirically determining the required concentration. The dose recommended by the manufacturer for ordinary fruit and stone fruit trees can severely burn the leaves of felted cherries.

pruning

For regular abundant fruiting, felted cherries need annual formative pruning. When carrying out it, it should be remembered that the fruits ripen mainly on annual shoots. About a quarter is cut off from them if their length exceeds 0.6 m.

Felt cherry fruits clearly demonstrate the origin of the name

A seedling planted in spring is cut off a year later to a height of 40 cm. A year later, a third of the length of all side shoots is removed.

After waiting for the first fruiting, 8–12 of the most developed and strong skeletal shoots are left in the center of the crown. The lateral ones are cut to the point of growth, provoking the appearance of a new growth. All small branches growing deep and down are also removed.

Of course, you need to get rid of all dried and broken branches affected by pests and diseases of the shoots. In the latter case, cut off an additional 7–10 cm that seem healthy to you. There, most likely, there are pathogenic bacteria, fungal spores, insect larvae.

Without regular pruning, felt cherries quickly run wild and cease to bear fruit.

Watering

Watering is needed very moderate and rare. In rainy cloudy weather, it is generally excluded. Excess moisture for felt cherries is fatal in the truest sense of the word. Much better than high humidity, the plant tolerates prolonged drought. By the way, studies by biologists indicate that felted cherries can also grow on saline soils.

The felt cherry harvest is a spectacle that will reward the gardener for all the efforts made to grow it.

Video: the nuances of growing and caring for felt cherries in temperate climates

Felt cherry is a unique variety that belongs to the plum variety. This culture not only has excellent taste qualities, the cherry of this variety is used for crossing with apricot, peach and even cherry plum. Such a culture is valued by many gardeners for its precocity, high yield and resistance to frost. Moreover, even a novice gardener can grow felt cherries without experience, subject to a few simple rules.

It is about how the care of felt cherries should be, so that it will please for many years with a good harvest. How to properly pollinate in order to remove large fruits, and useful tips from experienced gardeners will be described below.

What is a felt cherry variety

What conditions are necessary for growing felt cherries

How to plant a felt cherry

What should be the care

What is a felt cherry variety

Felt cherry got its name because of the presence of small villi on its foliage and fruits. Cherry trees of this variety grow up to three meters in height. And such a culture is valued thanks to very useful berries, which contain the following elements:

• acids of organic origin;
• a large amount of healthy carbohydrates;
• groups of vitamins such as B, PP, C.

One of the indisputable advantages of this variety is that this berry blooms and ripens almost two weeks earlier from similar crops. At the same time, its berries do not crumble to the ground, unlike ordinary cherries.

As for the cultivation of this culture, in most cases they resort to two methods, namely:

• rooting of sprouts by cuttings;
• breeding by air layering.

Such breeding methods are resorted to when it is necessary to plant peach seeds, apricots or cherry plums on cherries. These fruits are grafted with an eye or with a cutting. Moreover, in such a matter as what to plant on felt cherries, according to experienced gardeners, it is good to perform manipulations on cherries and plums.

It is worth noting that there is another method of breeding felt cherries - this is getting seedlings from the stone. This method is used when it is necessary to obtain new felt cherry bushes.

Separately, it is worth highlighting that this cherry variety is also used as a slope reinforcement, as well as to create beautiful hedges.

The only drawback of this variety is that this bush is not durable. But if you properly care for felt cherries, then it will please with its beauty and generous fruiting for about 12 years.

In general, we can conclude that such a cherry variety is very similar to ordinary cherries. And its only difference is that other fruit fruits can be grafted onto this crop. Since felt cherries are ideal for these purposes.

What conditions are necessary for growing felt cherries

In order for the cultivation of felt cherries to bear fruit in the form of a generous harvest, it is necessary to choose the right area in the front garden for planting and neighbors who will have full compatibility with this crop.

So, if you want to shoot a rich harvest of large berries, give preference only to well-lit places. Otherwise, the berries will gradually begin to shrink, deform and ripen much later. When choosing a place for felt cherries, try to have neighboring trees such as plum, cherry plum or felt cherries. It is with these fruit trees that the best compatibility.

As for shrubs such as gooseberries, currants, raspberries and yoshta, their neighborhood should be avoided.

Since it is with these cultures that the compatibility is the least. And if they grow in close proximity, you can forget about the harvest.

In general, in order for the bushes to be well pollinated, the best option would be to plant several felt cherry bushes at once. In this case, full compatibility and a generous harvest will be ensured.

Another important point for felt cherries is the right choice of soil in which this culture will grow, and what type of minerals it will nourish. It is worth noting that this cherry variety is not particularly whimsical to care for. But in order for it to please with a good harvest, it is worth choosing the right area for planting it.

The most suitable soil is fertile soil with good drainage. If you choose a lowland for planting cherries, then the root system will quickly begin to rot, and as a result, the plant will die. In the case when the soil is highly acidic, it can be easily neutralized with the help of slaked lime, which is applied every two months.

