Felt cherry: description, cultivation and recipes. Ampelous or curly strawberries: growing options, care, photo How felt cherries bloom

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:

It can be eaten already when the rest of the fruit representatives are just forming ovaries.
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).
Good adaptability of culture to the conditions of the region where it grows. Drought and frost resistance is also a plus.
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.
It has a high yield, with normal care, the fruits literally stick around the branches.
Lack of root growth - in this culture, it does not appear at all.
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:

The width of the hole should be at least 60-70 cm, and the depth should not be more than 50 cm. If you want to do everything according to the rules, then mix well the 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.
The roots of the seedling should be carefully cut - about 20 cm, dip into a pre-prepared clay solution (clay + water).
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.
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 differs from the usual in small fruits. A shrub with a fluffy branched crown near felt cherries reaches a height of 1.5 m, and in the southern regions, subject to agricultural technology, up to 3 m. In Russia, a migrant from Manchuria began to be grown starting from the 19th century. Juicy drupe fruits contain:

vitamins of group B and PP;
amino acids;
ascorbic acid - less than in a simple garden cherry;
carbohydrates.

Useful properties of felt cherries

The fruits of felt cherries are good for health, they will help to improve the activity of the gastrointestinal tract, these berries are recommended to be introduced into the children's diet to increase appetite. Possessing a laxative effect and promoting intestinal motility, felt cherry is indispensable for constipation. Organic acids in the composition of the pulp remove plaques from blood vessels, blood pressure decreases. Beautifully flowering and frost-resistant felt cherry looks great as a unique decorative fence.

Planting and caring for felt cherries

The light-loving felt cherry shrub develops well on fertile, water- and breathable neutral soil. Acidified, clay soils with a high level of groundwater leads to the death of plantings. But, despite this, an unpretentious horticultural culture does not impose special requirements for care, even an inexperienced gardener can systematically loosen the soil, weed and fertilize with complex fertilizers after flowering. Once every five years, for the beneficial growth of felt cherries, you only need to enrich the soil with calcium, for which lime is added under each bush. By regularly pruning, thinning the crown, starting from the first year, you can easily give the bushes of this type of cherry a neat and even designer look, sometimes it’s enough just to systematically sanitary pruning dry branches.

All infected and deformed branches must be burned so that the disease and larvae of harmful insects that damage the cherry do not spread. In autumn, after leaf fall, each bush of felt cherry is dug in, organic and mineral fertilizers are applied.

Diseases and pests of felt cherries - rodents, moniliosis and gall mites

Diseases caused by pathogenic microflora are not characteristic of felt cherries, but if agricultural practices are violated, like all stone fruit crops, this cherry is affected by moniliosis. The infection penetrates into the ovary, from there into the receptacle and the shoot, which subsequently dries up. The sites affected by moniliosis look burnt, in order to avoid a similar, monilial burn, the plant cannot be planted in damp, shady areas. The spaciousness, light and ventilation of the crown guarantee a healthy bush and a rich harvest in felt cherries.

But if the plant is infected, spraying with a solution of copper oxychloride (40 g per 5 liters of water) or copper sulphate with lime (100 g of copper sulphate and 150 g of lime per 10 liters of water) will help save felt cherries from moniliosis.

In winter, rodents annoy the bushes of felt cherries, damaging the root collar, for this reason the culture rots, in order to avoid this, the snow cover should be compacted along the near-stem circle, and in spring, on the contrary, snow should be raked from the stems.

Reproduction of felt cherries, types of methods

Felt cherry is propagated vegetatively and by seeds. When propagated by seeds, seed from the largest and sweetest fruits should be separated from the pulp and dried in the shade. In autumn, at the end of October, the seeds are mixed with wet sand, placed in the basement and stored at a temperature of 10C. When seedlings appear near the seeds, they are planted in separate containers with a nutrient mixture, and in the spring the young shoots are planted on the site.

Felt cherries are also propagated by cuttings, but this is a rather laborious process, so propagation by horizontal layering is preferable. For this method, a single central branch is left on the mother bush, and all unnecessary ones are removed. During the growing season, powerful young branches grow and mature, in the fall they are dug into the ground to a depth of 10-15 cm and fixed. When vertical shoots appear, hilling is performed. Thus, a full-fledged seedling of felt cherry with a well-formed root system is formed, which is carefully dug up and transplanted.

A variety of berry bushes on the plot allows the family to provide a variety of fruits used fresh and canned.

Felt cherry is an unpretentious and frost-resistant culture. Its distribution area is quite large - it can be grown both in warm regions and in Siberia, in the Urals.

For cultivation in the Moscow region, felt cherries are optimally suited, but it is worth knowing that this culture is botanically closer to plum trees, on the basis of which this hybrid was created. All other varieties of cherries should not be used even as rootstocks during grafting, they will not take root.

