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Many have heard of the felt cherry, someone was lucky enough to try it or even grow it in their garden. Let's try to figure out what are its differences from other types of cherries, how to properly care for this plant and what varieties of felt cherries should be paid attention to by those who want to grow it in their area.

Description of Felt Cherry

The felt cherry got its name because of the characteristic, felt-like down, which covers young growth, leaves and even the skin of the fruit. The height of an adult tree is usually 2–2.5 meters. The maximum height that a plant reaches, even under the most favorable conditions, is 3 meters. This circumstance greatly facilitates the collection of fruits and the formation of a bush.

Felt cherry bush is short and grows mostly wide

Felted cherry has small wrinkled leaves, pink flowers on a short stalk, which become almost white after 10-15 days from the beginning of flowering. Fruits are often pink or red, but can be either white or almost black. Everyone, without exception, likes the taste of felt cherry, and because of their sweetness of the fruit, it is sometimes even called a nursery. Felt cherry ripens in less than 2 weeks. The flesh is generally thick and tender, but there are also varieties with firm flesh, reminiscent of cherries. The preparation of jams from felt cherries is significantly complicated by its bone - although it is very small, it is very difficult to separate it from the pulp.

The branches of the felt cherry are literally strewn with delicious fruits

Distinctive features

Felt cherry has great genetic differences from common and steppe cherries, therefore, it can be called a cherry rather conditionally: it belongs to a special genus of "micro-cherries" and is close in origin to plums, peaches and apricots.

Despite this fact, many gardeners note the favorable influence of the proximity of Chinese and ordinary cherries: with the simultaneous flowering of shrubs, felt cherries become even sweeter and larger.

Felt cherry is self-fertile, that is, it needs pollinators - moreover, they can be either of a different variety, or grown from the seeds of the same tree.

To get a good harvest, it is recommended to plant 3-4 bushes of felt cherries of different varieties close to each other

Felt cherry is widespread in the countries of the East. Its homeland is Central China, therefore it is often called the Chinese cherry.

The plant is quite unpretentious, therefore it can be grown not only in the Far East, but also in the Moscow region and the Leningrad region, as well as in the harsh climatic conditions Urals and Siberia. Felt cherry tolerates severe frosts (up to -25-30 degrees), but does not like winter-spring thaws very much, therefore, at the beginning of spring, it is advisable to throw snow under the trees and trample it tightly, and put sawdust or straw on top.

In addition, the felt cherry has a decorative appearance both during flowering and during the ripening period of berries: framing branches, like sea buckthorn, white-pink flowers, and later juicy oval fruits tightly adjacent to each other make it one of the most beautiful garden trees ...

Photo gallery: flowering and ripening of felt cherry fruits

Type of felt cherry during fruiting period Large felt cherry fruits often have an oval shape Blooming felt cherry looks unusually decorative
In the spring, the felt cherry is covered with beautiful white and pink flowers

Fruits ripen on felt cherry around mid-July. In addition to frost resistance, another distinctive feature of the felt cherry is the presence of immunity to coccomycosis, a widespread fungal disease of stone fruit. But, unfortunately, the felt cherry very often suffers from moniliosis.

Cherry moniliosis: symptoms and drugs for treatment

The famous breeder I.V. Michurin noted the high yield of the felt cherry, as well as the sweetness and juiciness of its fruits.

Felt cherry is characterized by a stable yield: depending on the variety, 5 to 10 kg of fruits are harvested from the bush from year to year. The cultivation of felt cherries is also practiced for decorative purposes. It also makes an excellent hedge.

Using felt cherry as a hedge

Steppe and felt cherries should not be confused: the fruits of steppe cherries are more sour and tart, and their pits are very sharp and can cause cuts in the mouth area. In addition, the felt cherry, in contrast to the steppe cherry, does not give root growth.

Video: what it looks like and what makes the look attractive

Popular varieties and their features

Natalie

This variety is considered one of the most durable among felt: the life of the tree is up to 18 years. The cherry is characterized by a wide oval shape and an average degree of thickening of the branches. Cherries of large size and medium weight - 4 g, with a dark red color of the skin, sweet and sour taste. Blossoms on May 10-18, fruits ripen in unison in mid-July. The stone is small, making up no more than 5% of the fruit weight.

Felt cherry fruits of the Natali variety have a dark red color

Princess

A short, durable variety with a broadly oval plant shape. The use of fruits with light red pulp is universal. The yield of the bush is 10 kg. Harvested at the end of July. With an overabundance of harvest, crushing of the fruits is noted: under normal conditions, their average weight is 3.6 g. Due to the increased winter hardiness of the variety, the felt cherry Tsarevna is grown mainly in the northern regions.

The berries of the felt cherry of the Tsarevna variety are unusually tasty and have a slight sourness

Attention! By analogy with the popular variety of felt cherry Krasavitsa, this variety is sometimes mistakenly called Tsarina.

Alice

The Alisa variety is characterized by an average growth rate, has an oval-shaped bush, the height of which is no more than 1.5 meters. Flowering is observed in the last weeks of May; ripening of fruits occurs in 3-4 weeks of July. Cherries with a maroon color have a red juicy flesh. Plants of the Alisa variety not only tolerate extremely low temperatures and drought, but also do not undergo coccomycosis and clasterosporia. The average yield is 8.5 kg per bush. The disadvantages of the variety include low transportability of fruits and their susceptibility to monilia at high humidity.