As for pollination, in this case it is necessary to plant felt cherries in several varieties or sprouts in one zone in the neighborhood. The fact is that such a crop is pollinated only when it grows with other plants of its variety, which act as pollinators among themselves.

How to plant a felt cherry

If you buy felt cherries in the spring in nurseries, then planting is carried out until the moment when the buds begin to bloom. It is worth noting that this crop can be planted in the fall no later than September. In the event that cherry bushes were purchased later, the most correct way would be to dig them in until spring.

This crop is planted as follows:

1. A landing zone is determined and holes 40 cm deep and 50 cm wide are pulled out on it.
2. Then, potash and phosphorus top dressing, as well as a little slaked lime, are introduced into each dug hole. All fertilizer components are thoroughly mixed.
3. Next, the processing of the sprout is performed. It must be cut to 20 cm, and then all sections should be thoroughly greased with crushed activated carbon.
4. The next stage: a detailed examination of the root system, and if dry roots have been identified, they are carefully excised, then the roots are evenly spread throughout the hole and buried in such a way that the neck is not lower than 3 cm from the ground level.

After such agrotechnics of planting is completed, it is necessary to water the cherry well, and then mulch it with peat or rotted manure.

If you are planting several seedlings of felt cherries, then you must observe the distance between each bush in a meter. Thus, absolutely all felt cherry trees will be comfortable in the garden, while they will be able to pollinate, as a result, high yields will be ensured.

What should be the care

How to care for this crop so that it pleases with a good harvest. First of all, it is very important to monitor the soil in which cherries grow, for this you need to follow a few simple rules, namely:

• getting rid of weeds, which strongly pull all useful elements from the soil;
• regular loosening of the soil after watering to ensure normal air circulation;
• regular soil moisture;
• regular feeding;
• cherry pruning.

The soil around the cherry is regularly weeded as soon as weeds are noticed. Loosening is carried out immediately after weeding throughout the summer period. To do this, you must first remove the mulch, water it abundantly, loosen the soil, and then mulch each tree again.

At the same time, make sure that there is no swamp under the cherry. The most favorable option would be to moisturize it no more than once a month. Otherwise, you may find that the culture is gone due to root rot.

Spraying with top dressing is performed several times per season, according to the following schedule:

• the first dressing is carried out before flowering;
• the second spraying with fertilizers is carried out during the fruiting period;
• the next processing is carried out after the harvest is harvested;
• the last fertilization is carried out by the end of October: the last top dressing will increase the number of flowering branches next year, as a result, the harvest will be richer.

For fertilizing cherry bushes, organic matter is chosen. At the same time, every year the shrub is necessarily limed.

For beginner gardeners, it will be useful to know about pruning this plant. This procedure is a great way to protect the shrub not only from such a negative factor as drying out, but also to get a good harvest next year. Pruning is carried out before bud break in the spring.

Such manipulation includes the removal of all old branches that have ceased to bloom and bear fruit. As well as all the other frozen and defective branches. It is worth noting that the older the tree gets, the more it is pruned every year. This procedure is necessary in order to get rid of old branches, replacing them with new branches, which delight with lush flowers.

Such a procedure as pruning is performed not only in spring, but also in autumn in a similar way. The only difference between autumn pruning is also the removal of all fallen leaves from the front garden, which are taken out of the territory and burned.

It is worth emphasizing that most gardeners still recommend giving preference to pruning in the spring and always every year.

So, it is necessary to perform in order for the cherry front garden to bloom well, while diseased branches do not pull useful elements from the bushes, which, after pruning, are redirected to healthy branches.

Felt cherry cultivation and care is quite simple, if you follow a few of the above rules. And most importantly, that such a culture is able to please a good harvest every year.

1. Moniliosis is able to penetrate deep into the sprouts and infect them. Appears during the period when flowering begins. If this defect hit the felt cherry, then by the beginning of June the branches and foliage begin to dry out. In the event that the moment of defeat of the shrub was missed, the novice gardener will have such a question in the future, how the felt cherry does not bear fruit and what to do. You can defeat this disease with timely treatment with fungicides.
2. The second defect, which is also common, is coccomycosis. When affected by this disease, the leaves of the felt cherry begin to fall off early, the immunity of the tree decreases, while the affected bushes are no longer pollinated. In order to defeat such a disease, it is necessary to spray with a Bordeaux solution.

Of the pests that infect felt cherries, the most dangerous are aphids, leafworms and plum codling moths.

In order to protect the cherry front garden, the following rules must be observed:

Above, we examined everything about such a culture as felt cherry care. It is worth noting that sometimes a novice gardener has a question: why does a cherry, which looks absolutely healthy, not bear fruit. In this situation, experienced gardeners notice that such a problem may appear if the shrub was planted incorrectly.

The fact is that compatibility plays a big role in planting this culture. Therefore, if the cherry does not bear fruit, then it is urgent to plant a new seedling in front of such a shrub, which will further ensure the compatibility of the culture and a generous harvest.

