Cherry plum in natural conditions is characteristic of the southern regions: Crimea, North Caucasus, Central Asia. This garden culture has long been known for the juicy fruits of bright color and rich taste. Thanks to the intensive work of breeders, today varieties for growing cherry plum are also bred in the conditions of the North-West and Central regions of Russia, including in the Moscow region.
The best varieties of cherry plum for the Moscow region
Cherry plum in the diet of people is very much appreciated for healthy, tasty fruits, which also have medicinal properties. And while in the south, cherry plum grows without any problems, then in the suburbs with its adverse climatic conditions, it is quite difficult to grow ordinary varieties of this crop. In spring, cherry plum flowers are poorly pollinated due to cold, rainy weather, and severe frosts in winter can damage flower buds and young shoots. In order to grow this heat-loving crop in the middle lane, it became necessary to develop zoned varieties with high winter hardiness and early fruit ripening, as well as resistance to the main diseases of stone fruits. As a result of selection work, varieties of cherry plum were obtained for cultivation in the Central region, which includes the Moscow Region.
Video: a review of varieties of cherry plum for the middle strip
To get rid of the negative qualities of varieties and enhance their best properties, breeders use multiple crosses between different types of plums. In the early 90s of the last century, a Russian scientist, academician G.V. In the process of selection, Yeryomin bred a new variety of cherry plum, crossing a Chinese and winter-hardy Ussuri plum that is resistant to fungal diseases with hybrids of southern cherry plum. A promising new culture was called "Russian plum" or cherry plum hybrid. In the Moscow region, the varieties of this cherry plum showed quite high winter hardiness, good quality of large, very tasty fruits and higher yields than conventional plums.
Self-made varieties
In most varieties of cherry plum grown in the suburbs, self-infertile. This means that for their quality pollination and fruit setting, the presence of other varieties of cherry plum or plum is necessary. However, in some species, flowers have the ability to self-pollinate, this culture is called self-fertile. The names and characteristics of self-fertile varieties are given in the table. In addition to these varieties, local variety of folk selection Tula and and cherry plum Egg blue differs in self-fertility (selection of VSTISP). It should be noted that the cherry plum Morning has a high degree of self-fertility and does not require additional pollination. The Kuban comet variety is partially autonomous and it needs pollinating trees. Vladimir comet and Blue Gift belong to self-fertile varieties, but their self-fertility is rather arbitrary. If during flowering there is warm, dry weather, cherry plum flowers can be pollinated with their own pollen. The early departure of pollinating insects: bees, bumblebees, wasps also contributes to this. But for guaranteed pollination and fertilization in any weather conditions, it is recommended to plant several varieties of cherry plum nearby (usually two or three varieties suitable for flowering periods are enough).
Table: characteristics and main features of self-fertile varieties of cherry plum
| Grade name | Kuban comet | Morning | Blue gift | Vladimir comet |
| Variety bred in: | Crimean experimental breeding station All-Russian Research Institute plant growing them. N.I. Va-Vilova | All-Russian breeding and technological institute gardening and nursery | All-Russian breeding and technological institute gardening and nursery | Suzdal (Vladimirsky) State Varietal Test Plot |
| Parent couple | Chinese plum Rapid x plum Pioneer | Early red x french grade Greengage Ullensa | Ochakovskaya black x Timiryazev's memory | In the state registry not registered. Seedling of free pollination Ussuri hybrid plum variety Red ball |
| Growing region | Northwest, Central, North Caucasian Lower Volga | Central | Central | Central |
| Fruit ripening period | Early, end of July - beginning of august | Middle, the first decade of August | Middle second decade of august | Early, mid - late July |
| Tree characteristic | Weak with a rare crown | Middle with thick crown | Middle layer, crown medium density | Medium-sized with a rare crown |
| Fruit coloring | Intense pink, burgundy | Greenish yellow with a pink blush and with a wax coating | Dark violet with a strong wax coating | Dark pink, burgundy, with a wax coating |
| Fruit mass | 29-35 g | 25-32 g | 14-17 g | 20-40 g |
| Single tree yield | High (25-40 kg), regular | Medium (20-22 kg), almost regular | Medium (13-14 kg), regular | High (35-40 kg), regular |
| The taste of fruit | Thin sweet and sour, with implicit aroma | Pleasant sweet and sour | Sweet and sour, ordinary, with a medium aroma | Pleasant sweet and sour, without a pronounced aroma |
| Separation of bone from pulp | Separates poorly | Easy to detach | Is detached | Is detached |
| Winter hardiness | Average | Average | Medium, in flower buds - increased | Very high |
| Disease resistance | Resistant to complex major fungal diseases. Medium resistant to hole blotch, fruit rot | Resistant to major fungal diseases and pests | Average resistance to clastosporiosis, fruit rot | Resistant to complex major fungal diseases |
| Autonomy | Partially autologous | High degree of self-fertility | Self-fertile | Self-fertile |
| The best pollinating varieties | Mara, the traveler, Gift to St. Petersburg, Pchelnikovskaya | - | Kuban comet, Gift Saint Petersburg | Gift to St. Petersburg, Pchelnikovskaya, Traveler |
| Shedding fruit | Long does not crumble when ripening | Does not crumble | Does not crumble | When overripe, it crumbles |
Hybrid cherry plum can be pollinated by all types of plums, except for domestic and thorn plums.
