Morozovka is one of the most popular dessert cherry varieties among gardeners. The culture is characterized by its unpretentiousness, good yield, early maturity of fruits and excellent taste of berries.
Breeding history
Morozovka belongs to the cherry varieties obtained by Russian breeders. The originator of the variety was the breeder T. Morozova in the 80s of the last century.
This cherry variety was created for a temperate climate. Morozovka was obtained by crossing the cherry varieties Lyubskaya and Vladimirskaya.
Cherry Lyubskaya has tasty and large berries, the variety is resistant to diseases. Cherry Vladimirskaya is frost-resistant. The new cherry variety Morozovka has acquired stable characteristics of its parents.
Description of cherries Morozovka
Appearance of cherry varieties Morozovka:
- Wood. Low or medium stature, reaches a height of 2-2.5 m.
- Crown... Wide, raised.
- Escapes... Large, gray-green. A small number of lentils are formed on them. Buds are formed on the shoots.
- Leaves. Oval, dark green in color, with a glossy plate, at the base - with slight redness.
- Fruit. Dark red, no cover points. The weight of the berries is 4-5 g. The pulp is dense, the taste is sweet and sour. The skin is dense, elastic, not prone to cracking.
- Flowers. Large, have rounded white petals.
The chemical composition of the berries:
- sugars - 10.5%;
- acids - 1.37%;
- ascorbic acid - 30 mg / 100 g.
Characteristics of the variety
Cherry Morozovka is a hybrid and is considered one of the best varieties of domestic selection. Juicy berries, high resistance to adverse weather conditions and diseases, make it possible to grow it both in farms and in private gardens.
Winter hardiness and drought resistance
Watering, even in hot summer, can be several times per season - the Morozovka variety has a high drought resistance.
Good winter hardiness allows you to grow crops in areas with a temperate and cool climate. The variety withstands low temperatures well.
Flower buds can only freeze in the north of the Black Earth Region.
Pollination
A characteristic feature of the Morozovka cherry is its inability to fertilize by self-pollination of its flowers. In order for the culture to develop and bear fruit normally, self-fertile cherries must be planted in close proximity to it.
The best pollinators are:
- Griot Michurinsky;
- Lebedyansky;
- Zhukovsky;
- Vladimirsky;
- Turgenevsky.
Without pollinators, cherry Morozovka blooms, but does not form ovaries.
Flowering period and ripening time
Cherry blossoms in April. The berries ripen in July, sometimes a little earlier, depending on the climate and weather. The tree bears fruit 3-4 years after planting.
Productivity and fruiting
The crop yields high yields with the right pollinators. More than 35 kg are harvested from one tree.
Area of use of berries
Application of cherries Morozovka:
- freezing;
- pies;
- sauces;
- compotes;
- jelly;
- jam;
- syrups.
Disease and pest resistance
Disease resistance is increased, especially in relation to coccomycosis. Even with massive damage to other plants, the cherry does not become infected. The variety has an average level of resistance to insects and their attacks.
Advantages and disadvantages
The advantages of the variety include the following qualities:
- early maturity;
- early maturity;
- stable fruiting;
- excellent taste and appearance of the fruit;
- frost resistance (tolerates frosts down to -27 degrees);
- undemanding care.
The disadvantages include:
- early flowering, therefore, in the northern regions, the buds can be damaged by spring frosts;
- self-fertility of the tree.
Planting cherries Morozovka
For Morozovka, the choice of a landing site is very important. Usually one-two-year-old grafted trees are planted. Saplings are not very demanding, but they prefer fertile soil with sufficient drainage, which protects the tree roots from waterlogging during the rainy season.
Timing and choice of landing site
You can plant in the spring, in the second half of March, or in the fall - in the first days of September. During this period, the plant will not be exposed to frost and drought, thanks to which it will be able to take root better.
When choosing a place for young cherries, you should give preference to the southern or southwestern part of the garden. The site must be well lit and protected from the wind. An excellent solution would be a sunny side 1.5-2 m from a low fence.
The groundwater level on the site should not be higher than 1.5 m so that the roots can develop freely. Cherry prefers loamy, sandy loam and sandy soils with neutral acidity (pH 6-6.5).
