Content
Among fruit trees and shrubs, varieties of so-called folk selection always stand a little apart. History has not preserved information about their origin, but this does not prevent them from being popular and annually delighting gardeners with a bountiful harvest. Among such crops there is Apukhtinskaya cherry, a well-deserved and respected variety by many.
Description of Apukhtinskaya cherry
Next, a description of the Apukhtinskaya cherry will be presented, its photos will be shown, pollinators will be listed, and reviews from gardeners about growing this variety will be given. The material is for informational purposes only. More complete information about Apukhtinskaya cherry can be found in specialized literature.
Folk selection variety - Apukhtinskaya cherry
The Tula region, the village of Apukhtino, is considered the birthplace of the Apukhtinskaya cherry. The parental forms of this variety are unknown.According to some reports, the Apukhtinskaya cherry is related to the Morel lotova, although this cannot be stated unequivocally. There is no information on this variety in the State Register. The plant is characterized by good winter hardiness and ease of care. It grows well in central Russia and can also be cultivated in more northern regions.
The Apukhtinskaya cherry variety, a photo and description of which is given in this article, in appearance is more reminiscent of shrub varieties with well-developed skeletal shoots. The stem is short and well developed. The crown is drooping and sparse.
A short video review of this variety can be viewed at the link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yN_6C6MA_A
Height and dimensions of an adult tree
An adult Apukhtinskaya cherry tree does not grow higher than 3 m. This is very convenient when working with it. The crown is rounded, its diameter is 2-2.5 m. The shoots are quite thin, becoming bare as the tree ages.
Description of fruits
Apukhtinskaya cherry berries ripen quite late, in August. These are drupes weighing 3-3.5 g, dark red, rounded-flattened in shape, with a wide central funnel. The skin of the fruit is thin and glossy. The pulp is juicy, ruby red, medium density. The taste is bright, sweet and sour, classic cherry. The stone is single, oval, quite large, easily separated from the pulp. The stalk is long, thin, and firmly attached to the fruit.
The berries of the Apukhtinskaya cherry are quite large
The separation is semi-dry. The variety is not prone to shedding, since ripening occurs gradually. Due to late ripening, the berries do not bake in the sun.
Pollinators of the Apukhtinskaya cherry
Apukhtinskaya cherry is a self-fertile variety.Due to the structural features of the flower, pollination can occur even without opening. However, for maximum yield, it is still advisable to plant pollinators nearby. Apukhtinskaya cherry blossoms quite late, in June, which makes it quite difficult to choose a pollinator variety for it according to the description. The vast majority of other varieties bloom much earlier. Gorkovskaya, Zhuravka, Lotovaya, Lyubskaya, Malinovka, Shchedraya can be suitable as a pollinator for the Apukhtinskaya cherry.
All of these varieties bloom and ripen at approximately the same time as the Apukhtinskaya cherry, so they can be used to cross-pollinate each other.
Main characteristics
Apukhtinskaya cherries have long been successfully grown in many regions of Russia. Such long-term popularity is associated with the resistance of this variety to various adverse factors, ease of care and stable annual yield.
Drought resistance, frost resistance
The winter hardiness of the Apukhtinskaya cherry is not very high; it is believed that it can easily tolerate temperature drops down to -20 °C. This is pretty average. In severe frosts, the shoots may freeze slightly, but in the summer they quickly recover. Apukhtinskaya cherry also tolerates long-term drought well. However, in the first two years, until the fruit-bearing tree has fully formed, the soil should not be allowed to dry out.
Productivity
Apukhtinskaya cherry belongs to the early-fruiting varieties. After planting, seedlings produce their first harvest in the 2nd or 3rd year, and after grafting - the next year after the procedure. Every year the number of fruits increases, and by the 5th year the cherry can bear up to 10 kg of berries.Fruiting of the Apukhtinskaya cherry is annual and stable; with good care and favorable weather conditions, the yield from 1 tree can reach up to 15-20 kg.
Under good conditions, Apukhtinskaya cherries invariably produce good harvests
The purpose of the fruit is technical. Apukhtinskaya cherry berries are excellent for processing into preserves, jams, and compotes. They can also be consumed fresh, however, the well-perceived sourness and sometimes bitterness in the taste is perceived negatively by many. It is advisable to put the berries into processing as soon as possible, since the shelf life and transportability of Apukhtinskaya cherries is not very high.
Advantages and disadvantages
Experts and gardeners unanimously note the following advantages of Apukhtinskaya cherries:
- Precociousness.
- Annual fruiting.
- Late flowering, so flowers are not damaged by return frosts.
- Self-fertility.
- Resistance to major diseases.