Felt cherry is small in size and can be used as a hedge along the artificial fences of the site. It turns out both beautiful and useful. Look at the photo of felt cherries in adulthood during the fruiting period:

This material discusses all the secrets of growing felt cherries, both in the Moscow region and in the climatic conditions of the Urals, Siberia and the Volga region.

What and how to do from planting to pruning to get stable high yields of fragrant ripe berries for fresh consumption and canning?

Let's try to understand all these subtleties and secrets.

To begin with - a description of felt cherries and a photo of a shrub

The description of the felt cherry should begin with an indication of the botanical affiliation of the shrub to horticultural crops. In reality, the culture is Chinese wild cherry, a shrub that is abundant in nature in Central China.

Scientists in the process of studying identified a variety in the class of mini cherry shrubs. The Latin name - Prunus tomentosa, refers to the genus "plum".

On the territory of our country, culture appeared at the end of the nineteenth century as a shrub for landscaping park areas.

The conquest of the hearts of gardeners began in the Far East, where felted cherries were grown in gardens precisely as a berry plant. The great Russian breeder Ivan Michurin took an active part in the further spread of culture in the European part of the country.

If you look at the photo of felt cherries, you immediately find an explanation for the peculiar name:

Felt is a small villi that pubescent the trunk, shoots, shrub foliage. In some varieties, even the berries are covered with small villi that protect them from damage during transportation.

For the start of the canning season, this circumstance is an opportunity to temporarily postpone the processing of the resulting crop.

The magnificent decorative properties of graceful foliage, rich green color make it possible to use the shrub as a green fence of the site.

And if we add to this the natural unpretentiousness to the climatic features of the northern regions, then we can say with confidence that the felt cherry is of interest to a wide range of amateur gardeners.

The frost resistance of the culture makes it unnecessary to cover the shoots for the winter. Withstands short-term cooling down to minus 35 degrees Celsius. However, spring return frosts during the period of active flowering also do not cause much harm to the future harvest.

The fruits ripen uniformly and evenly. The height of an adult shrub is approximately 250 cm, in rare cases the shoots are extended up to 3 meters. There is no fall of berries even if they are overripe on the bush. All these circumstances make it possible to time the collection of all ripened fruits by a certain time.

The benefits of felt cherries for human health are undeniable. The pulp contains a huge amount of iron and vitamin C, which helps it to be fully absorbed. In addition, fresh berries contain a large number of various B vitamins.

The disadvantages of the shrub in the description can be mentioned that it is important to carry out a regular anti-aging procedure using pruning. Otherwise, the cessation of fruiting begins after 7-8 years.

Planting felt cherry seedlings and caring for them

Properly selected felt cherry seedlings are more than half of future success.

Planting material should be purchased from trusted suppliers who guarantee varietal purity and the complete absence of infection with various bacterial and fungal diseases. With independent reproduction, attention should be paid to the conditions for the formation of the root system.

You can grow seedlings within 1-2 months, depending on environmental conditions.

The easiest way to breed is to select young shoots that bend down to the ground and are fixed with a wire. A small amount of earth is poured from above and watered abundantly with water. From above, you can cover with plastic wrap in order to retain moisture and save yourself from regular watering. The film is pressed against a brick.

In this state, for the formation of a powerful root system on felt cherry seedlings, at least 5 weeks should pass. When the root system becomes sufficiently developed, the shoot is pruned and grown in the same place.

Felt cherries are planted at a permanent place of growth in September. Before the formation of a permanent snow cover, at least 30 days must pass from the moment of planting.

During this period, the seedlings have time to acclimatize in a new place and prepare for wintering. Although in the first year after planting, it is still desirable to build small shelters from coniferous spruce branches or dense burlap.

Proper planting of felt cherry seedlings simplifies their subsequent care, so it is important to know the basic requirements for growing a crop.

It is necessary to choose a suitable place and form the optimal soil structure. This shrub loves well-structured fertile soils in which moisture stagnation is not observed.

The acid-base reaction should be neutral, therefore, on acidic soil, it is better to carry out liming in advance and refrain from group plantings next to coniferous crops.

The lighting of the site is of great importance - felt cherries stretch out during shading, the fruits become smaller and become sour. The pollinator can be another bush of the same crop.

Therefore, it is necessary to plant in pairs in order to avoid the mass fall of flowering buds that have not been cross-pollinated. Self-pollinating varieties have not yet been bred.

Before landing, the site is marked. Bushes should be at a distance of at least one and a half meters from each other.

If a multi-row planting method is used, then up to 3 meters are left between the rows. Planting holes are dug 50 cm deep. The width of the hole is 70 cm.