Good and bad neighbors
Next to cherries, you can plant crops such as:
- sweet cherry;
- plum;
- elder;
- honeysuckle;
- grapes.
When the cherry enters the fruiting period and takes root well, you can plant ground cover plants under it. They will protect the root from overheating and retain moisture.
Cherry does not tolerate neighborhood with:
- sea buckthorn;
- raspberries;
- blackberries;
- black currant;
- gooseberry;
- peach;
- red rowan.
Selection and preparation of planting material
You should not buy seedlings from your hands. Better to take them from nurseries or proven garden centers. Annual cherries about 80 cm in height and biennial seedlings up to 1.1 m take root well.
It is better to choose seedlings with the following characteristics:
- height from 70 to 110 cm;
- root length at least 15 cm;
- the surface of branches and trunk without damage;
- light brown bark;
- the root is well developed.
Before planting, the seedling is soaked in water for several hours. If you bought a tree with an open root system, not protected by a film or clay mash, dip it in water for a day, adding root (1 g per 1 liter of water).
Landing
The procedure for planting a seedling is very simple to perform:
- Make a hole at least 0.5 m deep and wide.
- If more than one tree is being planted, then leave a distance of 2.5-3 m between the holes.
- In the central part of the pit, form a 15 cm high slide, into which place the peg.
- Place the seedling in the hole, spreading the root system up the hill.
- Cover with earth and tamp.
- At a distance of about 30 cm, dig a ring hole and fill it with water (30 liters per seedling).
- When the liquid is absorbed, cover the trunk circle with mulch, and tie the tree to a peg.
Cherry care Morozovka
Freezing is considered an unpretentious cherry variety, but proper care will help the tree to produce a bountiful and tasty harvest.
Watering
For normal fruiting, cherries should be watered 4-6 times per season. The irrigation rate is 40-70 liters of water per tree (large amounts for mature trees).
Watering is done during the following periods:
- the end of flowering;
- ovary formation;
- the end of the harvest;
- preparation for winter (no later than mid-October).
The last watering is intended for deep saturation of the soil with moisture. It is advisable to supply water by drip, but you can also use sprinkling or watering along temporary ring furrows.
Top dressing
The quality of the crop directly depends on the dressing. For the first 7 years, cherries must be fertilized annually. Further, certain intervals are observed between dressings. Mineral fertilizers are applied after 2 years, and organic components - once every 4 years.
Fertilizing cherries Morozovka:
- Cherries, before flowering, are sprayed with urea (20-30 g per 10 l of water) or root top dressing with ammonium nitrate (15-20 g per 1 sq. M of the trunk circle) is carried out.
- During flowering, root top dressing is performed with the following solution - for 50 liters of water, 5 liters of mullein and 10 glasses of ash. 1 bucket of fertilizer is required per tree.
- 2 weeks after the second feeding, phosphorus-potassium fertilizer is applied - 1 tbsp is taken for 10 liters of water. l. potassium sulfate, 1.5 cups superphosphate. For 1 sq. m - one bucket of solution.
Additionally, manure or compost is added for the winter to protect the root of the tree from frost.
Soil care
It is recommended to loosen the soil under the tree regularly to get rid of weeds and ensure good soil aeration. Loosening is carried out after watering, when the earth dries up a little in order to destroy the soil crust. The working depth is 10-15 cm (the shallower depth is near the trunk).
From 5-6 years after planting, you can sow the aisles with a lawn mixture. In this case, you can refuse to loosen the soil, but the grass must be mowed regularly and left as mulch.
Pruning and shaping the crown
This cherry variety needs regular pruning - sanitary and crown-forming. The branches are removed with a sharp sterile instrument, and the sections are treated with 3-4 layers of oil paint or garden varnish in order to prevent infection of the trunk.
Tree trimming scheme:
- In the year of planting, the top of the cherry seedling is cut off by 10-15 cm.
- In the second year, all side shoots on the trunk are cut out on the seedling, except for the three most developed ones.
- In the third year, two or three well-developed third-order shoots are left on each of the main lateral branches.
- By the fourth year, the crown of the cherry is formed, therefore only the annual growth of branches is removed.
- All subsequent years, with the help of pruning, you can adjust the height of the tree and the length of the main branches.
