Types and varieties of cherries

Many varieties of sweet cherries have been successfully grown by gardeners in our country for a long time. However, if earlier the traditional region of cultivation of this culture was the south, then modern zoned varieties feel good even in central Russia and beyond the Urals. Purposeful selection work is being carried out in this direction, which resulted in dozens of new ones.

Sweet cherry: general description of the species

Sweet cherry is one of the oldest plants in the Plum family. It has been known for over 8000 years BC. on the territory of modern southern Europe. Its Latin name is Prunus Avium, which means "bird cherry".

What does sweet cherry look like?

Sweet cherry is a deciduous fruit tree. Its active fruiting usually begins at 4-6 years and lasts about 20 years.

Cherry tree

An adult sweet cherry is a tall, spreading tree with an egg-shaped or conical crown. In comfortable conditions it can grow up to 15 m, usually the height is 4–5 m. Differs in the rapid growth of shoots, especially at a young age. The color of the bark is brown or reddish, sometimes silvery, with clearly visible stripes. Shoots are covered with small scales.

What are the leaves of the cherry

Leaves are light green, ovoid, obovate or elliptical, shortly pointed with a serrate edge. Petioles up to 16 cm long. The leaf plate is wrinkled.

How cherry blossoms

This culture blooms earlier than other stone fruits. In Central Russia, the flowering period occurs in late April - early May. Flowers are white, five-petalled, bisexual, with numerous stamens and one pistil. The plant is self-fertile and requires pollinating neighbors for fruiting.

It is pollinated by bees and is a valuable honey plant.

Cherry ripening period

The timing of fruit ripening strongly depends on the growing region. The difference in flowering and fruiting of the same variety in different climatic conditions can be up to 1 month. The earliest ones in the south give a harvest already in early May, but usually the fruiting of sweet cherries begins at the end of May and ends at the latest in August.

When the cherry gives its first harvest

Most varieties of cherries are fast-growing and can give the first berries as early as 4 years after planting. Some begin to bear fruit later, by 5–6 years.The rate of early maturity strongly depends on the growing conditions, if the place is chosen incorrectly, the plant may never enter fruiting.

Features of cherries

Cherry differs from its closest relative - cherries - by the presence of one powerful stem, lighter leaves and larger sizes. There are nuances in the cultivation of this crop. Its root system is powerful and well developed. There is only one core root, but there are quite a few horizontal ones. The depth of their most of them does not exceed 0.2–0.5 m. The proximity of the roots to the surface makes any agrotechnical work in the root zone impossible, otherwise there is a very high chance of ruining the tree.

This culture is more demanding on the place of growth, it does not tolerate the proximity of groundwater. For fruiting, she definitely needs a lot of sunlight and the absence of cold winds. She will not feel well in swampy lowlands, on clay soils or in close proximity to other trees.

The advantage of growing sweet cherry is that it begins to bear fruit before all other stone fruit crops. However, it must be borne in mind that the crop can be completely destroyed by birds, who love these berries more than all other fruits. Therefore, it is imperative to take measures to protect against birds.

Where does sweet cherry grow

The traditional regions for the cultivation of this crop are the south of Russia: Krasnodar Territory, North Caucasus, Crimea. However, thanks to selective work, the boundaries of cultivation were significantly expanded. Now some varieties grow well even in the Moscow region, and with proper care, these fruit trees can be grown even in the Urals and Siberia.

For landing, you need to choose a sunny, well-lit place with a groundwater level not higher than 2 m. The landing site should be protected from drafts and north winds. The distance from neighboring trees or buildings should not be less than 3 m.

Since cherries are not self-pollinated, seedlings are usually planted in a group for cross-pollination. 3 m is also left between neighboring seedlings so that the trees do not compete with each other. An important condition is that there should be no other crops between adjacent trees. For example, if you plant an apple tree between two cherries, the yield will drop by half.

Cherry grows well on light loamy soils. Heavy clay soils are not suitable for growing this crop. It will grow well on the southern slopes of gentle hills, away from tall buildings and structures.

What is sweet cherry: varieties and varieties

Like most fruit crops, cherries are classified according to their ripening dates. In addition, it is distinguished by the height and type of tree, the color of the berries. They also differ in resistance to diseases and frost resistance, purpose, size and taste of fruits.

