Content
There are only 5 types of edible cherries: common, steppe, sweet cherry, felt and Magaleb. Each has its own characteristics. For example, steppe cherry grows as a multi-stemmed bush and is able to withstand severe frosts. It is she who is cultivated in cold regions.
Breeding history
The Bolotovskaya variety was created by an amateur gardener A.I.Bolotov by selective selection of steppe cherry seedlings. Further, this cultivar was tested at the Sverdlovsk gardening station. With the participation of N.I. Gvozdyukova and M.G. Isakova, a study of the variety was carried out. The selected seedling was submitted to the State Grade test. Since 1989, the Bolotovskaya variety has been recommended for cultivation in the Ural region.
Description of culture
Cherry Bolotovskaya forms a spreading bush up to 1.8 m high. The crown is of medium density, with drooping branches, the buds are located at an angle to the shoot. An oval elongated leaf with a triangular base and a sharp apex along the edge serrated, slightly wavy. It is painted green, glossy, straight. The stalk is about 8 mm long from the top of the anthocyanin coloration.
The flowers are white, with freely spaced petals, collected in 5 pieces. on bouquet twigs and last year's shoots. Fruits are dark red, broadly round, with a medium funnel. Their mass reaches 3-4 g, which is considered a good indicator for steppe cherries. The pulp and juice of Bolotovskaya are red.
The sweet and sour taste of the berries is considered satisfactory. It is rated at 3.8 points. Cherries are well attached to the stalk. The berries are not prone to cracking or shedding. The stone is brown, small (0.17 g), well separated from the pulp.
The Bolotovskaya variety showed itself well when grown in the Ural region.
Characteristics
All the characteristics of Bolotovskaya cherry varieties listed below are fully manifested only in the region recommended for cultivation. In the south, the culture will suffer from the heat, and to the north it will freeze.
Drought resistance, winter hardiness
Steppe cherry varieties Bolotovskaya are quite drought-resistant. In a rainy summer, it does not need watering at all, although it requires mandatory autumn moisture charging.
The winter hardiness of the Bolotovskaya variety is high. Even if the cherry is frozen, it will recover quickly.
Pollination, flowering period and ripening times
Cherry Bolotovskaya has a high self-fertility. She is able to give a good harvest, planted alone, and is pollinated by any varieties.
Bolotovskaya blooms in mid-late terms - the buds bloom by the end of May or even the beginning of June. This allows them to get away from possible return frosts. Fruiting is extended, begins in the first decade of August. The Bolotovskaya variety is classified as a medium-late ripening cherry.
Productivity, fruiting
Cherry Bolotovskaya bears fruit regularly. It gives an excellent harvest from the third year after planting. It should be noted that the variety is capable of bearing fruit for 30 years.Of course, this applies to self-rooted plants. You should also not neglect top dressing and rejuvenating scraps - without them, even Bolotovskaya grown from a bone or overgrowth will not be productive for so long.
Despite its modest size, the variety gives 70-80 centners per hectare. Due to its high yield, Bolotovskaya cherry is used not only in private, but also in industrial gardening.
Scope of berries
The Bolotovskaya variety is a cherry, the fruits of which have a technical purpose. Its taste is mediocre, only 3.8 points, eating berries straight from the tree is a slight pleasure. But jams, juices, compotes are good.
Disease and pest resistance
The Bolotovskaya variety is susceptible to fungal diseases, in particular, to moniliosis and coccomycosis. But the culture is infrequently affected by typical pests of cherries. Only in some years is Bolotovskaya harassed by a slimy sawfly and aphids.
Advantages and disadvantages
When it comes to the advantages and disadvantages of a variety, one should not forget about its purpose. So, Bolotovskaya cherry is a technical culture; it makes no sense to expect tasty sweet berries from it. Here, the yield and the content of a large amount of nutrients in the fruits come to the fore. The advantages of Bolotovskaya include:
- High frost resistance.
- Self-fertility.
- Drought tolerant.
- High productivity.
- The small size of the bush, which makes it easy to harvest.
- Bolotovskaya berries are not prone to shedding.
- The fruits do not crack.
- Late flowering, which allows the variety to escape from recurrent frosts.
- Regular fruiting.
- The berries are removed with a dry separation.
- For steppe cherries, the Bolotovskaya variety has large fruits.
- Low susceptibility to typical cherry pests.
Disadvantages of the variety:
- Fruits of mediocre taste, sour.
- Susceptibility to fungal diseases.
- Bolotovskaya can be grown not in all regions.
Landing features
Bolotovskaya variety - steppe cherry. This is where all of its features and requirements come from. Bolotovskaya is not capricious and easy to care for, you just need to choose the right time and place of planting.