Video: variety of cherry plum Kuban comet
The Kuban comet, unlike many plum varieties, perfectly adapts to various climatic conditions and is completely unpretentious to soils. It is also characterized by good resistance to moniliosis, kleasterosporiosis, wood bacteriosis. The stone, poorly separated from the pulp, is almost the only drawback of this variety.
Variety Vladimir comet stands out for its large fruit size and very high winter hardiness
Alychu Vladimir comet against the general background of varieties emphasize self-fertility, a very high degree of winter hardiness and resistance to major fungal infections. The disadvantage is the strong flaking of the fruit after full ripening.
Variety of cherry plum
To improve the taste indicators and the resistance of trees to fungal diseases during selection work, the most promising varieties of cherry plum and thorns, as well as plum and cherry hybrids, are selected for selection. So, as a result of the use of Gaiowata's cherry plum, a variety of hybrid cherry plum Kolonovidnaya was obtained.
The new variety was bred by the breeders of the Crimean OSS VNIIR them. N.I. Va-Vilova by crossing wild cherry plum and cherry plum seedling. A tree two to three meters high has the shape of a column, with a crown diameter of 1-1.2 m. Rare branches leave the trunk at an acute angle and grow along it.
An interesting feature of this variety is a huge number of flower buds (ringworms), which are laid not only on the branches, but also on the trunk - on short processes called spears.
At the same time, the trunk of the tree is loaded with fruits, due to which the role of the side branches is insignificant. The stamp has strong, hard wood and does not bend under the weight of the crop. The fruits of cherry plum are large, weighing 50-70 g, are evenly distributed over the entire height of the trunk, starting from 0.5 m from the ground. Coloring of fruits - from violet to dark burgundy, with a touch of spring (fruit wax). The taste of cherry plum is dessert, sweet, slightly sour. The variety is mid-late; the crop ripens in early August.
Video: Cherry plum
The compact size of the crown makes it possible to plant much more trees on the site, and the sparse arrangement of branches allows you to efficiently process the tree in the process of care, making fruit picking convenient.
A variety of columnar cherry plum is the variety Kolonoobraznaya-2. These are tall (up to six meters tall) trees of late ripening, with fruits of dark red color with a whitish bloom. The fruits of this variety are smaller than those of Kolonoobraznaya, each weighing about 35 g, the taste of the fruit is ordinary - sweet and sour. Unlike Column-shaped, the bone is easily separated from the pulp of the fetus.
Both varieties of columnar cherry plum are known as excellent pollinator donors for most hybrid varieties of Chinese and Ussuri plums.
Cherry plum is characterized by Column-shaped qualities that distinguish it in comparison with other plum varieties:
- A high degree of winter hardiness of flower buds due to the extension of the growing season.
- Trees tolerate winter cold well and do not freeze at temperatures up to -28ºC. If, nevertheless, the tree is damaged by severe frost, then it is quickly restored and continues to grow and develop normally.
- The variety is resistant to most fungal and viral diseases of stone fruits.
- High palatability and good transportability of the fruits make it possible to use them in a variety of ways: fresh, in freezing and various kinds of processing.
- Unpretentious care and drought resistance make this variety indispensable when grown on various types of soils and in any conditions.
Columnar fruits grow directly on the trunk, have a spectacular color and a wonderful taste. A thin wax coating on the fruits allows them to be transported without loss of presentation
Both varieties of columnar cherry plum are not self-pollinating. For their pollination, the optimum varieties are late-flowering Mara, Pchelnikovskaya, Gift to St. Petersburg.
Winter-hardy and frost-resistant varieties
The winter hardiness of the variety is one of the determining factors when growing cherry plum in the Moscow region. And you should definitely pay attention to it, because late spring frosts can cause freezing of flower buds and ovaries. The best indicators of resistance to cold are varieties: Vladimirskaya Comet, Gift to St. Petersburg, Ariadne, Anastasia, Nesmeyana, Cleopatra. Winter-hardy varieties of cherry plum are obtained mainly by crossing plum hybrid with a related species - Chinese plum, whose wood can withstand temperatures up to -50ºFROM.
