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Many have heard about felt cherries, someone was lucky enough to try it or even grow it in their garden. Let's try to figure out what makes it different from other types of cherries, how to properly care for this plant and what varieties of felt cherries should be paid attention to for those who want to grow it on their site.

Description of felt cherry

The felt cherry got its name because of the characteristic, felt-like fluff that covers the young shoots, leaves and even the skin of the fruit. The height of an adult tree, as a rule, is 2–2.5 meters. The maximum height that the 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.

The felt cherry bush is low and grows mainly in width.

Felt cherry has small wrinkled leaves, pink flowers on a short stem, which after 10-15 days from the beginning of flowering become almost white. The fruits are often pink or red, but can be either white or almost black. Everyone, without exception, likes the taste of felt cherries, and because of their sweetness of the fruits, they are sometimes even called children's. Felt cherries ripen in less than 2 weeks. The flesh is usually thick and tender, but there are also varieties with firm, cherry-like flesh. Its bone makes it very difficult to make jams from felt cherries - although it is very small, it is very difficult to separate it from the pulp.

Felt cherry branches are literally strewn with mouth-watering fruits

Distinctive features

Felt cherries have great genetic differences with ordinary and steppe cherries, so it can be called a cherry very conditionally: it belongs to a special genus of “microcherries” and is close in origin to plums, peaches and apricots.

Despite this fact, many gardeners note the beneficial effect of the neighborhood of Chinese and ordinary cherries: with the simultaneous flowering of shrubs, felt cherry berries become even sweeter and larger.

Felt cherry is self-fertile, that is, it needs pollinators - and 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 not far from each other

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

The plant is quite unpretentious, so it can be grown not only on Far East, but also in the Moscow region and the Leningrad region, as well as in harsh climatic conditions Ural and Siberia. Felt cherry tolerates severe frosts (down to -25–30 degrees), but does not like winter-spring thaws, so 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, felt cherry has a decorative appearance both during flowering and during the ripening 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

View of felt cherry during fruiting Large fruits of felt cherry are often oval in shape Blooming felt cherry looks unusually decorative
In spring, felted cherry is strewn with beautiful white and pink flowers.

Fruits ripen on felt cherries around mid-July. In addition to frost resistance, another distinguishing feature of felt cherries is the presence of immunity to coccomycosis, a widespread fungal disease of stone fruits. But, unfortunately, 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 felt cherries, as well as the sweetness and juiciness of its fruits.

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

Use felt cherry as a hedge

Steppe and felt cherries should not be confused: the fruits of steppe cherries are more acidic and tart, and their pit is very sharp and can cause cuts in the mouth area. In addition, felt cherry, unlike the steppe, does not give root shoots.

Video: what it looks like and what makes it attractive

Popular varieties and their features

Natalie

This variety is considered one of the most durable among felt: the life of a tree is up to 18 years. 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 skin color, sweet and sour taste. Blossoms on May 10-18, the fruits ripen together in mid-July. The stone is small, making up no more than 5% of the mass of the fetus.

The fruits of felt cherries of the Natali variety are dark red in color.

Princess

Low-growing, long-lived variety with a wide oval plant shape. The use of fruits with light red pulp is universal. Bush yield - 10 kg. The fruits are harvested at the end of July. With an overabundance of the crop, 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 Tsarevna felt cherry is grown mainly in the northern regions.

Berries of felt cherry of the Tsarevna variety are unusually tasty and have a slight sourness.

Attention! By analogy with the popular felt cherry variety Krasavitsa, this variety is sometimes erroneously called the Queen.

Alice

The Alice variety is characterized by an average growth rate, has an oval-shaped bush, the height of which is not more than 1.5 meters. Flowering is observed in the last weeks of May; fruit ripening occurs on the 3rd-4th week of July. Cherries with maroon coloring have red juicy pulp. Plants of the Alice variety not only tolerate extremely low temperatures and drought well, but also do not suffer from coccomycosis and clasterosporiosis. The average yield is 8.5 kg per bush. The disadvantages of the variety include the low transportability of fruits and their susceptibility to monilia at high humidity.