Maybe you already have felt cherries growing and caring for which will not be difficult even for a novice gardener. And most probably have at least heard this name more than once - “felt cherry”, and perhaps even tried its sweet berries. This fruit shrub is characterized by a rather high yield, unpretentiousness, resistance to drought, cold. It grows well, bears fruit even in the Urals or Siberia.

Many summer residents, gardeners from different parts of our country appreciate, love this shrub for its economic, biological, taste qualities. This is a distant relative of the wild cherry, which is widely distributed in China, so its other name "Chinese cherry" is quite reasonable, it is practically a synonym. This shrub came to us around the end of the 19th century, but then it was used only as a landscaping crop. Over time, through the efforts of breeders, different varieties were bred, they began to grow it not only for beauty, but also for fruit production. Today it is widely distributed in European countries, Japan, Korea, as well as in America, Canada.

Felt cherry - description and photo

Felt cherry, photo:

Felt cherry blossoms, photo:

The appearance of leaves, berries, shoots, pedicels directly justifies its name - they are all covered with a delicate fluff.

She has short stalks, and the flowers first have a pink tint, which then turns white.

The berries are most often red, but some varieties have pink, white, even black fruits. They are not sour at all, their sweetness is to everyone's liking. It is because of the delicate sweet taste that it is sometimes called baby cherry. Berries quickly reach maturity (less than 2 weeks). The core of the fruit is predominantly tender, soft, but some varieties can be quite dense (such as cherries).

Jams, marmalades, jams are cooked from it, although it is rather difficult to separate a small bone from the pulp. Compotes, juices, even homemade alcoholic drinks from this berry are simply excellent. In addition to a pleasant taste, the fruit contains organic acids, vitamins (especially C, B), carbohydrates. It is noteworthy that in terms of iron content, these berries are far ahead of apples! As mentioned above, in addition to growing for the sake of the harvest, you can safely use these low shrubs to create hedges, strengthen slopes. It turns out, no matter how you look at it - in all respects it is a useful, very nice culture.

Felt cherries are good for everyone: they have an attractive appearance, compact dimensions (which is important for small areas), but it has one small "flaw". We are talking about a short lifespan - about 10 years. If you surround her with care, competent care (in particular, rejuvenating crown pruning), then you may be able to extend her life cycle to 18-20 years. As for size, an adult shrub usually grows up to 2-2.5 meters, but never exceeds 3. This feature optimizes the harvesting process, solves the problem of plots with a small area. Formative pruning is much more convenient with such a relatively small size of the tree.

Felt cherry - how it grows and where, growing conditions

She prefers light, fertile sandy loam or loam, it is best that non-acidic, well-drained soil prevail at the growing site. It will not grow on peat bogs or waterlogged soil. Excessive moisture adversely affects growth, the ability to give color, fruit, resistance to cold. It also needs to be placed in exceptionally sunny places, as it really does not like shade or even partial shade. Returning to the pH of the soil, it should be mentioned: if you have it sour, then it should be preliminarily limed (in spring or autumn).

Felt cherry, bushes with fruits, photo:

An important point - to get a generous harvest, you need to plant at least 3 bushes of different varieties close to each other. This is necessary for better cross-pollination! Self-fertile varieties are "Summer", "Fairy Tale", "Delight", "Triana", "Anniversary", "Spark", "Eastern Smuglyanka", "Princess", "Beauty", "Children's", "Dream", "Eastern". Of the self-fertile varieties, the most famous are Autumn Virovskaya, Natalie, Ocean Virovskaya, Alice.

Usually the berries ripen by the very middle of summer, and in the southern regions - by mid-June. Despite significant genetic differences with ordinary cherries, the close proximity of these two representatives, namely their simultaneous flowering, has an extremely positive effect on the taste and size of Chinese cherries.

Flower buds and green felt cherry berries, photo:

This crop tolerates temperature drops quite well, sometimes down to -27°C ..-30°C, however, it reacts very negatively to spring (or winter) thaws. It will be better if at the very beginning of spring you rake more snow under the bushes, trample it more tightly, and lay sawdust on top. So you protect the shrub from temperature changes.

Pros of growing felt cherries:

1. It can be eaten already when the rest of the fruit representatives are just forming ovaries.
2. Due to the low acid content, the berries are endowed with excellent taste, which allows them to be consumed by anyone (raw, in the form of jam or juice, as a raw material for sauces, marinades or pickles).
3. Good adaptability of culture to the conditions of the region where it grows. Drought and frost resistance is also a plus.
4. The seedling begins to bear fruit already in the second year of life in open ground (most varieties). The berries ripen quite early, stay on the branches for a long time.
5. It has a high yield, with normal care, the fruits literally stick around the branches.
6. Lack of root growth - in this culture, it does not appear at all.
7. An excellent element of landscape design (hedges, border decoration, the main detail in mixed plantings).

This is an unpretentious culture, its cultivation will not require subtle agrotechnical knowledge from you, even a beginner will be able to successfully plant a shrub and take care of it. Well, finally, felt cherry is very beautiful like a flowering tree or with branches covered with fruits. As a deciduous shrub, it is also good.

