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A very young, but interesting in its characteristics, sweet cherry variety will delight all lovers of fruit trees. Cherry Gift to Stepanov is a weather-resistant plant that both experienced and novice gardeners can handle.
Breeding history of the variety
The gift to Stepanov is one of the new varieties bred by the famous breeder M.V. Kanshina at the Bryansk All-Russian Research Institute of Lupine. The variety appeared in the State Register only in 2015.
Description of cherries Gift to Stepanov
The variety belongs to the category of medium-sized: the maximum height of the tree is 3.5 m. The shoots of the sweet cherry are straight, thickened, covered with brown-gray bark with a slight olive tint on the edges. After autumn leaf fall, the bark acquires a pronounced silvery hue.
The natural shape of the crown is pyramidal, the upper branches of the tree grow quickly enough. The leaves are dull green, large, with sharp teeth at the edges, and white flowers are presented in inflorescences of 3 flowers each.
The variety bears fruit with medium-sized, heart-shaped berries with rounded outlines. As a rule, cherry berries are dark red, the skin is dense, tender and glossy. The average weight of one berry is 4–5 g - not very large fruits. The berries taste sweet, their tasting value is very high - 4.9 points out of a possible 5.
In the State Register, the variety is marked as suitable for cultivation in the Central Region. But also the Gift to Stepanov grows well in the Urals, where it can calmly endure the harsh climatic conditions.
Variety characteristics
Not so much is known about the young Bryansk variety of sweet cherry: most of the gardeners who planted it on their site have not yet had time to wait for the first harvest. However, some information is still available.
Drought resistance, frost resistance
Like most Bryansk varieties, Cherry Podarok Stepanovu, bred for cultivation in the middle lane, nevertheless has high indicators of resistance to a more severe climate.
- The variety tolerates drought well - excess moisture is much more dangerous for him. In summer periods with a minimum amount of precipitation, it is recommended to water the cherries weekly in the amount of 3-4 buckets under the trunk, while the topsoil should be mulched. In the presence of natural moisture, watering should be carried out only when necessary. If the tree is getting enough moisture from the rain, there is no need for additional watering.
- The variety has high resistance to low temperatures: the tree retains the ability to bear fruit well even in conditions of -30 ... -32 degrees in winter. The main thing is to prevent deep freezing of the trunk.
Sweet cherry pollinators Gift to Stepanov
The variety is not capable of self-pollination, and if you do not plant suitable pollinating varieties next to the sweet cherry, you can not expect a rich harvest.
Cherries of the following varieties are ideal as pollinators for the tree:
- Teremoshka - sweet cherry blossoms in the middle of May, approximately May 10-15, and the fruits are harvested from it in mid-July.
- Favorite Astakhov - the variety blooms in mid-May, and begins to bear fruit abundantly in 2 months, in mid-July.
- Bryansk pink - the tree usually blooms at the end of May, from 15 to 25, berries appear on its branches at the end of July.
Productivity and fruiting
The variety brings rather high yields: up to 82 centners of fruits can be harvested from one hectare, and in the home garden the tree will yield up to 60 kg of berries. Cherry reaches maturity by 4 years, in other words, only after such a period after planting, you can wait for the first harvest. But subsequently, cherries will bear fruit annually.
Fruiting occurs at the end of July - after the 20th.
Scope of berries
The berries of this variety have a pleasant sweet taste, the pulp is easily separated from the stone. You can eat the fruits at your own discretion fresh or make healthy drinks from them, add berries to baked goods and homemade sweet desserts.
Disease and pest resistance
Cherry is very rarely sick: the level of resistance to pests and fungal infections is high. At the same time, scab and cancer, white, brown and gray rot, powdery mildew and rust remain dangerous for the variety.
Cherry fruits can be harmed by cherry flies, aphids and weevils. When they appear, it is also necessary to carry out urgent sanitization with special means.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
There are certainly more positive, from the point of view of gardeners, qualities of the Podarok Stepanovu variety than negative ones.
The pluses include:
- a high level of resistance to a harsh climate: the tree tolerates frost and lack of water well;
- abundant harvests and dessert taste of fruits;
- good immunity to diseases dangerous for fruit trees, and to garden pests.
There are three main disadvantages of cherries.
- The variety is self-fertile, so planting a tree without pollinators in the neighborhood is pointless: the Gift will not give Stepanov a harvest.
- The first berries appear on the branches of the tree no earlier than 4 years of age.
- Cherry fruits are not very large in size, their weight is rather small.
Landing features
There are no unique requirements for planting cherries Present Stepanov, but you need to know the basic rules.
Recommended timing
The planting time for trees depends on the specific region. In the southern regions of Russia, cherries are preferably planted in the fall, a few weeks before the first frost. But in the middle lane and in the Urals, it is better to carry out a spring landing.
Choosing the right place
Lack of light, excess moisture and cold wind become destructive for the variety. Therefore, cherries are planted on the sunny side, in well-ventilated sandy loam soil or on loam. Groundwater should not come close to the surface.
What crops can and cannot be planted nearby
- The gift to Stepanov, like many other varieties of cherries, does not get along well with apple trees, currants, pear trees.
- But you can plant rowan or cherry in the neighborhood.
Selection and preparation of planting material
The main requirement for a seedling is its quality.
- The roots of the tree should be intact, healthy and well developed.
- A trail of grafting should remain on the trunk, in addition, it is desirable that the seedling has only one main conductor.
Before planting in the ground, it is advisable to hold the seedling in water for a couple of hours so that the roots swell.
Landing algorithm
- For cherries of this variety, a planting hole is required approximately 60 cm deep and 80 cm wide.
- The bottom of the pit is filled with humus and ash, a tree is lowered into it and sprinkled with earth to the very top of the hole, not forgetting to pour 2 buckets of water into the ground.
- The earth around the trunk is covered with mulch, and the trunk itself is tied to a support.
Cherry follow-up care
- The Gift to Stepanov is pruned, mainly for sanitary purposes, to remove dried and improperly growing branches. Fruiting shoots are shortened by a third every year.
- Additional watering is carried out once a month, during the summer heat: weekly 20-40 liters of water. At the same time, the earth around the trunk is mulched.
- You will need to apply fertilizers only a year after planting the plant. In spring, it is customary to feed cherries with nitrogen compounds, in summer you can add a little potassium to the soil, and in autumn, cherries will come in handy with feeding containing fluorine.
- Preparing for winter does not require much effort from the gardener. In September, water the cherries well enough, scatter manure under the trunk and spray the crown with fertilizers containing fluoride. To protect the trunk from freezing, for the winter it can be wrapped with a material with thermal insulation properties. In case of heavy snowfall, it is recommended to form a snowdrift near the trunk and properly trample the snow around the tree.
Diseases and pests, methods of control and prevention
Cherry Gift Stepanov is ill infrequently, but prevention of diseases is still recommended.
- In the spring, at the beginning of April, the variety is sprayed with a 3% solution of Bordeaux liquid - it is made from water, copper sulfate and lime.
- Spraying is repeated after the beginning of flowering, but a 1% solution is already used.
Conclusion
Cherry Gift to Stepanov - easy to care for and quite fruitful variety. Due to its frost resistance and good immunity to drought, it will successfully take root in almost any summer cottage.
Reviews of summer residents about cherries Gift to Stepanov
The gift to Stepanov is growing for the fourth year - an excellent variety. I bought a two-year-old. Grows in the north of the Moscow region on the south side of the house. Pollinator and cherries are planted. Last year I even made berry jam, despite the frost during the flowering period.