Felt cherry varieties Alice

Summer

One of the best varieties bred for the Far East back in 1955. Shows signs of both felt and sand cherries. In the first 2 years it grows rather slowly, blooms a little later than other varieties. The fruits ripen by July 25, remain on the tree without dropping for about a month. Cherries of this variety have an unusual shape, reminiscent of a rounded cylinder, and reach a mass of more than 3 g. Fruits have average transportability, have a table purpose, and can be stored in room conditions for up to 4 days. The maximum yield is 8 kg per bush.

Felt cherry bush of Leto variety in the phase of active fruiting

Salute (self-fertile variety)

For the felt cherry of the Salyut variety, a bush is not more than one and a half high and is 1 to 2 meters wide. Unlike other varieties, Salyut felt cherry is self-fertile. From a cherry bush of this variety, you can collect up to 10.7 kg. On large cherries of a dark pink color, rounded in shape, there is a sunken strip - the abdominal seam. The pulp is juicy, the stone is very small. Excellent taste.

Morning

One of the new varieties of felt cherry with good winter hardiness, resistant to clotterosporia and pests. The pubescence characteristic of felt cherry in plants of this variety is poorly expressed. Cherries of the Morning variety have a rounded-angular shape and juicy pulp with dense fibers. Pointed bone. The average fruit weight is 3 g. Felt cherry Morning is not affected by such a common pest as the plum moth.

The berries of the felt cherry variety Morning are delicious and beautiful, but the moth does not like them

Story

The height of the felt cherry bush of this variety is only 1.3 m. The plant has an oval shape and an average degree of thickening. Fruits are large in size, with maroon skin and red pulp. The yield corresponds to the name of the variety - more than 10 kg per bush.

Variety Skazka is undersized, but very productive

Delight

A dense cherry bush of this variety grows at an average speed and reaches a height of 1.5 m, has a wide crown. The variety was obtained in the late 70s of the last century by pollination of the Ogonyok plant with a mixture of Red Sweet, Leto and Damanka pollen. It is popular with middle lane gardeners. Fruits of sweet and sour taste have fibrous pulp, large size, prominent seam-strip, fibrous pulp and universal use. Ripens at the end of July, yield - 9 kg per bush.

The glossy shine of the Delight felt cherry is admirable

Oceanic virovskaya

The cherry tree of this variety is distinguished by its vigorous growth while maintaining its compact size. Also noted high rates yield - 9 kg per bush. The fruits are large (from 3 to 3.6 g), oval in shape, burgundy, juicy, with a sweet and sour taste and a bright cherry aroma. The ventral suture on the Okeanskaya virovskaya cherry varieties is practically invisible. Flowering is observed from 15 to 25 May; ripening of fruits - from 21 to 27 July.

Variety Okeanskaya virovskaya - the result of pollination with a sweet red mixture of pollen of varieties Leto, Damanka and Ogonyok

Damanka

This variety of large-fruited felt cherry with an almost black color is rightfully considered one of the most delicious. The yield of one bush is 8-10 kg of shiny berries weighing up to 3 g. Another indisputable advantage of this variety is its low susceptibility to moniliosis. Despite the fact that the fruits ripen later than other varieties, it is extremely popular among gardeners. Removed from the State Register, although it is a relatively new variety.

For growing in the Moscow region, the varieties of felt cherries Natalie, Tsarevna, Alisa, Damanka and Ogonyok are ideal.

Children

The height of a tree of this variety does not exceed two meters. It is grown mainly in the Far East. A bush with a broadly oval crown of medium thickening is characterized by high durability. Up to 10 kg of large sweet and sour fruits are harvested from one plant, which will please both children and adults. Self-infertile.

The berries of the children's felt cherry contain an increased amount of sugar

The dark woman

A low-growing variety with a wide spreading crown, obtained by crossing the Sand-toment cherry and the Leto felt cherry. The average weight of the fruits is about 2.5 g. The fruits have a tender and juicy pulp and are distinguished by an excellent aroma. The yield grows from year to year and is up to 7 kg per plant.

Felt cherry varieties Smuglyanka

Anniversary

The variety is obtained as a result of pollination of Damanka with a mixture of pollen from the varieties Leto, Krasnaya Sweet and Ogonyok. The Jubilee cherry bush has an oval shape, high speed growth and medium thickening. Fruit ripening occurs at the end of July. The yield reaches 9 kg per bush.

Young bush of felt cherry variety Yubileynaya

White

A mid-season variety, which is characterized by a white color of the fruit, unusual for felt cherries, coupled with the traditionally juicy sweet and sour pulp. Small fruits, medium height bush. In gardens, it is quite rare, since it does not have any advantages over varieties with fruits of traditional color.

Eastern

This variety, obtained as a result of crossing the varieties Leto and Peschanovoilochnaya, is characterized by an average growth rate, it is distinguished by a compact bush and large fruits with dense pulp. It ripens in mid-July and is durable. Productivity - an average of 8.7 kg per plant.

The fruits of the Eastern felt cherry not only look spectacular, but are also suitable for making jams, marmalade and even wine

Video: varieties of felt cherries

Features of planting and care

Since felt cherry bushes do not give root growth, it is especially convenient to grow it from seeds. The seedlings grown by planting seeds retain most of the qualities of the mother plant, and are even better adapted to local features.

Having planted a felt cherry seed to a depth of 4–5 centimeters in September, you will see the first shoots in the spring, and after 3 years, remove the first harvest from the grown bushes.

The best place for the constant growth of felt cherry is an elevated, well-lit area, not characterized by high humidity. When transplanting, the seedling should not be buried too deep into the ground, and a distance of 2 to 2.5 meters is left between the plants.