- Reluctance to shed berries.
Apukhtinskaya cherry is not without its drawbacks. The following indicators are considered the main negative aspects of this variety:
- Mediocre taste of fruits and their technical purpose.
- Low keeping quality and transportability of berries.
- Tree susceptibility to coccomycosis.
Despite the existing shortcomings, the Apukhtinskaya cherry variety remains popular among gardeners, and this is largely due to the plant’s resistance to the vagaries of the weather and its low maintenance requirements.
Landing rules
The average lifespan of a cherry tree is 20 years. It is undesirable to transplant it to another place, so before planting the seedling you need to correctly assess the situation and choose a suitable place. High-quality planting material is of great importance.The Apukhtinskaya cherry seedling should have a healthy appearance, good roots with lateral branches, and there should be no mechanical damage.
It is better to purchase Apukhtinskaya cherry seedlings from ZKS
Recommended timing
Cherry begins the growing season very early, much earlier than many other fruit plants. It should be planted in early spring, as soon as the ground thaws. In areas with a warm climate, planting Apukhtinskaya cherries can be postponed until autumn. It should be taken into account that at least 3 weeks must remain from the moment of planting until the onset of frost, so that the seedling is guaranteed to have time to take root in the new place.
Site selection and soil preparation
The best place for Apukhtinskaya cherries is the south side of a fence or low building. In this case, the seedling should not be in the shade of other buildings or tall trees; lack of sun has a negative effect on the growth and yield of berries. The mail should be loamy or sandy loam, neutral or slightly alkaline. The groundwater at the planting site must lie at a depth of at least 2 m; if it is located higher, then it is necessary to add soil.
Normal soil acidity is the key to successful cherry growing
Before planting, it is advisable to check the acidity level of the soil. Too acidic soil must be neutralized by adding lime or dolomite flour. For spring planting of Apukhtinskaya cherries, it is better to carry out all manipulations with the ground in the fall, at the same time clearing the area of debris, stones and old vegetation. Before autumn planting, it is better to prepare the site 2-3 weeks before the start of work.
How to plant correctly
Before planting Apukhtinskaya cherry seedlings, it is necessary to dig planting holes, the dimensions of which should be slightly larger than the volume of the root system. Practice shows that a depth of 0.6 m and a diameter of 0.6-0.8 m is quite sufficient. The extracted soil is mixed in equal proportions with humus, while adding a few tablespoons of superphosphate and 0.5 kg of wood ash to the nutrient soil. In spring, it is advisable to add 1-2 tbsp to the above components. l. nitroammophoska or other nitrogen fertilizer, but when planting in autumn it is better to do without it.
Before planting Apukhtinskaya cherry seedlings, you need to drive a peg into the center of the hole, which will initially become a support for the future tree. If you do this after planting, there is a high risk of damaging the roots of an already planted plant. Also, in the center of the hole, an earthen mound is poured, along the sides of which the roots of the seedling are spread. After this, the root system is gradually covered with nutrient soil. From time to time it is advisable to add water and compact the soil, this way you can reduce the likelihood of voids forming in the roots.
It is always more convenient to plant cherries together
After the planting hole is completely filled with soil, the seedling is tied to a support. A small earthen roll 8-10 cm high is poured around the stem so that the water does not spread, and then the root zone is intensively watered. Planting ends by mulching the tree trunk circle with peat or humus, this will help retain moisture in the soil longer.
Features of care
Apukhtinskaya cherry is quite undemanding in terms of growing conditions, so caring for it is not difficult. It includes only such mandatory procedures for gardeners as watering, fertilizing, various types of pruning, as well as periodic treatments against diseases and pests.
Watering and fertilizing schedule
For the first 2 years after planting, watering the Apukhtinskaya cherry should be abundant and regular. In dry weather, young trees need to be watered at least once a week, pouring at least 10 liters of water under each specimen. It is better to do this in the late evening so that evaporation from the soil surface under the influence of the sun is minimal. Adult fruiting cherries are less demanding on watering, however, they also need water, especially during the period of formation and filling of berries. In dry weather, mature trees need to be watered at least once a week, and the watering rate for each plant should be 20-30 liters.
Cherries, especially when young, require regular watering.
In the first 1-2 years after planting, there is no need to fertilize the Apukhtinskaya cherry, since during this period the fertilizers added to the soil during planting are sufficient for its development. With the beginning of active fruiting, nutrients begin to be consumed much faster, and their deficiency in the soil must be replenished in a timely manner.
Adding organic matter is an important part of caring for cherries.
Apukhtinskaya cherry is fertilized in several stages.
