Content:
Felt cherries are less common than common cherries. Being original and decorative, the culture is able to withstand low temperatures well. But diseases and pests can cause irreparable harm to the cherry orchard, so it's worth figuring out how to deal with the diseases of the felt cherry.
general characteristics
Felt (Chinese) cherry appeared on the territory of the country more than a century ago. The homeland of the plant is China. Having spread throughout the Far East, the culture has become popular in other regions of Russia (it shows excellent results when grown in the middle lane).
It is called felt by association with felt, because all parts of the tree, with the exception of the trunk, are slightly pubescent. Cherries are classified as trees, at the same time they are also referred to as shrubs, since they usually reach a height of no more than 3 m. Fruiting begins at 3-4 years. Although the life of the tree is short (about 10 years), it has many advantages:
- high and stable yield;
- serves as a garden decoration;
- frost-resistant, can withstand temperatures up to - 40 ° С;
- early dates of berry picking, ripen 7-10 days earlier than ordinary cherries;
- low height creates convenience when harvesting;
- the berry does not crumble at maturity;
- the fruit tastes good.
Such fruits are poorly transported, because of this they cannot be seen on supermarket shelves. For completeness of the description, you should find out which of the varieties were recognized by berry lovers and why.
Felt Cherry
Felt cherry varieties
They are characterized by great variety and are classified according to the ripening period (early, middle term, late). According to the strength of growth, shrubs are divided into low-growing, medium-sized and vigorous. Plants can be self-fertile and self-fertile. Given this indicator, it is better to plant 3 or more seedlings on the site (better than different varieties), which will become pollinators in the future.
The varieties vary in fruit color: from white to shades of red and black. The most popular of those that are cultivated in the Moscow region are:
- Summer - has the characteristics of two varieties of cherries - felt and sandy. It blooms and ripens later than the others: the collection of cylindrical large fruits (more than 3 g) belongs to the end of July and is up to 8 kg per bush.
- Natalie is a frost-resistant medium-sized variety (1.8 m), optimal for cultivation in the northern territories. Harvesting of large scarlet berries is carried out in July, the amount reaches 1 bucket per tree.
- Yubileinaya's harvest is 9 kg of cherries, mid-season.
- Ogonyok is characterized by light large fruits weighing 4 g, ripening in July. The flesh of the cherry is juicy, thick, sweet on the palate with a sour taste.
- Okeanskaya Virovskaya belongs to mid-season and tall (up to 3 m). The fragrant fruits, like the Natalie variety, ripen in the middle of summer.
- Delight has a low crown, which is only one and a half meters. In terms of ripening and harvest, it is similar to Summer.
- Fruitful pink, starting from the second half of July, gives a large number of weighty sweet berries. Shows tolerance to low temperatures in winter.
- The East Darkie bush is low, on the branches there are saturated burgundy fruits on the stalks, their total weight ranges from 2.7 to 2.9 g. The yield is up to 7 kg per tree.
- Cherry Nursery ripens early, is not afraid of frost. The advantage is the rich taste of berries and resistance to diseases of fungal origin. The disadvantages include a low yield (about 5 kg) and poor tolerance to dry periods.
- Mid-season Amurka, on the contrary, does not tolerate excess moisture and will not bear fruit in the absence of pollinators. If they are nearby, then, subject to agricultural technology, it is possible to collect 14 kg of burgundy berries of dessert taste.
Major diseases and pests
Growing stone fruit for decades, gardeners were confident in its immunity to diseases. But recently, trees have been exposed to infections. So for plant lovers, the question of its diseases is very relevant and what treatment will be effective in combating them.
Felt cherry: disease and treatment
Most often, on cherry bushes, you can find pronounced signs of two infections: pocket disease and moniliosis (monilial burn). Its presence is indicated by brown spots on the leaves, resembling a burn..
Pocket disease
It is provoked by a fungal infection from the Taphrina family and looks like a pathological ovary. As a result of its development, pitted fruits appear, which resemble elongated soft pockets, which serve as a repository of harmful spores and become new foci of infection.
Pocket disease
The disease can also affect other plants from the Plum class. It causes curl (leaves curling) on peach trees. Plum and apricot seedlings have the same characteristics; their foliage begins to curl under the influence of fungal spores.
Fight and prevention
Prevention will help to avoid infection, consisting in choosing the right landing site. It should be dry and sunny. Pruning is used as a preventive measure, especially for varieties prone to crown thickening. When the first signs appear, diseased areas of branches, ovary and leaves must be removed. The reduction of the risk will be facilitated by burning loose leaves, loosening the soil of the trunk circle, and weeding weeds.
After that, in March, a solution of copper sulfate with a concentration of 1% should be applied. The interval between treatments is 5 days. You can also use 3% Bordeaux liquid. Fungicides provide a good effect, reading the instructions for their use before spraying is mandatory. It must be remembered that this method can exterminate beneficial insects that inhabit the territory of the garden plot.
Copper sulfate solution
In the autumn, at the end of the growing season, preventive pruning is carried out, removing weak, damaged and dry branches. And once again treated with a solution of Bordeaux mixture or copper sulfate.
Felt cherry moniliosis
This ailment is of fungal nature and affects almost all representatives of the Plum class: apricots and peaches, ordinary cherries, plums. The initial stage can be determined by the wilting of the flowers, falling on the pistils of which the spores germinate. Then the infection spreads to the leaves, which begin to roll up, then the spores populate the entire branch. It must be cut by grabbing a piece of healthy wood.
Felt cherry moniliosis
In regions with a humid climate (in the North-West, in the Non-Chernozem zone, in the northern regions, in the west of the chernozem zone and in some areas of the North Caucasus), the disease spreads faster, and excess moisture leads to cracking of the fruits.It is dangerous in that it can reduce the yield by 30% in a year, and completely destroy the shrub within several years.
Methods for dealing with moniliosis
They should be used before kidney swelling. For this purpose it is recommended:
- Spray with a solution prepared from 300 g of Bordeaux mixture and 10 liters of water.
- Spray one time during the flowering period with foundation (add 10 ml of fungicide to 10 liters of water). In cold and wet weather, the procedure is repeated before the ovary appears.
- Use copper sulfate by dissolving 50 g in 1 bucket of water. The procedure is repeated, it can be treated with other preparations containing copper.
In addition to the described lesions, there are additional developmental disorders.
Other diseases and lesions
Damage to the bark of the trunk at the soil surface leads to a damping out of the root collar, which is observed when planting cherries in a low-lying area. During winter thaws and in spring, the bark deteriorates, this leads to the death of the tree. Trimming the bottom of the trunk is practiced to prevent it.
Pests and the fight against them
In addition to diseases, pests also annoy felt cherries: aphids, gall mites, scale insects and weevils.
In snowy winters, the bark of the tree can be used by animals and rodents as food. For prophylaxis, the lower part is covered with a net, roofing felt, cardboard, dense fabric. For mice, baits treated with poisonous substances are prepared.
Felt cherries are interesting and attractive to gardeners. It is affected by fungal infections and pests, and if you do not carry out prevention and control, the garden can die within several years. To prevent a shrub from being treated, it needs to provide the correct growing conditions, make sanitary pruning, feed and provide proper care. These activities will strengthen the culture's immunity, it will become less susceptible to negative factors.