Video: growing felt cherries from a stone

How to prune and shape a bush

Already in the first years of the dynamic growth of cherries (up to half a meter over the summer), the thickening of the bush should not be allowed, and starting from the sixth year of its cultivation, pruning of rejuvenation should be carried out, which consists in shortening 2-3 old branches.

When growing felt cherries, you should be aware that most of its varieties require replacement every 10 years - after 6–8 years, the branches begin to die off, and its yield drops sharply. It should be noted that anti-aging circumcision is sufficient for a number of varieties.

Principles of pruning and shaping bush cherries

40 years ago, felt cherry was a hit in the gardens of the Moscow region. For the first 20 years since the beginning of its cultivation in this region, it was resistant to coccomycosis, did not require special care and was distinguished by high yields. With the widespread spread of this disease, the yield decreased to a handful from the bush, and the constant fuss with the removal of branches affected by the disease made many gardeners completely get rid of the felt cherry bushes.

Treatment with special preparations and feeding

To prevent infection with monilia during the flowering period of felt cherries, the trees are treated twice with fungicides (Funadzol, Horus, Skor or Strobi): first, the buds are sprayed, then the flowers are sprayed before the fruit begins to form.

For better bud swelling in spring and to protect against diseases after flowering, felt cherry is treated with copper-containing preparations (Hom, Oxyhom).

Felt cherries are fed once a year: immediately after flowering, a mixture is introduced into the soil, consisting of 70 g of phosphorus, 30 g of nitrogen and 20 g of potassium fertilizers, and also, depending on the power of the bush, from 5 to 7 kg of organic matter. It is recommended to lime the soil every 5 years.

Felt cherry, or, as it is also called, Chinese, fell in love with residents of all of Russia. It is decorative, gives high yields of sweet berries, is undemanding to care for, and is frost-resistant - all this makes it possible to grow varieties in all regions. In addition, this type of cherry begins to bear fruit from the second year after planting, you do not need to wait for years for the first harvest. So, today we are getting acquainted with the felt cherry. Description, photos and reviews of gardeners are attached. In the same article, you can learn how to plant varieties correctly, care rules.

General description of felt cherry

In this form, there are many varieties, with the best of which we will get acquainted in the further content. Now we propose to consider a general description and photo of varieties of felt cherry.

This is an openwork low tree, or a shrub, reaching a height of two to three meters. In springtime, the branches of this beauty are adorned with orange-white, pink-white or pure white flowers. During the fruiting period, the felt cherry changes its dress from flowers to berries, which can be pink or bright red beads. In general, the plant pleases the eye for a long time.

Why felted? The fact is that its shoots, the underside of the leaves, and sometimes the fruits themselves, are decorated with gentle light fluff.

This beauty now belongs to the genus of plums. Today, during the transition from genus to genus, it is called both cherry and plum. Despite the fact that there are similarities with ordinary cherries, it will not work to cross varieties. But with cherry plum, plum and peach - please!

Spread

All over the world, felt cherry has spread from Southeast Asia, where it grows in the wild. What is interesting is that in the Far East of Russia, felt is considered a real cherry. But oddly enough, many ordinary people do not plant a plant, using it only for decorative purposes. In the gardens of Europe and North America, it is a popular fruit crop, although it appeared there only in the 20th century.

Felt cherry ended up in the European part of Russia thanks to Ivan Vladimirovich Michurin. It was he who first brought the seedling, acclimatized it, and bred the first large-fruited variety Aldo.

Benefits

There are many advantages in the description of varieties of felt cherry, these are:

fruiting and ripening of berries occurs almost two weeks earlier than that of ordinary cherries;
tolerates winter and severe frosts well;
the harvest is stable every year;
decorativeness of the plant;
does not give root suckers;
resistance to disease.

Also, the advantages include the beginning of fruiting - this is the second year after planting a seedling, or the third or fourth year when grown from a seed.

As for the taste, the berries are sweet, very juicy, children especially like the taste, who themselves, without the help of adults, can collect fruits from low bushes.

The average yield of one adult plant is 8 kilograms. But reviews of felt cherries claim that if you take good care of the bush, the yield is much higher.

A good harvest from a plant can be obtained for 10 years.

According to the flowering time, the felt cherry, reviews of which will be at the end of the article, is divided into early, medium and late varieties. For example, residents of the Moscow region, where flowering begins from mid-May, should not choose early varieties.

If the autumn is long and warm, then the cherry trees may not have time to ripen the annual shoots, the growth of which becomes protracted in such a climate. As a result, such shoots freeze and die, but this factor does not affect the quality of the future harvest.

Fruit application and benefits

Photos of felt cherries are available in this article. It can be seen from them that this is a real decoration of the site! But the benefits of the plant are not only in beauty. Felt cherries are used for making juices, compotes, preserves; they are also good fresh.

lowering the temperature;
raising appetite;
antiseptic effect;
mild laxative effect;
prevention of colds and viral diseases.