Drainage of broken bricks is laid at the bottom. Then a layer of organic fertilizer is laid (compost or rotted manure). 500 gr. is added to the topsoil. lime, 100 grams of ammonium nitrate, phosphorus-potassium mixture.

Before planting, felt cherry seedlings are prepared: long roots are cut off, a lobe with a length of no more than 10 cm is formed. Then the root system must be treated with a mixture of clay, growth stimulant and wood ash. After digging, the top layer of soil is compacted, spilled abundantly with water and mulched with rotted sawdust.

The subsequent care of felt cherries includes constant weed control, hilling, loosening the soil and watering during dry periods.

The application of mineral fertilizers is best done in the spring during the period of active flowering. For 1 bush you need 50 gr. nitrogen and potassium and 80 gr. phosphorus.

Organic fertilizers are best applied in the fall after pruning. For each bush over the age of 3 years, it is enough to add 4 buckets of humus and compost. After application, deep loosening of the soil is carried out.

The introduction of lime is advisable to carry out after a chemical analysis of the soil. Without this, it is recommended to make 500 gr. lime 1 time in 3 years.

Proper pruning of felt cherries - in spring or autumn?

Felt cherry pruning is a mandatory event when organizing shrub care starting from the second year of the plant's life.

With the correct formation of the crown, the culture begins to bear fruit from the third year after planting. In autumn or spring, trimming felt cherries on your site depends on the distribution of time for each gardener.

Many do not have time to carry out these procedures during the sowing period, because there are other worries.

To begin with, they cut out extra shoots inside the future crown. You can leave no more than 12 strong branches. In the future, only dying shoots are cut out. Thinning may be required if excessive nitrogen fertilization is applied to the soil.

Varieties of felt cherries suitable for the Moscow region (with photo)

It is not enough to know the basic rules for planting and caring for this, in general, unpretentious culture. It is also necessary to select suitable varieties of felt cherries that will bear fruit steadily for many years.

To begin with, it is worth deciding on the timing of fruiting. Early varieties of felt cherries, photos of which are shown further on the page, are distinguished by friendly ripening of fruits, but they can also be subject to return spring frosts due to early flowering.

Among the early varieties stands out "Natalie", which has a dense massive crown. One bush gives at least 8 kg of rich cherry-colored fruits with a tart taste and a persistent aroma. The fruits can be stored in a basement for six months, which allows you to provide a family with fragrant berries until February.

"Children's" felt cherries are more suitable for the Moscow region due to the short period of fruit formation. Flowering is observed at the end of May, and already in mid-August, dense sour berries begin to ripen. It differs simply by a gigantic yield, reaching 20 kg from 1 bush.

"Harvest" is distinguished by a paler color of the fruit. But at the same time, its berries are sweeter and more fragrant. Suitable for both long-term storage and fresh canning.

Mid-season varieties of felt cherries for the Moscow region should be chosen taking into account their botanical characteristics. All of them require careful attention to regular watering. Otherwise, the berries become small and sour.

The photo shows the average varieties of felt cherries - these are "Smuglyanka", "White" and "Jubilee":

The felt cherry tree is actually a shrubby form of this stone fruit crop. It has unpretentiousness to growing conditions, does not require special care and bestows rich harvests. This article offers a description of felt cherries as a fruit crop, photos and characteristics of some varieties. You can learn about how cultivation is carried out in a zone of risky farming. Look at the felt cherries in the photo and in the description, this knowledge will help you decide on the advisability of growing on a personal plot.

Family: Rosaceae.

Homeland - China, Japan, the Himalayas, the Far East.

What a felt cherry shrub looks like: flowering and leaves, sizes and photos of the bush

Felt cherry shrub can feel great in different regions of our country.

Felt cherries are native to northern and western China. From there, more than a hundred years ago, it was brought to the Primorsky and Khabarovsk Territories, the Amur Region. Here it showed good winter hardiness and adaptability to local conditions and became widespread. The inhabitants of this region associate the concept of cherry with the felt cherry, since the European common cherry there does not withstand severe frosty snowless winters. Felt cherry varieties have been bred by breeders: Ogonyok, Khabarovchanka, Pionerka, Amurka, Leto, Alisa, Okeanskaya, Chereshnevaya, Virovskaya, etc. They are distinguished by larger fruits, high yields, and good taste. However, the bulk of the bushes in the gardens of the Far East are ungrafted seedlings. See what felt cherry looks like with properly organized care for it.

Felt cherries were brought to the European part of the country from the Far East in the early twenties of the current century. It was first described by I.V. Michurin called Ando. I. V. Michurin characterizes felt cherries in the following way: “a completely new type of stone fruit, unprecedented in European gardens, is being introduced into culture. Yields are amazingly generous... Extremely abundant yields and juiciness of sweet fruits should draw the attention of gardeners to this new species, suitable for extensive cultivation. It has gained particular popularity here in recent decades, when a dangerous fungal disease - coccomycosis killed many common cherry trees. Felt cherries are completely resistant to this disease.

