Description of frost-resistant, productive and low-growing self-fertile cherry varieties

In nature, there are many more self-sterile varieties of plants (this is how crops protect their species from extinction under constantly changing environmental conditions), which, in order to form the ovary (and then the fruit), need pollen from other plants of their species to fall on the pistils of their flowers, but it is desirable of a different variety.

However, there are also self-fertile plants, including such a beloved fruit crop as cherry. That is, those for which, for the process of pollination and further fruit set, only pollen from their own flowers is enough, and they do not even need to open completely; fertilization will take place in a covered bud.

• Which fruit trees and bushes are self-fertile, and which need a pair

  We understand the concepts of self-fertility, self-sterility and partial self-fertility of plants.

And many gardeners “hunt” for precisely these self-fertile cherry varieties, by planting which you can get a harvest even under unfavorable conditions - the absence of pollinating insects, cold rainy or windy weather, the inability to plant trees of pollinating varieties, etc. Yes, the yield is smaller than from self-sterile varieties (fertilization with their own pollen occurs in approximately 50% of flowers), but still quite stable.

Why not absolutely? Because self-fertility, strictly speaking, is itself an unstable indicator. The same variety can exhibit stable self-fertility or be only partially self-fertile in different climatic zones and even in the same zone, but in different years.

Partial self-fertility is an intermediate option between self-fertile and self-sterile varieties, when about 5-15% of the fruits are set without “external help”. And this is where the same pollinating varieties will come to the rescue, helping the partially self-fertile plant to set more fruits. So even if you hope to harvest only from self-fertile trees and shrubs, still do not be lazy to plant at least a few single plants of pollinator varieties of this species in your garden, so to speak, just in case. In general, the rule works - the wider the variety of trees and shrubs on the site, the larger and more stable the harvests will be.

We bring to your attention sweet self-fruitful cherry varieties for the middle zone, proven and loved by gardeners.

What does self-sterile cherry mean? Self-fertile cherry

Self-fertile cherries are a real boon for gardeners. This tree variety can pollinate itself. They are easy to care for and will do well in a small garden plot. At the moment, there are many varieties, and choosing the right one will not be difficult. In general, all varieties can be divided according to the type of pollination:

• self-fertile cherry;
• partially self-fertile;
• self-sterile.

If everything is clear with self-fertile cherries (pollen from one tree is used), then in other species everything goes a little differently. Thus, partially self-fertile ones are not able to pollinate all the flowers with their own pollen (only about 50%), and some of them need external pollinators (related trees, bees).

Note! Some fruit trees, such as pears, plums, apple trees, interfere with the pollination of cherries, so it is not recommended to plant them nearby.

What a self-sterile cherry means is also not difficult to figure out. This is the largest group of ordinary varieties, the pollination process of which directly depends on the ingress of pollen from another tree into the flower. These include Miracle, Chernokorka, and Alpha cherries. Gardeners try to plant these varieties next to self-fertile varieties or other related trees to ensure pollination and fruit set.

In addition, varieties are divided into different types according to ripening time (early ripening, mid-ripening), fruit size (large-ripening, mid-ripening), resistance to cold (winter-hardy) and the size of the tree itself (short, tall).

The most frost-resistant ones grow in the north. Among them, Molodezhnaya and Nord-Star have gained the most popularity. However, the largest harvest can be expected from southern cherries (Garlyanda, Lyubskaya), which are considered the sweetest. The optimal middle option is medium-term varieties that are moderately sweet and stable (Turgenevka, Vladimirskaya).

low growing trees

Cherry varieties whose height does not exceed 2 m are considered low.

Anthracite

The berries are attractive, black and burgundy, large (5 g). The taste is good (4 points). The ripening period is medium-late. The dwarf crown grows no higher than 2 m. The variety bears fruit abundantly and winters well, but does not have complete resistance to disease.

Morel Bryansk

The cherry is short-stemmed, spreading, with a dense weeping crown. The ripening period is very late. The berries are black and red, with a dessert sourness (4.5 points). This high-yielding variety is less susceptible to infections.

