Cherry Regina

Regina is a late-ripening large-fruited cherry variety grown by gardeners from all over the country. The variety is quite common in both warm and cool regions of the Russian Federation and Europe.

The authors of the described variety were German breeders. The Rube and Schneider varieties were taken as the basis for Regina. The selection was carried out in 1957, but the seedlings of the resulting variety began to be sold only 24 years later.

Regina has the following main features.

• Wood. This is a medium-sized crop with a height of about 3-4 meters.

• Shoots. Straight configuration, fast growing, growing at right angles to the trunk. Flexible, covered with a glossy gray-brown bark.

• Crown. Not particularly dense, it resembles a rounded pyramid in shape. Quite compact.

• Foliage. Leaves are elliptical, standard green shade, sharp tip. The surface is a little shiny, the veins are visible very well.

• Flowers. White, rather large, each containing five petals. Usually collected in inflorescences.

Now let's consider the features of the drupes themselves.

• Dimensions. The cherries are quite large, weighing from 9 to 10 grams. The diameter of one drupe is 3.2 centimeters.

• The form. The fruits are slightly elongated. The heart-shaped configuration makes them even more attractive.

• Colour. Drupes are dark red in color with a slight glossy sheen.

• Skin. The smooth and shiny skin has a special strength and elasticity, so the fruits almost never crack. It also provides them with a high level of transportability. The cherries lie in the refrigerator for a little longer than two weeks.

• Pulp. The red pulp is firm. Cherries are gristly, the separation from the stalk is dry.

When grown in sunny areas, the drupes are incredibly sweet. If the summer is mostly cloudy or the cherries were deliberately in the shade, a slight sourness will appear in the taste. But even in spite of this, the variety received a rating of 4.8-5 points for taste.

Drupes are eaten immediately after harvest, and also used for cooking:

• jam;

• compote;

• jam;

• sweet and sour sauce;

• liquor;

• jelly.

Cherry Regina as a whole is rather fast-growing: the first harvests can be expected in the third, maximum fourth year. The tree begins to bloom when the air warms up to +15 degrees. In most regions, this is the second half of May, but it all depends on the timing. Full ripening of the fruits occurs in August.

The first harvest may not please. Cherries will give only 5 kilograms of drupes, but you should not despair. Every year the indicators will grow, and Regina has no rest periods. When the tree becomes adult (about 7 years old), it will produce an average of 40 kilograms of drupes.

Regina belongs to the group of self-fertile varieties.Therefore, one of the following types of cherries should be planted next to it:

• Silvia;

• Jade;

• Coral;

• Bianca.

Regina is usually grown in areas that receive a lot of sunlight. There should be tall mature trees or structures nearby, which will protect young seedlings from winter and autumn winds. Groundwater should not flow higher than 2 meters, since the root system does not tolerate flooding. The soil will need nutritious, loose, slightly acidic, pre-fertilized with humus and wood ash.

Planting is usually carried out in spring, in autumn it is allowed to plant only in warm areas with mild winters. The seedlings are planted according to the classical technique, preventing the growth point from burying into the substrate. After planting, the trunk circle is irrigated with two buckets of water. When the soil settles, a new small layer is poured, mulching with peat and a garter to the peg is performed.

For the first three years, plants are watered twice a month, using three buckets of water per tree. If there is a severe drought, you can water a little more often, but you should not be zealous either. Starting from 4 years old, the plants are considered mature, and the irrigation regime should be adjusted. Now the trees are watered three times: when the buds swell, 14 days after the end of flowering, and 21 days before the approximate fruiting maturity. However, weather conditions must also be taken into account. Each time Regina is irrigated, she is given 6 buckets of water. Be sure to carry out the October water-charging irrigation.

It is reasonable to combine water supply with loosening. It is carried out a few hours after watering. They also weed the soil: weeds are very harmful for Regina. At the end of the described procedures, a layer of mulch is laid out in the trunk circle. For this, mowed grass is most suitable.

After planting, Regina can safely do without fertilizers for two years. However, from the third season they will already be needed. In autumn, organic matter alternates with minerals. One year, organic matter (40 kg of manure) is introduced, the second - a mineral complex consisting of superphosphate (200 g) and potassium sulfate (100 g).

In spring, cherry trees of the variety are fertilized with nitrogen. It is best to take 150 grams of carbamide, dilute in water, and then water the plants. 14 days after flowering, the trees are fed with ash. For 5 liters, take a kilogram of product, boil for a quarter of an hour, filter. Fertilizer is used for watering and spraying the crown.

As for the formation of the crown, it is usually carried out according to the tier-sparse type. At the same time, do not forget about early spring sanitary haircuts. Mature trees are rejuvenated every few years to increase yields.

Regina has very good immunity. If you take proper care of the cherries, then most likely it will not get sick. However, in a rainy summer, the culture can pick up the fungus. These are such common ailments as moniliosis, clotterosporia and others. They are treated with industrial fungicides or Bordeaux liquid.

A thickened and improperly formed crown, as well as the presence of weeds in the near-trunk circle, often attract pests. Usually it is aphid, but sometimes a weevil appears. At the initial stages of the growing season, you can use "Karbofos". During the period of active ripening of cherries, folk remedies are used.

Regina is highly resistant to cold, so it is often grown even in cool climates. The only exception will be very harsh regions. But the plant's drought resistance is average, which means that it cannot be left without water for a long time. As for substrates, Regina will not grow on soils with high acidity, high content of sand and clay.

This cherry variety has already been appreciated by many summer residents. Gardeners like that the fruits are large and sweet, do not crumble or crack. Those who grow it for sale are especially pleased with the variety. The fruits are transported to markets and shops without losing their original appearance. And tree care is not difficult even for beginners.

The negative side of summer residents is the need for pollinators. In addition, the regularity of watering will also have to be controlled.