Content
Regina cherry is a late ripening variety. By planting it on his plot, the summer resident extends the opportunity to enjoy the juicy berry until mid-July. Let's find out what is necessary for its successful cultivation.
History of selection
The cherry variety was created in Germany based on the Roubaix and Schneider varieties. As a result of their work, the breeders received seedlings that were superior in quality to the original plants.
Description of culture
This type of cherry is a tree about 3 m high, with a rounded, not too thick crown. The shoots grow vertically upward. In a year they can grow up to 50 cm, the leaves are round. The fruits are large, up to 10 g in weight, bright red and juicy. Ripe berries are quite sweet.
The climatic regions for growing Regina cherries, where they bear fruit and grow well, extend from the southern regions of Russia to the Middle Volga region.
Characteristics
Here are the main characteristics of the Regina cherry variety.
Drought resistance, winter hardiness
Cherry is not a drought-resistant crop. To get a good harvest, the tree needs to be watered at least once a month. In dry weather, make sure that the soil at the roots does not dry out.
Regina tolerates winter quite well if it is not grown in the northern regions. Young seedlings need to be spudded and tied with burlap or other rodent-proof material.
Pollination, flowering period and ripening time
The plant is not self-pollinating, and it is not always possible to choose a late-flowering variety. Pollinators for Regina cherries are varieties of cherries Karina, Salvia, you can use Lotivka and Coral cherries. They are planted closer to the tree to be pollinated. The Regina variety blooms in May, the fruits reach maturity by mid-July.
Productivity, fruiting
The tree is strewn with berries every year. Not all of them can ripen, but up to 40 kg of fruit can be collected from an adult tree. It begins to bear fruit three years after planting.
Regina cherry fruits are stored on the tree in ripe form for 10-12 days. They don't crack from rain.
Area of application of berries
The juicy sweet berry is used fresh. Various products are made from it. In addition to desserts, wines and liqueurs are good. For winter use, the berries are frozen. Cherry fruits are well transported and quickly sorted by customers.
Resistance to diseases and pests
A specially bred variety is resistant to many diseases of cherries. In cold and wet weather, various putrefactive formations may appear on the fruits.
Advantages and disadvantages
The advantages of Regina cherries include the following qualities:
- High annual yield.
- Good preservation of berries during storage and transportation.
- Dense berries do not crack or rot from moisture.
- The berries come off easily when picked.
- Good resistance to diseases and harmful insects.
- Ripe fruits fall off within two weeks.
The only drawback is that a pollinator is required to produce ovaries. This is difficult to do for a late-blooming variety.
Landing Features
Large-fruited cherry Regina has its own characteristics when planting.
Recommended timing
Seedlings can be planted in spring or autumn. Spring planting gives the plant a better chance of establishing itself in the fall. It is carried out a few days after the soil has thawed. The seedling is at rest and does not receive stress during transplantation.
Autumn planting is good because there is a large selection of seedlings on the market. You can visually determine their condition. In the fall, planting holes are carefully prepared, fertilized and watered well. It is necessary to cover young plantings on the eve of frost.
Choosing a suitable location
For planting, a bright place located in high areas is required. There should be no drafts or north winds here. Low places where cold fog collects are not suitable for cherries. It is important that the area is not swampy and does not have a close layer of groundwater.
What crops can and cannot be planted next to cherries?
Pome trees should not be planted near cherries. She especially does not tolerate being next to an apple tree. Pears do not have a negative effect on cherries, but the larger root system will take away nutrients.
For the same reason, large trees such as linden, birch, and conifers are not planted next to it.Among garden crops, cherries cannot tolerate nightshade crops, tobacco, eggplants, and peppers. Gooseberries and raspberries are bad neighbors.
Cherry, honeysuckle, and plum will be good neighbors.
Selection and preparation of planting material
For planting, seedlings obtained by grafting a variety onto a rootstock are selected. The vaccination site should be visually visible. The cherry seedling must be healthy in appearance, have developed roots without damage. The height of the plant should not be less than a meter.
