It is difficult to imagine a garden plot where cherry trees are not planted. The berries of this stone fruit crop are not only tasty, but also healthy. In addition, they are universal in use: they are consumed fresh and prepared for the winter in the form of compotes, jams and preserves. Cherry wine is especially aromatic. The characteristics of the Izobilnaya cherry variety are not among the most successful breeding developments, however, summer residents give it preference when there is not a lot of space on the plot, but you still want to plant a cherry tree.
History of variety development
The variety was bred at the Sverdlovsk experimental station in the late 80s of the last century. The basis of the variety was the Michurin varieties of open pollination. Breeders Zhukov S.V., Gvozdyukova N.I. and Isakova M.G. managed to obtain a variety that is characterized by increased winter hardiness and compact size.
In 1992, the Izobilnaya variety was included in the State Register of Fruit and Berry Crops of Russia and recommended for cultivation in the Volga-Vyatka and Ural regions.
However, gardeners have become so fond of the variety that the distribution of cherries has become much wider; they are grown almost throughout Russia.
Description of the tree and berries
It’s worth starting your acquaintance with Izobilnaya with a description of the variety in order to evaluate all its positive and negative qualities:
- Cherry belongs to the shrub type, its height rarely exceeds 2.5 meters.
- The crown of the tree is compact in size, medium dense, oval in shape.
- The leaves are dark green, narrowly oval in shape.
- The flowers are white in color, collected in inflorescences of 4-6 pieces.
- The dark red berries weigh up to 3 grams. The shape is round.
- The stone makes up 7.5% of the total mass of the fruit and is separated medium-sized.
Abundant fruiting is achieved by following the rules for growing and caring for stone fruit. They are no different from agricultural techniques for other cherries. Watering, timely pruning, adding nutrients, protection from diseases and pests - everything that is needed for full growth and development.
According to professional tasters, the fruits of the Izobilnaya variety received 4 points out of 5 possible.
What are the pros and cons
Before planting a seedling, the strengths and weaknesses of the variety that each crop has are studied.
The undeniable advantages of Izobilnaya include:
- Late flowering, thanks to which the flowers of the variety do not experience the negative effects of returning spring frosts.
- The variety is self-fertile, which allows you to save space on the site for planting pollinators.
- High frost resistance, which makes it possible to plant Izobilnaya in regions with harsh, long winters.
- Harvest volumes. Despite its compact size, cherries consistently bear fruit and produce a large number of berries.
- Long period of tree life with regular anti-aging pruning (about 30 years).
The disadvantages of stone fruit culture include:
- Small size berries.
- Late fruit ripening.
- Sourish taste of cherries.
Based on these characteristics, we can conclude that Izobilnaya has many more advantages than disadvantages.
How popular is Abundant Cherry?
The variety is respected both among amateur gardeners and among farmers who grow berries for subsequent sale on the market. Thanks to their small size, the trees save space on the site, and high yields, subject to proper care, make it possible not only to saturate the body with useful substances at the time of fruiting, but also to make vitamin reserves for the winter period.
Productivity and fruiting
During the fruiting period, the Izobilnaya cherry enters the 3-4th year of development. Every year the number of berries only increases. The first berries are harvested in August, as the variety is a late ripening variety. One mature tree produces up to 10-12 kg of fruit. Cherries are well transported over long distances, so the variety is deservedly popular on farms.
Disease resistance and winter hardiness
As for frost resistance, Izobilnaya was originally bred for regions with cold winters. Freezing of tree buds and bark occurs very rarely. However, experienced gardeners recommend covering young seedlings for the winter and mulching the soil with peat and sawdust. An adult tree does not need additional shelter.
But the culture’s resistance to common fungal diseases of stone fruits (coccomycosis and moniliosis) is average. For preventive purposes, they are treated with copper-containing preparations three times a season.
Of the insects, the tree most often suffers from aphids and slimy sawflies, which damage leaves and fruits. Timely treatment with folk remedies makes it possible to prevent a massive pest invasion.
Best Growing Regions
Although at first Izobilnaya was intended for cultivation in the Ural and Volga-Vyatka regions of Russia, over time, thanks to its characteristics, it spread throughout the country.