Table: main features and characteristics of frost and winter hardy varieties of cherry plum
| Name varieties | Gift St. Petersburg | Nesmeyana | Ariadne | Cleopatra |
| Variety bred in: | Pavlovskaya experimental VNIIR station them. N.I. Vavilova, St. Petersburg | Moscow agricultural academy them. K.A. Timiryazev | Moscow agricultural academy them. K.A. Timiryazev | Moscow agricultural academy them. K.A. Timiryazev |
| Parent couple | Chinese plum Rapid x plum Pioneer | Seedling free pollination hybrid cherry plum Kuban comet | Chinese plum Rapid x plum Traveler | Seedling free pollination hybrid cherry plum Kuban comet |
| Growing region | Northwest, Central | Central | Central | Central |
| Fruit ripening period | Mid early mid-end of August | Early, early to mid-August | Early, early to mid-August | Late, end of August |
| Tree characteristic | Middle layer with a dense crown | Tall, crown of medium density | Middle layer crown of medium density | Middle layer with a rare crown |
| Fruit coloring | Bright yellow orange | Ruby red light touch | Crimson red with a wax coating | Dark purple with strong wax coating |
| Fruit mass | 12-20 g | 30-35 g | 30-32 g | 35-40 g |
| Yield with single tree | High (27-60 kg), regular | Medium (25-30 kg), regular | Above average (30-35 kg), regular | Medium (25-30 kg), regular |
| The taste of fruit | Harmonious sweet and sour with a delicate aroma | Pleasant sweet and sour, juicy | Sweet and sour, harmonious | Sweet and sour, dessert, with fruit aroma |
| Separability pulp bones | Separates poorly | Easy to detach | Separates poorly | Separates poorly |
| Winter hardiness | High | High | High | High |
| Disease resistance | Medium resistant to moniliosis, highly resistant to kleasterosporia leaf. Resistant to aphids and winter moths | Medium resistant to the main fungal diseases | Medium resistant to klyasterosporiozu moniliosis, viral diseases | Medium resistant to the main fungal diseases |
| Autonomy | Self-infertile | Self-infertile | Self-infertile | Self-infertile |
| The best pollinating varieties | Pavlovskaya Yellow, Nesmeyana, Pchelnikovskaya | Varieties of cherry plum and chinese plum | Varieties of cherry plum and chinese plum | Mara, Gift St. Petersburg, Pchelnikovskaya |
| Shedding | When fully ripened, it crumbles | Does not crumble | Does not crumble | Does not crumble |
Photo gallery: fruiting varieties of cherry plum with increased winter hardiness
- In early August, the branches of Ariadne bend under the weight of saturated purple
- Large fruits with a wonderful taste are most consumed fresh, but also good in the form of jam or desserts
- One of the best and most demanded varieties due to its winter hardiness, high productivity and excellent quality of large, juicy fruits
- Trees of this variety have a unique ability to restore the vegetative system very quickly after mechanical damage.
Early grades
As the earliest, one can characterize the varieties of cherry plum Zlato Scythians and Timiryazevskaya. These varieties, despite a number of differences, have much in common:
- both varieties are bred at the Moscow Agricultural Academy. K.A. Timiryazev;
- hybrids are the result of free pollination of the seedling of the Kuban comet and are recommended for cultivation in the suburbs;
- the height of adult trees does not exceed three meters;
- both varieties of cherry plum belong to early ripening and have large fruits weighing from 25 to 40 g;
- regular fruiting; average yield is 25-30 kg of fruit per tree;
- trees are not capable of self-pollination and need pollinating donors; the best pollinators for these varieties are considered hybrids Pavlovskaya yellow, Traveler, Gift to St. Petersburg;
- both varieties have a high degree of winter hardiness and unpretentiousness to growing conditions.
Cherry plum trees Zlato Scythians look very decorative during the ripening period
The hybrid cultivar Zlato Scythians opens the cherry plum season in the garden. In late June and early July, trees are a magnificent sight: the branches are literally covered with clusters of large juicy fruits, with a unique aroma and amazing sweet taste. Cherry plum Gold of Scythians stands out in color - amber-yellow fruits sparkle with precious coins against the background of dense greenery.
Large fruits of unusual color are the "visiting card" of the variety Timiryazevskaya
Timiryazevskaya trees attract attention due to fruits with a smooth, as if polished, burgundy surface and light pink sides.The sweet and sour, refreshing taste of this cherry plum makes it very popular in early summer, when the fruits are still tied to the bulk of the fruit trees.
The main differences between the early varieties are as follows:
- In Timiryazevskaya, the bone is poorly separated from the pulp, in Zlata of the Scythians it is easily separated.
- Timiryazevskaya has good resistance to the main fungal diseases, Gold of the Scythians - medium.
Video: a little about the useful properties of cherry plum
Reviews
Last year, Huck and the Kuban comet were planted one-year-old, this year they bloomed violently and started. But Huck lost all his ovaries, and the Kuban comet left two berries. Finally ripened, very tasty, sweet and juicy, most of all reminded of a ripe peach. I didn’t even think that such a tasty berry could grow in the Moscow Region.
Para11, Moscow
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Three or four years ago, I bought two cherry plums in TSHA in the department of green cuttings. Two little twigs. The twigs began to grow very actively. Last summer, the first berries appeared on them. Varieties - Nesmeyana and the Kuban comet. The taste of berries is amazing! Apricot flavored plum! I am very worried about this winter.
Lydia, Moscow
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According to experienced gardeners, it is possible and necessary to grow hybrid cherry plum - Russian plum in the suburbs. To plant a young twig seedling and after 2-3 years to see the fruits of their labors - lushly blooming in spring and a cherry plum tree hung with ripe fruits in summer. Just try hard!
