Content
Cherry Vasilisa is notable for its berries, one of the largest in the world selection. The fruits ripen in medium terms, the tree is hardy in frost and drought resistance. Delicious berries can be easily transported.
Breeding history
The breeder of the experimental station in the Ukrainian Artemovsk, L. I. Taranenko, by crossing the varieties Donetsk Beauty and Donetsk Ember, bred the large-fruited Vasilisa cherry in the early 2000s. After field trials, the variety became interested in the USA and Europe.
Description of culture
The Vasilisa variety comes from plants that bear fruit in the southern lands. Many gardeners recommend not planting the Vasilisa variety above the latitude of Volgograd, so as not to be disappointed in the cherry as a form after damage to fruit buds in winter or after spring return frosts.
- A tree with an average growth rate rises up to 4 m, but with proper crown formation it will be lower, more convenient for harvesting fruits.
- The natural type of crown of Vasilisa is spherical.
- Abundant branching; shoots are powerful, strong, with light brown bark, slightly curved.
- The branches are leafy, but still large Vasilisa berries protrude from under the leaves.
- The leaf blade is ovoid, large, shiny, dark green in color.
- Flowers are white, often located directly on annual shoots.
- The round fruits of the Vasilisa variety are very large, fleshy, weighing 11–12 g, often 14 g. The skin is dense, glossy, deep red. The juicy aromatic pulp has the same shade, which slightly crunches when eaten. The berries are pleasant, sweet and sour, with a winey aftertaste and a rather large bone, which is easily separated.
- Cherry Vasilisa was rated by the tasters at 4.5 points. Canned berries received the highest score - 4.8-5.
- The processed fruit juice remains bright red, does not darken. And the berries acquire a special sweetness and aroma.
Characteristics
Before choosing a variety, gardeners study its properties in order to plant a favorite and suitable one.
Drought resistance, frost resistance
Cherry Vasilisa tolerates winters in its homeland. It is defined as more frost-resistant than the well-known variety Valery Chkalov, which can withstand prolonged temperature drops down to -25 ° C. But spring frosts are detrimental to buds, flowers and ovaries.
Cherry Vasilisa is characterized by increased drought tolerance, but regular watering will bring a greater yield and ensure abundant fruiting next year. The Vasilisa tree should be watered after 3-4 days with 10 liters of water, and in a drought, the rate should be doubled.
Pollination, pollinating varieties, flowering and ripening periods
The Vasilisa variety, like most cherries, is self-fertile. In the garden it is necessary to plant 2-3 more trees of the same species with the same flowering time. Gardeners are advised to purchase the following varieties for cross-pollination to the Vasilisa cherry:
- Valery Chkalov;
- Bigarro early;
- Melitopol early;
- Starking;
- Annushka;
- Burlat;
- Drogana is yellow.
Vasilisa blooms in April - early May.In the conditions of the Donetsk steppe, it ripens after June 20, and if the spring and summer are cold, at the beginning of July.
Productivity, fruiting
Cherry usually bears fruit 4–5 years after planting. If the tree is formed by a bush, the berries appear earlier.
Fruits on Vasilisa cherries are created on the shoots of last year's growth and on bouquet branches. One adult Vasilisa tree yields 25-50 kg of berries. Some sources indicate a different figure - the collection per hectare of this variety, which reaches 120 centners. When it rains when the fruit ripens, up to 10–20% of the crop can crack.
The tree of this variety bears fruit well for 15–20 years. Cherry Vasilisa is responsive to annual fertilizing with the NPK complex, as well as organic matter, which is applied in the form of mulch in autumn or early spring.
Scope of berries
Dessert fruits of the Vasilisa variety are created for fresh consumption. Excess berries can be preserved or prepared with compotes, confiture, jam. Frozen cherries are useful: berries retain their antioxidant and tonic properties.