Felt cherry - planting and care

The most acceptable time for planting seedlings is autumn or early spring, when the buds have not yet blossomed. If you plant bushes in the fall, then no later than September. For these purposes, they usually take seedlings that are already a year or two old.

A little higher it was already said that the landing site should be sunny. It should also be protected as much as possible from strong winds and drafts. Make sure that in the place intended for planting there is no stagnant water, the presence of closely lying groundwater. This factor should also be taken into account during the snowmelt in the spring. That is why a small hill is the most acceptable option for planting this crop.

Felt cherry has a root system that is very sensitive to excessive moisture. Therefore, this moment is one of the most important when planting, even on a hill, it should not be too deep, so as not to block the root neck. It (the root neck) should be located above the soil level, because its deepening will subsequently lead to the death of the shrub. The requirements for the soil were also mentioned above, but if the nuance with the soil is of secondary importance, then the absence of excessive moisture, the location of the root collar during planting, is one of the prerequisites.

Landing conditions:

1. The width of the hole should be at least 60-70 cm, and the depth - no more than 50 cm. If you want to do everything according to the rules, then thoroughly mix rotted manure (3 buckets), phosphorus (50 g), lime (500-700 g), potassium (25-30 g) - the amount of additives is calculated for approximately 1 square meter of land. Fill the planting hole with this soil mixture.
2. The roots of the seedling should be carefully cut - about 20 cm, dip into a pre-prepared clay solution (clay + water).
3. We place the seedling in a hole (do not forget about the root neck) and fill it with the same earth mixture, slightly compact it, and generously pour it with water. In general, it is recommended to deepen the bush no more than how it grew before in the nursery - this is if you take planting material from there.
4. The area around the bush can be mulched, for example, with peat.

As mentioned above, for a positive result, you need to plant at least three cherries in one area. Make sure that they do not grow too close to each other, but not too far (optimally - 2-3 meters). Of course, it is very convenient to use already grown seedlings. But you should also know that this culture is propagated by layering, cuttings, even by sowing seeds. With proper care in a good place, from one shrub you can expect from 7 to 10 kg of delicious sweet fruits.

As for the autumn planting - if September has already passed, and you just got a seedling, then planting can be done next spring. Seedlings should be placed in a suitable container, sprinkled with earth, taken to the basement. There they will safely overwinter, and in the spring you will plant them, just first carry out a thorough revision of the roots, remove damaged or dried fragments. Further "duty" care consists in loosening the earth, watering, removing weeds.

As for top dressing, shrubs can be fertilized immediately after flowering by adding nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, organic additives to the soil of the near-stem circle (at the rate of 40 g: 80 g: 30 g: 7 kg). Liming of the soil is carried out once every five to six years.

Felt cherry - reproduction

If you are interested in the whole process "from scratch", then you can try the method of reproduction by planting seeds. Collect seeds from ripe fruits, wash and dry them. Around the end of summer, take a container with wet vermiculite or clean river sand (also wet), put the bones in there, leave them like that until October. At the appointed time, form shallow beds (3-4 cm), lay the seed. With the advent of spring in this place you will see young shoots, which in the same year will already reach about 50 cm in height. From young seedlings, you will choose the best representatives, plant them less often (at a distance of 1.5-3 m from each other), already as it should be for shrubs. This method does not guarantee 100% preservation of the original varietal characteristics, however, it opens up wide horizons for breeding experiments.

Propagation by cuttings - this option will require special conditions, more time, unlike all other methods. Plus, in this way you can get varietal representatives of a single species. This undertaking is carried out in July. The cutting is taken from a branch of the second or third order, it must be at least 15 cm long, and for these purposes, last year's wood must be preserved on the branches themselves. On an already separated cutting, there should be at least 2 cm of this very wood. Next, the cutting is kept in water for about 15-18 hours with the addition of a growth regulator (for example, "Heteroauxin"), and then vertically buried in the ground according to the "scheme" - 2 cm with bark and 1 cm of the green part of the cutting! After planting, the bed should be covered with a film (create a "greenhouse"), regularly irrigate the seedlings, protect from bright sunlight for the first 4 weeks. After a couple of weeks, the cuttings will have adventitious roots, and after 4 weeks - difficult to root.

Reproduction by layering will not be difficult. In early spring, a good one-year-old shoot should be looked after in an adult bush. Near the shoot, you need to make a groove, up to 8 cm deep, lay the shoot, pin it to the ground with a wire bracket. Further, the shoot is covered with fertile soil, generously watered all summer. With the advent of autumn, fibrous roots and new shoots will already be formed on such a layer. It is divided into parts or left without division, as a result we get a new planting material.

Pruning felt cherries in spring

Pruning of felt cherries is carried out in early spring - this is the best time for this procedure. It is important that the buds have not yet had time to bloom, sap flow has not begun, then all the forces of the plant will be concentrated on flowering, fruit set.