Mtsenskaya

The trees are low, spreading, early-bearing. They winter well and do not suffer from moniliosis. Berries weight 3.4 g; tasting score 4.2 points. The bone is detachable. The harvest is harvested in the mid-late period.

How the felt cherry is pollinated. Description of felt cherry

The shrub received its name for the abundance of felt-like fibers that cover the foliage, young branches, petioles and berries. The plant reaches a height of one to three meters. Its corrugated leaves have jagged edges and are pointed at the ends. They are located on short, barely noticeable petioles and grow up to 7 cm in length.

Felt cherry (lat. Prunus tomentosa) is a species of cherry, currently belongs to the genus Prunus (lat. Prunus) and the Rosaceae family.

Felt cherry

The fruit bush has a superficial root system located at a depth of 35-40 cm, and a dense crown with numerous rough branches. Felt or velvet cherry is distinguished by copper-brown bark, which has a darker shade in places. Its shoots are green or greenish-brown.

With the onset of spring, when it’s time to bloom and the foliage on the branches has barely appeared, the felt cherry bush is covered with a thick haze of pink or white flowers. In this case, flowers on short stalks initially have a pink tint, but later acquire an even white color.

Far Eastern cherries begin to bloom in early, middle or late May. At this time, the garden is filled with its delicate aroma. Abundant flowering continues for two weeks.

On a note! The self-fertile felt cherry bush contains both male and female flowers. Pollination will be of better quality if you plant plants close to each other, at a distance of about two meters, 3 or 5 in a group.

The seedling begins to bear fruit in the second year after planting. When propagated by seeds - in the fourth year of life, and when cuttings - in the third. On average, you can collect about 5 kg of berries from one bush.

The fruits are mostly red, depending on the variety, they can be pink, white and even black. Their pleasant sweet taste has no sourness. The berries with a small seed inside ripen for two weeks, acquiring a characteristic softness and loose structure. However, some varieties, such as sweet cherries, can be quite dense. Ripening occurs in late July or early August.

Varieties suitable for cultivation in central Russia

These varieties have average frost resistance. Little susceptible to fungal diseases. The most suitable varieties for this region are “Sashenka” and “Garlyanda”

Sashenka is a tree 4 meters high, with a medium crown. Steadily begins to bear fruit in the 5th year of ripening. The variety is not susceptible to fungus and garden parasites. The fruits are medium-sized and round in shape. Ripening begins in early July.

Garland is a tree 3 meters high, a very dense crown with dark green leaves. The berries are large in size, dark in color, and have a small seed. Fruits when the tree reaches 3 years of age. Ripening occurs in mid-June. The variety is not susceptible to garden parasites and has good resistance to drought and frost.

Today, science does not stand still. Every year, breeders develop new and improve existing varieties of cherries. With the right variety and timely care, cherries can produce a rich harvest every year.

This is self-sterility. What does a self-sterile variety mean?

The cherry is self-fertile. Varieties for any region

​Only cross-pollination is possible. In my opinion, such apple trees have no pollen and the apples will be of the variety that pollinators will bring from the apple trees.​

​One more tree is required - of the opposite sex.​

There are also partially self-fertile varieties that have a tendency to parthenocarpy (bearing fruit without pollination). But this trait is not constant, it varies depending on weather conditions, place of cultivation, agricultural technology, etc. And in all cases, even self-fertile varieties always produce a greater yield in the presence of pollinating varieties.​

Apricot's, or common apricot (lat. Prúnus armeniáca) - tree; a species of the genus Plum of the Rosaceae family, as well as the fruit of this tree. Apricot is also called yellow plum, morella, dried apricot, polenta, apricot.​

​Self-fertility or Autofertility is the ability of plants to produce normal seeds during self-pollination.​

​Take the rebar and hit it on the trunk. Just don’t peel off the bark.​

​This is the same as self-sterile honeysuckle (and it is generally all self-sterile): you can even threaten with a saw, even knock with a rebar, even dance with tambourines, but until a second variety appears, it will not bear fruit!​

​At the first pruning, you need to remove shoots that extend at an acute angle, select branches for the skeleton and cut them to 50-60 cm, intermediate branches to 25 cm. There is no need to cut out those that extend at a right angle. The conductor remains 20 cm above the side branches. Pruning is done every spring, and damaged, unnecessary branches that shade the crown are removed.