Disease and pest resistance
The Vasilisa variety has a high resistance to fungi that cause coccomycosis. Sweet cherries are a little sick and do not succumb to attacks by insect pests if all agrotechnical work is carried out: autumn cleaning of the garden, spraying in early spring with copper-containing preparations and other pesticides.
Advantages and disadvantages
Dessert cherries Vasilisa are very attractive, and their advantages are pronounced:
- record size of the fetus;
- delicious taste;
- high commercial qualities;
- transportability;
- stable yield;
- unpretentious care, average winter hardiness and drought resistance;
- resistance to coccomycosis.
Disadvantages of sweet cherry Vasilisa:
- other pollinating trees are required for a bountiful harvest;
- cracking of berries after rains or improper and untimely watering.
Landing features
A well-chosen time and place of planting promotes good fruiting.
Recommended timing
Since the variety is located for cultivation in a climate with a relatively long warm period, autumn planting, in late September - early October, is the right time to move the large-fruited Vasilisa cherry. The site is prepared in spring by enriching the soil. Planting holes are dug 2 weeks before transplanting.
Choosing the right place
Sweet cherry grows well in areas with neutral acidity. If the soil is not suitable, the pit is made spacious, providing the roots of the tree with the necessary soil. A photophilous culture needs a sunny place, protected by buildings, on the south or west side of the site.
What crops can and cannot be planted next to cherries
- While the trees are young, garden crops are often planted nearby, but nightshades should not be placed near the cherries.
- Other cherries, cherries or cherry plums, berry garden bushes are planted at a specified distance.
- Tall fruit and ornamental trees, conifers are unfavorable neighbors for cherries.
Selection and preparation of planting material
When buying, they pay attention to the condition of the tree: no flaws, an even, smooth trunk and swollen, elastic buds. The roots should not be broken off or dried out. Before planting, they are placed in a mixture of water, clay and growth promoter according to the instructions. Seedlings in containers are placed in a large bucket of water to help free the roots.
Landing algorithm
A mound for a tree is made from the prepared substrate in the pit.
- The seedling is placed in a hole, spreading the roots.
- A peg is driven in nearby to tie up a tree.
- Falling asleep with a substrate, the root collar is left 5 cm above the soil.
- The earth is compacted, a furrow is created for irrigation and 10 liters of water are poured out, mulched.
- The seedling is tied up and cut off.
Follow-up care of the culture
The cherry variety Vasilisa is unassuming:
- the soil is loosened, the mulch is periodically changed;
- watered with such an amount of water that the soil is wet to the depth of all the roots;
- watering is important in May, when creating ovaries, in case of drought and at the end of October;
- cherries are fed with organic matter and fertilizers from 2-3 years;
- when pruning, shoots and non-fruiting branches are removed, creating a spreading crown that transmits sunlight well;
- after water-charging irrigation, a high layer of mulch is placed and the trunk of the Vasilisa variety is wrapped with a rodent-proof net and agrotextile.
Diseases and pests, methods of control and prevention
Diseases | Symptoms | Treatment | Prophylaxis |
Moniliosis | The branches are dry, as after a burn, the fruits rot | Nitrofen, copper sulfate, Horus | Autumn whitewashing of trunks |
Cytosporosis | The bast is infected. Dark spots on the bark. Branches are fragile | Removal of diseased parts | Pruning with a disinfected sharp instrument |
Gum | Viscous liquid on cracks | Fungi and viruses can enter through the cracks. They are processed and covered up | Regular watering, frost protection, proper feeding |
Pests | Signs | Control methods | Prophylaxis |
Cherry fly | Holes in the skin. The pulp is soft | Insecticides | Autumn harvesting of leaves |
Cherry shoot and fruit moth | Small caterpillars | Insecticides | Autumn harvesting of leaves |
Conclusion
Sweet cherry Vasilisa is an attractive tree for growing on a private plot and in a large production garden. Large sweet fruits are obtained with proper care, timely watering, and competent pruning. If you follow all the recommendations, you can enjoy the results of your work after 4 years.
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