- Early spring, before flowering.At this time, fertilizing is done with nitrogen fertilizers (urea, ammonium nitrate). Approximately 30 g is spent on each tree. Fertilizer can be applied in dissolved form (usually they are diluted in 10 liters of water and the root zone is watered with the solution) or in dry form, evenly scattering the granules over the surface of the earth. Many gardeners scatter dry fertilizers even on the last snow; in this case, the nutrients go into the soil along with the melt water.
- At the end of the flowering period. The best feeding at this time is liquid organic matter - an infusion of chicken manure or slurry. These solutions are used to water the soil around the tree trunk.
- During fruit ripening. During this period, foliar feeding is carried out by spraying the trees with a urea solution (20 g of fertilizer per 10 liters of water).
- After fruiting. At this time, fertilizing with complex potassium-phosphorus fertilizers is carried out. You can also use organic matter, for example, humus or old rotted manure. Organic fertilizers are applied to the tree trunk when digging it in the fall.
Trimming
Pruning cherry trees helps to form a beautiful and practical tree crown, which is as convenient as possible for the gardener to work with and optimal for fruiting. In addition, some shoots are removed for preventive purposes.
Here are some types of pruning of Apukhtinskaya cherry:
- Formative. Produced to give the tree a specific shape. Depends on the gardener’s preferences and climate conditions.
- Sanitary. Carry out annually at the beginning and end of the season to clean the tree of old, diseased, broken and dry branches.
- Thinning. Produced to remove crown-thickening, improperly growing shoots, as well as to clean the trunk and root zone of unnecessary growth.
Preparing for winter
In the southern regions, Apukhtinskaya cherries are not covered for the winter. In more northern areas, young trees must be protected from frost. They are wrapped in a layer of breathable material and also tied with spruce branches. Barrier nets are installed around the trunks, which will protect them from hares.
Apukhtinskaya cherry seedlings must be covered for the winter
In mature trees, the trunk and lower skeletal branches should be whitewashed to a height of 1.5 m to protect against sunburn.
Diseases and pests
Apukhtinskaya cherry has good immunity to diseases. However, diseases can still appear, especially in weakened and aged specimens. Below are some of them.
Coccomycosis, Apukhtinskaya cherry is prone to this particular fungal disease. It can be recognized by multiple reddish-brown small round spots that begin to cover the leaves of the tree in abundance.
As the disease progresses, it begins to affect not only the leaves, but also the fruits, causing the loss of a significant part of the harvest. The disease greatly reduces the winter hardiness of cherries and can lead to its death in winter. Prevention is the timely removal of plant debris, sanitary pruning, as well as whitewashing the trunks and treating the tree with fungicides (Bordeaux mixture).
Moniliosis is a fungal disease, especially noticeable on annual growth. On diseased shoots, leaves begin to curl and turn brown, and flowers or berries begin to dry out. If you cut an infected branch, you will notice the presence of black rings on the cut.
Treatment and prevention of moniliosis consists of timely treatment of cherries with fungicides, Fitosporin or Fitolavin, as well as maintaining the cleanliness of the bush and the tree trunk.
Scab, the disease usually manifests itself in regions with warm climates. Scab-affected leaves curl, turn yellow and dry out, and the fruits dry out or crack. The disease cannot destroy the tree, but its yield can suffer quite severely.
To prevent and treat scab, cherries are treated with Bordeaux mixture several times during the season. Affected leaves and shoots should be cut off and burned. The trunk of the cherry tree must be whitened, and fallen leaves and affected shoots must be removed and burned in a timely manner.
No less dangerous for the Apukhtinskaya cherry are various insect pests that spoil both the tree itself and the harvest of berries. Here are some of them:
- Aphid - a microscopic insect found in large quantities on many horticultural crops. Large colonies of aphids suck the juice from the leaves, which greatly harms plants and young shoots. You can scare away aphids from cherries if you plant some types of plants next to the trees: fennel, thyme, dill. The pest cannot tolerate their pungent odor. To kill insects, trees are sprayed with various insecticides: Iskra, Inta-Vir. A good result is achieved by using an infusion of ash, garlic, celandine or tansy for this purpose.
- Ants. These insects appear on cherries along with aphids, which they themselves spread. Hunting belts, various mechanical obstacles, and special chemicals are used against ants.
Conclusion
Apukhtinskaya cherry is a variety known and loved by many gardeners for a long time.Thanks to its unpretentiousness, it still remains popular, despite the emergence of new, more productive species. And this picture is unlikely to change. Varieties of folk selection, such as the Apukhtinskaya cherry or the Antonovka apple tree, will always be in demand, since they are already living history of Russia.
