Content
Cherry Podbelskaya is a fruit tree often grown in plots in the southern regions and the middle lane. In order for cherries to grow healthy and bring a good harvest, you need to get acquainted with its characteristics and growing rules.
Description of Podbelskaya cherry
The variety belongs to quite old, it was bred back in the 19th century in Germany by the breeder Karl Kochkh, who crossed Lotovaya and Griot Ostheim cherries among themselves. The trials of the variety continued for quite a long time, and in Russia it was zoned in 1947 for the warm North Caucasian region.
The variety is recommended for cultivation in the North Caucasus and other southern regions.
Podbelskaya is a fairly tall tree with a rounded dense crown prone to flattening with age. The branches and shoots of the tree are covered with gray-brown smooth bark and longitudinal cracks, the shoots are directed upwards and slightly bent with the appearance of fruits. Cherry leaves are large, up to 6 cm wide and 12 cm long, broadly oval, green in color, dull and slightly fleecy.
Podbelskaya blooms in small inflorescences, consisting of 3-4 white flowers with rounded petals up to 3 cm in diameter. The fruits are kept on small, short petioles.
Height and diameter of the crown of Podbelskaya cherry
The height of an adult fruit tree averages 5 m. The crown is dense, broadly leafy, can reach 2 m in diameter, especially in an adult tree with significant growth.
The tree can grow quite high - up to 5 m
Description of fruits
From the photo of the Podbelskaya cherry variety and from the description of the variety, it can be established that the plant produces large flat-round berries, reaching 6 g in weight. The fruits are burgundy, almost black in color, the pulp of the berries is fibrous, but very juicy, dark red in color and sour-sweet taste. The pulp separates well from the cherry pits. The taste of the fruit is considered dessert - the tasting score ranges from 4.8 to 5 points, for which the variety is especially appreciated by gardeners.
Since Podbelskaya is a thermophilic variety and feels very good in the sun, its fruits do not bake in the sun and remain juicy. Ripening occurs unevenly and stretched out in time, but ripe berries stay on the petioles for a long time, so you can take your time with the collection.
Podbelskaya's taste is very sweet, dessert
Pollinators of cherry Podbelskaya
Podbelskaya belongs to early flowering varieties and usually blooms in early May, if grown in a warm region. Gardeners need to take into account that the variety is self-fertile - no fruit can be expected without pollinators.
For pollination of Podbelskaya, the varieties English Early, Lotovaya, Anadolskaya, Griot Ostgeimsky are well suited. All these cherries bloom at the same time, and it will be very useful to plant them side by side in the garden.
Main characteristics
Before landing Podbelskaya in a suburban area, you need to study its main features. This will help you decide if it is worth the effort to grow the tree.
Drought resistance, frost resistance
Podbelskaya tolerates short dry periods well. Lack of water for this sun-loving tree is much better than an excess of moisture; the plant reacts sharply negatively to boggy.
The variety practically does not tolerate frost even in the middle lane.
But Podbelskaya is very sensitive to frosts. It does not tolerate even weak frosts, therefore its cultivation in the Moscow region and the middle lane is associated with certain difficulties. The plant thrives best in the North Caucasus and Crimea, where winter temperatures remain mild.
Yield
In terms of ripening, the Podbelskaya cherry variety belongs to the early-middle. In the Crimea and the Caucasus, you can harvest fruits already in mid-June, in the middle lane - in early July. For the first time, Podbelskaya begins to bear fruit 4 years after planting in the ground.
Yield indicators depend primarily on the availability of pollinators. Since the variety cannot bear fruit on its own, high-quality pollination is very important for a good harvest. Also, the number of fruits depends on the growing conditions, watering and whether some of the flower buds have died during the spring frost. Under good circumstances, Podbelskaya cherry is capable of producing 30-40 kg of berries from one tree, sometimes up to 50-60 kg.
The variety reaches its maximum yield at 12-15 years of age.
The transportability of cherry fruits of this variety is normal, medium, cherries are suitable for storage, but for a limited period. The use of Podbelskaya is universal - the fruits are suitable for fresh consumption, for preservation for the winter, for making juices and compotes.
Advantages and disadvantages
Having studied the features of Podbelskaya, there are several main advantages of the variety:
- dessert taste of fruits that deserves the highest tasting assessment;
- good yield;
- versatility of fruits and their suitability for transportation for sale;
- relative resistance to most fungal ailments.
