Duke Spartan

Dukes appeared in Russia thanks to the works of the talented breeder IV Michurin, whose desire to enrich the gardens with southern fruit plants gave gardeners more than 150 hybrid varieties. Among them were dukes (cherries). At the end of the 20th century, varieties appeared that were capable of bearing fruit in areas of risky agriculture, in particular, in Eastern Siberia. Universal Duke Spartan is one of them. The hybrid berry is suitable for fresh consumption, making wine and liqueurs, as well as cooking compote, preserves, jams, confitures.

The originators of the variety are breeders A. Tarasenko, A. Sychev.

A medium-sized (2.5-3 m) tree has a rounded, spreading crown covered with dark green, with emerald shades, leaves similar in shape to cherry, but more elongated, like a sweet cherry. The leaf plate is smooth, with elongated pointed tips. By autumn, the foliage changes color from emerald to yellow-orange, turning the trees into bright "torches". Powerful skeletal shoots are covered with brown bark, the thin skin of young shoots is colored in lighter colors.

Advantages of Spartan:

• unpretentiousness;

• strong immunity;

• attractive appearance;

• growing in the conditions of Eastern Siberia;

• early maturity and the ability to stay on a tree for a long time;

• balanced sweet taste, large fruit and versatility in use.

Disadvantages:

• the need for pollinators and pruning;

• low transportability and a tendency to freezing of the kidneys during thaws.

During flowering, the tree takes on such a spectacular appearance that it can be compared to Japanese cherry blossoms. White-pink large flowers are collected in clusters-inflorescences, resembling miniature bouquets, located on annual growths. Most flowers transform into ovaries if pollinators are present, otherwise they all fall off empty.

Large (5.5-6.5 g) rounded berry is colored in intense red-cherry tones. The dense, glossy skin has a strong shine and protects the fruit from cracking.

The dark red pulp has a juicy and tender, slightly crunchy texture. The fruits have a dessert sweetness with a little bit of acidity, which does not affect the taste at all, but only adds piquancy and freshness.

The plant gives the first (test) harvest in the third year after budding in the nursery, then regular and abundant fruiting follows, subject to the rules of agricultural technology. The harvesting period falls on the last days of June, however, the ability of the berry to remain on the branches for a long time without losing its qualities makes it possible to extend the harvest period if there is no competition in the form of feathered lovers of a sweet dessert.

The Spartan woman gives a bountiful harvest - on average, 15 to 20 kilograms of tasty berries are harvested from one plant, but this is not the limit. Ideal conditions will increase your performance.

The variety is adapted for central Russia, which includes not only the Moscow region, but also more northern regions (Nizhegorodchina, Pskov and Vologda regions), as well as for South and Eastern Siberia.

Unfortunately, the Spartan duke is self-fertile, so when buying seedlings, you need to take care of the simultaneous acquisition of pollinators. These are varieties of cherries Lyubskaya, Ovstuzhenka, Businka, Iput.

The plant requires planting in full sun, but tolerates slight shading in the morning or evening. The soil should be light, fertile, with good air permeability and a neutral pH. Acidified soils are subject to mandatory deoxidation using dolomite flour, which is also a good fertilizer. Despite the high need for moisturizing a young seedling, planting in swampy lowlands or places with a close occurrence of groundwater is completely unacceptable. Growing in water leads to the death of the culture.

When choosing planting material, preference is given to two-year-old seedlings grown in nurseries. A young plant should have a well-formed root system (white, succulent roots), smooth and intact bark, straight stem and buds. As mentioned above, they immediately buy a duke and a pollinator for it.

Landing.

1. Dig a hole measuring 70x70x80 cm.

2. The distance between the holes is 4-5 meters if a tree will grow, and 3-4 meters for a bush growing method.

3. A 10-15 cm layer of drainage from pebbles, gravel or broken brick is poured onto the bottom.

4. The excavated layer of fertile soil is enriched with organic matter (humus or compost), superphosphate, potash fertilizers, and wood ash.

5. During planting, care should be taken that the root collar is not buried - it should remain at the level of the soil or slightly above.

After planting, a barrier embankment is made around the trunk circle and watered abundantly with warm, settled water. The next day, the wet soil must be loosened to prevent the formation of a crust that impedes the flow of oxygen. This is a mandatory intake in the first and second years: lack of oxygen leads to inhibition of growth and cessation of development. Planting time: autumn in the southern regions, in more northern regions it is more expedient to postpone the event to the spring season, so that in a short summer the duke can adapt and grow a powerful root system.

The planted crop needs regular watering in the first season, then watering is reduced to a minimum. An adult tree is able to get by with natural precipitation, since the crop belongs to the drought-tolerant category. Supplemental nutrient supplementation begins in the second year. In early spring, the plant needs nitrogen fertilizers to build up its vegetative mass. After harvesting, the hybrid is fed with potassium-phosphorus preparations. In autumn, the trunks are covered with a thick layer of humus, which simultaneously serves as a warm pillow for the winter and fertilizer.

The first pruning is carried out immediately after planting.The conductor is shortened, leaving 0.6-0.7 m from the surface of the earth, but at the same time it should be about 20-25 cm higher than the lateral shoots. Weak lateral branches are cut into a ring, strong ones are shortened by one third of the length. If the culture will be grown in the northern regions, then you need to remember about the formation of a bush. Otherwise, all activities are no different from caring for cherries.

It is important! Dukes have such a powerful development of roots that adult plants are able to provide themselves with moisture and nutrients, therefore, care at this time is minimized.

The variety has strong immunity and is extremely resistant to pests and diseases - coccomycosis, moniliosis and others. The cherry fly is noticed to show no interest in the duke.

The hybrid is characterized as winter hardy, but still not enough to compete with the cherry. The ideal option is to form a bush for regions such as the Krasnoyarsk Territory, the Irkutsk Region and the like. This technique allows you to organize a shelter for the winter.