Felt cherry leaves deserve attention, since it got its name because of their peculiar corrugation and pubescence.

Felt cherries tend to be sweeter than regular cherries. The amount of sugars in them reaches 10%. Jams, juices, compotes are prepared from fruits, candied. They are delicious fresh, straight from the bush. Children love them very much.

For amateur gardeners, it is also valuable because it does not give root shoots at all and there is no need to fight it endlessly. Many gardeners take advantage of this property of felt cherries and use it as a stock for grafting their favorite varieties of ordinary cherries. It turns out an ordinary cherry, but not giving root shoots.

Despite the similarity of felt cherries and common cherries in terms of fruits, in fact they are distant relatives. Scientists-fruit growers attribute felt cherries to a special genus microcherry, which in related terms is much closer to plum, apricot and peach than cherry. Therefore, sometimes felt cherry is used as a dwarf rootstock for plums, large-fruited cherry plums, apricots and peaches. Look at the photo of the felt cherry bush, which shows adult plants with the correct crown formation:

Felt cherry (C. tomentosa) is an ornamental winter-hardy deciduous shrub 2–3 m high, with a spreading crown. Felt cherry sizes may vary depending on the selected variety.

Annual shoots are strongly pubescent. The leaves are simple, obovate or oval, pointed, grayish-green above, pubescent, woolly below, brown-gray, up to 5 cm long. In autumn, the leaves turn yellow and red, becoming a decoration of the garden. The flowering of felt cherry is interesting, which can decorate any landscape design. Cherry flowers are white or slightly pink, up to 2.5 cm in diameter, collected in umbrella inflorescences. Blooms in May. Cherry fruits are drupes with a short stalk, bright red in color, up to 1.8 cm in diameter, the flesh is juicy, sour-sweet. In central Russia, the growing season begins in May, the fruits ripen in late July - early August.

V. felt winter-hardy, characterized by early maturity, high productivity and decorative effect.

When the felt cherry begins to bear fruit

Felt cherry is a durable culture: in one place it can bear fruit up to 15–18 years. Many are concerned about the question of when the felt cherry begins to bear fruit after planting. This usually starts after 2 years.

V. felt looks great on the lawn, as well as in single and group plantings, it is interesting in borders and hedges. The plant can also be used to fix ravines. In spring, beautiful flowers, in autumn, bright red fruits and yellow-red leaves make the cherry an indispensable plant in the garden. The fruits contain a large amount of vitamin C.

How to trim and shape felt cherries (with video)

Cherries really need regular pruning. The formation of the crown of the plant provides for uniform growth and development of growing and skeletal branches and prevents the thickening of the crown. Before forming a felt cherry, you should leave a small trunk (25 - 40 cm) and 3 - 5 skeletal branches, and with a good development of the bush, it is best to leave 7 branches. When forming, all branches capable of thickening the crown are removed, and the skeletal branches are shortened so that the central conductor is 15–20 cm higher than the ends of all skeletal branches.

When pruning cherries, it should be remembered that the main task is to maintain a good annual growth and a high level of illumination of the entire crown. Heavily thickened plants require the removal of several large branches. Watch how to cut a felt cherry in the video, which shows all the basic operations:

In addition, when pruning cherries, broken and rubbing branches are removed. By the age of 8 - 10 years, the branches of the cherry are bare, annual growths weaken and shorten, reaching no more than 15 - 20 cm instead of the prescribed 30 - 40 cm. Such bushes require rejuvenation. In this case, shoots are shortened by 2 - 3-year-old wood.

Felt cherry bears fruit abundantly. The fruits sit on very short (3–5 mm) stalks and literally stick around the branches like sea buckthorn. For better pollination in the garden, you need to plant 2-3 bushes. Varietal differences for full-fledged pollination do not matter. It quickly begins to bear fruit: already in the second or third year after planting, and by 6–7 years, yields increase to 7–12 kg per bush. Therefore, you need to try to immediately form a correct and easy-to-care bush. It branches directly from the base of the bole, however, these shoots are removed up to a height of 35–50 cm, leaving only the central one - they form a bole 30–50 cm high, and above at different heights 6–7 branches are left, directed evenly in different directions, the extra ones are cut out. Felt cherries tend to thicken the bush, so every year early in the spring they lighten the bush: they cut out the branches growing inside the bush, broken and growing very densely in one place. Thus, in 2-3 years a beautiful, rounded bush is formed. A well-formed bush is easy to care for and is more productive.