The best varieties of felt cherries

Let's talk directly about the varieties. According to gardeners' reviews, the best are:

Princess. It is a winter-hardy variety, mid-season. Miniature bush - only up to 1 meter in height, oval crown, wide. Despite its modest size, "Princess" is very generous - up to 10 kilograms of harvest can be harvested from one plant. The berries are shiny, bright pink, weighing an average of 4 grams. The fruits are rich in vitamins, sweet, juicy.
Tiana. This is also a miniature bush, frost-resistant, self-fertile. The yield is high - up to 10 kilograms per plant. Berries are dark pink in color, wide, oval, average weight 4 grams.
Children's. Low bush, early ripening variety. The fruits are bright red, sweet. The plant is resistant to fungal diseases, tolerates the winter period.
Autumn Virovskaya. Winter-hardy and drought-resistant medium-ripening variety. The bush is up to 1.8 meters high, the yield is abundant. The berries are sweet and sour, juicy, bright red in color, can reach burgundy when fully ripe. Berry weight up to 3 grams. The plant is resistant to diseases.
Natalie. This is an early ripe variety of felt cherry. The plant tolerates all adversity - frost and drought, which do not affect the quality and taste of the fruit. The height of the bush is up to 1.8 meters, the average weight of the berry is 4 grams. The fruits are juicy and sweet.
Oceanic Virovskaya. This is a late-ripening variety, drought and frost resistant. The bush is round, low. From one plant, you can collect up to 10 kilograms of burgundy berries. The taste is good, the fruits are juicy and sweet and sour.
Damanka. This is one of the newer varieties. Late ripening, frost-hardy, fruits are large, burgundy, sweet and sour.
White. It is the only albino variety of its kind. The fruits are white in color, this applies to the skin, and pulp, and bones. The taste is sweet and sour, juicy. The weight of the berry is small, only 2.5 grams, no special advantages are noted. This cherry grows well in the Moscow region. mid-season variety. Gardeners plant this species not so much for food as for exotic decorative look.
Alice. This is a mid-season, winter-hardy variety. The yield is high, the berries are large.

Unfortunately, we cannot present all the photos of the varieties of felt cherries in the review. They are all very similar, only the color of the fruit and the size of the bush itself differ.

Choosing a landing site

This species can be planted both in spring and in autumn. But still, spring planting is preferable before the buds bloom. In this case, the seedling will have time to get used to the new "place of residence", will get stronger, more easily overwinter. Using our tips, you can easily find on your site the best place for her, where the bush will grow and bear fruit excellently.

The place should be open, sunny, with light fertile soil.
The felt cherry, the photo of which is in the article, simply does not tolerate acidified soil. A year before the intended planting, the soil must be calcified so that the pH reading is 5.5-6.0.
The place should be such that water does not stagnate, and the close passage of groundwater is simply unacceptable. Felt cherry does not like excess moisture; its aboveground part may simply die. There were cases that new shoots grew from the preserved root.
For a good harvest, it is recommended to plant up to three varieties of felt cherries. You can plant a tree, cherry plum or apricot nearby. Varieties of ordinary cherries are not suitable for cross-pollination, this has already been written earlier. Some gardeners do not know this, and the yield of their bushes is lower than that of those who are planted according to the recommendation for cross-pollination.

Landing rules

Having chosen a suitable site, you need to plant the seedling correctly so that it adapts quickly, gets stronger, and brings its first harvest the next year.

In the allotted area, it is necessary to dig a half-meter deep hole. It should be about 80 centimeters wide.
At the bottom, you need to lay useful baits, these are: three buckets of humus or compost, a fertile layer of earth, 400 grams of dolomite flour or lime, a tablespoon of superphosphate.
The seedling must be placed vertically in the hole, sprinkle it with earth, without burying the root collar.
Abundant watering is the first thing for good engraftment. After planting, pour water in an amount of 20 to 40 liters.
Mulching the soil around the tree will help fight weeds and retain moisture during the dry season (although the tree is not afraid of drought, mulching will not hurt).

When planting several seedlings at once, one must not forget about the distance between them, it should be at least 2 meters. This will allow sunlight to be distributed more evenly, avoiding darkening and thickening.

Felt cherry care is necessary, like all cultivated plants. It is about him that we will talk further.

Top dressing

The plant itself is not particularly picky, but if you want to get maximum yields annually, you need to fertilize every year. how to do it and what is needed?

After flowering, you need to apply 5 to 7 kilograms of organic matter, 40 grams of potash, 70 phosphorus and 30 grams of nitrogen fertilizers along the edge of the trunk circle. And so under each bush.
Fertilizers will be much more effective if the soil is liminged once every five years. To do this, you need to take 200-300 grams of lime or dolomite flour for each square meter of soil, and add it during the autumn digging period.

Pruning

You need to start forming the crown of the felt cherry, photos and reviews of which are available in this article, immediately after planting. If the seedling is one year old, then it should be shortened, leaving about 40 centimeters above the ground.

If a seedling of two years old is purchased, then it is cut like this: leave only 5 or 6 main lateral branches, shorten them by a quarter. The rest of the branches are cut out without pity.

In subsequent years, you need to regularly thin out the crown, removing old, weak and dead branches. From the seventh year of life, anti-aging pruning is necessary. Even those old branches that bear fruit well are removed.

Felt cherries are often planted as a decoration - as a hedge along the paths. In this case, it is recommended to cut it to 80 centimeters above the ground.

How to protect cherries from pests?

Plum and cherry aphids, as well as scale insects, are very partial to this type of cherry. If these pests have begun to attack your beauty, then actellik and fufanon will help.

Birds also do not mind trying sweet, juicy fruits. Of course, we will not poison the birds, we will be helped from their attacks by a blocking net.

Diseases to which felt cherry is susceptible: leaf spot, gray How to cope with a disaster? For the treatment and prevention of diseases, early spring spraying will help:

The first is carried out immediately after the snow has melted. A 3% Bordeaux mixture is used.
The second spraying is done before the tree starts to bloom. Here the mixture needs a weaker one - one percent Bordeaux or copper oxychloride.

After such prophylaxis, not a single "sore" will dare to stick to the bush.