Fruits of felt cherries of the Alice variety

Summer

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

A bush of felt cherry of the Leto variety in the phase of active fruiting

Salute (self-fertile variety)

Felt cherries of the Salyut variety are characterized by a bush no more than one and a half high, and 1 to 2 meters wide. Unlike other varieties, Salut 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, there is a sunken strip - the abdominal seam. The pulp is juicy, the stone is very small. Excellent taste qualities.

Morning

One of the new varieties of felt cherry with good winter hardiness, resistant to clasterosporia and pests. The pubescence characteristic of felt cherries in plants of this variety is weakly expressed. Morning cherries have a rounded-angular shape and juicy pulp with dense fibers. A pointed bone. The average fruit weight is 3 g. Felt cherry Morning is not subject to such a common pest as the plum codling moth.

Berries of felt cherries of the Morning variety are tasty and beautiful, but the codling 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. The fruits are large in size, with maroon skin and red flesh. Productivity corresponds to the name of a grade - more than 10 kg from a 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 pollinating a plant of the Ogonyok variety with a mixture of pollen from Red sweet, Leto and Damanka. It is popular with gardeners in the middle lane. Fruits of sweet and sour taste have fibrous pulp, large size, prominent seam-strip, fibrous pulp and universal purpose. Ripens at the end of July, yield - 9 kg per bush.

The glossy luster of the fruits of felt cherries of the Rapture variety is admirable

Ocean virovskaya

The cherry tree of this variety is distinguished by vigorous growth while maintaining a compact size. Also noted high performance productivity - 9 kg per bush. The fruits are large (from 3 to 3.6 g), oval, burgundy in color, juicy, with a sweet and sour taste and a bright cherry aroma. The abdominal seam on the Okeanskaya Virovskaya cherries is almost invisible. Flowering is observed from May 15 to May 25; fruit ripening - from 21 to 27 July.

Variety Okeanskaya Virovskaya - the result of pollination with the Red sweet mixture of pollen from the 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.

Felt cherry varieties Natalie, Tsarevna, Alice, Damanka and Ogonyok are ideal for cultivation in the Moscow region.

Children's

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

Berries of felted cherries of the Children's variety contain an increased amount of sugar

Darkie

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

Felt cherry variety Smuglyanka

Anniversary

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

Young bush of felt cherry variety Yubileinaya

White

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

Eastern

This variety, obtained as a result of crossing the Leto and Peschanovolochnaya varieties, 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, it is distinguished by its longevity. Productivity - an average of 8.7 kg per plant.

The fruits of felt cherries Eastern 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 shoots, it is especially convenient to grow it from seeds. Seedlings grown by planting seeds retain most of the qualities of the mother plant, and are even better adapted to local characteristics.

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

The best place for the permanent growth of felt cherries is an elevated, well-lit area, not characterized by high humidity. When transplanting, a seedling should not be buried too deep into the ground, and a distance of 2 to 2.5 meters is left between 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), thickening of the bush should not be allowed, and starting from the sixth year of its cultivation, rejuvenation pruning 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 for a number of varieties, anti-aging pruning is sufficient.

Principles of pruning and shaping bush-type cherries

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

Treatment with special preparations and top dressing

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

For better swelling of the buds in the spring and to protect against diseases after flowering, felt cherries are treated with copper-containing preparations (Khom, Oksikh).

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

Felt cherry, or, as it is also called, Chinese, fell in love with the inhabitants of all Russia. It is decorative, gives high yields of sweet berries, is undemanding in care, resistant to frost - all this allows you to grow varieties in all regions. In addition, this type of cherry begins to bear fruit from the second year after planting, there is no need to wait years for the first harvest. So, today we are getting acquainted with felt cherries. Description, photos and reviews of gardeners are attached. In the same article, you can learn how to properly plant varieties, rules of care.

