Cherries are a very popular garden crop, their fruits are good both fresh and in drinks and desserts. Cherries, like sweet cherries, have a peculiarity: some varieties without pollinators do not set berries and are called self-fertile. Pollinators in this case are other varieties of cherry or sweet cherry.

Cherries are of early, mid-early and late varieties. The earliest varieties ripen in mid-June along with strawberries. Cherry Chernokorka belongs to the varieties of medium ripening. The berries begin to ripen at the end of June.

The variety was created in 1974 in the south of Ukraine. Now it has spread throughout Russia and Ukraine, despite its original belonging to the southern regions of cultivation. The variety is very plastic and able to adapt to different climates.

Important! It is necessary to purchase zoned seedlings from reputable garden centers or from trusted gardeners and breeders.

Feature and Description

Blackcork berries on a branch

Before buying a seedling, you need to familiarize yourself with the characteristics of the variety:

  • Frost resistance for central Russia is good. A tree that is at least 3 years old tolerates frosts down to -35 ° C. Young seedlings are more vulnerable, and in the early years they need to be wrapped in non-woven covering material for the winter.
  • Winter hardiness. This characteristic shows how the tree reacts to winter temperature changes. Chernokorka's indicator is average. Sudden temperature fluctuations can weaken the tree, so it must be prepared for wintering. Preparation takes place in the fall, consists in abundant watering and feeding with phosphorus-potassium fertilizer. It is also important to treat pests and diseases throughout the season, feeding with complex mineral fertilizers with trace elements throughout the season.
  • Early maturity. The tree begins to bear fruit at 3 years after planting a two-year-old seedling, that is, at the age of five.
  • Productivity. The first two years the harvest is average, but then 20-30 kg of juicy and tasty berries can be harvested from the tree under favorable weather conditions.
  • Taste. The berries received a taste rating of 4.2 out of 5 possible points.

The color of the berries is maroon; when fully ripe, it becomes almost black. The taste is sweet, with a subtle sourness, but it depends on the amount of sun, water and nutrients that the tree receives when grown.

The chemical composition of the Chernokorka cherry fruit:

  • dry matter - 15%;
  • vitamin C - 15%;
  • carbohydrates - 11%;
  • carotene - 0.1%;
  • proteins - 0.8%;
  • water - 85%.

The pulp is easily separated from the stone without weight loss, its color is dark red. The stone is no more than 1/10 of the total weight of the fruit.

Ripe Chernokorka berries

The bark of the tree is smooth, satin, its color is black or black-brown.

The variety can be classified as medium-sized. At the age of seven, Chernokorka reaches a height of about 3 meters. The crown is round, neat, with a diameter of about 2.5 meters.

The largest berries of black chokeberry give off in the first harvest, their diameter is about 3 cm. The rest of the harvest is on average about 1.5-2 cm in diameter.

Note!The stalk breaks off from the berry “wet”, that is, the berry is damaged and cannot be stored for a long time in this form. When collecting, you can use scissors, trimming half of the peduncle, or collect with them.

The variety is self-fertile. A pollinator is required. Cherries of the Lyubskaya variety and many varieties of sweet cherries are considered the best: Early pink, Aelita, Annushka.

Flowering begins in mid-May and lasts about a week depending on the air temperature. Then the fruits begin to set. The harvest ripens mainly in early July. The first berries can be tasted at the end of June.

Blackcork's First Harvest

The description of the Chernokork cherry variety will not be complete if you miss one feature: ripe berries do not fall off on long strong stalks. They cannot be collected all at once.

Growing conditions

Cherry Prima

To obtain a consistently good harvest of high-quality sweet berries when growing Chernokorka, the following conditions must be observed:

Timely landing. The best time to plant a seedling is October or April. In autumn, the plant enters a state of dormancy and spends energy only on building up the root system. Spring planting is good because during the whole season the tree can be traced and, if necessary, provided assistance. The best option is a seedling with a closed root system.

Correct fit:

  1. make a pit for planting cherries twice as large as an earthen lump near the roots;
  2. pour out and level a bucket of fine rubble on the bottom;
  3. pour a layer of soil mixture 10 cm thick from garden soil, humus and sand in a ratio of 2: 2: 1;
  4. carefully place the lump with the plant, previously moistened and removed from the pot;
  5. the graft must necessarily be located to the south and placed just above the soil level;
  6. carefully fill the voids with the same soil mixture with the addition of a prolonged-release fertilizer such as AVA or a conventional fertilizer - diammofosk;
  7. tamp the ground with a fist for better contact with the roots;
  8. water abundantly at the rate of 10 liters per seedling;
  9. mulch the trunk circle with a layer of earth or cut grass.

Seedling in the planting hole

Good lighting. A lot of sunlight is needed to keep the sugar content in berries higher. It is better to plant the plant on the south side of the house in calm places. In the absence of places that fully coincide with the requirements, you can make a hedge of conifers, it will protect the tree from drafts.

Moderate soil moisture. When water stagnates at the roots, the tree is at risk of fungal diseases. Watering should be carried out as the topsoil dries out to a depth of 5-7 cm.

Top dressing. They are not necessary in the first year of planting It is possible only before wintering to scatter autumn fertilizer without nitrogen in the diameter of the crown and carefully shed the plant. In the future, in the spring, you need to bring humus for digging at the rate of 2 buckets per plant. Subsequent feeding is carried out after pollination has passed. Once a month, during the whole season, it is necessary to apply a complex fertilizer such as Fertik or Buiskoe. Autumn whitewashing of the trunk will be the last procedure before wintering. It must be done before frosts below 5 ° C.

The variety has only one drawback in the presence of a large number of advantages. Cherry Chernokorka is susceptible to fungal diseases, so care should include regular treatment (once every two weeks) with preparations such as "Abiga-peak" or Bordeaux liquid.