Reproduction

Seed reproduction. Such reproduction gives the most persistent offspring, which retained all the basic qualities from the mother. Only large, ripe berries are used. Having removed the seed from the berry, it must be placed in wet sawdust or sand to avoid drying out. You need to store the seed there before planting, which is carried out in the second half of October. To do this, you need to pick up a bed, dig a hole 3 centimeters deep, bury a bone, and mulch the soil with peat on top. For the entire next season, you need to look after the sown seeds: weed, water, and fertilize. If the plants grow up to 60 centimeters before the fall, then you can transplant them to the main place. If not, you will have to wait another year.
Reproduction by green cuttings is carried out in the last days of July. It is necessary to select a strong shoot, cut it off with three internodes. Remove the bottom sheet when planting. You need to plant it in river sand, mixed in equal parts with peat. Cover with foil to create a greenhouse effect, moisturize constantly.
Reproduction by horizontal layers. You can graft on native seedlings and on other types of plants: plum, cherry plum, blackthorn. It will not be possible to graft felt cherries to ordinary cherries. The ideal time for budding is from mid-July to early August.

Today, on personal plots, as once in the best botanical gardens, you can find fruit plants from all over the world. Felt cherry is no exception, photos and descriptions of varieties of which will help to get an idea of \u200b\u200bthe culture and find a place for it in the front garden or in the garden in any region of our country.

Felt cherry is a native of the Far East region: China, Korea and Manchuria. The plant owes its name to a well-visible whitish pile on foliage, young shoots, petioles and even the skin of berries.

A plant that is very different in appearance from the wild and cultivated varieties of cherry, known in Europe, was discovered in our country only at the beginning of the last century. Frost-hardy, easily drought-tolerant and abundantly fruiting shrubs interested the scientists of the USSR. Work on the cultivation and targeted selection of felt cherry was carried out in the Far East and in the center of the European part.

Already in the 30s, thanks to the works of N.N. Tikhonova, I. V. Michurin and G.T. Kazmin at the disposal of Soviet gardeners turned out to be about a dozen frost-resistant fruit varieties and hybrids of felt cherries and sand cherries. Later, varieties were obtained that are suitable for growing not only in the south of Primorye, in the Caucasus and other territories with a rather mild climate, but also in central Russia.

Features of the choice of felt cherry for different regions

Modern varieties of felt cherries, according to descriptions and photos, are large-fruited, hardy shrub plants with a height of 1 to 2.5 meters, capable of producing up to 15 kg of sweet, healthy berries.

Felt cherry is better able to withstand such dangerous diseases of stone fruit crops as coccomycosis and clotterosporia. It is less susceptible to attacks of insect pests and is more early ripening than ordinary cherry. Already after 2-3 years, the field of planting, the branches of the bushes are literally covered with flowers first, and then with pouring ovaries.

But with a lot of positive features, and this culture has its weaknesses. It should be borne in mind that compared to ordinary cherries, its distant Asian relative has a shorter lifespan. The descriptions of the varieties of felt cherry indicate that the maximum age of the shrub is 16–19 years. In fact, in the middle lane, after 8-10 years, planting requires a radical renewal.

The selection of varieties of felt cherry for the Leningrad region and other areas of the North-West region requires special attention. Here, due to frequent spring thaws, alternating with frosts, even successfully wintering plants can grow out under a dense infusion. A similar situation arises when choosing a variety of felt cherry for the Urals.

The danger for the culture is waterlogging and humid, not too warm summers. During such periods, all stone fruit crops are at risk of infection with moniliosis, leading not only to loss of yield, but also to the death of the entire shrub.

If frequent precipitation is the norm for the region, the gardener will have to process the plantings with fungicides twice or three times per season, as well as constantly monitor the condition of the shrub, carry out its sanitary pruning, do not forget about feeding and removing fallen leaves and berries.

If you are planning to plant a variety of felt cherries in or in another region with dense, acidic, not too rich in organic matter soils, you should pay attention not only to the ability to withstand frost, but also to the requirements of plants for the soil. As a rule, the shrub grows better, bears fruit more abundantly and bears fruit for longer on light, loose soils with a neutral or slightly acidic reaction.

If the soil on the site does not meet the requirements of the plants, it is deacidified and mixed with fertilizers, sand and peat at the planting stage. Then the procedure is repeated at intervals of 4–5 years. Cherries are fed annually.

Felt Cherry Natalie

Powerful tall shrub up to 1.8 meters with a yield of 9 kg per plant. The dark red, slightly pubescent fruits of the Natalie felt cherry reach a weight of 4 grams. Berries with red juicy pulp have a harmonious sweet and sour taste. The harvest ripens in mid-July.

Felt cherry variety Ogonyok

At a height of up to 2.2 meters, the bush of this felt cherry variety looks compact and not too thick inside. Red, with a thin skin and dense sweet-sour pulp, weigh 2.5-4 grams and ripen from 18 to 26 July. According to the description of the variety, the felt cherry Ogonyok needs regular watering, otherwise the plants may lose their harvest, or the berry will be small and less juicy. The frost resistance of shrubs is satisfactory.

Felt cherry Okeanskaya Virovskaya

By the end of July, it is time to harvest from the Okeanskaya Virovskaya cherry bushes. Plants up to 1.8 meters high yield up to 9 kg of red oval berries weighing up to 3.6 grams. Fruit taste is harmonious, with a low acid content. Despite the fact that the pulp is dense and juicy, it is not recommended to transport multipurpose fruits.