General description of felt cherries

In this form, there are many varieties, the best of which we will meet in the future content. Now we propose to consider a general description and photos of varieties of felt cherries.

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

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

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

Spreading

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

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

Advantages

In the description of varieties of felt cherries, there are many advantages, these are:

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

Also, the beginning of fruiting can be attributed to the advantages - this is the second year after planting a seedling, or the third or fourth year when growing from a stone.

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

The average yield of one adult plant is 8 kilograms. But felt cherry reviews say 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 timing of flowering, felt cherries, reviews of which will be at the end of the article, are divided into early, middle and late varieties. For example, residents of the Moscow region, where flowering begins in mid-May, early varieties should not be chosen.

If the autumn is long and warm, then the annual shoots of the cherry may not have time to ripen, 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 crop.

The use of fruits and benefits

Photos of felt cherries are available in this article. You can see from them that this is a real decoration of the site! But not only beauty lies in the benefits of the plant. Felt cherry fruits are used for making juices, compotes, jams, 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 varieties. According to gardeners, the best are:

Princess. This is a winter-hardy variety, mid-season. The bush is miniature - only up to 1 meter in height, the crown is oval, wide. Despite its modest size, "Tsarevna" is very generous - up to 10 kilograms of crop 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, resistant to frost, self-fertile. Productivity is high - up to 10 kilograms per plant. The berries are dark pink, wide, oval, weighing an average of 4 grams.
Children's. Low shrub, early ripe variety. The fruits are bright red, sweet. The plant is resistant to fungal diseases, endures the winter period.
Autumn Virovskaya. Winter-hardy and drought-resistant grade of average maturing. A bush up to 1.8 meters high, the yield is plentiful. The berries are sweet and sour, juicy, the color is bright red, it can reach burgundy when fully ripe. Berry weight up to 3 grams. The plant is disease resistant.
Natalie. This is an early ripe variety of felt cherry. The plant endures with a bang all the hardships - 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.
Ocean 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 palatability is good, the fruits are juicy and sweet and sour.
Damanka. This is one of the new varieties. Late-ripening, frost-resistant, fruits are large, burgundy, sweet and sour.
White. This 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 were 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 felt cherry varieties in the review. They are all very similar, only the color of the fruit and the size of the bush itself differ.

Choosing a place to land

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

The place should be open, sunny, with light fertile soil.
The felt cherry, the photo of which is available in the article, simply does not tolerate acidified soil. A year before the proposed planting, the soil must be limed so that the pH readings are 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 aerial part may simply die. There were cases that new shoots grew from a 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 their yields are lower than those who plant according to the recommendation for cross-pollination.

Landing Rules

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

In the allotted area, it is necessary to dig a hole half a meter deep. It should be about 80 centimeters wide.
At the bottom you need to lay useful bait, 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 a hole, sprinkled with earth, without burying the root neck.
Abundant watering is the first thing you need for a good engraftment. After planting, water with water in an amount of 20 to 40 liters.
We mulch the soil around the tree, this 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 should not forget about the distance between them, it should be at least 2 meters. This will allow more even distribution of sunlight, avoid 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 every year, you need to fertilize every year. how to do it and what is needed?

After flowering, you need to add from 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 limed 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 apply during the autumn digging period.

pruning

You need to start forming the crown of felt cherries, photos and reviews of which are available in this article, immediately after planting. If the seedling is an annual, 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 as follows: leave only 5 or 6 main side branches, shorten them by a quarter. The rest of the branches are cut 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.

Often, felt cherries are 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?

very indifferent to this species plum cherries and cherry aphids, as well as scale insects. If these pests began to attack your beauty, Actellik and Fufanon will help.

Birds also do not mind tasting sweet, juicy fruits. Of course, we will not poison the birds, the blocking net will help us from their attacks.

Diseases to which felted cherries are susceptible: leaf spot, gray How to deal with trouble? 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 carried out before the tree begins to bloom. Here the mixture is needed weaker - one percent Bordeaux or copper oxychloride.

