Cherry Veda

Traditionally, sweet cherry is a southern crop, but the works of domestic breeders have made it possible to adapt it for growing in cold climates. This was preceded by many decades of crossing of hybrids with the given qualities - winter hardiness, early maturity, productivity. From the 19th to the 30s of the 20th centuries, 13 frost-resistant varieties were bred, but the yield and marketability left much to be desired. At the beginning of the XXI century, at last at the All-Russian Research Institute of Lupin under the leadership of M.V. Kanshina. 14 frost-resistant fruitful varieties were obtained. Cherry Veda is one of them.

In the State Register (since 2009) a full description of the Veda cherry variety has been posted and the breeding regions are marked. It is recommended for cultivation in the central part of Russia (Bryansk, Vladimir, Kaluga, Ivanovsk, Moscow, Ryazan, Smolensk and Tula regions).

Characteristics and features of the variety

The Veda is fast growing, but it is of medium height. An adult plant does not exceed 2.5 meters. This makes harvesting very easy. The crown is spreading, dense, rounded. Branches not pubescent, pale olive color. On thick petioles there are large, juicy green leathery oval leaves with a jagged outline. The tree begins to bear fruit from the fourth season.

Cherries of the Veda variety are universal. Berries are suitable for fresh consumption, canning, juices and nectars. Burgundy fruits are small, weigh about 5 g, juicy, sweet.

On a five-point scale, taste was rated at 4.6 points. The fruit is shaped like a heart. The bone is easily removed from the pulp. No problem with stem removal. The place of separation is not injured, which increases the shelf life of the crop before processing. The increased sugar content (11.5%) also helps to increase the safety of the fruit.

The advantage of the Veda is its ripening time. Unlike other cherry varieties, it occurs at the end of July when the rainy season ends. This eliminates cracking of the fruit.

Late ripening is preceded by the late flowering of the culture. It blooms in mid-May, after the spring frost. This means that a larger number of ovaries have a chance to grow to a full fruit.

From flowering to harvest, it takes only 75-80 days.

The disadvantages include the inability to self-pollinate.

Veda is not afraid of such diseases as coccomycosis and moniliosis. Although this is the weak point of almost all other types of cherries. But, unfortunately, all other diseases of the species do not bypass it.

Cherry Veda

Agrotechnics

For Veda cherries, it is recommended to choose sunny areas with a groundwater table of at least 1.5 m. If you cannot choose such a place, artificial drainage grooves are used to drain water. Otherwise, after 4-5 years, just at the time of the first fruiting, the roots will reach underground waters and begin to rot. In the future, it will not be possible to save the plant.
The sweetness of the fruit directly depends on the amount of sunlight falling on the cherry. The distance between the seedlings should be at least 4 m, then the Veda will receive sunlight throughout the day.

Veda prefers loose soil, such as sandy loam.On sandy soil, the results are worse, but if there is no other way, you can plant. Acidic and clayey lands are not at all suitable. The situation can be improved by adding sand (10 liters per m2) to the clay and extinguishing the acid in the soil with lime (0.5 kg per m2).
It is recommended to plant cherries in early spring (before the start of sap flow) or in autumn. Autumn planting in temperate zones is carried out in September, and in the southern regions - until the first half of October. The main thing is to have time for a new plant to take root. Seedlings grown in pots can be rooted throughout the growing season.
You can also dig in a seedling in the fall, and plant it in the spring.

As in the case of other cultivated plants, Veda seedlings are recommended for summer residents to buy in specialized centers. For each bush there is a document with the designation of the variety, age, growing areas. So you can be sure of the health of the plant.
When choosing, it is better to focus on 1-2 year old specimens and be sure to conduct a visual inspection of the plant itself and the root system, if it is open. Although seedlings with a closed root system take root better.
Even with a clod of earth, you can see the number and condition of the roots. There should be at least three skeletal ones. Plants with a damaged root system are boldly rejected.
The crown itself should consist of three half-meter branches growing from the scion. It can be determined by some curvature relative to the root collar.

Landing pit

The place is prepared 20 days before disembarkation. The earth is dug up, weeds are dug out, holes with a size of 60 × 80 cm are dug. The fertile (upper) layer of earth is mixed with 1 bucket of humus, 150 g of double superphosphate, 50 g of potassium sulfate or 400 g of ash. Everything gets mixed up.
Further action algorithm:

• 1/3 of the prepared soil mixture is poured into the bottom of the pit;
• a seedling with decomposed roots is installed on it (container plants are planted with a lump). A peg is stuck next to the root;
• the remaining soil is poured little by little and after each portion the soil is compacted with your hands so that there are no voids around the roots;
• a side with a groove (grooves along the side) is formed around the barrel to retain water;
• the seedling is watered with two buckets of water and slightly tied to the peg.

When planting in spring, a crown is immediately formed, and plants planted in autumn overwinter without pruning. These works are carried out only in spring, in order to avoid freezing of the shoots in the cold season.
Young plants can suffer at subzero temperatures (autumn and spring frosts), so it is recommended to cover them with a breathing cloth for some time or treat them with an immunostimulant (for example, Novosil's solution).
The young are watered three times a week throughout the season. The recommended one-time amount of water is 3 buckets per root. Fruiting cherries are watered three times per season, five buckets each (more often in drought):

• at the beginning of sap flow (green buds);
• with the formation of ovaries;
• after harvesting.

The last watering is done after the fall of the leaves, you will need 7-10 buckets of water.
There are several methods of watering cherries. It:

• slow infusion into the root groove;
• sprinkler irrigation (hose with sprinkler);
• drip irrigation. This method delivers water directly to the roots without compacting the soil surface.