​If you are deciding where to buy trees, the answer is clear - in well-established nurseries and botanical gardens. Only there will you be offered varieties that are guaranteed to be suitable for cultivation in your area. Cherries begin to bear fruit in 4 years, which means that a poorly chosen seedling will undo your four years of work.​

​An early ripening variety, which is especially valued in the northern regions, includes self-fertile cherries of the Garlyanda variety. In addition, its fruits are large, bright, dense, but juicy. The taste is sweet and sour. They tolerate transportation and storage well.​

The apricot variety is self-sterile. Does this mean that if there are no other apricots nearby, there will be no harvest?

Disease resistant

Fungal infections cause significant harm to cherry plants. In the conditions of the Moscow region, the most harmful of them are coccomycosis, moniliosis, perforated spot (klyasterosporiosis). Modern cherry varieties that have complex resistance to pathogens should definitely be planted on your site.

See also: How to properly plant and care for cherries

Bystrinka

The trees are early-bearing and not very tall. They winter without problems. The ripening period is characterized as average. The berries weigh 3.6 g and are rated 4.3 points in taste.

Kharitonovskaya

This cherry is mid-season, with annual fruiting. The tree height is moderate. The berries are dark red on the outside and orange on the inside. They are very tender and tasty (4.75 points). Fruit detachment is dry. The stone is detachable and large.

Bryansk Shpanka

The variety is short-trunked, medium-sized, self-fertile. Ripens early. The skin of the berries is pink, the juice is the same color, and the pulp is creamy. The taste is sour (3.7 points); fruit size 4 g. Productivity is high.

Balaton cherry pollinators. Balaton cherry

Cherry “Shpanka” is a hybrid of folk selection of Ukrainian origin. The parent varieties were popular varieties of cherries and sweet cherries in Ukraine. “Shpanka” has become widespread in the southern regions, Ukraine and Moldova.

Cherry “Shpanka”: description of the variety

The Shpanka tree is powerful and tall, up to 6 meters high. The trunk and branches are covered with dark brown bark, and young shoots have light brown bark. The leaves are large, ellipsoidal, up to 8 centimeters long. The leaves are green at the base and dark green as they move towards the top. The flowers are large, five-petaled, white, collected in inflorescences of 2-3 pieces.

The fruits of "Shpanka" are large, weighing 4-5 grams. Their shape is rounded and flattened, the diameter is 1 centimeter. The color of the skin of cherries is dark burgundy, sometimes with a dark brown tint. The pulp is light yellow, dense, homogeneous, juicy. The taste of cherries is pleasant, sweet and sour. The bone is well separated from the pulp.

There are several more varieties of “Shpanka”. “Shpanka dwarf” - up to 3 meters high, “Shpanka Bryanskaya” - a medium-growing variety 3-4 meters high, “Shpanka Kurskaya” - up to 4 meters high, “Shpanka Shimskaya” - a variety adapted to the conditions of the Pskov, Novgorod and Leningrad regions. There is also “Shpanka Donetskaya” - bred on the basis of the cherry variety “Donchanka” and cherry “Valery Chkalov”, and “Shpanka Rannyaya” - the variety ripens at the end of June.

“Shpanka” begins to bear fruit late – 5-6 years after planting. However, on rootstocks, fruiting begins 2-3 years after planting. The variety is productive and produces up to 35-40 kilograms of fruit per tree. The variety is self-fertile and requires pollinators.

The advantages of "Shpanka" are: frost resistance down to -35 degrees, drought resistance, good and stable yield, good transportability of berries. Disadvantages include: tall tree, late entry into fruiting, fragility of branches, need for regular pruning.