Felt cherry variety Children's

Shrubs with a height of more than one and a half meters have a wide average crown density. The collection of massively ripening bright red berries is carried out after mid-July. The fruit with a thin pubescent skin weighs about 3.5 grams and has an excellent taste with pronounced sweetness and slight sourness. From an adult bush, you can collect up to 10 kg of berries. Plants are self-fertile and need pollinators.

Description and photo of the felt cherry variety Leto

In the ancestors of the Leto cherry, created by Far Eastern breeders, there is another crop - sand or bush cherry. But you can only find out about this from the description; from the photo of the felt cherry variety, it is difficult to see signs of hybridization. From the sand cherry, the plant got slow growth, especially evident in the first years after planting. Light, with an uneven red color, the fruits are quite large and weigh up to 3.3 grams. The pulp is thick and fresh. The berries ripen at the end of July, and then they can remain on the branches for almost a month. If the crop is harvested, it must be processed immediately. Plant winter hardiness is average. An adult bush gives up to 8 kg of berries.

Felt Cherry Pink Harvest

Spreading medium-sized bushes of this variety can withstand up to 9.5 kg of pink-red rounded berries. Fruit taste is balanced, with a predominance of sweetness. The average weight is 3 grams. The massive crop is harvested in the second half of July. The frost resistance of the variety is satisfactory, the plants do not tolerate excess moisture.

Description and photo of felt cherry variety Smuglyanka eastern

In the second half of July, it is time to harvest the felt cherry of the Eastern Smuglyanka variety. From undersized, only 1.2 meters tall, bushes can be harvested up to 7 kg of fleshy maroon berries with an average weight of 2.5 grams. The pulp of the fruit is tender, juicy, with a rich red hue. Plants are winter-hardy and can be used as a variety of felt cherry for the Urals and the Leningrad region. Fruiting in the form of a grafted cuttings.

Felt cherry varieties Delight

Thick one and a half meter bushes require compulsory shaping and, with good care, are capable of producing more than 9 kg of fresh large berries. Fruits with bright red skin and the same pulp weigh up to 3.5 grams and have a balanced sweet taste. Mass harvest is carried out from 10 to 20 July.

Felt cherry variety Yubileynaya

Hardy winter-hardy bushes of this felt cherry variety for the Moscow region reach a height of 1.7 meters and withstand a load of 9 kg of berries. The fruits weigh about 3.5 grams, have a good dessert taste and excellent appearance. Mass ripening of berries falls on the period from 10 to 26 July. The variety is not afraid of drought, but with a lack of moisture, the fruits become noticeably smaller.

Felt cherry varieties Amurka

Vigorous, with a rather rare crown for the culture, the bushes of this variety tolerate severe winters well, but do not tolerate excess moisture. Ripening of large berries weighing more than 2.7 grams begins in the second half of summer. The fruits sit very tightly on the branches, have a bright color, juicy pulp with a burgundy hue and an excellent dessert taste. The variety has a record yield, with proper care reaching 14.5 kg per adult plant.

When purchasing seedlings of this fruit crop, you should not believe the stories that this or that variety of felt cherry is self-fertile. All varieties of this plant included in the State Register need pollinators, so the gardener should not be limited to planting one bush. In the best case, the yield from it will be one hundredth of the possible volume of berries. For better pollination, shrubs are planted at a distance of 2-3 meters, while not forgetting about pruning and thinning the crown.

Felt cherry in Siberia - video

»Cherry varieties

Felt cherry is a fruit shrub that deserves the close attention of gardeners and breeders. This tree is of East Asian origin, and only in the middle of the 20th century was it recognized as a cultivated plant by gardeners in Europe and America. The popularity of felt cherry among gardeners is easily explained - the extraordinary taste of the fruit and the high decorative effect of the bush.

The natural habitat of the felted cherry is the mountain slopes of China, Korea and Mongolia. There is historical evidence that representatives of this species were previously found on the southern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. But they did not find recognition among gardeners and were not introduced into the culture. Presumably due to the poor quality of the fruit.

Felt cherry gained fame in Russia after it was described by IV Michurin. After experimental planting and evaluation of characteristics, he noted the importance of this cherry species for cultivation in fruit horticulture.

Felt cherry is a shrub with several trunks reaching a height of 1.5 to 2 m and a spreading crown. It is very rare to find tall plants up to 3 m or more. Perennial shoots - brown light, dense and thick. Annual shoots of greenish-brown light with three lateral fruit buds collected. Fruit formations are active for 3-4 years.

Characteristic feature shrub - pubescence of trunks, leaves and fruits. This is the protective function of the plant against exposure external factors... The hairs (trichomes) reflect the sun's rays, preventing overheating of the shrub. Additionally, this makes the fruit resistant to transportation and storage. The soft light hairs collectively resemble felt, which explains the specific name - felt cherry.

Small oval leaves with a corrugated surface. In summer they are colored in dark green light, in autumn they acquire an orange tint. Blossom simultaneously with flowers.

The flowers are pale pink, gradually becoming white. The flowering phase begins at the end of May and lasts 10 to 15 days. During this period, the decorative effect of the shrub reaches its maximum. The flowers, located on a very short stalk, densely stick to the stems, and the shrub takes the form of a large blooming ball. Flowers tolerate temperatures as low as -3 ° C.

The fruits of the shrub are polymorphic - they differ greatly in different varieties and seedlings within a species. The average weight of one berry ranges from 1 g to 4.5 g. The color of the fruits is from pink to dark cherry, less often you can find shrubs with white berries. The pulp is juicy and tastes from sweet to sweet-sour. Inside there is an inseparable small bone.