Overflowing cherries does more harm than overflowing. Excessive moisture can rot the roots or develop diseases. There is enough moisture if a clod of earth near the root does not crumble when squeezed and in hands.
The need for additional fertilization in cherries depends on the age of the plant. In the first year, you do not need to feed at all. At the beginning of the second season, to build up the roots and crown, the plant should be saturated with ammonium nitrate (0.06 kg per bucket of water) and after a week and a half, sprayed with urea (2 tablespoons per bucket). Before leaf fall, you need to add potassium-phosphorus fertilizer (2 tablespoons per bucket).
Fruiting cherries are fertilized several times during the growing season:

• at the beginning of April, ammonium nitrate is dropped into the root zone (1/2 handful per root);
• before the formation of buds, spill with a solution of superphosphate in a proportion of 50 g per bucket of water, and at the stage of formation of ovaries - with a solution of nitrophosphate (50 g / 10 l);
• after harvesting, it is important to feed with potassium sulfate (a handful) and a 1% superphosphate solution (a bucket per plant);
• before winter, it is recommended to pour humus around the crown.

Agricola fertilizer is recommended for cherries. It contains all the microelements necessary for culture.
Sweet cherry is mainly formed according to the sparse-tiered variant. Each next tier is 50 cm higher than the previous one. Each row is supported by 3 main (skeletal) branches.
The conductor (central branch) is cut so that it exceeds the branches of the tiers by several buds (5-6).
The next year, the 3 strongest branches are left on the lower tier, and the rest are cut out. The rest are shortened by a third. The central branch is cut at 1 m from the lower tier. In the third spring, the second tier is formed, similar to the first. Now the conductor (1 m) is measured from it.
The third tier is also formed next spring.
The man-made crown has to be maintained for the entire fruiting period of the plant. For this, corrective pruning is carried out every spring. 4-5 year old branches are removed in favor of side shoots. This work keeps yields at an optimal level.
Although the Veda belongs to the winter-hardy varieties, it is better to insulate the young in the first three years. Only it is not advised to use a film for this. It is best to use breathable canvas, paper or spruce branches. Even in this case, you need to wait for stable cold weather from 0 to +5 degrees, in order to avoid damping off the branches.
Changes in temperature and intensity of sunlight can cause bark burns.

The Veda is unable to pollinate itself. The maximum collection of fruits is possible if there are at least two other varieties of sweet cherry. And then on condition of simultaneous flowering. For the Veda, these are the Leningrad black, Bryanochka, Tyutchevka. You can also see the Iput cherry.
If desired, you can plant several varieties on one trunk. This will save space in the garden and make pollination easier. Not only flying, but also crawling insects will cope with this.

Diseases and pests

When breeding the Veda variety, breeders also took care of resistance to the most common diseases of sweet cherry - moniliosis and coccomycosis.
Yet the Veda cannot completely avoid such diseases as:

• Clasterosporium disease. This fungal disease leads to the formation of holes in the leaves and further drying of the leaf plate. This disrupts the process of photosynthesis. It is mainly thickened plantings with high humidity that are affected. You can fight by eliminating these causes. If the disease has settled on a cherry, the affected parts of the plant are destroyed, treatment is carried out with a 10% solution of Bordeaux liquid before and after flowering.
• Gray rot. The reason for the appearance of gray growths on the branches is high humidity. The defeat leads to decay of the cherry fruit. In order to prevent disease, it is necessary to cut off the crown in a timely manner and avoid oversaturation of the plantings with nitrogen. You can fight rot by treating with a 3% solution of ferrous sulfate in early spring and 1% solution of Bordeaux liquid after the buds appear.
• Gum therapy. A viscous sticky substance appears on the bark at the site of injuries. For prevention, correct pruning is also required. Also, the immunity of cherries reduces the excess of fertilizers. To combat, a 1% solution of copper sulfate is used.
• Powdery mildew. Dirty - white bloom affects foliage.It can be prevented by regular watering and application of potassium-phosphorus fertilizers. It is recommended to treat the disease with Topaz at a dosage of 2 ml / 10 L before the buds open, and then treat with a 1% solution of Hom. In autumn, the plant is sprayed with a 1% solution of Bordeaux liquid.

Cherry pests:

• Cherry fly. Its larvae are able to eat up to 70% of the fruits. Autumn digging of the root zone and glue traps help. When a pest appears, use Iskra (1 ml for 5 liters of water) or Aktara (2 g for a bucket of water). After a week, the procedure should be repeated.
• Weevil. These bugs feed on buds and leaves. Mechanical cleaning of cherries and digging up the soil (to destroy the larvae) will help. In case of severe damage, spring spraying with fufanon is recommended in a proportion of 10 g of the product per bucket of water.
• Aphid. She feeds on the juices of cherry branches, depleting them. This leads to lower yields. The carriers of the pest are ants. Therefore, first you need to lime them. To do this, you can use an infusion of onion peel (20 g bucket of water). After flowering, it can be treated with Aktara (2 g / 10 l) or Aktellik (2 ml / 2 l).

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

The Veda is definitely a godsend for gardeners in a cold climate. The variety has:

• fleshy fruits;
• wonderful taste;
• resistance to frost;
• But there are also disadvantages such as;
• the need for pollinating plants;
• long period of entry into fruiting.

This variety of sweet cherry is one of the best today. She takes root remarkably, is resistant to major diseases, hardy. And, of course, fruitful. Disadvantages can be leveled by grafting several varieties on one trunk and regularly updating the plantings.