Cherry "Shpanka": planting and care

“Shpanka” is recommended to be planted near fences and borders to create additional protection for seedlings from the wind. The best time for planting in the southern and central regions of Russia is autumn, around the end of September a month before the soil freezes. In the eastern regions, it is better to plant Shpanka in the spring, in April, after the soil has warmed up sufficiently.

If groundwater is close to the ground in the area, it is better to plant cherry trees in sunny and elevated places. The Shpanka cherry variety takes root best on loose, fertile soils, the acidity of which is close to neutral. Acidic soils are limed: on sandy loam soils, 400–500 grams of lime per 1 square meter are added to the soil, on heavy loamy soils - 600–800 grams. The lime is thoroughly ground with the soil to avoid burning the root system of the seedling.

Pits for spring planting of cherries are prepared in the fall: the depth of the hole is 50 centimeters, the diameter is 100 centimeters. The dug up soil is mixed with a bucket of compost or humus, 150–200 grams of simple superphosphate and 100 grams of potassium fertilizer. In addition, up to 500 grams of reverse ash are added to the mixture. For autumn planting, pits are prepared at least 2 weeks in advance.

When planting, don't forget about pollinators. The best pollinators for the variety are: “Griot Ukrainian”, “Griot Ostgeimsky”, “Stoikaya”.

“Shpanka” is famous for its drought resistance and can go without watering for a month at a temperature of +35–40 degrees. However, twice during the growing season the tree needs abundant watering. This is the flowering period - late April - May and the period of fruit ripening - from mid-June. During these periods, about 20–30 liters of water must be poured daily under each tree, otherwise the taste of the fruit will deteriorate significantly.

Cherries are also fed according to the usual scheme: spring - nitrogen fertilizers, autumn - phosphorus and potassium, and the crown is regularly pruned to prevent its thickening.

Frost resistance and winter hardiness - what is the difference?

Let's start with the most important thing: frost resistance and winter hardiness are not the same thing. Frost resistance

– the ability of plants to withstand extremely low winter temperatures.
We are talking about short-term frosts -30...35°C. Winter hardiness
is the ability of plants to calmly tolerate long-term low temperatures during the rest period. From late autumn to early spring, plants fall into “deep sleep”, and winter hardiness allows them to easily tolerate:

• Return frosts – extremely low January and February temperatures
• Autumn frosts, when the temperature drops sharply below 0
• Spring frosts, when sub-zero temperatures come after the spring thaw

Frost resistance

- just one sign, winter hardiness - a set of characteristics that allow plants to overwinter in our region without problems. For the Moscow region, frost-resistant crops are not so important because... Truly severe frosts that last for several weeks are extremely rare. But a series of thaws and frosts, snowless winters and deep freezing of the soil are becoming more and more common. Therefore, we recommend choosing winter-hardy varieties of fruit trees and flowering shrubs for the garden.

Winter hardiness

– a complex property consisting of many characteristics. Truly winter-hardy varieties are plants that can withstand cold, frost and all natural disasters of autumn, winter and spring. For example, winter-hardy varieties of apple trees feel normal during frosts and thaws from November to March, quickly recovering from minor frostbite. But frost-resistant crops are unlikely to withstand temperature swings that are unusual in the frosty -45°C regions for which breeders bred them. Winter-hardy varieties must have several characteristics at once:

• Frost resistance at the beginning of winter
• Frost resistance to extreme sub-zero temperatures in mid-winter
• Resistance to sudden cold snaps and frosts after a thaw
• Resistance to a gradual decrease in temperature after a thaw

All gardeners know that the most dangerous for winter-hardy varieties are not frosts, but periods of sharp warming. Every 2-3 years in our region there are February (sometimes March) thaws of 0...2°C, after which the cold hits with renewed vigor. A plant can be winter-hardy based on one trait or several from the list. That is why some apple trees are winter-hardy for the Moscow region, but are not suitable for the eastern part of the central region. Or why some fruit trees are not sensitive to frost at -35°C, but can die at -15..20°C after a thaw. When purchasing, be sure to specify what kind of resistance to cold the winter-hardy variety has. We recommend the following parameters for the Moscow region:

• Frost resistance at the beginning of winter at –25 °C
• Frost resistance to extreme sub-zero temperatures in mid-winter down to – 35 °C
• Resistance to sharp return frosts after a thaw at –25 °C
• Resistance to gradual temperature drops after a thaw at –30 °C

Not only temperature indicators are important, but also the rate of decrease. Winter-hardy varieties tolerate mild, gradual cooling from October to December. The plant manages to adapt, “hardening” occurs, which later helps to withstand frost. However, there must also be preparedness for prolonged frosts. If low temperatures persist for 2-3 weeks, moisture loss and dehydration occur. The above-ground part of the plant may dry out completely. Freezing of flower buds can lead to the fact that apple trees, pears and cherries will not produce a harvest at all the next year.

We derived all these temperature ranges based on long-term observations of seasonal temperatures in our region and the stages of plant development. If you don’t want to worry about which of the purchased seedlings will survive the winter and which will die in the first months, you should accept these temperature conditions as a “survival norm.” Each region has its own temperature characteristics. If you want to buy winter-hardy varieties for other regions of our country, contact our consultants by phone. +7 (919) 005-50-04. They will select for you the best fruiting and flowering plants with the desired properties.

Pollinator for cherries. Landing.

From pests

Landing place.

To get a good harvest and choose your favorite varieties, you should plant at least 5-7 varieties on the site for cross-pollination, in close proximity to each other. Pollinating varieties are planted from the main plants at a distance of no more than 30-40 m. Sometimes gardeners negotiate with neighbors on plots and plant different varieties that can additionally pollinate each other.​

​In mid-latitudes, hybrids of common cherries are grown. They are relatively frost-resistant and more productive. Felt cherry is resistant to frost and coccomycosis, but can become overheated and die during wet snowfalls, which are frequent in the west, and is severely affected by moniliosis.​

​High-quality cherry planting material is about a meter high, with several branches, and a branched root system of at least 20-30 cm, without signs of diseases or damage on the leaves and bark. Usually one- to two-year-old seedlings are sold, both with open and closed root systems.​

​is perfect for making desserts, homemade liqueurs and liqueurs; the berries do not lose their taste during heat treatment.​

​Pruning should be done regularly. Due to the fact that the shoots of the Morozovskaya cherry variety grow quickly, and the crown thickens and many small branches appear, it is pruned in early spring, long before the buds swell. At the same time, all dry and unproductive branches are removed: without this, the bouquet branches quickly die off and the fruits become smaller. Usually branches longer than half a meter are also shortened.

- ideal pollinators for Morozovka, perfectly replacing these hardworking insects.​

Fertilizer and watering.

​Juicy cherries ripen in midsummer.​

Cherry treatments for diseases and for better growth.

According to ripening period

Taking into account the timing of ripening, crops are divided into medium, early and late.

Early

Those cherry varieties that ripen in early June and until mid-July are called early. They produce berries that are not very sweet, and frost resistance is usually good. Kinds:

1. Shokoladnitsa - trees of medium height, with a crown similar in shape to an inverted cone. The berries are sour, burgundy in color. The pulp is red, dense, rich, the stone separates well. The yields are stable.
2. Shpanka is a cherry-cherry hybrid, the height is considerable, the branches grow freely and are shaped like a ball. The attachment of the branches is weak, so they often break under the weight of the fruit. The berries are sweet and sour, small, dark red in color and flattened in shape. The first harvests can be harvested no earlier than the 6th year of life. Pollinators are a must.
3. Miracle cherry is a tree-like cherry of medium vigor. The crown requires constant shaping, otherwise it will look like a cone, and the fruits will begin to grow only at the top. Cherries are sweet, dessert, and taste like cherries. Self-sterile variety. It bears fruit 3 years after planting.
4. Baby is a medium-sized cherry with a ball-shaped crown. Produces beautiful dark red fruits with pleasant taste characteristics. The stone separates normally, the berries have a round shape and are evenly flattened. Resistance to fungi and frost is high. From one tree you can collect about 17 kg of cherries per season.