Recommended timing
It is not recommended to plant Bolotovskaya cherries in early spring. It is placed on the site no earlier than the soil warms up well. This usually happens in May, and in the north of the Ural region sometimes even in early June.
Choosing the right place
Like all cherries, steppe cherries do not like wetlands and lowlands. You need to choose an open space or a small hill. It is important to cover it from cold winds with a fence, a building wall, or other trees.
Lighting should be good - with a lack of sunlight, the Bolotovskaya cherry will bear fruit, but the lower berries will rot before reaching full ripeness, and the upper ones will dry out quickly. They just won't tie in the shade.
Bolotovskaya steppe cherry prefers calcareous soils. In other soils, besides humus, it is imperative to add dolomite flour.
What crops can and cannot be planted next to cherries
The best neighbors for the Bolotovskaya variety will be other cherries. You cannot plant other rapidly growing shrubs next to it - the steppe herself gives a lot of growth. Then you will have to deal with the thickets of intertwined roots of different cultures.
Even after the Bolotovskaya cherry is well rooted, it is not recommended to plant ground cover under it. To reduce the amount of overgrowth and better oxygen supply, the trunk circle must be constantly loosened.
Selection and preparation of planting material
Steppe cherry reproduces well with root shoots.It is rooted seedlings that should be preferred when buying - they are less capricious and more durable. In order not to miscalculate with the variety, it is better to buy planting material in nurseries or large garden centers.
Cherry root system should be well developed, bark intact, elastic branches. Before planting, container seedlings are watered. The open root system is soaked in water for at least 3 hours. If the cherry was bought at an exhibition or its root has dried up, this period is increased to a day.
Landing algorithm
Since the Bolotovskaya cherry variety should be planted no earlier than the soil warms up, it is not necessary to dig a planting hole in the fall. Fertile soil is prepared in this way: the upper fertile soil layer is mixed with about 500 g of dolomite flour, a bucket of humus and 50 g of phosphorus fertilizers.
The hole is dug 2-3 weeks before planting. Its size should be approximately 60x60x60 cm.Further, the actual planting is carried out:
- The seedling is set in the center of the pit.
- Its root is gradually covered with a fertile mixture and gently rammed. This will help prevent voids from forming. The root collar should rise about 5 cm above the edge of the planting pit.
- A side is formed around the trunk circle.
- The bush is watered with 2-3 buckets of water.
Follow-up care of the culture
In the first season after planting, the Bolotovskaya sapling is regularly watered, the soil is loosened, and weeds are weeded out. In subsequent years, the earth is moistened only in the absence of precipitation during the month and in the fall.
When feeding with organic matter (ash and humus), additional doses of phosphorus must be added - steppe cherry needs it more than ordinary cherry. When using mineral fertilizers, nitrogen is applied in the spring, potassium and phosphorus - in the fall.
The soil under the cherries is regularly loosened and freed from weeds... Sanitary and shaping trims are carried out annually. From the age of 15, the bush begins to rejuvenate - the old skeletal branches are gradually removed.
For the winter, the Bolotovskaya cherry does not require shelter - the steppe inhabitants are able to withstand frost down to -50⁰ C. The bush is protected from hares by installing a special net - it is inconvenient to wrap it with burlap or tie it with straw.
Diseases and pests, methods of control and prevention
Cherry varieties Bolotovskaya have a high resistance to pests and low - to fungal diseases. The main problems and ways to solve them are shown in the table.
Diseases, pests | Symptoms | Treatment | Prophylaxis |
Coccomycosis | Dots appear on the leaf blades, then they grow and turn into holes. Leaves turn yellow and fall off | During bud break, treatment with a copper-containing preparation, after leaf fall - with iron vitriol | Cleaning of fallen leaves, preventive treatments, regular pruning |
Moniliosis | First, young vegetative organs dry out, then whole branches. The bark is covered with cracks when the disease is advanced | Removal of affected wood with a portion of healthy tissue. Then treatment with preparations containing copper | See coccomycosis |
Cherry aphid | Small winged insects literally cling to young leaves and shoots, sucking cell sap from them. Vegetative organs deform and become sticky to the touch | If there are few aphids, the cherry is sprayed with a solution of household soap. In case of severe damage, use the appropriate insecticides | Destruction of anthills. Regular pruning |
Cherry Slime Sawer | Leech-like larvae gnaw leaves | Insecticide treatment, for example, Aktelik | Regular pruning, preventive insecticide treatments |
Conclusion
Although Bolotovskaya cherry is a technical variety, it grows well in the cool climate of the Ural region. The berries can be used to make excellent jam, compote or juice.The variety is suitable for intensive cultivation and is grown on large farms in the Chelyabinsk and Sverdlovsk regions.
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