Description of felt cherry varieties, planting and care, propagation by cuttings and pruning

Felt cherry, like all other varieties of cherry trees, belongs to the Plum genus. The variety is crossed with other fruit trees of the Plum genus. The homeland of felt cherries is China, which is why this variety is also called Chinese cherries. The tree produces a stable harvest and is often used as an ornamental crop to decorate gardens.

Features of the variety

Even for novice gardeners, it will not be a problem to grow felt cherries on your site. In China, Mongolia and Korea, the variety grows wild. It was from there that cherries were brought to other countries. At the end of the 19th century, the variety came to Russia.

Among the disadvantages, the life expectancy of the plant should be noted. The duration of fruiting of felt cherries is no more than 9-10 years. But if you carry out anti-aging pruning of the crown every 4 years, you can extend the life of the tree to 20 years.

Among the characteristics of the variety are:

• Felt cherry, unlike other varieties, is propagated by seed.
• The berries are distinguished by high levels of vitamins B and PP.
• In terms of the level of iron in berries, felt cherries are ahead of apples.
• The level of ascorbic acid in the berries is several times higher than its content in other varieties of cherries.

Felt cherry is rich in useful microelements. It is easy to grow, and with proper care the tree produces a bountiful harvest every year.

Varieties

Chinese cherries are divided into several varieties depending on the speed of fruit ripening. There are three types:

• Early ripening.
• With an average term.
• Late.

Depending on the climatic zone of tree growing, the terms for the same varieties are different.

Felt cherry varieties

In Latin, felt cherry is called Prunus or cerasus tomentosa. Among the popular varieties of this variety are Felt Princess, the productive variety Kurilskaya and Damanka. Varieties differ in terms of harvest ripening, yield and fruit weight. In general, there are no significant differences.

Early varieties of felt cherries

Among the early varieties are:

• Far Eastern Beauty begins to bear fruit in the 3-4th year after planting seedlings in open ground. Up to 5 kg is collected from one mature tree. The variety is light-loving; fruiting decreases in the shade. The tree is undemanding to soil.
• Chinese cherry variety Natalie has a powerful crown and average density. Ripe berries of a rich red hue. The taste is sweet and sour. The weight of one berry is 4-5 g. The pulp is dense; after picking, it can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week. Up to 7 kg are collected from one tree.
• The variety Delight is self-fertile. The tree reaches a height of 1.5 m. The berries are large, weighing up to 4 g. The shade of the berries is red-scarlet. The pulp of the fruit is juicy, with a sweet and sour taste. Not intended for long-term transportation.

Early varieties begin to bear fruit among the first among all fruit trees.

Average

Varieties with an average period of fruit ripening include:

• The Salute variety is a tall variety. The main trunk of Salyut reaches a height of 2 m. The berries ripen in July. The fruits are oval-shaped, juicy, sweet and sour. The bone is small. The advantage of the variety is frost resistance.
• Eastern Smuglyanka cherry is a low-growing variety. The berries are dark burgundy in color, weighing up to 3 g. The surface of the leaves feels velvety to the touch.
• The Yubileiny variety belongs to the Ussuri variety. The tree is shaped like an oval. The crown is not very thick. The berries are reddish in color, weighing 3-4.5 g. The yield is up to 8 kg.

Medium varieties ripen in July.

Late

Late varieties include the Okeanskaya Virovskaya variety. The plant is compact. The berries are burgundy. Weight from 3 to 4 g. Fruits without stalk. The berries have a sweet taste with a sour aftertaste. Up to 9 kg of berries are harvested from one mature tree.

Rules of care and planting

Felt cherry, like most varieties of cherry trees, is an unpretentious variety that does not require special growing conditions. To increase productivity, it is recommended to follow simple rules of agricultural technology for planting and caring for trees. In general, growing a tree will not cause much trouble for summer residents.

Landing

One of the important stages at which the further development of the cherry is determined is planting. When planted correctly, the tree begins to bear fruit much earlier and suffers less pain during adaptation to the new location. Growing cherries in the country is quite simple.

For planting, it is advisable to purchase 1-2 year old tree seedlings. The optimal planting time is spring and autumn. Seedlings planted in the spring before buds open take root best. In autumn, seedlings should be planted before the end of September. If planted later, the seedling will not have time to take root in the new place and will die during frost. Those seedlings that were purchased in October should be securely buried before spring.

Stages of planting seedlings in open ground:

• Dig a hole at least 50 cm deep and about 60 cm wide.
• Then add the soil mixture to the soil and mix thoroughly (at least 3 buckets of organic fertilizers, 450-850 g of lime, 45-65 g of phosphorus, 25-35 g of potassium).
• Cherry roots are cut to 20-30 cm and lubricated with a clay mixture.
• Then plant the seedling in a hole and bury it.
• The root collar of a cherry tree should not be buried, as this may lead to the death of the seedling.
• After this, compact the soil around the trunk and water generously with warm water.
• At the end of planting, mulch the soil around the seedling with peat or any organic fertilizer.

It is not advisable to plant more than 3 trees in one area. There will be little space for them, and the cherries will begin to grow poorly and stop producing a good harvest.

Top dressing

How to feed cherry trees after harvest:

• The first fertilizer is applied immediately after harvesting. Top dressing is applied along the edge of the tree trunk circle with 4-6 kg of organic matter, 15 g of potassium, 30 g of nitrogen and 65 g of phosphorus.
• Before the onset of winter, apply any fertilizing except nitrogen-containing ones.

Lime must be added to the soil every 4-5 years.