In addition to formative pruning, the tree needs sanitary. It is held in October. All dry and damaged branches are removed so that in the spring the tree wakes up from hibernation faster.
Anti-aging pruning is essential for mature plants. It is held from 10-12 years of cherry life. If new growths do not reach 15 cm per year, and skeletal branches are bare at the base, the tree is cut into three-year branches, shortening them by 25-30%.
To rejuvenate cherries, you can cut 50-60 cm of the main conductor, which will lead to a lightening of the crown and the formation of new lateral shoots.
Preparing for winter
The culture easily tolerates the winters of central Russia, but the trees need certain preparatory measures.
To make the cherries winter successfully:
- Clear the soil under the tree of weeds, fruits, leaves and branches.
- Dig up the trunk circle.
- Mulch the roots of the tree with sawdust or peat in a layer of 15 cm. Remove the mulch in the spring so as not to overheat the roots.
- Whitewash the stem and a third of the branches of the first tier with a solution of 1 kg of lime, 500 g of powdered clay and 200 g of copper sulfate. For adult trees, dilute the mixture in 5-7 liters of water, for young seedlings up to 5 years old - in 10-14 liters of water.
- Cover young trees with burlap or spruce branches.
- In winter, shovel the fallen snow under the tree with a high (40 cm) snowdrift.
Diseases and pests
The main diseases of cherry Morozovka:
- Clasterosporia or perforated spot. A fungal disease in which brown and brown spots appear on the leaves. Dead tissue crumbles, leaving holes through.
All affected parts are removed and burned (it is especially important to do this in the fall before wintering cherries), trees are treated with 3% Bordeaux liquid. - Coccomycosis... Reddish dots appear on the leaves, which grow over time, turning into spots. A pinkish coating is visible on the back of the spots.
Treatments are carried out with 3% Bordeaux liquid, and after flowering they are sprayed with copper oxychloride. - Anthracnose... Dull spots appear on the fruits, in place of which bumps appear. Over time, the cherries dry out.
Before flowering, spraying is carried out with the preparation "Oxyhom" (10 liters of water for 40-80 g of the product).
- Rust... The outer side of the leaf plates is covered with orange or brown bulges.
Spraying is carried out, before the formation of flowers and after this stage, with copper oxychloride (40 g per 5 liters of water, consumption of 4 liters of solution per tree).
It is necessary to pay serious attention to pests that damage trees and crops:
- Cherry aphid. Signs - curling of leaves, black dots appear on the back - these are aphid colonies.
Against the pest, it is good to spray the foliage with soapy water (1/2 piece of laundry soap for 10 liters of water). You can use chemical preparations such as "Iskra" (1 tablet is diluted in 10 liters of water, the affected areas are sprayed). - Slimy sawfly... The pest lays eggs on the back of the leaves. The leaves themselves look burnt outwardly.
Apply "Fitoverm" or "Aktara" (4 g per 10 liters of water). Spray once before or after flowering. - Cherry weevil. Beetles of reddish-bronze color eat buds and buds, and larvae gnaw leaves.
After flowering, treatment with Karbofos is carried out (35 g per 5 l of water), again - after 7-8 days. - Hawthorn. The food for butterfly caterpillars is the buds and leaves. Caterpillars overwinter in nests of dry leaves fastened with cobwebs.
It helps against the pest by spraying the tree and the trunk circle in early spring with a solution - for 10 liters of water, 500 g of urea and 100 g of copper sulfate.
Protection from birds and rodents
It saves from rodents damaging the bark and lower shoots of the tree:
- Wrapping the trunk with a special net or any other dense material.
- At the beginning of the season and before winter, the tree trunk is smeared with whitewash. This scares the animals away and prevents them from feeding on the bark.
Birds eat up part of the crop, so they need to be scared away. Effective means of protection against feathered pests are:
- Cellophane bags that are tied to branches. They scare birds away by rustling (foil can be used instead of bags).
- Cassette tape. Tied to branches.
- Nets that completely cover the crown of the tree along with the fruits.
- Special repelling devices that create low-frequency sounds.
With proper planting and compliance with all care standards, Morozovka cherry will delight you with an abundant harvest of tasty and healthy berries. High resistance to adverse natural conditions makes the crop popular among gardeners and farmers.