Average

Mid-early cherries are those that ripen in mid-summer. These varieties have the best taste. Popular varieties:

1. Kharitonovskaya - medium-sized trees with large white flowers. The berries are round, with red skin and orange pulp, the taste is sweet and sour, the stone separates well. Immunity to diseases and frost is good. Additional pollination is required.
2. Morozovka is a medium-sized tree with a spreading, wide crown. The fruits grow on bouquet rods, the berries have a round shape with a characteristic pit in the area of ​​the stalk. The weight of one cherry can reach 5.5 g. The variety belongs to the dessert variety and is well transported. The trees bear fruit in the third year after planting, the yields are stable, usually no more than 500 kg per hundred square meters.

Late

Late varieties ripen last, closer to the beginning of autumn. Popular varieties:

1. Lyubskaya - the variety is suitable for the center and south of Russia, it is demanding on soils, and produces abundant harvests. The taste of the berries is mediocre, but they are suitable for processing. The tree is self-fertile, but with additional pollination it produces more fruit - up to 60 kg. Resistance to frost and disease is poor.
2. Generous - bush-like cherry with shoots growing upward. The weight of one berry is about 4 g. The product characteristics are high, the fruits do not crack. Harvests are abundant, stable, annual, ripening in autumn. Generous cherry tolerates frosts well, including return frosts, but is prone to diseases.
3. Malinovka - medium-sized trees with a ball-shaped crown. The leaves are wide, lamellar, glossy, and have crenate edges. Cherries are small, round, sweet and sour, and have dense pulp. Harvests are abundant and stable. Timely preventive treatments against diseases and pests are very important.

Pollination methods

First, to understand the principles of pollination of fruit trees, you need to understand what the term pollination means.

Pollination is the process by which fertilization of plants occurs. In flowers, male cells in the form of pollen, which are located on the stamens, are transferred to the pistils or ovules, where the female reproductive cells are located. Then, over time, an ovary forms in their place and the fruit grows.

Pollination occurs in different ways - self-pollination and cross-pollination. These methods differ in that in the first, the plant is pollinated independently, when pollen from the stamens falls on the pistils of flowers within the same plant.

And cross-pollination uses pollen from neighboring trees (pollinators).

Types of cross pollination:

• Entomophily - pollen is carried by insects.
• Bestiality is pollination with the help of animals.
• Artificial pollination - humans intervene in the process.
• Anemophily - pollination by wind.
• Hydrophily - pollen is transported by water.

Plants that reproduce with the help of animals and insects have brighter and larger flowers. And those that are pollinated by wind are taller, their flowers are located above the stem and leaves (for example, like corn) or bloom before the leaves appear (poplar, birch).

Also among plants there are self-fertile and self-sterile varieties. Let's figure out what their differences are.

Self-fertile

Self-fertile varieties use only pollen from their own flowers during the pollination process, without pollinators (for example, bees or neighboring related trees).

The advantage is that due to the special structure of the flower (the anther is located at the same level as the stigma) and the fact that pollination and ovary occur before the flowers open, the harvest can be obtained even under unfavorable conditions.

Such crops are grown both individually and in continuous masses. However, not everything is as smooth as we would like. Self-fertile trees usually have fewer fruits. Therefore, professional gardeners recommend planting pollinators next to them.

Partially self-fertile

There is a pattern in gardening - self-fertile trees, depending on the climate, can change to partially self-fertile and produce less yield. This is an intermediate option between self-fertile and self-fertile varieties.

In a self-fertile tree, fertilization from its own pollen occurs in approximately 50% of the flowers, and in partially self-fertile trees - in 20%. Therefore, gardeners claim that partially self-fertile trees will bear fruit much better if there are other trees of the same crop nearby.

Self-sterile

Let's figure out what it means - a self-fertile variety and what is its difference. Most fruit trees are self-sterile. They practically do not bear fruit without the help of pollen from neighboring trees and bees.

It is also very important to know which pollinator varieties are best planted nearby, because some trees are incompatible with each other and do not produce the desired results.