The shrub undergoes formative pruning from the first year of life. Side branches that grow inside the crown, as well as dried, damaged or frozen during the winter, are subject to removal. Old branches that no longer bear fruit should also be removed. Multiple branches, which, taking into account the set fruits, will burden the tree too much, should also be removed.

On average, you should have about 12 strong, healthy, productive shoots left. Taking into account the fact that the entire crop is “concentrated” on those branches that are one year old, radical pruning is carried out in old shrubs (9-10 years old). This method allows you to completely replace the old skeletal branches with new young ones.

Pruning can also be carried out in the fall, only in this case it is necessary to take into account the new growth of branches. If the weather is warm, then the shoots continue to grow actively, and then freeze out with the onset of frost. Those branches that are 1 year old and have reached 70 cm in length should be shortened by about one third. With the advent of autumn, the so-called sanitary procedures are more relevant - cleaning the foliage, removing branches affected by pests (if there is such a thing). Everything remote is subject to burning, and wounded places are smeared with garden pitch.

Pruning in the spring is also a thinning of the crown, lightening its center, for better penetration of air currents, the rays of the sun.

Varieties of felt cherries

In general, all varieties of this crop can be divided into three subgroups according to the ripening time: early, medium, late. Berries of cherries of different varieties may have different colors. Of course, it is unrealistic to describe all varieties, but I would like to mention the most popular, often planted ones.

• Natalie is a fairly common variety, loved by our gardeners. The bush is low (1.5-2 m), with a lush spreading crown, blooms with large flowers (in the second half of May), gives the same large dark red berries (average 4 g). From one bush, you can remove 8-9 kg of fruits with dense pulp. If you try to pick a berry from a branch, it is relatively easy to separate from the stem. Harvest time is around the twentieth of July.
• A fairy tale is probably one of the lowest bushes, since its maximum height is 1-1.3 meters. The shrub has a not too thickened crown, which greatly facilitates the process of pruning and fruit picking. It blooms by the end of May, you can pick berries at the end of July. The fruits themselves are not small, about 3.5 g, slightly elongated, very dark in color. It is a little more difficult to remove a berry from a branch than, for example, the Natalie variety, due to the deep-seated stalk. From an adult bush you can get about 10 kg of fruit.
• Salute - a shrub boasts an oval spreading crown, which is approximately comparable in width to its height (1.5 - 1.7 m). It blooms by the end of May, yields a crop after 2 months. Oval berries are not located close to each other, medium-large in weight (3-3.5 g), bright pink, closer to scarlet. The berries themselves, foliage, shoots of the bush are distinguished by increased pubescence. The yield is high - about 10 kg of fruit can be harvested from an adult bush.
• Delight is a variety that is optimally suited for growing in central Russia. The shrub most often grows up to 1.5 m in height, has a dense, spreading crown. The flowers are quite close to each other. Each fruit weighs approximately 3.3 g, has a bright scarlet color, a funny shape - a deep bed for the stalk, a slightly sloping top, a pronounced stripe-seam. The pulp of the berries is dense, slightly fibrous. The shrub blooms in mid-May, the harvest can be harvested by the end of July. From the bush you can remove 8-9 kg of fruit.
• Ocean virovskaya is a shrub 1.8-2 meters high, the branches of which are literally plastered with bright burgundy fruits (2.5-3 g). This variety has a very short stem (about 0.2 cm), flowers bloom in the second half of May, the fruits ripen by the end of July. One adult bush can give 8-9 kg of berries, which are quite sweet, pleasant in taste, but practically do not have the usual cherry flavor.
• Alice is a low shrub, about 1.5 m in height with an oval crown. This variety has good resistance to cold as well as drought. Diseases such as coccomycosis, clasterosporiasis do not touch him. The berries (weighing approximately 3.5 g) are maroon in color and ripen by the end of July. From one bush you can collect 8-9 kg of sweet juicy berries. The stalk (0.7 cm) allows you to more or less comfortably remove the fruits from the branches.
• Summer - this variety has morphological features of felt and sand cherries. For the first couple of years, the bush grows inactively, has a high resistance to pocket disease, and is winter-hardy. Berries (weight 3-4 g) are light red in color, have an average resistance to transportation. It ripens by the 20th of July, after which the fruits can stay on the branches for quite a long time (about a month). From the bush you can collect 7-8 kg of fruit.
• Damanka - a shrub of this variety can reach 2 m in height, the crown is sprawling, rounded. The weight of the berry is approximately 2.5-3 g. The variety is characterized by late ripening (late July / early August), the fruits have a rich maroon (almost black) color. The berries themselves are very sweet, in terms of taste they are considered one of the best among the other varieties of felt cherries. One adult bush gives about 8-10 kg of fruit. Winter hardy look.
• Children's - a relatively low variety - 1.5-1.8 m in height, the crown is medium thickened. Berries on short stalks are very densely located to each other (like sea buckthorn). Fruit weight is 2-4 g, juicy, sweet with slight sourness. Very winter-hardy species, can withstand frosts down to -25..-27ºС. It gives color by the beginning of May, and in July it is already possible to harvest. Up to 10 kg of fruits can be removed from one adult bush.