Classification of cherry varieties depending on the color of the fruit

Most cherry varieties have red or burgundy fruits of varying intensity. In addition, there are berries of the following colors:

• pink;
• yellow;
• white;
• black.

White cherry

White-fruited varieties include varieties that have a yellowish, straw or cream color of fruits with a slight blush. Here are the main ones:

• Bordeaux white.
• Winkler is white.
• Zaslonovskaya.

Such berries can be used for any canning, as well as consumed fresh.

Yellow cherry

Sweet cherries with yellow fruit color are becoming more and more popular. They differ in uniform yellow or bright yellow color.

These include the following:

• Appetizing.
• Aelita.
• Bigarro is yellow.
• General's.
• Summer resident.
• Drogana is yellow.
• Leningrad yellow.
• Backyard yellow.
• Rossoshanskaya gold.
• Franz Joseph.
• Chermashnaya.
• Amber.

Yellow cherry is tasty and healthy. It differs only in low keeping quality and transportability. If there is too much moisture in the soil, the fruits may crack.

Red cherry

Cherry varieties are classified as red, the fruits of which are colored red of varying intensity. This group is the most numerous.

This includes the following representatives:

• Adeline.
• Bakhor.
• Bull heart.
• Valery Chkalov.
• Vasilisa.
• Veda.
• Iput.
• Italian.
• Large-fruited.
• Lena.
• People's
• Ovstuzhenka.
• Farewell.
• Regina.
• Homeland.
• Tyutchevka.

Pink cherry

Sweet cherries with pink fruit color are not as common as red ones. Most varieties with this berry color are dessert varieties.

This includes types such as:

• Bryansk pink.
• Leningrad pink.
• Orlovskaya.
• Early pink.
• Pink pearls.
• Fatezh.
• Yulia.

Black cherry

Black cherries include cherries with maroon, almost black fruit color. It is generally best suited for transport and storage.

Black includes the following:

• Vasilisa.
• Dyber is black.
• Ilchishin.
• Kuban black.
• Leningrad black.
• Astakhov's favorite.
• Melitopol.
• Mlievskaya.
• Jealous.
• Regina.
• Rossoshanskaya.
• French black.
• Black Prince.
• Black sweetness.

Systematization of cherry varieties by ripening dates

In total, there are three main groups, into which all cherry varieties are divided according to the ripening period. These are early (late May-early June), mid-season (late June-early July) and late (late July-early August).

Early cherry: photos, varieties, description

Early ripe cherries can please the gardener with the taste of ripe berries already at the end of May. Here are the most common early ripening varieties:

Valery Chkalov... Quite widespread, ripens in early June.

The berries are large, with an average weight of 7-9 g, burgundy in color. Productivity - 50-60 kg per adult tree.

Melitopol early... Ripens in early June.

Berries of average weight 6–7 g, dark red. The yield is about 50 kg per tree. Fruits for universal use, suitable for home canning and fresh consumption.

Mayskaya... Ripens in late May – early June.

An exceptionally dessert variety, suitable only for fresh consumption. Berries are bright red, small, 3–4 g in weight. Productivity from one tree is up to 40 kg.

Backyard. Very popular, ripening in early June.

The berries are yellow with a bright blush. Their average weight is 5-6 g, the total yield is up to 85 kg. The fruits tolerate transportation well and can be used both for fresh consumption and for canning.

Cherry, medium ripening

Mid-season varieties include varieties that ripen from mid-June to mid-July. As a rule, they are all universal in their purpose, have good taste characteristics and have good transportability. Here are some of the representatives of this group.

Jealous. Berries are dark red in color, ripening by mid-July.

The average fruit weight is 5–5.5 g. It is resistant to cracking even in high humidity conditions. A very popular variety due to its high winter hardiness. The yield is high.

Fatezh. No less popular, it is grown not only in the European part of Russia, but also beyond the Urals.

The berries are small, 4.5–6 g, pale yellow with a beautiful blush. The average yield is about 30 kg per tree, with good agricultural technology and in a favorable climate, it can be increased by 1.5-2 times. A versatile variety with good transportability.

Vasilisa. One of the largest-fruited varieties. The mass of berries can range from 11 g and above.

The yield is about 30 kg per tree, but with proper cultivation it can reach 50 kg or more. The variety is also good because the first berries on the tree can appear as early as the second year after planting. Versatile, good for any use. Excellent appearance combined with good taste and transport stability of the fruit makes it one of the most commercially attractive.