The best varieties of felt cherries and their photos

A high and fairly stable yield is a great advantage of felt cherries, which distinguishes it favorably from common cherries, whose trees often bloom profusely, but bear little fruit. The average yield from a bush is 5–10 kg, the maximum is up to 20 kg of fruit. Like most other fruit crops, felt cherry is self-fertile, and for normal pollination it is necessary to plant 3-4 plants of different varieties that will pollinate each other. The same requirement applies to ungrafted plants grown from seeds.

Breeders are working on breeding large-fruited varieties of this valuable crop. To date, scientists have obtained more than two dozen large-fruited varieties. These are the best varieties of felt cherries: Alice, Vostochnaya, Detskaya, Beauty, Ogonyok, Skazka, Kharkivchanka, Tsarevna, etc. All of them are large and sweet-fruited and are of great interest to amateur gardeners. Look further at the varieties of felt cherries in the photo, which illustrate brief characteristics:

Alice. Bush of medium vigor, 1.5 m in height, oval, dense. Grafted seedlings begin to bear fruit in the 2nd year, own-rooted in the 3rd-4th year. The longevity of plants is 17 years. The variety is self-infertile. Blooms in the second half of May. The fruits ripen in the second half of July at the same time. The color of the fruit is maroon, the flesh is red, dense, juicy. The fruits are universal: they are consumed fresh and processed into juice, jam, jam, marshmallow, marmalade, jam, wine, etc. The yield is high - 8.5 kg per bush.

Delight. The bush is medium tall, 1.5 m in height, wide, dense. Grafted seedlings begin to bear fruit in the 2nd year, own-rooted in the 3rd-4th year. The longevity of plants is 18 years. The variety is self-infertile. Blossoms in mid-May, fruits ripen in mid-July at the same time. The fruit is large, the average weight is 3.2 g. The color of the skin is bright red, the flesh is red, fibrous, dense, juicy. The taste is sweet and sour. The economic purpose is universal: both fresh and canned.

Eastern. Bush of medium vigor, 1.5 m in height, compact. Grafted seedlings begin to bear fruit in the 2nd year, own-rooted in the 3rd-4th year. The longevity of plants is 17 years. The variety is self-infertile. Blooms in the second half of May. The fruits ripen in the second half of July at the same time. The fruit is large, the average weight is 3.3 g. The pulp is juicy, dense. The taste is sweet and sour. The economic purpose is universal: both fresh and processed. Productivity is high - 8.7 kg per bush.

Bush, annual and perennial branches are resistant to winter frosts, flowers - to spring frosts. The variety is drought-resistant, does not tolerate waterlogging. Resistant to coccomycosis, relatively resistant to clasterosporiosis. When waterlogged, flowers and fruits are affected by moniliosis.

Children's. Bush 1.8 m in height, broadly oval, medium density. Grafted seedlings begin to bear fruit in the 2nd year, own-rooted in the 3rd-4th year. The longevity of plants is 18 years. The variety is self-infertile. Blooms in the second half of May. The fruits ripen in the second half of July at the same time. The fruit is large, the average weight is 3.5 g. The taste is sweet and sour. The economic purpose is universal: both fresh and for canning. Productivity is high, 10 kg per bush.

Gorgeous. Bush up to 1.6 m in height, broadly oval, dense. Grafted seedlings begin to bear fruit in the 2nd year, own-rooted in the 3rd-4th year. The longevity of plants is 17 years. The variety is self-infertile. Blooms in the second half of May. The fruits ripen at the end of July at the same time. The fruit is large, the average weight is 3.0 g. The economic purpose is universal: both fresh and processed. The pulp is juicy, dense, the taste is sweet and sour. Productivity is high - 10.7 kg per bush.

Natalie. The bush is vigorous, 1.8 m in height, broadly oval in shape, medium density. Grafted seedlings begin to bear fruit in the 2nd year, own-rooted in the 3rd-4th year. The longevity of plants is 18 years. The variety is self-infertile. Blooms in the second half of May. The fruits ripen in mid-July at the same time. The fruit is large, the average weight is 4.0 g. The color of the fruit is dark red, the flesh is red, dense, juicy, the taste is sweet and sour. The economic purpose is universal: both fresh and processed. Productivity is high - 9 kg per bush.

Twinkle. Bush of medium height, rounded, rather compact. The life span of a bush is 14 years. Blossoms in the second half of May, fruits ripen in the second half of July. The fruits are large, the average weight is 2.5 g. The pulp is quite thick, red, with a sweetish-sour taste. The fruits are good for fresh consumption and making juice, jam, wine.

The winter hardiness of the bush is satisfactory. Fruit buds are preserved, do not freeze slightly. The variety is relatively drought tolerant. In the period of a sharp lack of moisture, the fruit ovaries do not lose and the fruits do not noticeably shrink. The variety is relatively resistant to clasterosporiosis. Damaged by aphids and codling moth.