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

reproduction

seed reproduction. Such reproduction gives the most persistent offspring that have retained all the main qualities from the mother. Only large, ripe berries are used. Having removed the bone from the berry, it must be placed in wet sawdust or sand to avoid drying out. You need to store the seed there until planting, which is done 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. The entire subsequent season, you need to take care of the sown bones: weed, water, fertilize. If the plants grow up to 60 centimeters before autumn, then you can transplant them to the main place. If not, then you 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 with three internodes. Remove the bottom sheet when planting. You need to land in river sand, mixed in equal proportions with peat. Cover with a film to create a greenhouse effect, constantly moisten.
Reproduction by horizontal layering. You can graft on native seedlings, and on other types of plants: plum, cherry plum, blackthorn. It will not be possible to graft a felt cherry to an ordinary cherry. The ideal time for budding is from mid-July to early August.

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

Felt cherry comes from the Far East region: China, Korea and Manchuria. The plant owes its name to a clearly visible whitish pile on the 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 cherries known in Europe was discovered in our country only at the beginning of the last century. Frost-resistant, drought-tolerant and abundantly fruit-bearing shrubs interested scientists of the USSR. Work on the cultivation and targeted selection of felt cherries were carried out in the Far East and in the center of the European part.

Already in the 30s, thanks to the work of N.N. Tikhonova, I.V. Michurin and G.T. Kazmina at the disposal of Soviet gardeners turned out to be about a dozen frost-resistant productive varieties and a hybrid of felt cherries and sand cherries. Later, varieties suitable for cultivation were obtained 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 cherries 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 better resists such dangerous diseases of stone fruit crops as coccomycosis and clasterosporiasis. It is less susceptible to insect pest attacks and is more precocious than ordinary cherries. Already after 2–3 years, the planting field of shrub branches is literally plastered with flowers first, and then with pouring ovaries.

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

The selection of varieties of felt cherries for the Leningrad region and other regions of the North-West region requires special attention. Here, due to frequent spring thaws followed by frosts, even successfully overwintering plants can rot under a dense crust. A similar situation develops when choosing a variety of felt cherries for the Urals.

The danger to 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 crop loss, but also to the death of the entire shrub.

If frequent precipitation is the norm for the region, the gardener will have to treat the plantings with fungicides twice or thrice during the 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 plan to plant a variety of felt cherries in or in another region with dense, acidic, not too rich in organic soils, you should pay attention not only to the ability to withstand frost, but also to the requirements of plants for soil. As a rule, the shrub grows better, more abundantly and bears fruit 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 deoxidized and mixed with fertilizers, sand and peat at the planting stage. Then the procedure is repeated at intervals of 4-5 years. Cherry top dressing is carried out annually.

Felt Cherry Natalie

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

Variety of felt cherries Spark

With a height of up to 2.2 meters, the bush of this variety of felt cherry looks compact and not too thick inside. Red, with thin skin and dense sweet and sour pulp, weigh 2.5-4 grams and ripen in the interval from 18 to 26 July. According to the description of the variety, the felt cherry Spark needs regular watering, otherwise the plants may drop the crop, 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 produce up to 9 kg of red oval berries weighing up to 3.6 grams. The taste of fruits is harmonious, with a low content of acids. Despite the fact that the pulp is dense and juicy, it is not recommended to transport universal fruits.

Felt cherry variety Children's

Shrubs more than one and a half meters high have a wide crown of medium 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 felt cherry variety Leto

In the ancestors of the Summer cherry, created by Far Eastern breeders, there is another culture - sand or bush cherry. But you can find out about this only from the description, it is difficult to see the signs of hybridization from the photo of the felt cherry variety. From the sand cherry, the plant inherited 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, fresh. 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. Winter hardiness of plants is average. An adult bush gives up to 8 kg of berries.