Surprise. Has good frost resistance and excellent heat and drought tolerance.

The berries are dark red, large, weighing up to 10 g. The yield is high. Universal purpose.

Late varieties of cherries

Late varieties usually have good taste and aroma, and due to the thicker skin, increased resistance to transportation. Here is some of them.

Tyutchevka. Well known and loved by many. Ripens at the end of July.

It has good performance in all respects, its only drawback can be considered the tendency of berries to crack in excessively humid weather. The berries are of medium size and weight (about 7 g), the yield is high.

Regina. Quite fruitful and resistant to frost, heat and disease, the result of the work of German breeders. Ripens at the end of July, under unfavorable weather conditions and later.

Fruits are dark crimson in color, rather large, 8.5–11 g, for universal use. The yield can reach 40 kg from one tree and more.

Bryansk pink. Ripens in early August.

The berries are medium-sized, their average weight is 4.5–5.5 g. A universal variety, suitable for canning or fresh consumption. There is a noticeable bitterness in the taste of the berries, which is evaluated negatively by many.

Self-fertile varieties of cherries

The term "self-fertility" is practically not applicable to most varieties of sweet cherries. This plant does not pollinate itself and requires a number of pollinating trees for normal fruiting. However, many still use this characteristic when describing.

What does "self-fertile cherry variety" mean?

A tree that sets 15-40% of the total number of flowers is considered self-fertile. If the number of ovaries is less than 4%, the plant is considered self-fertile. Intermediate values ​​allow the variety to be called partially self-fertile.

Numerous experiments carried out with various varieties of cherries did not reveal self-fertility above 35%. The bulk has a much lower percentage (5-10), which allows us to speak of them only as partially self-fertile.

Self-pollinated cherry varieties

There are not many varieties of sweet cherries capable of producing crops without cross-pollination. Here is some of them:

• Bereket.
• Valery Chkalov.
• Mountain girl.
• Danna.
• Pridonskaya.
• Backyard yellow.

Pollinating varieties for self-fertile cherries

Most cherry varieties require cross-pollination to set fruit. Anyone blooming at the same time can do this. It is enough just to put them next to each other.

What is a "self-fertile cherry variety"

Most cherry varieties are self-sterile, that is, they cannot pollinate themselves. Moreover, whole groups of varieties can be self-sterile. Therefore, to obtain a harvest, a pollinator is a prerequisite.

How to choose the right pollinator variety

For a guaranteed harvest, it is recommended to plant at least three different varieties of sweet cherries that coincide in terms of flowering. Iput is most often used as a pollinator; it is a fairly universal species that coincides in flowering time with many others.

Classification of cherry varieties depending on the height of the tree

The cherry tree itself is quite tall. However, it is inconvenient to work with such a high crown, it is impossible to cut it off, and the upper tier of fruits is guaranteed to go to the birds. Therefore, more and more gardeners give preference to low-growing trees, growing them on a dwarf rootstock or shaping it in the form of a short bush.

Dwarf cherry

The undoubted plus of dwarf trees is the ability to completely cover them for the winter, due to which winter hardiness can be significantly increased. Such trees can be planted both for harvesting and for decorative purposes.

The most famous varieties of dwarf cherries are:

• Winter pomegranate.
• Saratov baby.

Low-growing varieties of cherries

Low-growing trees are 2.5–3 m high. These varieties include the following:

• Kid.
• Fatezh.
• Original.
• Weeping.

Currently, breeders from different countries are conducting research in this area. With the help of radiation suppression of the tall gene, Canadian scientists obtained clones of the Compact Lambert and Compact Stella varieties with a low crown.

Medium-sized varieties of cherries

Most of the formed trees are 3.5–5 meters high. This is the standard height that allows you to work with the crown using a variety of devices (ladders, stepladders, etc.). Medium-sized varieties include:

• Tyutchevka.
• Iput.
• Leningrad black.
• Jealous.
• Ovstuzhenka.
• Melitopol early.
• Italian.

Tall cherry varieties

Tall varieties can fully realize their fruit potential. However, working with such a high crown is rather inconvenient; processing and harvesting takes a lot of time. Tall trees are usually grown in the southern regions of the country, without limiting the growth of the trunk in height and performing only sanitary pruning.

