Cherry Kharitonovskaya

This culture can be called promising for growing in warm and temperate climates. And large, versatile and very tasty berries with a mysterious and piquant bird cherry flavor will undoubtedly compensate for the modest labor costs that you put into the process of caring for this unique cherry.

The application for the registration of the culture was submitted by the Institute. Michurin in 1992, where it was developed by E.N. Kharitonova and O.S. Zhukov. Since 1998, it has been in the State Register, and obtained by crossing Almaz with Zhukovskaya. It is noteworthy that one of the maternal species of culture was the Maak bird cherry growing in Primorye, which explains the presence of piquant taste notes of the newly obtained variety. Being an ordinary species, the culture is universal, with excellent marketability and an average level of transportability. Recommended for cultivation in the Central Black Earth Region.

The tree is medium-sized, 2–3 m high, with a slightly raised, medium-dense crown. The foliage is of medium intensity, and the upright brownish-brown branches form a thin spherical crown. Large smooth elliptical leaves with pointed tips and rounded bases are painted in a dark green color. The leaf blades are straight, with medium-sized stipules and serrated edges.

The flowers are white and large. Flowering and fruiting occurs on bouquet branches and on last year's growths. The pluses of culture include:

• a high level of resistance to coccomycosis and moniliosis;
• partial self-fertility;
• large fruit sizes;
• stable level of fruiting;
• high productivity;
• compactness;
• excellent taste properties of berries;
• berries after ripening do not crumble, they are separated from the stalks with a dry separation;
• versatility of fruits;
• drought resistance of culture.

Minuses:

• the level of frost resistance is not very high;
• large bones;
• low degree of transportability of berries.

The berries are large in size (18X16 mm) and relatively massive (up to 5 g), one-dimensional, rounded configuration. In color, they are dark red, and when fully ripe, they are closer to black. The skin is medium, not pubescent, and the juice is a light red hue. The pulp is orange, tender. The fruits are firmly attached to the stalks, but come off without difficulty. The seeds are medium in size, oval, easily separated from the pulp. By chemical composition, berries include: dry matter - up to 18%, sugar - 3%, acids - 1.2%, vitamin C - 12 mg%.

By taste, the berries are sweet and sour with a slight taste of bird cherry. Tasting score in points - 4.7.

The fruiting process starts from the 5th year of crop growth. Ripening time is average. Fruit picking - from mid-July.

With the correct implementation of agrotechnical techniques, the yield reaches 15–20 kg per tree.

The culture is partly self-fertile; the pollinating trees Zhukovskaya and Vladimirskaya will be productive neighbors for it (they should not shade the main trees). The Kharitonovskaya cherry blossoms in late spring, and the ovaries are formed on bouquet branches and last year's shoots. In the absence of pollinating plants, approximately 5–20% of the flowers become berries. The first fruits ripen from mid-July. The culture blooms unusually abundantly.

Preferred soils for culture are neutral loamy or sandy loamy soils. The landing site features are standard for cherries.

Groundwater location - no closer than 2 m to the ground surface. A good place to disembark would be, for example, the southern side of the fence or the western slope with a slope of no more than 15 °.

In southern latitudes, the culture is planted in the fall, after the foliage has fallen. In the more northern ones - in early spring. Preparatory earthwork should be completed before the buds open. Disembarkation order is standard.

You should not plant shrub plants with strong, rapidly spreading roots near cherries: raspberries, sea buckthorn, blackberries. Unsuitable neighbors include maples, lindens, birches, oaks that emit substances that can inhibit the development of cherries. It is not recommended to plant nearby and nightshade crops.

It is advisable to cover the roots of mature cherries from overheating and in order to retain moisture. For this purpose, you should use ground cover plants: tenacious, hoofed, periwinkle, budra.

When choosing seedlings, special attention is paid to the roots and height of trees: for annuals, the normal height will be 80 cm, and for two-year-olds - 110 cm. The color of the bark also matters. The greenish color indicates that too many nitrogenous compounds were used in the process of growing the seedling. Such surplus negatively affects the development of trees. Before planting, plant roots should be soaked for about 3 hours, adding "Kornevin" or other growth stimulants to the container.

Landing grooves are prepared in standard sizes: 40-60 cm in depth and up to 80 cm in diameter. The upper layers of the soil are enriched with humus with the addition of 50 g of phosphorus and potassium. Add sand if necessary.

When planting a seedling, the neck of the tree should rise 5–7 cm above the soil surface. After planting, abundant irrigation and mulching of the near-stem space follow.

Systematic irrigation of seedlings, which does not allow the soil to dry out, is required only during the first growing season. Further watering is carried out as needed. The implementation of the autumn moisture charging is mandatory.

For top dressing, traditional mineral additives are used based on a large amount of nitrogenous and potassium compounds, but a small amount of phosphorus. The culture is sensitive to manure additives. Therefore, mulching of the near-stem space can be carried out using the waste products of cattle, adding ash. Sanitary and formative tree pruning is carried out from the early years of the seedlings' development, which greatly contributes to bountiful harvests.

The culture is highly resistant to coccomycosis and moniliosis. The probability of being defeated during sabotage attacks is at an average level.

Carrying out a complex of preventive procedures for the culture is a desirable element of care. This includes regular cleaning of the area, shaping and sanitary pruning. Aphid and cherry sawfly infestations well stop traditional insecticidal treatments.

Although the crop is highly drought tolerant, irrigation is recommended 1-2 times a month. Practitioners assess the level of frost resistance as average, therefore, the variety is unsuitable for cultivation in cold latitudes. To discourage rodents, the trunks are covered with burlap or other materials.