Felt Cherry Pink Productive

Spreading medium-sized bushes of this variety can withstand up to 9.5 kg of pink-red rounded berries. The taste of the fruit is balanced, with a predominance of sweetness. The average weight is 3 grams. The mass harvest 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 from the felt cherries of the Smuglyanka eastern variety. From undersized, only 1.2 meters tall bushes, you can collect up to 7 kg of fleshy maroon berries with an average weight of 2.5 grams. The pulp of the fruit is tender, juicy, rich red. Plants are winter-hardy and can be used as a variety of felt cherry for the Urals and the Leningrad region. They also bear fruit as grafted cuttings.

Felt cherry grade Delight

Dense one and a half meter bushes require mandatory shaping and, with good care, can produce more than 9 kg of fresh large berries. Fruits with bright red skin and the same pulp weigh up to 3.5 grams and are distinguished by a balanced sweet taste. The mass harvest is carried out from 10 to 20 July.

Variety of felt cherries Yubileinaya

Hardy winter-hardy bushes of this variety of felt cherry 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 crown quite rare for a culture, the bushes of this variety tolerate harsh winters well, but do not tolerate excess moisture. The ripening of large, weighing more than 2.7 grams of berries begins in the second half of summer. The fruits sit very tightly on the branches, have a bright color, juicy flesh with a burgundy tint and an excellent dessert taste. The variety has a record yield, with proper care reaching 14.5 kg from an adult plant.

When purchasing seedlings of this fruit crop, you should not believe the stories that one or another variety of felt cherry is self-fertile. All included in State Register varieties of this plant need pollinators, so the gardener should not be limited to planting one bush. In the best case, the harvest from it will be a 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

» Varieties of cherries

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 cherries among gardeners is easily explained - the extraordinary taste of the fruit and the high decorativeness of the bush.

The natural habitat of the felt cherry is the mountain slopes of China, Korea and Mongolia. There are historical facts 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 culture. According to the assumption due to the low quality of the fruit.

Felt cherry became famous in Russia after I. V. Michurin described it. After experimental plantings and assessment of characteristic features, he noted the importance of this type of cherry 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 are light brown, dense and thick. Annual shoots of greenish-brown light with three lateral fruit buds collected. Fruit formations are active for 3-4 years.

Feature bushes - pubescence of trunks, leaves and fruits. This is the protective function of the plant from exposure external factors. Hairs (trichomes) reflect the sun's rays, preventing overheating of the shrub. Additionally, this makes the fruits resistant to transportation and storage. Soft light hairs together resemble felt, which explains the species name - felt cherry.

Small oval-shaped leaves with a corrugated surface. In the summer they are painted in a dark green light, in the fall they turn orange. They bloom at the same time as the flowers.

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

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

The fruiting phase of different varieties varies from mid-June to mid-August. On average, it lasts up to 10 days. The stability of the fruit 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 cherries is high - the shrub can withstand temperatures down to -40 ° C. Winter hardiness is average, the weak point of the shrub is the warming of the root neck. Cherry life expectancy is short, from 8 to 10 years.

Description of varieties of felt cherries

For better pollination and a stable annual harvest, 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. From one bush you can collect 10 kg of berries. Fruit weight 3-4 g, sweet taste with slight acidity. The fruits ripen after July 20. Advantages: lack of root shoots, resistance to coccomycosis. Disadvantages: self-infertility and instability to moniliosis.
Salute. Shrub reaching a height of up to 1.6 m. Fruits in early July, berries from 2 to 4 g, sweet taste. Productivity of 11 kg from a bush. A characteristic feature of the berries is a transverse seam on the surface. Advantages: self-fertility and high decorative effect. 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 bulky crop.
Natalie. Vigorous shrub, reaching a height of up to 2 m. The fruits ripen in the period from 10 to 15 July. The average weight of berries is 5 g, the pulp is dense, the taste is sweet and sour. The yield of an adult shrub is 6-7 kg. Life expectancy 18 years. Advantages: the durability of the shrub relative to other varieties of this species. Disadvantages: crushing of fruits at high yields, sensitivity to high humidity.
Damanka. Vigorous shrub up to 3.2 m in height. The fruits are shiny, almost black in color, weighing about 3 g. The average yield is 8 kg per bush. Full ripening of berries occurs in late July to early August. Advantages: taste qualities of fruits, which are considered the best among the varieties of this species, relative resistance to moniliosis. Disadvantages: Self-infertile, drought sensitive.

cultivation

Despite the species, the felt cherry is genetically very different from the common and steppe cherries, 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.

