This crop is successfully grown on almost all continents, the beautiful spreading trees bear so many fruits that one tree on the backyard is enough to satisfy the needs of a large family. It is important to choose the right variety so that it matches the climatic zoneso that the tree grows quickly, does not hurt and gives rich harvests annually. In this article you will get acquainted with a detailed description of the Shokoladnitsa cherry variety.
Description of cherry variety Shokoladnitsa
One of the most popular new varieties - Cherry Shokoladnitsa, so named for the bright and rich color of berries... The work of breeders was crowned with success, this young cherry variety is becoming more and more popular, the tree grows quickly, low, which pleasantly distinguishes it from similar varieties, it is not sick much. So Shokoladnitsa can be considered a promising cherry variety for the Central region of Russia.
Breeders from Orel, who worked at the All-Russian Research Institute for Breeding Fruit Crops, set themselves the task of creating a new species that would have the most important requirements of gardeners:
- Good frost resistance
- Low tree growth
It is no secret that these two indicators can be considered the most important for fruit crops. Even having a very large harvest on a tree, it is important to harvest and preserve it, but how to do it if you have to build ladders and devices during the ripening of the fruit. For the Central region of Russia, too harsh winters are not characteristic, but nevertheless, spring frosts often harm fruit trees - not only part of the harvest is lost, but the appearance of a lovingly grown tree is spoiled.
therefore the resulting hybrid Shokoladnitsa almost completely meets the requirements of gardeners - it is not particularly thermophilic, it is a little sick... The basis is taken from two popular and favorite varieties of gardeners - cherries Lyubskaya and Black, the new hybrid took all the best from its primary sources.
Fruit characteristics
The tree grows only up to two and a half meters in heightIts crown resembles a pyramid turned upside down. The leaves are beautiful with a rich dark green color, pointed, not shiny. Each inflorescence consists of three white flowers.
The life span is decent - with good care, feeding and cutting off old branches, a tree can live for about twenty years. Fruits are round, on well-groomed trees can reach 20 mm in diameter and weigh up to 3.5 g each... The pulp is juicy, tender, and the taste is sweet and sour.
The tree does not require special care of itself, the Shokoladnitsa is unpretentious and gives a bountiful harvest that ripens earlier than on other varieties of cherries.
Table of useful substances in fruits
Useful material | Amount |
---|---|
Vitamin P | 1064.3 mg |
Vitamin C | 10 mg and above |
Anthocyanins | 395.4 mg |
Vitamin C | 16.7 mg |
Catechins | 378.1 mg |
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
The main advantage of the Shokoladnitsa variety is its compactness., and the fact that it is also resistant to frost makes it indispensable in personal plots. Summer residents fell in love with this variety - it is not possible to grow many trees on six acres, but everyone needs a compact and high-yielding cherry. Of course, like any fruit cultivated tree, and The Chocolate Girl has its drawbacks - she is sick with insufficient care with moniliosis and coccomycosis.
And yet, compare the rate of fruit ripening and winter hardiness of different varieties of cherries before buying a tree:
Variety | Chocolate girl | Robin | Youth | Bagryanka |
---|---|---|---|---|
Frost resistant | high | average | high | average |
Fruit ripening | swift | swift | the average | swift |
Yield | high | high | high | high |
Susceptibility to disease | Medium - moniliosis and coccomycosis | Medium - moniliosis and coccomycosis, fungus | Medium - moniliosis and coccomycosis, fungus | Medium - moniliosis and coccomycosis, fungus |
Self-pollination | Yes | no | Yes | no |
Even with the naked eye, you can see how much more profitable it is to plant a variety like Shokoladnitsa on the site - it is unpretentious, gives a good harvest and practically does not get sick.
Some gardeners believe that you can increase the yield of a tree several times if you plant at least one cherry of a different variety next to it for cross-pollination, are offered such pollinators as varieties Lyubskaya, Sklyanka, Vladimirskaya, Studencheskaya, Turgenevka. If there is enough space on your garden plot, you can use the advice of professionals, however, a lonely growing Chocolate Girl tree will bring a bountiful harvest.
Features of planting and care
Choose a place for planting trees carefully, as well as planting time. Some gardeners prefer to plant fruit trees "before winter", but this does not mean that it is impossible take advantage of the first warm days in early April, when it is best to plant fruit trees... This is the time of the beginning of life, the time of the beginning of the movement of juices, the tree will take root better if you opt for a spring planting.
Choose a small seedling - up to 70 cm in height, young, pay attention to its root system - developed and powerful. The tree itself should not be damaged, the branches should be resilient and elastic... Age - about one and a half years, that's enough.
To get a good harvest, cherries need a lot of sun, the tree will prefer the windy side of the site, warm and unshaded.