Ocean virovskaya. The bush is vigorous, 1.8 m in height, compact, medium density. Grafted seedlings begin to bear fruit in the 2nd year, own-rooted in the 3rd-4th year. The longevity of plants is 17 years. The variety is self-infertile. Blossoms in the second half of May, the fruits ripen in the second half of July at the same time. The average weight of the fruit is 3.0 g. The pulp is red, dense, juicy, slightly aromatic, sweet and sour. The economic purpose is universal: both fresh and processed. Productivity is high - 9 kg per bush.

Fruitful pink. The bush is medium, sprawling. It enters fruiting in the 2nd year of the growth of the scion. The fruits ripen in the second half of July, large, average weight 3 g. The flesh is pink and dense, sweet-sour taste. Suitable for both fresh consumption and processing. Productivity up to 9.5 kg.

The variety is immune to "cherry pockets". Winter hardiness is satisfactory.

Fairy tale. Bush 1.3 m in height, oval, medium density. Grafted seedlings begin to bear fruit in the 2nd year, own-rooted in the 3rd-4th year. The longevity of plants is 17 years. The variety is self-infertile. Blossoms in the second half of May, the fruits ripen in mid-July at the same time. The fruits are large, the average weight is 3.3 g. The color of the fruit is maroon, the flesh is red, dense, juicy. The economic purpose is universal: both fresh and processed. Productivity is high - 10 kg per bush.

The bush, annual and perennial branches are resistant to winter and spring frosts. The variety is drought-resistant, does not tolerate waterlogging. Resistant to coccomycosis, relatively resistant to clasterosporiosis. When waterlogged, flowers and fruits are affected by moniliosis.

Dark-skinned oriental. The bush is undersized, 1.2 m in height, wide-spread, dense. Grafted seedlings begin to bear fruit in the 2nd year, own-rooted in the 3rd-4th year. The longevity of plants is 18 years. The variety is self-infertile. Blossoms in mid-May, fruits ripen in the second half of July. The average yield is 7 kg from an adult bush. The average fruit weight is 2.5 g, the pulp is red, tender, juicy. The economic purpose is universal.

Winter-hardy variety. In particularly severe winters, annual shoots undergo winter desiccation. Flower buds are winter hardy. The variety is drought-resistant, does not tolerate waterlogging. Resistant to coccomycosis, relatively resistant to clasterosporiosis. In the rainy period, it undergoes moniliosis.

Princess. The bush is undersized, 1.2 m, wide-oval, medium density. Grafted seedlings begin to bear fruit in the 2nd year, own-rooted in the 3rd-4th year. The longevity of plants is 17 years. The variety is self-infertile. Blossoms in mid-May, the fruits ripen in the second half of July at the same time. The fruits are large, the average weight is 3.6 g. The pulp is light red, dense, juicy. The economic purpose is universal. Productivity is high - 9.5 kg per bush.

Anniversary. The bush is vigorous, 1.7 m in height, oval, medium density. Grafted seedlings begin to bear fruit in the 2nd year, own-rooted in the 3rd-4th year. The longevity of plants is 16–18 years. The variety is self-infertile. Blossoms in late May, ripens in the second half of July. The fruits are large, the average weight is 3.5 g, the pulp is red, juicy. The economic purpose is universal. Productivity is high - 9 kg per bush.

Buds are resistant to winter frosts, flowers - to spring frosts. The variety is drought-resistant, does not tolerate waterlogging.

Altana. Resistant to fungal diseases. The fruits are small, 2 g, rounded, dark red. Contain: solids 13%, sugar 9%, acid 1%, vitamin C 12.8 mg%. The pulp is red, tender, juicy, sour-sweet. Tasting score 5 points. Productivity of 7 kg from a tree. Bush with a spherical dense crown. It enters fruiting in the 4th year.

White. Winter-hardy, relatively resistant to clasterosporia and moniliosis. Fruits are medium in size, weighing 1.6 g, broadly oval, white. Peel of medium coarseness, pubescence is weak, felt. The pulp is white, juicy, fibrous. The juice is colorless, the taste is sweet and sour, pleasant. Tasting score 3.6 points. The stone is not separated from the pulp, oval-wide, smooth. The fruits contain: dry matter 12.0%, sugar 7.6%, acid 0.8%, vitamin C 22.5 mg%. The average yield is 106.3 q/ha.

Favorite. The variety is winter-hardy. Relatively resistant to clasterosporia. The fruits are large, with an average weight of 3.3 g, wide-round, dark pink. The separation of fruits is semi-dry. The skin is medium coarse, medium pubescent. The flesh is pink, cartilaginous. The taste is sweet and sour, pleasant, harmonious. Tasting score 4 points. The stone is medium, wide-round, smooth, does not separate from the pulp. The fruits contain: dry matter 14.6%, sugar 8.16%, acid 0.74%, vitamin C 37.4 mg%. The average yield is 143.7 q/ha.