If you set a goal, correctly calculate the timing of flowering, fruiting of individual varieties, then you can plant different varieties. The difference between the ripening periods is approximately 20-30 days, so if you like this berry, you can provide yourself with fresh servings of fruits for quite a long time. Plus, almost all fruits after ripening stay on the branches for a long time.

Felt cherry - diseases and pests

Sometimes it happens that the appearance of a shrub indicates problems: the foliage wilts, the foliage curls, the newly set fruits fall or wrinkle. Alas, this culture is also prone to disease, like all the green inhabitants of our plots.

Very often felt cherry diseases have similar symptoms. It is important to establish the correct diagnosis, as soon as possible to apply the appropriate treatment. The country “first aid kit” of each of us includes Bordeaux mixture, garden pitch, slaked lime, blue vitriol. Also mandatory is the presence of fungicides, insecticides, because these drugs, compounds are most often used to treat plants, trees, shrubs.

Consider the most common diseases.

Moniliosis or monilial burn

It is manifested by the appearance of small cracks on the bark of a shrub, from which gum is released. The foliage wilts, turns yellow, the branches gradually dry out, from the outside it really looks as if the shrub was burned by a strong heat. The fungus Monilia is responsible for this process, it spreads very quickly throughout the plant, affecting healthy shoots. If measures are not taken in time, the felt cherry will die. First you need to remove all affected fragments (and burn).

But it is better not to wait until the first signs of the disease appear. The best control measures are prevention. For prevention, just before the beginning of flowering, the entire shrub is treated with one of the means - Horus, Fundazol, Topaz, Topsin. They are diluted with water (10-15 g + 10 l of water), if it rains, then the irrigation procedure should be repeated after the end of the flowering phase.

If the shrub was saved, then in the fall, next spring (before bud break), such treatments will need to be repeated. Bordeaux mixture or copper sulphate (3% solutions) can also be used for these subsequent irrigations.

Clasterosporiasis or perforated spotting

The cause of this disease is the fungus Clasterosporium carpophilum, which is activated at high humidity and dampness. This fungus is so tenacious that it calmly endures the winter, actively gets down to business with the advent of spring. Initially, dark spots appear on the leaves, which then turn into holes. The dark edging of the edges of the hole signals to us that this is clasterosporiasis, and not some other disease. Wind, insects spread spores of the fungus from infected plants to healthy ones.

The bark of the shrub also suffers - cracks appear, oozing gum, as a result, the disease covers the bush, growth slows down, leaves are shed, the shoots dry out. Preventive measures can be considered timely thinning of the crown, the application of fertilizers that give vitality to the shrub, the cleaning of foliage, all kinds of excess growth.

With the advent of spring, it is recommended to carry out a triple treatment of the bushes: irrigation with Bordeaux mixture until the buds have blossomed, irrigation with Kuproksat on slightly ajar buds, repeated spraying with Kuproksat 2 weeks after the first treatment. If the shrub is already sick, then a radical cutting of all the affected fragments is performed.

coccomycosis

pocket disease

And again, the fungus, this is Taphrina, manifests itself very noticeably - after the end of the flowering phase, pitted, wrinkled, flat fruits appear (looks like a deflated balloon). Inside the fruits are pathogenic spores, where they ripen. As soon as you notice this, you should immediately remove all infected shoots with fruits, burn them. The plant itself must be treated with fungicides. Preventive spring treatments with Fundazol, Fitosporin-M, Abiga Peak, Albit, Skor will help you. They also treat the plant after removing diseased fragments.

Pocket disease, photo:

Pests

As for pests, the scale insect, aphid, plum codling moth, leafworm also do not ignore felt cherries.

An ash-soap solution helps with aphids (1 piece of laundry soap + a glass of ash + 10 liters of water), and if this is a particularly neglected case, the preparations "Commander", "Iskra", "Avant", "Agravertin", "Admiral" (insecticides).

Spring preventive irrigation with the use of the “Prophylactin” product (half a liter of the drug + 1 bucket of water) helps from the leaflet. If the matter has already taken a serious turn, then pyrethroid products, such as Accord, Alphashans, Fatrin, Alfatsin, will help you. Processing should be carried out on a cool day (not higher than + 23 ° C), since these preparations become ineffective in hot weather.

Arranged traps with sweet sticky contents (berry compote + glue or thick sugar syrup) help from plum codling moth, butterflies flock to the smell and die, bogged down in a sticky mass. Such traps should be cleaned regularly, adding fresh bait mixture.

As for chemical procedures, immediately after the completion of the flowering phase, the shrub should be treated with "Decis" or "Alatar" - this will destroy the first codling moths. For the second time, at the end of July, the plant is again treated with Karbofos - this is already a method of fighting the second pest invasion.