The tall varieties are as follows:

• Bigarro is yellow.
• General's.
• Drogana is yellow.
• Krasnodar early.
• Large-fruited.
• Leningrad yellow.
• Leningrad pink.
• Backyard yellow.
• Franz Joseph.
• Amber.

Separation of cherry varieties by taste characteristics

Cherry fruits contain sugar and organic acids, depending on the concentration of which the taste of the berries will change from sweet and sour to sweet. Sweeter ones are used fresh, for the production of juices and in winemaking, berries with sourness are often canned by adding one or another percentage of sugar.

What is the most delicious and sweet cherry

There are no comrades to taste and color, so the most delicious cherries probably do not exist. Among the varieties that have the highest tasting score for taste, the following can be distinguished (table).

The sweetest are Yaroslavna and Ovstuzhenka, which contain 14.2 and 13% sugar content, respectively.

Large cherries

Undoubtedly, the large size of the fruit is always pleasing to the gardener's eye. Among the varieties of cherries, there are also champions. Such large-fruited include those that have a fruit weight of 7 g and above. Here is some of them:

• Annushka (9-10 g).
• Bovine heart (7-10g).
• Vasilisa (11-14 g).
• Friendship (10-11 g).
• Donetsk beauty (7-10 g).
• Italian (7-8 g).
• Narodnaya (7-10 g).

Popular varieties of cherries

The popularity of a particular cherry variety is often dictated by the climatic conditions of the region, and not by the preferences or wishes of the gardener. Therefore, in the Central region and the Volga region, frost-resistant varieties are popular, such as Revna, Iput, Fatezh, Ovstuzhenka, Tyutchevka. The same varieties are preferred by gardeners of Siberia and the Urals.

In the more southerly areas, the choice is wider. This culture is grown there not only for personal consumption, but also for commercial purposes. Therefore, preference is given to large-fruited varieties with good resistance to transportation: Yaroslavna, Large-fruited, Annushka, Druzhba, Regina, etc.

Harvest varieties of cherries

Do not forget that the yield of a tree largely depends not on the variety, but on the growing conditions: climate, soil composition, regularity of fertilizing, watering. Affects yield and pruning. With good care, the number of berries harvested from a tree can exceed the average by several times. Among the varieties that consistently give a high yield, the following can be noted:

• Farewell.
• Yaroslavna.
• Tyutchevka.
• Cordia.
• Dyber is black.
• Dzherelo.
• Franz Joseph.
• Donetsk beauty.

Imported varieties of sweet cherries

The rapidly developing Internet commerce has led to the fact that more and more varieties of foreign selection began to appear in Russia.These include the already mentioned German Drogana Zheltaya, Regina, Czech Cordia. Many varieties of sweet cherries are imported from the USA and Canada. These are varieties such as:

• PC 7217-8.
• Sunburst.
• Kootenay.
• Skeena.
• Sweethtart.
• Staccato and others.

New varieties of cherries

Breeding work does not stand still, and new specimens appear quite regularly. Recently emerging promising varieties include the following:

• Madonna.
• Caucasian improved.
• Morning of the Kuban.
• Sasha.
• South.
• Ruby Kuban.
• Black eyes.
• Velvet.
• Enchantress.
• Contrasting.
• Announcement.
• Poppy.
• Scarlet.

All these varieties are the result of the labor of domestic breeders, and it is possible that in the near future, many of them will take their place in the gardens of our country.

Unpretentious cherry varieties

Cherries need care and the "plant and forget" option will not work with it. However, there are some varieties that, even with minimal maintenance, are capable of showing good stable yields. These include:

• Jealous.
• Ovstuzhenka.
• Narodnaya Syubarova.

You cannot leave trees completely without care. This will lead to a rapid thickening of the crown, the development of diseases, and crushing of berries.

Which variety of cherries to choose

When choosing cherries for planting, it is worth, first of all, to pay attention to the zoned varieties that are most suitable for the growing region. If there are none, you should choose the most suitable for the climate. Personal experience or advice from experienced gardeners can play an important role.

Conclusion

Many varieties of sweet cherries are capable of producing a good stable yield. Among them are both new and well-known and loved by gardeners. With the modern richness of choice, everyone can find the variety that suits all the indicators, you just need not be afraid of the amount of work and comply with the required deadlines.

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