If the soil on the site is heavy, take care of sand, peat in advance, be sure to check if there is any groundwater near or under the supposed hole. Cherries do not tolerate excess moisture, a tree planted in acidic soil with poor drainage will die.
Remove the soil from the hole, the bottom layer must be specially prepared - it will be a mixture of soil with ash and humus, after which a little superphosphate and calcium chloride should be added to the composition. Such the hole is best formed in the fall, in order to plant with the beginning of the movement of juices in the spring.
How to plant cherries correctly
- To begin with, you need a stake, the diameter of the device is up to 8 cm, drive it into the ground and around make markings along a radius of about 30 cm, the depth of the hole is about 70 cm.
- Into the finished hole pour the prepared mixture soil, ash and groundbait.
- Spread out the root ball, try not to damage the tender young roots.
- Place a stake next to the seedling, with a tree height of about 70 m, the stake should be higher - about a meter.
- Tie the seedling to the stake with paper string, do not use plastic ropes - they will injure the tender bark of a young tree
- Position the seedling so that its neck is above the ground - about 3-4 cm
- Fill the hole
- Compact the earth around the trunk
- Water the tree quite plentiful - a bucket for one seedling
- After watering, be sure to promulgate planting circle, the thickness of the mulch layer, consisting of a mixture of sawdust and humus, should be about 5 cm.
The main work is finished, but this does not mean that you do not need to take care of the tree more. While the seedling is young, try at least loosen the soil around the trunk once a weekso that air can reach the growing roots, such a procedure is required after watering. Weeds will not appear on the area treated in this way.
Do not overdo it with watering. The tree needs water during flowering and ripening of berries - this is May and June, the rest of the time you can rely on the weather.
But in May and June for each tree it is worth spending about five buckets of water, the harvest will be richer.
Learning to prune a tree
You need to remove unnecessary branches and form a crown annually. Pruning is done before bud break... After cutting off the branches, treat the stump with a garden pitch. Form the crown pyramidal. Be sure to remove dry and frozen branches.
A few words about winter hardiness - Shokoladnitsa is adapted to the Central Russia, but in severe winters (if meteorologists predict a cold period for you), you can insulate the trunk with spruce paws - they will save the bark of a young tree from rats and mice.
Growing conditions
For feeding fruit trees, mineral and nitrogen fertilizers are used. Mullein and humus are great. You need to feed twice a year - in the spring you will need superphosphate and ammonium nitrate, in the fall - lime, potassium and phosphorus... Do not forget about the mullein - in the spring after flowering and again after a couple of weeks.
Diseases and pests
It's unpleasant when leaves with brown-red spots appear on the tree - this is a sign of coccomycosis... Any disease can be predicted and prevented - before blooming the first leaves, you need to spray the tree with a 3% solution of Bordeaux liquid. When the cherry blossoms - use the preparation "Skor", after flowering - a solution of copper oxychloride.
If you find the first signs of moniliosis - fungus on the branches and bark of a tree, then remove and burn all affected areas, be sure to treat the tree with copper sulfate.
It is best to fight aphids on fruit trees with a 3% solution of nitrafen or intavirIf there are a lot of insects, do not forget to clear the ground of fallen insects after processing the tree.
Harvesting and storage
Cherry Shokoladnitsa early, you will see the first berries on the tree 3 years after planting, they ripen by mid-July. With good care, you can harvest up to 15 kg of berries from one tree.
It is best to eat fresh cherries, but skilled housewives will make compote, wine, liqueurs from berries, and make jam.
Features of this variety
The tree is low, the crown is pyramidal, the leaf shape is pointed. Berries up to 3 mg, the tree is capable of producing up to 15 kg of fruit... A frost-resistant variety, bred for planting in the Central region of Russia, self-pollinates well. Cons - susceptibility to diseases of moniliosis and coccomycosis.
Gardeners reviews
How gardeners say about chocolate Shokoladnitsa
Petrov Mikhail, an experienced gardener - The variety is young and very promising. To increase the yield, it is proposed to plant nearby varieties Lyubskaya, Sklyanka, Vladimirskaya, Studencheskaya, Turgenevka.
Starova Veronika, gardener - Fruits are juicy, sweet and sour, stored well, you can make many preparations for the winter from them.
Mikhailova Irina - An excellent variety, so many berries, begins to bear fruit early, we collect in buckets. And it lies well, I advise everyone.
Conclusion
There is always a place for fruit trees in the garden - for apple trees, pears, cherries. A small area in gardening partnerships becomes a headache for owners - it is impossible to plant too many trees, therefore compact varieties are selected that can provide a rich harvest. Cherry Shokoladnitsa fully meets all the requirements - bountiful harvest, longevity, early maturity, large, juicy berries.