Cherry Radonezh

Recently, many gardeners and farmers planning cherry cultivation have been attracted by the Radonezh variety, which is a relatively young variety. In order for a tree to grow and bear fruit as much as possible, it is enough to provide it with proper care.

Cherry Radonezh was developed by Russian scientists of the All-Russian Research Institute of Lupin - A. L. Astakhov, L. I. Zueva and M. V. Kanshina in 2001. The variety was obtained by crossing the parental forms Kistevaya and I-I-L. Having passed the stage of variety trials, in 2002 the fruit and berry crop was enrolled in the State Register of Breeding Achievements of the Russian Federation. Recommended for growing a tree in the Central region - Moscow, Vladimir, Kaluga, Ivanovo, Smolensk and Ryazan regions.

Radonezh is a medium-sized tree with a rounded-oval crown, medium thickening with dark green foliage with a waxy coating, moderate spreading of branches of a brown-olive color and a developed root system. The buds of the tree are small, of a mixed type - conical and ovoid, not tightly adhering. Under favorable conditions, the tree grows up to 3-3.5 meters in height.

Cherry blossoms early: late April - mid-May. During this period, the crown is covered with snow-white large flowers with pink inserts, emitting a sweet aroma. Flowers are collected in inflorescences of 5-6 pieces. Fruit ovaries are formed on annual growth shoots.

Cherries Radonezh are a class of medium-sized varieties. On an average healthy tree, berries weighing 4 g grow, the maximum figure is 4.8 grams. The shape of the berries is correct - rounded with a smooth surface, completely covered with gloss. Ripe cherries have a uniform dark red color. The skin of the fruit is thin, elastic, without stiffness. The elongated stalk is easily separated from the berry, the separation is absolutely dry.

The way of using berries is universal - cherries are eaten fresh, used in cooking, stewed fruit, canned, frozen, processed into jams and preserves. The transportability of the berries is weak, since cherries are fragile and tender.

The cherry taste is excellent. The dark red pulp is endowed with a medium-dense, tender, fleshy and very juicy consistency. There is complete harmony in the taste - sourness is diluted with pleasant sweetness, without cloying and astringency. The juice is dark red in color, thick and rich. The peel is not felt when the berries are eaten fresh. The small bone separates perfectly from the pulp. The cherry pulp contains 10% acids and less than 1% acids.

Cherry Radonezh is a medium-ripening crop. The tree begins to bear fruit in the 4th year after planting a two-year-old seedling. You can taste the first berries in the third decade of June. The phase of mass ripening of fruits occurs in the first half of July. The tree has a long period of productivity - about 20-25 years.

Cherry Radonezh is quite fruitful. With intensive agricultural technology and favorable weather conditions, and the tree is sensitive to the vagaries of the weather, an average of 40-50 centners of berries can be harvested per hectare. The maximum yield indicator reaches 70 centners.

The culture is considered partially self-fertile (up to 35-40%), since the structure of the inflorescences is such that they do not emit pollen well. For additional cross-pollination, it is necessary to plant donor trees with similar flowering periods on the site. The best pollinators are: Vladimirskaya, Lyubskaya, Turgenevka, Michurinka, Rubinovaya. To attract a large number of insects, it is recommended to spray the branches during the flowering period with sugar syrup or honey solution.

Planting a tree is carried out in early spring - before bud break, while the soil should be well warmed up, and the air temperature should stabilize. For planting, two-year-old seedlings with a developed root system, at least 60 cm in height, are ideal. When planting cherry trees, it is recommended to maintain a distance of 3-4 meters so that in the future the crowns of trees do not shade each other.

For growing cherry trees of the Radonezh variety, they choose a flat and cleaned area that is well illuminated by the sun, and also sufficiently protected from strong winds. As a rule, seedlings are placed in the southern part of the garden. It is important that the flow of groundwater is deep, which will protect the rhizome of the tree from moisture stagnation and decay in the future.

Cultural agrotechnology is regular watering (weekly), top dressing (three times per season), crown molding in the first year of growth, removal of old and damaged branches in spring and autumn, frequent loosening and mulching of the soil around the trunk, which will ensure uniform passage of moisture and fertilizers, and also disease prevention. Despite the frost resistance, it is worth protecting the tree for the winter - mulching the near-stem zone, wrapping the trunk and branches with agrofibre or burlap.

Experienced gardeners do not recommend watering abundantly when pouring berries, as this can lead to cracking of the fruit and loss of taste.

The immune system of the variety is good, therefore, there is protection against standard diseases - coccomycosis and moniliosis. In addition, the tree has protection against a number of fungal diseases. To increase resistance, it is recommended to take preventive measures of treatment with copper-containing preparations.

Cherry Radonezh is winter-hardy. Therefore, a drop in temperature to -20 ... 25 degrees is not terrible for her. The tree is also not afraid of recurrent spring frosts - a maximum in such conditions is lost up to 30% of flowers. Prolonged drought is dangerous for the tree, as well as stagnant moisture, excessive dampness, which reduces frost resistance.

It is comfortable for a tree to grow on fluffy, fertile, moisture-permeable and breathable soil with a neutral acidity level. Chernozem, loam and sod-podzolic soils are considered ideal.