Felt cherry: cultivation and care

Felt cherry during cultivation and care does not tolerate shading, while protecting plants from winter cold winds is necessary.

It develops a superficial root system located in a layer of 10-30 cm, which does not tolerate excessive moisture at all and can rot.

To plant felt cherries, you need a site with light fertile soils, low standing groundwater, in no case flooded, provided with good drainage and runoff of melt water. In areas with winter thaws, it is necessary to plant plants in the beds, break through the grooves to ensure the flow of water from the base of the trunk. You should not try to grow it on heavy clay soils and cold peat bogs. When planting, if the soils are viscous, clayey, sand must be added to the planting pit simultaneously with fertilizers and humus in a ratio of one to one. If possible, expanded clay should also be added to the prepared soil mixture. This will prevent the root collar from early spring maturation.

Planting, care and feeding of felt cherries: at what distance to plant (with video)

In the middle lane, the best time for planting microcherries is early spring (April - early May), when the soil warms up well, but before the buds open. Soil preparation and planting are not much different from those of ordinary cherries, only planting pits can be made smaller - 45 cm deep, 50 cm in diameter. At what distance to plant felt cherries depends on the purpose of plantings. Microcherry can be planted compactly - in rows 1-2 m apart. For good mutual pollination, seedlings of various shapes or varieties are placed alternately on the site, alternating.

Top dressing of felt cherries: in the 2nd-3rd year, plants are fertilized with urea in the spring - 20 g per 1 sq. m near the trunk circle. Then, as they begin to bear fruit, 20-30 g of urea, 15 g of superphosphate and 20 g of potassium sulfate per 1 sq. m near the trunk circle. Nitrogen fertilizers are applied only in early spring, superphosphate, potash fertilizers and lime - in autumn. Annually, dry and broken branches are cut out, frozen ones are shortened to healthy tissue, and they try to thin out the center of the bush for better illumination. Sections after trimming are carefully treated with garden putty. See planting and caring for felt cherries in this video, which shows everything a beginner gardener needs to know:

How to care for felt cherries in the garden: how to cover for the winter (with photo)

Let's continue the story of how to care for felt cherries in order to get guaranteed high yields. Trees hibernate more reliably under snow cover, therefore, in winters with little snow, snow retention measures should be taken. In severe winters, it is useful to provide for light shelter of the branches, for which they are tied with burlap or film and twine. Before you cover felt cherries for the winter, you need to carefully inspect the plants and remove all diseased parts.

Felt cherry usually blooms in early May, still in a leafless state. At this time, she is amazingly beautiful. Therefore, in the garden it can be grown not only as a fruit crop, but also as an ornamental. Frosts occur during its flowering, so gardeners help cherries (not only felt, but also other varieties) to somewhat delay the start of flowering. To do this, before the snow melts under the bushes, cherries are collected and the snow is well trampled down, and mulched with straw or sawdust from above. In this case, under the cherry bushes, the soil remains frozen for a long time, the roots begin to feed the plant later. And, as a rule, the bush wakes up later from hibernation and blooms after the passage of frost.

If there is a lot of snow in the garden in winter, the bark of the cherry trunk at the root neck under a thick snow cover can dry up. Therefore, in late February - early March, when the snow begins to settle under the influence of the bright sun, the trunk must be dug up and freed from snow to the ground. The following shows a felt cherry in the photo in the garden, where all agrotechnical measures were carried out in a timely manner:

How to propagate and grow felt cherries from seeds (seeds): how and when to plant

Before propagating felt cherries, you need to learn about the available methods for this process:

seeds, sowing them in the summer immediately after ripening, in autumn or spring (when sown in spring, seeds require a preliminary 3-month stratification in wet sand);
grafting (compatible with cherry plum, plum, peach, apricot);
layering;
green and woody cuttings, which take root relatively well.

The main method of propagation of felt cherries is sowing seeds. Felt cherry from seeds completely retains the properties of the mother plant. Before growing felt cherries from the stone, they are harvested from bushes with the best yield and quality fruits, washed and slightly dried in the shade. At the end of August, the seeds are mixed with wet sand and stored until sowing in a cool room. In October, the seeds are sown in the garden in grooves 3-4 cm deep. Friendly seedlings appear the following year in the spring. With good care, seedlings grow quickly and reach 40–50 cm in height in the first year. In the fall or spring of the following year, they are seated in a permanent place. Fruiting occurs in the 3-4th year. If there is a desire to speed up the start of fruiting for a year, seeds are sown immediately in the fall in a permanent place, 4–5 seeds each in a hole prepared for planting a seedling at a distance of 15–20 cm from each other. A year later, the best plant is chosen, and the rest are removed. Without a transplant, the bush will develop much faster and will bear fruit a year earlier. It is important to know how and when to plant the seeds of felt cherries, strictly follow the above recommendations.