The fight with the scale insect is quite difficult, if only because the insects are protected by a strong chitinous shell. To get rid of the pest, mechanical scraping off of harmful "shields" + subsequent treatment of the plant with Actellik is used. If the problem has taken on a serious scale, then absolutely all the affected parts of the bush are cut out and burned. The cherry itself is treated with "Preparation 30-D" (insectoacaricide). The same preparation is recommended for spring preventive spraying (500 g + 10 l of water).

Shield on felt cherry, photo:

As for the ardent fans of Chinese cherries - mice, they are usually used against a metal mesh with small cells, which is wrapped several times in the trunk of a bush. Thus, rodents will not get to the bark, they will not be able to feast on it. This should be done in the fall, as mice, even in winter (under the snow) can make their way to the cherry.

Summing up, we can say that an integrated approach to prevention and protection will help keep your plantings from pests and diseases. Do not forget about the rules of planting (root collar), about regular spring or autumn pruning. About spring preventive spraying, appropriate care during the entire season (as well as after it) should also be remembered. With the advent of autumn, be sure to dig up the tree trunks. If you follow these simple truths, then felt cherries, growing and caring for them, as well as harvesting a generous harvest will give you only positive emotions.

Felt cherry came to us from China. Because of this, it is often called Chinese cherry. The species is characterized by the fact that it is distinguished by a small height (up to 2 m), it grows not as a tree, but as a bush.

The most important difference is that on the reverse side of the sheet there are many small villi. The leaf feels like velor to the touch or felt. Hence the name of the shrub.

To be precise, the shrub belongs to the genus of plum trees and grows throughout China, like a wild berry. In Russia, it began to spread from the 19th century, starting from the Far Eastern regions as a cultivated plant.

Due to the fact that the bush has a beautiful decorative appearance and dense branching of the crown, it is often used as decorative fencing site.

Species and varieties

Landing Rules

Landing methods

Half success is correct cultivation of planting material. There are two ways to plant cherries:

1. 1. seeds grow a shrub Just. With this method of growing, seedlings retain all the qualities of the mother plant. It is best to take the most even, large, disease-free berries. Bone cherries are removed, peeled and dried for several days. Then the material is stored in a cool place until autumn.

In September seeds are placed in water-dampened sand, and when frosts come, they are planted in the ground. To do this, make transverse grooves on the beds at a distance 30 cm. The bones are laid in them from each other on 2-3 cm. Each groove is covered with sawdust, rotted manure and a layer of turf.

1. 1. seedlings. This method consists in the fact that grown from seeds, cuttings or layering seedlings planted in the ground. Usually, by the time of planting, the seedlings are growing significantly, getting stronger and becoming ready to endure a harsh winter if the planting is in progress. autumn. You can buy ready-made seedlings, or grow them yourself.

You can grow seedlings on your own from the bone. If you would like seedlings spring, then by the end of December, the bones are placed in wet river sand and stored in this way until spring.

For this purpose, you can use any glass container (jar), it is closed with a nylon lid, but be sure to make holes for ventilation. Great storage space cellar or home refrigerator. The storage temperature should not drop below -6 ̊ C.

Additional moistening of the sand is not required, but to "calm your conscience" check the condition of the bones. If the sand is still dry, then moisten it from a spray bottle. By the beginning of spring the seeds sprout.

If it so happened that the sprouts began active growth much earlier (storage conditions may differ for different hosts), then they must be removed from the refrigerator and transplant in a special box for seedlings or just in a few flower pots, add soil or moss to the sand and leave until the final planting on the windowsill.

At the same time, monitor the condition of the soil. When dry, water. With the advent of the first spring days, sprouted seedlings are planted for permanent residence.

Soil Requirements

In order to cherry didn't hurt, bore fruit well, you should choose the right place for its growth and properly prepare the soil. The place for landing should be protected from the wind, light enough.

The shrub prefers fertilized, structured soils and does not tolerate stagnant water. If the soil is on the site, then it is carried out deoxidation to a normal acid-base reaction.

For pollination of cherries, it is not recommended to plant them on the site one plant at a time, since the cherry bush is self-infertile. For cross-pollination, it is enough to plant near 3-4 plants of a different variety. If this is not done, then a lonely growing bush will practically not bear fruit.

Landing pattern

When planning a place in which felt cherries will grow on a site, one should consider its size: the height of the shrub does not exceed 2 meters, but at the same time its crown is actively growing in breadth. Bushes are planted in the ground at a distance of at least 1.5 m from each other.

A hole is dug 0.5 m deep, about 0.7 m wide. Drainage from crushed brick is laid on the bottom, and then a layer of humus and sprinkled with a layer of earth, to which lime and nitrogen-phosphorus fertilizer are added.

Before planting, the roots are treated with liquid clay and growth stimulator, for example:, zircon, amulet, heteroauxin. You can buy them at gardening stores.

Next, the roots of the seedling are sprinkled with soil, the top layer is slightly trampled down, watered and mulched(that is, it is covered with organic or synthetic material in order to prevent the growth of weeds or protect plants from adverse environmental conditions). Subsequent care consists of watering, fertilizing, loosening the soil and pruning.