The fruiting phase of different varieties is different, from mid-June to mid-August. On average, it lasts up to 10 days. Fruit stability on the branches is high. Depending on the variety, from one bush, you can collect from 5.5 kg to 14 kg of berries.

The frost resistance of felt cherry is high - the shrub can withstand temperatures as low as -40 ° C. Average winter hardiness, the weak point of the bush is podoprevanie root collar. Cherry has a short lifespan, from 8 to 10 years.

Description of varieties of felt cherry

For better pollination and a stable annual yield, several varieties of this species should be planted on the site. An interesting option: by combining varieties with different ripening periods, you can harvest a fresh crop within 40-45 days.

Popular varieties:

Princess. Compact (1.2-1.5 m) and high-yielding shrub. The fruits ripen in the third decade of July. You can collect 10 kg of berries from one bush. Fruit weight 3-4 g, sweet taste with slight acidity. The fruits ripen after July 20. Advantages: no root growth, resistance to coccomycosis. Disadvantages: self-infertility and instability to moniliosis.
Firework. Shrub, reaching a height of 1.6 m. Fruits in early July, berries from 2 to 4 g, sweet taste. Productivity 11 kg per bush. A characteristic feature of the berries is the transverse seam on the surface. Advantages: self-fertility and high decorativeness. Disadvantages: susceptibility to moniliosis.
Story. Low shrub up to 1.3 m. Full ripening of fruits at the end of July. Berries from 3 to 3.5 g, yield up to 10 kg. The taste of berries is sweet and sour. Advantages: winter hardiness, semi-dry separation of fruits. Disadvantages: self-infertility, low resistance to moniliosis, crushing of fruits with a large harvest.
Natalie. A vigorous shrub, reaching a height of up to 2 m. Fruits ripen from 10 to 15 July. The average weight of berries is 5 g, the pulp is dense, the taste is sweet and sour. Productivity of an adult shrub is 6-7 kg. Life expectancy is 18 years. Advantages: the durability of the shrub relative to other varieties of this species. Disadvantages: crushing fruits with a high yield, sensitivity to high humidity.
Damanka... Vigorous shrub up to 3.2 m in height. Fruits are shiny, almost black in color, weighing about 3 g. Average yield 8 kg per bush. The berries are fully ripe in late July and early August. Advantages: palatability of fruits, which are considered the best among the varieties of this species, relative resistance to moniliosis. Disadvantages: self-infertility, sensitivity to drought.

Growing

Despite the species, the felt cherry is genetically very different from the common cherry and the steppe cherry, by all indications it is much closer to other crops: plum, apricot and peach.

This feature must be taken into account during the cultivation of shrubs of this species.

Selection and preparation of a site for planting

Felt cherry loves intense and diffused light. In thickened plantings or in shaded areas, the shoots are stretched out, and fruiting decreases.

When choosing a planting site, it is important to take into account the main disadvantage of felt cherries - supporting the root collar.

This damage often occurs in winter, when a dense cover of snow falls on the unfrozen soil. If the root collar is damaged, the development of root suckers stops, which leads to the death of the shrub.

Therefore, you need to choose a site on a hill where the snow cover is a thin layer. To minimize the risk of podoprevaniya in autumn, you need to shake the soil around the root collar to a depth of 7-10 cm and fill the hole with coarse sand.

The shrub develops well in loamy and sandy loam soils with a light texture and high aeration with a groundwater depth of no more than 3 m. The main roots of felt cherry are located at a depth of 35 cm, so this soil layer should be structured and rich in nutrients.

The selected area is dug up and at the same time fertilizers are applied for each 1m 2:

manure or compost 15 kg;
potassium chloride 120 g;
superphosphate 250g.

After that, a planting pit is formed with sheer walls 50 cm wide and 45 cm deep. The top of the soil is set aside for future filling of the pit. The plot and the planting pit for spring planting are prepared in the fall, for the autumn during the summer.

How to plant and care for a tree seedling in the Moscow region?

Felt cherries can be planted in spring and fall. Given the average winter hardiness of the shrub, experienced gardeners recommend doing this in the spring, when a stable temperature of + 15 ° C is established. In this case, the plant will maximally strengthen the root system and surface integuments. This gives more guarantees of survival than when planting in the fall.

For planting, choose a seedling up to two years old. High-quality planting material - a seedling up to 1 m in height, with a healthy root of at least 25 cm in length and with a mass of overgrown roots.

To fill the planting pit you will need:

manure or compost 3 buckets;
superphosphate 40 g;
potassium chloride 20 g;

These components are mixed with the deposited soil. If the acidity level of the soil is high, add 300 g of lime to them. A good option is a drainage layer at the bottom of the pit made of crushed limestone, which will regulate the acidity of the substrate and ensure that water flows out of the pit. At the bottom of the pit, you need to stick a stake (1.5 m) to tie the seedling. The recommended scheme for planting shrubs is 2x1m.

In the center of the hole, you need to form a mound and spread the cherry roots over its surface. It is important that the root collar remains above the ground level by about 5 cm. This will prevent it from deepening after soil shrinkage. The roots of the seedling are covered with soil mixture and the surface is compacted.

The seedling needs to be watered with 2-3 buckets of warm water and, after the soil subsides, fill the voids with soil. After that, the near-stem circle is mulched with peat or sawdust.

After planting, the aerial part of annual seedlings is shortened by 30 cm. In two-year-old seedlings, up to 6 strong branches are left, shortening them by 1/4.