When sowing seeds, unfortunately, all the positive properties of the mother variety are not fully preserved, therefore, if you want to preserve or propagate the plant you like, you will have to resort to budding (it is done in the same way as with ordinary cherries). Do it in August on annual seedlings.

Seeds can be sown in spring, but then stratification is required in winter for 90–100 days. For spring sowing, seeds are stratified in calcined sand or sawdust. The seeds are mixed in the ratio: one part of the seeds (pits), three to five parts of one of the components. The mixture is moistened so that water does not drain, and when compressed into a lump, it does not crumble. The mixture is placed in a half-liter jar and placed in a refrigerator or any other place with a temperature of 0 ... + 5 degrees. 1-2 times a month, check the moisture content of the mixture, if it is dry, add water and mix so that the stratification of all seeds takes place evenly. If the seeds hatched before the sowing time, then the jar is transferred to a cooler place. You can also sow the hatched seeds in a seedling box, and plant them in the garden in the spring. In this case, the young seedling has some run in growth and development. It is planted in the garden after the passage of frost.

You can plant 1-2-year-old seedlings as follows. In a planting pit or trench with a width of at least 60 cm and a depth of not more than 50 cm, you need to add a soil mixture (per 1 sq. M): organic fertilizers at least 3 buckets, lime - 400-800 g, phosphorus - 40-60, potassium - 20-30 g of active ingredient. Everything is mixed evenly. The root system must be cut to 20–25 cm, treated with a clay mash and planted bushes at the same depth as in the nursery. After planting, the soil is compacted, watered abundantly and mulched with peat or organic fertilizers.

It is enough to plant 2-3 felt cherry plants on the site. Compared to common cherry, a more sparse planting scheme is used: 3–3.5 × 1–1.5 m. It is carried out with 1–2-year-old seedlings to the same depth at which they grew before.

Care for young bushes consists in thinning the crown and removing broken branches. When the annual growth begins to fade, a rejuvenating pruning should be carried out, removing the upper part of the branches up to the last strong growth.

Felt cherry trees withstand frosts down to -40°C. Flower buds are more sensitive to cold and in the European part of Russia they freeze in very severe winters with temperature fluctuations from thaws to severe frosts below -30°C.

For a long time felt cherry in the conditions of the European part was practically not affected. However, in recent years, in the gardens of the middle lane, there has been an outbreak of a new dangerous fungal disease of stone fruit crops - monilial burn, from which felted cherries also suffer greatly. This disease manifests itself at the beginning of summer, when leaves suddenly wither and dry on individual shoots. With mass development, the bush looks like it has been burned by fire, which is why the disease is called monilial burn. To combat this disease, it is necessary to cut them out immediately after the shoots have dried, capturing the upper part of healthy wood. In autumn after leaf fall and in spring before bud break, eradicating spraying with 2% nitrofen should be carried out. Before flowering and a week after the end of flowering, especially if it happened in rainy, damp weather, felted cherry bushes should be sprayed with 0.7% cineb.

Gradually felt cherry begins to be affected by other diseases characteristic of cherries and plums.

Selection of seedlings

For good fruiting on the site, it is necessary to have at least two felt cherry plants (for mutual pollination), since it does not cross with common cherry varieties.

Felt microcherry seedlings are branched one- or two-year-old root plants.

For annual seedlings of the first grade, the height of the trunk should be at least 90 cm, the trunk diameter should be at least 11 mm (for the second grade, 80 cm and 10 mm, respectively).

In biennial plants, the height of the stem of the first grade should be at least 40–60 cm, the diameter of the stem should be at least 1.8 cm, the length of the main side branches should be at least 30 cm (for the second grade, the height is 40–60 cm, the trunk diameter is 1.6 cm, the length of the main side branches is 30 cm).

Nutritional value of felt cherry fruit

Felt cherries contain a large amount of sugars, mainly glucose and fructose, organic acids - malic and citric, rich in vitamin C, and also contain pectins and tannins.

Cherry fruits quickly deteriorate, so they are harvested and immediately consumed and processed and consumed fresh and processed. At home, they are dried, used to make jam, compotes, juice, syrup, jam, fruit drink, tincture. The leaves are added to pickles and marinades.

It has been established that felt cherries improve appetite, regulate bowel activity, promote better absorption of fats and proteins. It has a capillary-strengthening property, and linoleic acid in the fatty oil of the seeds can have an anti-sclerotic effect.

Felt cherry contains iron, copper, cobalt, which allows it to be used for anemia. Pectins contribute to the removal of nitrogenous toxins from the body.