Selecting and preparing a landing site

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

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

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

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

The shrub develops well in loamy and sandy loamy 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 must be structured and rich in nutrients.

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

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

After that, a landing pit is formed with steep walls 50 cm wide and 45 cm deep. The upper part of the soil is set aside for future filling of the pit. The site and the landing pit for spring planting are prepared in the fall, for 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 covers. This gives more guarantees survival rate than when planting in autumn.

For planting choose a seedling up to two years. 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 landing 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, 300 g of lime should be added to them. A good option- a drainage layer at the bottom of the pit made of crushed limestone, which will regulate the acidity of the substrate and ensure the flow of water from 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 pit, you need to form a mound and spread the roots of the cherry over its surface. It is important that the root neck remains about 5 cm above the ground level. This will protect it from deepening after the soil shrinks. The roots of the seedling are covered with soil mixture and the surface is compacted.

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

The aerial part of annual seedlings after planting 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 about weaknesses bushes: thickening of the crown, susceptibility to fungal diseases and underheating of the root system. Otherwise, the cherry is unpretentious and does not require much work from the gardener.

Basic care rules:

Watering. Irrigation is done only in very dry weather, constantly monitoring the level of humidity.
Liming. Cherries are sensitive to soil acidity. With a strong deviation from the average alkaline reaction, the metabolism of the shrub is disturbed. This immediately affects fruiting, so liming 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. To do 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 fall, after harvesting, the following is added to the near-stem circle at the rate of 1 m 2: superphosphate (15 g), potassium chloride (20 g), in the spring before bud break - ammonium nitrate (20 g).
Preparing for 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. The only danger for cherries is the massive damage to the area by aphids and scale insects. In this case, chemical insecticides are used.

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

pruning

Shrubs of all varieties of cherries 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 shrub 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 start of sap flow, which is activated at the beginning of the awakening phase of the kidneys. If these deadlines are missed, it is better to wait until autumn, when the tree goes into a state of relative rest. Otherwise, the shrub will spend energy on repairing injuries, and slow down the development processes. Often, the cherry gets sick.

Pruning steps:

10-12 strongest branches are selected;
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. Annual pruning task - maximum access crown light.

As the bush ages, anti-aging pruning is carried out. During this procedure, several side shoots are removed. As a result of this, annual shoots will appear near the cut point. 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 inclination. Thus, water will not accumulate on the cut surface. When removing entire branches, a cut is made along the surface of the annular influx, violation of this rule leads to excessive formation of tops. Large wounds must be covered with a thin layer of garden pitch.

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 appropriate option. Reproduction by seeds

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

The bones 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 cleaned in a cool room.

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

Landing steps:

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

The seedling is transplanted to a permanent place after two years. Shrubs planted in this way come into fruition after 4 years.

A feature of the felt cherry is the maximum preservation of the characteristics of the mother plant when propagated by seeds. This property is quite rare and in many cultures it manifests itself only during vegetative propagation.

Propagation by cuttings in autumn and spring

The main vegetative method 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.

Steps of the breeding method:

a stalk with 3-4 buds is cut from the growth;
the lower cut is made under the kidney, observing a slope angle of 45 °, the upper one above the kidney - horizontally;
the cuttings are placed for 12 hours in a growth stimulator - a solution of heteroauxin (30 ml) and water (1l);
in a 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, it is necessary to maintain high humidity in the greenhouse 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. The shrub is also appreciated by landscape designers, often used in the formation of hedges or as a tapeworm plant.

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

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