Seedling care

When caring for felt cherries, it is important to remember the weaknesses of the shrub: thickening of the crown, susceptibility to fungal diseases and supporting the root system. The rest of the cherry is unpretentious and does not require special work of the gardener.

Basic rules of care:

Watering. Irrigation is done only in very dry weather, constantly controlling the level of humidity.
Liming. Cherries are sensitive to soil acidity. With a strong deviation from the average alkaline reaction in the bush, metabolism is disturbed. This immediately affects fruiting, therefore liming of the soil is carried out every 5 years.
Disease prevention. Mandatory treatment with fungicides in autumn and spring. This procedure is carried out in September and before bud break in the spring. For this, the tree is sprayed with Bordeaux liquid.
Top dressing. In the first two years, the seedling does not need to be fed. Adult shrubs are fed twice a season. In the autumn after harvesting, superphosphate (15 g), potassium chloride (20 g) are added to the near-stem circle at the rate of 1 m 2, in the spring before bud break - ammonium nitrate (20 g).
Preparing for the winter. Young seedlings are bent to the ground and covered with spruce branches or straw. The trunk circle is mulched with peat (30 cm).
Pests. The shrub is rarely affected by pests. Danger to cherries is only a massive defeat of the site by aphids and scale insects. In this case, chemical insecticides are used.

An important procedure in growing shrubs is pruning. It must be carried out annually in order to thin out the crown.

Pruning

Shrubs of all cherry varieties of this species are prone to crown thickening. This significantly reduces their productivity, so it is imperative to form a crown and maintain an optimal degree of density in the following years.

The formation of the crown of the bush is carried out in the third year after planting. To do this, you need to choose a sunny day in mid-March, prepare a sharp pruner and garden pitch.

Pruning is carried out before the onset of sap flow, which is activated at the beginning of the kidney awakening phase. If these deadlines are missed, it is better to wait until autumn, when the tree goes into a state of relative dormancy. Otherwise, the bush will waste energy on the recovery of injuries, and slow down the development processes. Often, the cherry is sick.

Pruning steps:

select 10-12 of the strongest branches;
diseased, damaged and dry branches are completely removed;
growths over 50 cm are shortened by 1/4.

In subsequent years, you should always adhere to these parameters, controlling the growth of increments. The annual pruning task is maximum access light into the crown.

As the bush ages, rejuvenating pruning is performed. Several side shoots are removed during this procedure. As a result, annual shoots will appear near the cut. After that, it is necessary to cut off all the old shoots located above them. A similar pruning is carried out to enhance growth and restore frozen bushes.

Sections are made only over developed kidneys at a slight slope. Thus, water will not accumulate on the cut surface. When removing whole branches, a cut is made along the surface of the annular bead, violation of this rule leads to excessive formation of tops. Large wounds must be covered with a thin layer of garden varnish.

Reproduction

Felt cherry is propagated by seeds, cuttings and layering. Each method has its own characteristics, based on which it is necessary to choose the most acceptable option. Seed propagation

When choosing planting material, it is important to pay attention to the condition of the bush. The best seed qualities are possessed by seeds of fully ripe fruits, compact bushes without drooping painful branches with shiny healthy bark.

The seeds are separated from the pulp, washed with water and dried on a dry surface in a shaded room. After that, they are placed in layers of wet sand and removed to a cool room.

Bones are sown before winter. For this, a ridge of air-permeable and well-cultivated soil is prepared in advance. The seeds are sown in the ground 15 days before frost.

Planting stages:

a furrow with a depth of 2 cm and a row spacing of 30 cm is formed on the surface of the ridge;
the bones are planted together with the sand at a distance of 50 cm from each other;
the crop surface is mulched with sawdust or peat;
after the appearance of the fourth leaf, the plants are thinned out, leaving only strong shoots;
when the seedlings grow to 30 cm, pinch 1/3 of the main root;
before the end of the growing season, three fertilizing with nitrogenous fertilizers is carried out;
watering only in dry weather, twice a week.

The seedling is transplanted to a permanent place after two years. Shrubs planted in this way begin to bear fruit after 4 years.

The peculiarity of the felt cherry is the maximum preservation of the characteristics of the parent plant when propagated by seeds. This property is quite rare and in many cultures it is manifested only during vegetative propagation.

Propagation by cuttings in autumn and spring

The main vegetative way of propagation of felt cherries is by green cuttings. Planting material is harvested in the first decade of June from young growths, when they reach 15-20 cm.

Breeding method stages:

a stalk with 3-4 buds is cut from the growth;
the lower cut is made under the kidney, observing the slope angle of 45 °, the upper one above the kidney - horizontally;
cuttings are placed for 12 hours in a growth stimulator - a solution of heteroauxin (30 ml) and water (1 l);
in the greenhouse, calcined sand (4-5 cm) is poured onto a layer of rich soil;
cuttings are planted in the substrate at a distance of 15 cm at an angle of 60 °, leaving two buds on the surface.

The cuttings will take root in 25-30 days. During this period, the greenhouse needs to maintain high humidity and regularly moisten the substrate. Before planting in a permanent place, the shrub is grown for one year in a greenhouse or on a ridge. With this method of reproduction, the shrub begins to bear fruit after three years.

Growing felt cherries is of interest not only to lovers of high-quality culinary preparations. The fruits of the shrub have high dietary qualities and are successfully used in the treatment of atherosclerosis and hypertension. Shrub and landscape designers are valued, often used in hedging or as a specimen plant.

And finally, a short video on how to care for felt cherries (including burgundy ones) in the Moscow region:

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