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Before planting, seedlings are placed in a root former solution. Leave for several hours so that the roots are saturated with water.
Landing algorithm
Growing Regina cherries begins with planting them. Prepare a hole 60 cm deep and the same width. In its center, a mound of fertile soil mixed with complex fertilizer (no more than 100 g per plant) is poured. A peg is driven into the hole, which will serve as a support for the young cherry tree. A seedling is placed on a mound and the roots are straightened.
Next, water and cover the roots with soil. The grafting site should remain level with the soil. There is no need to fill it with soil. The soil is lightly compacted, eliminating the formation of air cavities. Next, the tree trunk circle is mulched with peat or humus.
The distance between plants is maintained at least 3 meters. If several rows are planted, then an interval of 4-5 meters is made between them.
Subsequent care of the crop
Basic care for Regina cherries includes watering, fertilizing, pruning. The tree requires abundant watering at least once a month.A young plant needs 30 liters, and an adult fruit-bearing tree will require 50-60 liters. In dry times, water more often; how many times is determined depending on the condition of the soil, preventing it from drying out.
A year after planting, the cherry tree will need nitrogen fertilizer to develop the stem mass. 100 g of urea per 1 m2 is enough2. Subsequently, complex mineral compounds, compost or rotted manure are added. Add ash, because cherries and cherries do not tolerate acidic soil. You can add dolomite flour around the perimeter in the fall.
Formative pruning of cherries is carried out. It must have one main escape. Competitors are being eliminated. If the top of the tree is damaged, another strong shoot is allowed to grow.
Every spring, sanitary pruning of the cherry tree crown is done. Remove broken, diseased shoots directed inward. The cut areas are treated with copper sulfate and covered with garden pitch.
Young cherry seedlings need winter shelter. Two weeks before frost, mulch from various materials is poured around them. The tree is wrapped in burlap and spruce branches and secured with twine. This will protect them from the cold and rodents.
A good example of how to care for cherries is this video tutorial:
Diseases and pests, methods of control and prevention
| Cherry diseases | Characteristic | Control measures |
| Moniliosis | The berries rot, the flowers fall off and do not form an ovary. Gray growths in which fungal spores ripen are noticeable on the fruits. If you don't fight, the whole tree will die | Treatment with Bordeaux mixture in spring and autumn, use of antibiotics. The soil also needs to be cultivated |
| Coccomycosis | Occurs at high air humidity. Brown-red spots are noticeable on the leaves, eventually covering the entire surface of the leaf.The leaves fall, the fruits do not ripen and crumble | Collecting and burning diseased branches. Treatment of the bush with a 3% Nitrofen solution |
| Cherry pests | Characteristic | Control measures |
| Cherry sawfly | A small black insect with yellow stripes. They give birth to caterpillars that eat leaves and buds. When they multiply strongly, the tree may remain completely bare | For destruction use: “Aktellik”, “Karbofos”, “Metafos”, “Phosfamide” |
Conclusion
Regina cherry has become a popular variety among lovers of cherry orchards. Large, sweet berries deserve to take pride of place among similar garden crops. If you plant such a tree on your site, you can get a lot of pleasure in the spring, watching it bloom, and in the summer, eating the berries.
Reviews
I am engaged in the industrial cultivation of cherries. The Regina variety always sells well. Buyers already know this berry. Its popularity is increased by the timing of sales in July, when cherries are already running out. There are few problems with caring for cherries. The main thing is to feed it on time and water it if necessary. I did the main shaping once, then only sanitary trimming. My large garden needs a lot of attention, but it's worth it.
I also grow a similar cherry, Regina. Cordia variety. They have a lot in common. Both are late ripening and require a pollinator. Planted next to each other, they can pollinate each other. Large sweet cherries are not easy to distinguish from each other. Except that Cordia's shape is heart-shaped, while Regina's is round.