Watering

Cherries do not like waterlogged soils, so it is often not recommended to water them. One watering per week is enough. If the summer is dry, then you can water 2-3 times.

Crown formation

After spring has arrived, the tree is pruned. Formation is carried out every year. During pruning, 10-12 healthy shoots are left. Annual branches, on which the bulk of the harvest is concentrated, are cut by 1/3, unless they are more than 60 cm in length.

To stimulate tree growth, rejuvenating pruning is carried out every 4-5 years. During this procedure, the center of the crown and skeletal branches belonging to the peripheral ones are cut off. For convenience, you can draw a cutting diagram.

How to trim during anti-aging pruning:

• Several side shoots of the cherry tree are cut into a “ring”.
• Then, one-year-old young shoots should appear near the place of shortening.
• All stems above part of the old crown should be trimmed.

Frozen trees are pruned using the same principle.

Fruit ripening time

After planting felt cherry seedlings, the question arises when to harvest. Depending on the variety, the ripening period of the berries varies.

The main harvest begins in the summer in July. Early varieties ripen in mid-June. In autumn, only late varieties are harvested, provided that they were grown in the southern regions.

Felt cherry propagation

The main method of propagation of felt cherries is considered to be seed.This is what distinguishes the variety from other varieties of cherries. It is almost impossible to grow any other variety from seed without special skills and experience. But you can also try to grow seedlings using layering and cuttings.

Seeds

The easiest way to grow felt cherries is with a stone. For the seed method, you need to rinse the seeds under warm water and dry them in the shade at home. In late August, the seeds are mixed with wet sand and the containers are put in a cool place. In October, the seeds are sown in beds to a depth of no more than 3 cm. It is recommended to cover the furrows with spruce branches or leaves.

With the onset of spring, cherry seedlings appear in the beds. With well-organized care, the sprouts grow quickly and already in the first year can exceed a height of 40-55 cm. With the onset of autumn or next spring, the seedlings are planted around the site.

Cuttings

Cuttings are more difficult than cultivating cherries with pits. To do this, you need to have certain gardening skills and create special conditions for the cuttings.

Cuttings are cut from shoots 7 to 16 cm long from this year's branches belonging to the second or third level. They are cut with a small part of last year's wood, no more than 2 cm. Then the cuttings are treated with a growth activator and placed in the soil. 2 cm of wood and 1 cm of green cuttings are covered with earth.

Then the bed with cherry cuttings is covered with film. After deepening the cuttings, you should ensure that they are not exposed to sunlight. Therefore, it is better to make beds in partial shade. They also maintain constant soil moisture. The soil should not dry out.

By layering

Another option for propagating felt cherries is using layering. To do this, you need to place last year’s green shoot in a small hole in the spring and pin it.

Diseases and pests

Crop diseases and pests can significantly reduce the yield of cherry trees. To prevent the appearance of diseases and insects on trees, they are regularly inspected, and if there are signs of pests or diseases, then measures are taken immediately. The sooner the fight is started, the less significant the damage done to the trees will be.

Moniliosis or monilial burn

Most varieties of cherry trees are susceptible to coccomycosis. But this variety often suffers from moniliosis. This is a fungal disease that affects trees during the flowering period. Fungal spores penetrate the pistil and begin to multiply rapidly there. Then the mycelium begins to develop and enters the branches through the stalk, gradually penetrating the wood and destroying it. By the beginning of June, the tree dries out almost completely.

Most often, monilial burn occurs in regions with rainy spring and summer. To prevent the appearance of fungus in the spring during the swelling of the buds, trees are sprayed with a 3% solution of Bordeaux mixture or copper sulfate. After a few weeks, treat the trees with copper-containing chemicals.

Clusterosporiosis or hole spot

Hole spot is a fungus. The disease is characterized by the appearance of rusty spots and holes on the foliage. The disease spreads quickly, and in a few days one tree can infect the entire garden. To prevent the appearance of spotting, dig up the soil around the tree trunks every year. It is also important to feed the plants.

Before the buds open, the trees are sprayed with Bordeaux mixture. Spraying is carried out in the fall. During the growing season, the drugs “Kuproksat” and “Skor” are used.

Kokkomokiz

In early spring, trees are sprayed with copper-containing preparations. For example, “Abiga-Peak” or “Hom”. During the appearance of buds, cherries are treated with the drug “Horus”. 2-3 g of the drug are diluted in 10 liters of water and sprayed on trees. After flowering, the cherry is treated with this preparation again. In addition to using chemicals, they regularly weed the tree trunks and remove all weeds, remove fallen leaves and berries to prevent fungus from developing.

Pocket disease

To prevent the appearance of pocket diseases on cherries seedlings are planted in sunny and ventilated areas. In such conditions, fungal spores cannot develop. Cherry trees are also regularly pruned to prevent thickening of the crown. Remove weak and diseased branches.

Pests

Most often, mice cause great damage to trees. Mice chew bark in winter. Damaged areas of the trunk can only be seen after the snow has melted. To prevent mice from gnawing on the bark, in the fall the trunks are covered with metal mesh and poisonous traps are placed near the trunk.

The plum moth affects not only plums. The larvae feed on the pulp of the berries. The fight against the codling moth begins immediately after butterflies appear on the site. If the summer is warm, the codling moth can breed several generations. With the onset of the flowering period, the trees are sprayed with Decis or Altar chemicals. The second treatment is carried out at the end of July. Use "Kinmiks" or "Karbofos".

To get rid of aphids, trees are sprayed with a solution of ash or a solution of laundry soap. In addition, it is important to get rid of ants immediately.