If we compare plums and cherries, they are the closest relatives of stone fruit crops. Taking this into account, a plum-cherry hybrid was created, which was bred from materials compatible for crossing. A well-known type of hybrid of plum and cherry is Omskaya nochka. The variety is characterized by high yield, frost resistance and early fruiting.
Origin story
Professor Hansen was the first to produce plum-cherry hybrids in the USA. The starting material is two trees - Bessey cherry and Japanese plum.From cherries, the hybrid received unpretentiousness of cultivation, and from plums - the size and shape of the fruit, as well as taste.
Growing and testing have shown that the hybrids produce a rich harvest and tolerate sub-zero temperatures.
We continued selection in Krasnoyarsk and Altai, and are successfully grown in the Southern Urals. Hybrids are used as a purely fruit crop, and as a result of selection, a number of rootstocks for seedlings of the plum genus have been obtained. Hybrids are a promising crop.
Description of the variety
Omsk cherry reaches a height of 110-140 cm. The fruits are large and dark in color. The weight of the berries reaches 15 g. Ripening time is the second half of August. Gives a good harvest and is early in production. Abundant fruiting already from the second year of growth.
The description of the variety states that the fruits have soft and sweet pulp. The pollinator can be the Bessey variety.
Hybrids are resistant to damping off, short in stature and have a spreading crown. They are not damaged in winter and can be completely covered with snow.
The hybrid blooms a little later than traditional plums, so they avoid spring frosts. The yield is 30-40 kilograms per bush.
The root system is branched, so it winters well and tolerates drought.
The tree gives a rich harvest. The branches are sometimes overloaded and bend all the way to the ground.
Features of planting and care
SVG hybrids are planted in pairs. In this case, plants belonging to different varieties are selected. Planting is done in specially created hills with drainage made of small pebbles and a heat-insulating cushion. This protects the seedlings from freezing in winter and from waterlogging in spring. If the soil is clayey, then you need to add sand.
A prerequisite is the application of organic fertilizers.
When choosing a location, give preference to the south side, near a residential or outbuilding. If planted on the north side, then surround it with tall bushes that will protect the hybrid from the wind. Ideal proximity to coniferous trees.
To quickly root, plant the shrub in heated soil and water it with warm, settled water.
At first, tie the tree to a support and form a near-trunk circle surrounded by an earthen roller.
The variety is self-sterile, so plant pollinators nearby, namely,
plums and cherries. The distance between hybrids must be at least 2 meters.
Rules of care:
- Caring for the bush is the same as caring for an ordinary plum tree. There is no great need for watering; irrigate the bush as a last resort, when natural recharge is not enough due to the climate.
- Treatment with special compounds will help protect the plant from diseases and pests.
- Periodically feed the soil with a complex of micronutrients. Fertilizers - nitrogen, wood ash, potassium, fluorine. Most often, replenishment is carried out in the autumn before the first frost. This will allow the tree to be saturated with useful microelements and successfully overwinter.
- Periodically loosen the circle around the trunk.
- Prune bushes and remove branches that do not bear fruit.
- If it was not possible to plant a seedling before the arrival of cold weather, then it is buried in a container and stored in the cellar until favorable conditions occur.
Disease and pest control
The main danger facing stone fruit crops is moniliosis. The wood dries as if it had been burnt. Initially, the flowers are affected, then the leaves and, ultimately, the shoots are affected. When the disease appears, the affected branches are cut off and burned.For preventive purposes, spray with Bordeaux mixture.
To protect against rodents, young seedlings are wrapped in non-woven synthetic fiber and covered with pine branches.
It is important to remember that this is not a cherry or a plum, but an independent crop that has its own characteristics of growth and development.
