Cherry Spark

Cherry Ogonyok is a large-fruited variety of felt (Chinese) cherry, which is distinguished by the bright red color of the berries, which is why it got its name. It is used not only as a cultivated fruit-bearing shrub, but also as a decorative element. In the spring it decorates the garden in the form of pale pink blooming clouds, and in the summer - a large number of bright red berries.

This variety was bred back in 1965 in a fruit nursery at the Far Eastern Research Institute of Agriculture by a group of specialists under the leadership of G.A.Kuzmin. The early pink felt cherry, already popular at that time, became the basis for obtaining the variety. Ogonyok was specially zoned for germination in the Far Eastern region, therefore it is characterized by increased resistance to low temperatures (up to -30 ... 40 degrees).

Felt cherry is a perennial shrub with a compact crown. Maximum height - 2 m, crown diameter - up to 2.2 m. Old branches are dark gray in color, peeling bark. Young shoots are dark brown. The crown is of medium density, fruiting branches are formed at the age of 3-4 years. The fruiting period is at least 10 years, with good care and regular pruning, it can increase to 20 years.

Felt cherry bears juicy fruit, the taste of which is rated as sweet and sour (overall rating 4.5 out of 5). The berries are small, round-flat in shape with an average weight of 3-4 grams. But the size is compensated by the number of berries, which cover the branches with a dense layer. The stalk is short, the surface is slightly pubescent, the color is bright red, sometimes slightly pale. Thin skin and thick flesh. The bone is poorly detachable, weight up to 1.6 grams. The berries do not tolerate transportation well and do not have a good keeping quality, therefore, they need to be processed as soon as possible after collection.

The soft pulp of the berries is sweet and sour in taste. The juice has a pleasant pink color. The fruits can be used not only fresh, but also for preparations (jam, juice, tinctures, wine). It is worth noting that the berries dry out rather quickly, therefore, with prolonged storage, they lose their taste.

Felt cherry begins to bear fruit in 2-3 years after planting. The first fruits begin to ripen in the second half of July (on average, 18-22). They are able to survive on the bush almost until the end of August. Due to the short stalks, the berries of this variety stick around the branches quite tightly. Felt cherry berries do not crumble until they are completely dry.

The average yield of this variety is inferior to the yield of ordinary garden cherry.But all the same, about 8-12 kg can be collected from each copy per season. When germinating in good conditions in some farms, the weight of the harvested fruits can reach an average of 15 kg.

The Ogonyok variety is not particularly picky about growing conditions. Specially bred for breeding in difficult conditions, it takes root both in central Russia and in areas with a more severe climate, including Siberia, the Urals and the Far East.

The branches of the felt varietal cherry are usually covered with many fruits. This variety does not belong to self-pollinating plants. For the formation of fruits, the presence of other related shrubs (any varieties of cherry or plum, sloe, apricot and others) is necessary. In extreme cases, you can do with planting around the bushes of spicy herbaceous perennials. The main thing is that the periods of flowering of donor plants coincide with the flowering of the cherry itself.

Planting cherry Ogonyok falls in late March - early May. The main criterion is the air temperature (at least +10 degrees) and the absence of frost, which can damage young shoots. And you can also plant a shrub in the fall before the onset of frost, with a thorough cover of the soil.

This culture loves well-structured loamy soil, as well as sandy loam with a high percentage of humus and a neutral reaction. It is undesirable to plant felt cherries in acidic soil, as well as in places with a close location of groundwater. Such soils need preliminary preparation, which is desirable to start 1-2 years before planting cherry seedlings. For cherries, sunny or semi-sunny areas are chosen, well protected from gusts of wind.

For planting, a hole with a diameter and depth of 50-60 cm is dug. Then fertile soil (with fertilizers if necessary) is poured into it by one third of the depth. In spring, nutrients are concentrated at the bottom of the pit, when planting in autumn, in the upper layer. The root system of the tree should be carefully straightened, then covered with earth and well tamped. After watering (1-2 buckets, depending on humidity), mulching must be carried out, for which you can use grass or aged peat, which is preferable.

Cherry Ogonyok is undemanding to care. The main care for it consists of loosening the soil, weeding and watering during prolonged hot weather. Timely pruning is especially important for felt cherries. Annual pruning is carried out in early spring (before the buds swell), while leaving 10-15 of the strongest shoots. Rejuvenating pruning (thinning of skeletal branches, lightening the center of the crown), if carried out every five years, can extend the fruiting period of a shrub by 5-10 years.

After the plant reaches the age of three, fertilization must be carried out twice a year. For the first time right after the end of flowering. For this, a mixture from a bucket of compost or humus with the addition of nitrogen fertilizer (30 grams), superphosphate (70 grams), potassium sulfate (20 grams) is suitable. In the fall, in preparation for the winter season, phosphorus and potash fertilizers are applied to the soil. In order to avoid acidification of the soil, which is harmful to cherries, it must be limed every 5 years.

Despite its resistance to various diseases, this variety needs regular prevention of fungal diseases and attacks of various pests. To do this, it is sprayed at least three times per season with solutions of fungicides and insecticides. The minimum interval between such treatments is 7 days, the maximum is one and a half months. In addition, timely removal of infected shoots and processing of the nearest neighbors in the area are important.