What does a duke look like and how to grow it?

Duke (or sweet cherry) is a very attractive plant, and therefore it is very important to study its description. You will need to consider the pollinators of the cherry and sweet cherry hybrid, the features of planting seedlings of the plant, the importance of these trees in gardening. Additionally, you should familiarize yourself with the rules for caring for cherry dukes.

Few know what a duke is. However, this is not too difficult to understand. This plant has another name - sweet cherry, that is, a hybrid of cherry and sweet cherry. Got a similar look due to the re-pollination of the original crops. The correct selection selection made it possible to achieve effective cultivation in the conditions of the northern regions. Like other hybrid plants, the duke is self-fertile. Therefore, it cannot be used in isolation from other pollinating plants.

Cherry is a relatively small tree. It has a small crown. A characteristic feature of the crossed culture is the symmetrical arrangement of the branches. They will be covered with oblong leaves that have a glossy sheen. White inflorescences, complemented by red cherry berries, look extremely cute. The berries themselves look like cherries. Their taste is also similar. But at the same time, the original mixture of fruit crops in terms of sugar content in the crop and its size is much closer to sweet cherry. The similarities with her also apply to the size of the leaves. But the color of the foliage, its density and characteristic shine are borrowed from another ancestor.

On average, berries weigh 8-10 g. It is possible to expect the appearance of fruits normally as early as 3 years of development. For 1 season, the tree yields from 10 to 15 kg. The advantage of the duke will be excellent resistance to infection and pests. The quality of the fruit is very high, and complex care is not required.

However, there are also weaknesses:

• cherry buds are relatively easily damaged by frost;
• portability is not very good;
• you will have to carry out systematic pruning, since the growth is very active.

Good for Belarus grade "Gronkavaya"which produces moderately large fruits. They are colored dark red. A small bone is easily separated from the pulp. The tasting score is 4.8 points.

Important Features:

• crown in the form of a wide pyramid;
• tender pulp of a dark red tone;
• low susceptibility to aggression by pests and infections;
• universal application;
• early ripening period.

Variety "Iput", also optimal in Belarusian conditions, was entered in the varietal register in 1993. The tree grows strongly and has a moderately dense crown in the form of a wide pyramid. Large foliage resembles an oblong egg. Delicate dark red berry pulp is quite juicy. The tasting score is 4 points.

Other features:

• fruiting begins at 4 or 5 years;
• approximately the same size of fruits that are heart-shaped;
• the share of dry matter in berries is over 15%;
• the share of sugars in the harvest - 11.7%;
• thickened straight shoots of olive-gray color.

In the Moscow region, a very good result can give grade "Strong"that ripens early. The fertility of such a plant is at an altitude. The fruits are distinguished by a very dense pulp structure. Flower buds practically do not freeze. The variety is generally winter-hardy.

Wood "Strong" always slender and tall, with a rounded top. Skeletal branches are quite powerful. Young, curved shoots are lighter than the adult growth. The harvest can be expected by mid-June. The berries weigh 6 g on average.

In Siberia, it is desirable to use more frost-resistant varieties. Among them stand out:

• "Beauty of the North";
• "Miracle Cherry";
• "Excellent Venyaminova".

Choosing the right seedlings is critical. You need to buy them only in specialized trading establishments and nurseries. The best choice is trees 1 or 2 years old. They take root especially quickly in any area. It is useful to give preference to plants with a closed root system, which includes a strong central root and several lateral roots. It is necessary to check that the seedlings have already fully matured wood and uniform color without visually noticeable defects. The height of the plant for planting is approximately 0.6 m. In the northern and central regions of Russia, sweet cherries should be planted in the spring. In the south, you can do it calmly in the autumn months. The hybrid plant develops optimally on earth with neutral acidity.

Sometimes the soil is additionally limed. It is impractical to plant cherries in places with stagnant water. Otherwise, it will hurt and may even gradually die. To plant the duke correctly means choosing an open, sunny place for it. At the same time, any drafts are unacceptable at the location. Preparation begins 15 days before disembarkation. Preparation begins with a thorough digging of the earth. After that, they mark it out and dig a hole. The width of the recess is 0.6-0.7 m, the depth is from 0.5 to 0.7 m. It is also advisable to add a special nutrient substrate. For its preparation use:

• about 3 kg of humus;
• 0.2 kg of wood ash;
• 0.05 kg superphosphate;
• 0.04 kg of potassium sulfate;
• garden land (enough to fill the rest, but not completely).

All fertilizers should be thoroughly mixed with the soil. This mixture should fill the hole approximately 3/4 full so that there is still room for the seedling. Its own roots, two days before planting, are kept in a permanganate solution for some time. It is also recommended to use specialized growth stimulants, mainly "Zircon" and "Kornevin". It is very important to use a stake, which will become a full-fledged support for the seedling. When planting, the roots are carefully straightened, and then everything is covered with soil, while the planting is completed with irrigation of 20 liters of warm water.

Cherry care consists in the following points.

Fully growing duke is not a problem even for inexperienced gardeners. Young shoots of this plant are watered weekly. Irrigation should be abundant. It is recommended to pre-settle the water and make sure that it is not excessively cold. As it matures, the tree requires less watering. However, their abundance should not diminish. Adult ducks need to be watered with 20-40 liters of water. When long droughts come, the amount of fluid will have to be increased.

For the first time, cherries in the open field should be pruned immediately after planting. The cutting point should be 60 cm above the ground. Having worked with the top, they begin to trim the skeletal branches. On two-year-old seedlings, the side branches are cut by about a third. In the absence of a harvest, young cherries are actively growing. But as soon as the first berries appear, this growth decreases. The crown should be thinned out so often that its density does not interfere with obtaining decent yields. It should be remembered that the sharper the angle of departure from the trunk, the smaller the cut end should be.

It is impossible to call the duke a self-fertile plant: it definitely needs pollinators. Good candidates are:

• "Iput";
• "Annushka";
• "Lyubskaya";
• Bulatnikovskaya;
• "Sister".

There are a number of other nuances of cherry cultivation. To maintain the functioning of the root system, it helps to carry out 2 cultivations during the season. Loosening the culture is often impractical. The planting of green manure for the dykes is permissible, but the near-trunk circle must always be in the "black steam" mode. Mulching this circle allows you to exclude overheating of the earth and too rapid evaporation of moisture. The best mulch option is considered to be hay. But you need to lay it out on slightly damp soil. Feeding the cherries is not needed, since it bears fruit well in the soil of moderate nutritional value. Grafting is quite useful because it allows you to count on an increased yield. This manipulation is carried out in April, as soon as the movement of the juices inside the plant begins.

It is recommended to plant the duke on strong, winter-resistant varieties of cherries and cherries. On a green handle, cut off a section of about 30 cm long, including the kidney. Having made an incision of the same length on the rootstock, the grafted material is fixed with adhesive tape or electrical insulating tape. The kidney must be at the top. The use of plastic wrap helps to create a greenhouse microclimate at the vaccination site. With a skillful approach, it is quite possible to grow cherries in the Moscow region. Common varieties of dukes are frost-hardy enough for the conditions of this region and other areas of the middle lane.