At the same time, Podbelskaya has its own shortcomings. Low frost resistance can be considered the main one. Cherry feels good in the southern regions, but in the middle lane it can freeze slightly, and it doesn't make sense to grow it in Siberia at all - the tree will die from frost. Also, the disadvantage of the variety is self-fertility, without pollinators Podbelskaya will not bring berries at all.
How to plant Podbelskaya cherries
Gardeners who decide to grow cherries need to study the requirements of Podbelskaya for planting and care. The cultivation of the variety is not associated with particular difficulties, provided that the tree grows in a warm climate.
You need to plant a tree in a sunny area
Recommended timing
Both in the middle lane and in the south, it is recommended to plant Podbelskaya in the spring - in April, after the snow melts and the soil warms up. Since the cold is very dangerous for the variety, the autumn planting of cherries is not practiced, usually it does not have time to take root before the onset of winter.
Site selection and soil preparation
It is necessary to plant a tree in a well-lit place - Podbelskaya loves the sun and does not tolerate its lack. It is best to choose a place on a hill; it is unacceptable to plant cherries near groundwater, in which case the soil will always be waterlogged and the tree will die.
Before planting, you need to dig a deep hole about 50 cm deep and wide. The extracted earth must be mixed with humus, add 1 kg of wood ash, 20 g of potassium chloride and 30 g of superphosphate.
Landing algorithm
The procedure for planting cherries looks very simple:
- The prepared mixture of earth, humus and fertilizers is poured into the hole by half.
- The seedling, pre-soaked for a couple of hours in water, is lowered into a hole and covered with earth to the surface of the earth.
- Immediately after planting, 2 buckets of water are poured under the trunk and the soil is mulched with sawdust or compost.
Before planting for the seedling, drainage is organized and top dressing is applied to the ground
When planting cherries, the root collar should be at ground level; it cannot be deepened into the ground.
Care features
Caring for Podbelskaya cherries is quite simple. In the process of growing, you need to adhere to the basic rules of watering, pruning and feeding.
Watering and feeding schedule
Watering the tree should be done with great care - excess water can cause the fruits to crack and start to rot. It is recommended to moisten the soil under the cherry trunk only during periods of severe drought during flowering, ovary formation and fruiting.
As for fertilizers, for the first time, mineral fertilizing is applied directly at planting. After that, 2-3 years Podbelskaya can be completely fertilized. Subsequently, cherries can be fed with potassium and phosphorus during fruiting and nitrogen during flowering.
Pruning
It is recommended to prune cherries annually - for sanitary purposes and to eliminate root growth. Most pruning is done in early spring, removing overgrowth and broken dead branches.
In the fall, the tree is inspected again and, if necessary, the dead shoots are cut off again, and the soil around the trunk is thoroughly cleaned of plant debris.
Every fall, the tree needs to be pruned and shoots removed at the roots.
Preparing for winter
Podbelskaya needs especially careful shelter for the winter, since it does not tolerate cold well. With the onset of autumn, the site is removed from fallen leaves and dry branches, and the tree trunk is whitewashed to prevent cracking of the bark and attacks of pests.
For the winter, the soil under the cherry trunk must be mulched with a dense layer of sawdust or compost. Previously, the earth is shed with 20 liters of water. Young cherries should also be wrapped in burlap or cardboard to prevent freezing of the trunk.
Diseases and pests
Cherry Podbelskaya demonstrates good resistance to coccomycosis, chlorosis and other fungal diseases - this is one of the advantages of the variety. However, the tree can be affected by a monilial burn, dangerous for cherries, and suffers from common insect pests - aphids, cherry flies, sawflies.
To prevent and treat ailments, it is recommended to prophylactically treat the tree in spring with Bordeaux mixture and azophos. It is also necessary to regularly dig up the ground at the roots of the cherry, from time to time whiten its trunk and process all cracks and wounds on the trunk and shoots with copper sulfate.
Conclusion
Cherry Podbelskaya is a rather demanding variety in terms of growing conditions, which, nevertheless, bears very tasty dessert fruits. It is best to grow a tree in the southern regions - in the middle lane, cherries often freeze over the winter.
When grown in the south, the variety will delight you with delicious fruits.
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