Features of cultivation and care

Watering

Since the cherry is felted tolerates drought more easily than waterlogging, then water it when planting, as the soil dries out, or if fertilizers were applied.

If the summer is rainy and precipitation falls regularly, it is not necessary to water the cherry. Watering is done only in case of a long absence. natural precipitation.

In regions with very dry climates, sometimes it is necessary to spraying. You can determine its need by drooping leaves. Spraying should be carried out in the early morning or evening, when the plant is not under the sun.

top dressing

Held Every year. Fertilizers containing nitrogen are applied in the spring to stimulate growth. In autumn, on the contrary, fertilizers, which exclude nitrogenous substances. Best of all organic - humus, manure.

All top dressing is done in the near-stem circle, to a depth 5 cm. Loosen the soil around the bush carefully so as not to damage the root system.

How to trim correctly

Crown formation is important for any fruit-bearing tree and shrub. cherry pruned with the aim of increase in growth new shoots, airing the bush in order to exclude fruit decay and the occurrence of diseases. Pruning is done annually spring or autumn.

During the autumn leave at least 6 strong shoots, the seedlings of the first year of life are cut to a height of 40 cm. In the second year, the lower branches are cut by one third. With spring pruning leaves the 8 strongest branches, and all the rest are removed.

If the bush is old, then they make it rejuvenation- cut off all branches of 1 and 2 levels. All twisted, dry and diseased branches should also be removed to prevent infection with diseases of the bush.

cherry breeding

propagate Cherry can be cuttings and layering:

layering propagate as follows: in the spring, only one branch is left at the bush. Over the summer, many young, strong shoots will grow, which are cut off next spring and placed in furrows 5 cm deep. Over the summer, a full-fledged planting material grows from the layers.

More one way very simple and does not require any effort and cost: in the spring you need to rig shrub branch to the ground and pin it with wire.

A layer is poured at the junction soil, well spilled with water, covered with a film and all this “structure” is pressed down with a brick - that’s all. By autumn in a place bend a powerful root system is formed. The layer is separated from the main plant and left for growing.

cuttings. A cutting is the part of a plant that can take root and grow into a new plant. According to reviews, it is better to grow seedlings from cuttings in the soil for this, it is well loosened, they make fertilizer(best humus).

Then sand is poured onto the ground, they are planted in it cuttings. July is taken for planting 20 cm cuttings with 3-4 nodes. After about a month, the cuttings take root well. It is better if, before planting, their ends are treated with growth stimulants. cuttings- This is a convenient method of propagation and gardeners often use it.

Protection against diseases and pests

Cherries are most commonly affected moniliosis, which causes the leaves and branches of the plant to dry out. Ultimately, the disease leads to the death of the main skeleton of the shrub. In the future, a gray coating appears on the berry.

At the beginning of the onset of symptoms, the affected branches are cut and burned, and the cut points are smeared. vitriol solution or a special garden pitch.

Another common disease clasterosporiasis. When it occurs, brown spots appear on the leaves, which subsequently crumble, leaving holes in the foliage. On all shoots are visible red spots, which soon crack, the shoots die off. Red spots also appear on the fruits, from which there is a discharge gums(sticky viscous substance). The affected parts of the bush are cut out and destroyed. by the end of July, mass collection is carried out at this time in dry weather to prevent damage to the berries and the release of juice.

The fruits are distinguished by the fact that they are severely injured during collection, so they need to be plucked very carefully without crushing.

If you intend to store for several days, then the collection should be carried out at an easy stage. "immaturity". In this case, the berries from the bush will be removed whole.

Where to buy seedlings and what to look for when choosing

Buy seedlings available in specialized stores, nurseries for gardeners or in the Internet shop.

The latter option is convenient in that delivery to the address is possible. But the first option is preferable in that it is possible to consider plant and choose a healthy bush.

When buying, first of all, you should pay attention to seedling condition. It should be healthy in appearance, even, with a well-developed root system.

Also, the seedling must be at rest, if bud growth is noticed on a plant, then you should not buy it.

If you want to purchase varieties with sweet berries, then pay attention to the description of the variety. Cherries with a light, pink color of berries have a sweet taste and vice versa, dark red and burgundy colors indicate the presence acidity in taste.

Beneficial features

In addition to the fact that felt varieties are distinguished by their decorative effect, excellent taste, they have a lot of advantages of a different nature.

It contains vitamins (P,PP,B,C), sugars, malic and citric acids, flavonoids, tannins, iron. Therefore, cherries useful to use people with diseases of the cardiovascular system, gastrointestinal tract.

To obtain high yields, planting care must be carried out regularly and not on a case-by-case basis.

With a small area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe site for planting felt cherry bushes, to save space, you can plant them in checkerboard pattern.

Carry out branch pruning annually, then the plant will live and bear fruit longer.

Do not leave fallen fruits on the ground, springs may remain in them diseases.

You can learn more about felt cherries from video: