Felt cherry on their suburban areas grown by many summer residents. Accordingly, breeding work with this crop is being carried out quite actively. Varieties felt cherry specialists have deduced a lot. Many of them are popular with gardeners. And one of the most productive is the felt cherry "Natalie". Owner reviews suburban areas she deserved simply excellent ones.
Benefits of growing
Before we start talking about the Natalie variety, let's figure out what advantages the felt cherry itself has in comparison with the usual one. The advantages of this variety are considered primarily by summer residents:
- High decorative qualities. Such cherries can be grown not only to obtain good harvests, but also to decorate the site. Very often, felt varieties are used, for example, to create borders and hedges.
- High degree of frost resistance. Almost all felt varieties of cherries are excellent for growing not only in the Central regions of Russia, but also in the Urals or Siberia.
- Early ripeness. The fruits of felt cherries ripen about 1.5 weeks earlier than ordinary ones.
- Convenient harvesting. Unlike ordinary cherries, the fruits of felt varieties practically do not crumble when overripe. In addition, this variety never grows too tall. Reach or use a stepladder to reach fruits from the upper branches, in in this case not required.
Of course, the felt cherry variety “Natalie” also has all these advantages.
Benefits of fruits
Actually, the felt cherry berries themselves are not only characterized by excellent taste. The fruits of this crop are also very beneficial for human health. Besides various kinds organic acids, their composition includes substances such as carbohydrates and vitamins. In terms of the percentage of iron, felt cherry berries are superior even to apples.
Who developed the variety "Natalie"
Russian summer residents have been growing this variety of felt cherry for a very long time. This variety was bred by domestic specialists in 1979. Work on it was carried out at the Far Eastern Experimental Station VNIIR. It was also used as a parent productive variety"Summer". Several varieties of cherries were used to pollinate its flowers. These were “Ogonyok”, “Red Sweet” and “Damanka”. Breeders N.A. and V.P. Tsarenko were engaged in breeding the felt cherry variety “Natalie”. It was included in the state register in 1997. Since then, this variety has enjoyed constant popularity among summer residents.
Felt cherry "Natalie": general description
Unlike many other varieties of felt cherries, "Natalie" bushes grow quite tall - up to 1.8 m. Characteristic feature This variety also has a wide spreading crown of an ovoid or slightly flattened shape. Too much thick bushes"Natalie" varieties don't look like that. Their crown is very well ventilated.
Annual shoots of "Natalie" are pubescent and light brown in color. The gray bark on perennial branches is slightly peeling. The buds on the shoots of the Natalie variety are formed in threes at a time and have a pointed shape. The leaf blades that grow from them are dark green, elongated, and corrugated. On the upper side they, like the shoots, are pubescent. Their petioles are not too long and have stipules.
The flowers of the "Natalie" variety are not particularly large - they reach only about 2.5 cm in diameter. They are saucer-shaped. Each flower has five snowy petals white, one pistil and 27 stamens. The calyx of each flower is cylindrical in shape and pubescent on the outside.
The flowering and fruiting of the felt cherry "Natalie" is continuous along the branch.
Features of the variety
Cherry "Natalie" belongs to the early ripening self-sterile varieties. It blooms around May 10-18. You can harvest from the bushes of this variety as early as July 13-18. In addition to early ripening, summer residents also include the favorable ripening of fruits as an advantage of this variety. Own-rooted seedlings"Natalie" begins to produce harvests in 3-4 years. Once grafted, it will be possible to pick berries in the second year. It usually grows in the Natalie garden until it is 18 years old.
The yield indicators of this variety are very high - up to 9 kg per bush. Another advantage of this cherry is its frost resistance. In winter, the branches practically do not freeze. Spring frosts do not have any effect on the flowers of this plant. This variety is also drought resistant. However, it is highly not recommended to over-water the Natalie cherry. Otherwise she may dry out.
With regard to the resistance of this variety to various kinds of diseases, summer residents have mainly only positive reviews. For example, the “Natalie” cherry almost never becomes infected with coccomycosis or clasterosporiosis. Over-watering this variety, among other things, is not recommended because in this case the plant may develop moniliosis.
Felt cherry "Natalie" has another important advantage. Judging by the reviews of summer residents and the manufacturer’s statement, it is very easily propagated by green cuttings. It is believed that this one is best high-yielding variety Suitable for growing in intensive gardens, nurseries and hobbyist plots.
Fruit
The description of felt cherry "Natalie" given above allows us to judge it as quite unpretentious. Among other things, the bushes of this crop, in comparison with other varieties, grow very large berries. Average weight there are 4 grams of them. The fruits of the felt cherry "Natalie" are dark red in color. The skin of ripe berries is covered with short hairs. The pulp of the fruits of this variety is cartilaginous, dense, and juicy. Taste qualities, according to many farmers, it is simply excellent. The juice of the fruit is red, sweet and sour.
Judging by the description of the felt cherry variety "Natalie" (the photo on the page also confirms this), its berries are really different large sizes. It is believed that the fruits of this crop are excellent for both processing and consumption. fresh. If desired, you can make not only jam, preserves, compote or marshmallow from the berries of this cherry. Many owners summer cottages They make very tasty wine from them.
How to choose the right landing site
In the garden, it is advisable to place the felt cherry "Natalie" in the sunniest area. This will allow you to obtain maximum yields in the future. The advantages of this variety, among other things, include its undemanding nature regarding soil composition. Cherry "Natalie" will grow well on almost any soil. But it is best to choose for it an area with fertile and light-textured soil. A prerequisite for this is the absence of nearby groundwater.
"Natalie" is a self-sterile variety. This means that growing only one seedling in the garden is pointless. In this case, it will be impossible to obtain a harvest. Next to “Natalie”, for example, other felt cherries must grow. In this case, its flowers will produce many ovaries. Among other things, this variety has one very interesting feature. Its flowers can also be pollinated by related fruit crops. For example, cherry plum and plum are good pollinators of the Natalie felt cherry.
Where to get planting material
You can grow "Natalie" on a plot either from a seedling or from a seed. But the first option is still preferable. The fact is that the seeds of the Natalie cherry need to be stratified before planting. Otherwise they simply won’t sprout. Stratification is a rather troublesome procedure. But if you wish, of course, you can try this planting option. In any case, “Natalie”, like almost any other felt cherry, does not lose varietal qualities when grown from seed.
Seedlings of the Natalie variety can be purchased at almost any nursery. Cherry is really quite old and popular among summer residents.
How to plant
The hole for the Natalie felt cherry should be dug quite large. The optimal indicators for its depth and diameter will be approximately 50 cm. The soil mixture for the seedling is prepared by mixing fertile garden soil with rotted manure. To feed the plant at first, a little slaked lime and some kind of complex fertilizer are also added.
The roots of the seedling itself are cut to about 20 cm. This ensures they better development further. The seedling prepared in this way is lowered into a clay mash. The soil mixture is poured into the hole in a not too thick layer. Next, install the seedling and cover it with prepared soil.
In order for the felt cherry "Natalie" to take root well, it needs to be planted at the same depth as in the nursery. On final stage Make a cushion of soil around the plant and water it thoroughly.
Felt cherry "Natalie": features of growing in the garden
In order for the plant to consistently produce good harvests, it, of course, needs to be watered and fertilized on time. Also, cherry "Natalie" requires periodic pruning. It is necessary to loosen the soil under the plants. But this procedure should be performed as carefully as possible. The fact is that the cherry "Natalie" root system is located quite close to the surface. And therefore, it is easy to damage it during the loosening process.
How to fertilize correctly
In spring, felt cherry "Natalie" is usually fed with mineral products. In this case, a complex composition is used, intended for berry crops. For good development, cherries require both potassium (about 20-30 grams per plant), phosphorus (70-80 g), and nitrogen (30-50 g). In the fall, it is advisable to feed this variety with organic matter. The best choice for Natalie cherries is well-rotted horse or cow dung. You can also use compost. In any case, you need to pour about four buckets of organic fertilizer under each plant. This variety is usually fed in the fall immediately after pruning.
Felt cherry "Natalie" produces the best yields on neutral soils. Therefore, the soil underneath should be limed from time to time. This procedure is carried out approximately once every 5 years. In this case, about 200-300 grams of lime per 1 m 2 are used.
How to water
Excess moisture is, as already mentioned, something that felt cherry “Natalie” really doesn’t like. Photos of healthy bushes of this crop are presented on the page. Poured cherry "Natalie" looks completely different. The beginning of the damping off of this culture early stages can be determined, for example, by rotting of the root collar. In any case, Natalie should be watered moderately. It is necessary to moisten the soil under this plant mainly only during drought. Typically, bushes are watered no more than three to four times per season (about once every 1-1.5 months).
It is believed that it is best to moisten the soil under "Natalie" by sprinkling. This is explained primarily by the superficial occurrence of the root system. Using a hose, it can be easily washed. Actually, sprinkling itself should be carried out exclusively in the evening or morning. Otherwise, it will be possible to “burn” the leaves of the plant.
Crown formation
The description of the felt cherry variety "Natalie" given above allows us to judge it as a fairly tall plant. This culture is actually developing very quickly. The same goes for her aging. Therefore, "Natalie", like almost any other felt cherry, needs regular pruning. The technology of this procedure depends primarily on the age of the plant. Branches of two and annual seedlings pruned in the spring by about 1/3-1/4 if their length exceeds 60 cm. At the same time, all excess shoots are removed from the bush. Ultimately, the plant should have about 10-12 of the strongest branches left.
In subsequent years in spring time They mainly do only sanitary "Natalie". That is, all frozen, dried and improperly growing branches are removed from the bushes.
At the age of 6-7 years, the felt cherry "Natalie", like many other varieties, may begin to experience a decline in yield. To prevent this from happening, you should do anti-aging pruning of the bushes. In this case, in the center of the crown of each plant, all old branches of the first and second orders are removed “in a ring”. Subsequently, new young shoots will begin to grow on the cherry next to the cuts. In the future they will produce good harvests.
In one place, the Natalie cherry can germinate for up to 18 years. However experienced gardeners It is advised to change plants at the age of fifteen. Older cherries, unfortunately, do not produce particularly good harvests.
When pruning "Natalie", it is advisable, among other things, to use garden varnish. They cover the “stumps” with it immediately after removing the branches.
Diseases and their treatment
The most dangerous diseases felt cherries are, as many experienced gardeners believe, cleasterosporiasis and monilial burn. The felt cherry "Natalie", as already mentioned, is quite resistant to the first type of infection. The risk of her getting sick is quite high. This infection in Natalie cherries can be determined primarily by the presence of dried brown shoots in the crown. Moniliosis is dangerous primarily because its manifestations are very easy to mistake for freezing during spring frosts or a burn when using insecticides.
Cure felt cherry moniliosis "Natalie" traditional methods will not work. The gardener will have to use a complex technique using chemicals. Treatment of this disease includes several mandatory measures:
- pruning infected branches;
- autumn cleaning of fallen leaves from under bushes;
- regular treatment with copper-containing preparations.
In 1979, cherry was bred at the Far Eastern Experimental Station of the All-Russian Scientific Research Institute felt Natalie. This variety quickly became popular among gardeners due to its high yield and early maturity.
Characteristic
The Natalie variety was included in the State Register in 1997 and is recommended for cultivation in all regions of Russia. Bred by crossing four standard varieties.
Absorbed best qualities varieties Leto, Ogonyok, Damanskaya, Krasnaya Sladkaya:
- frost resistance;
- high yield;
- large fruit;
- good fruit taste.
Felt cherry variety Natalie is early-fruiting and begins to bear fruit at 3-4 years.
Grafting bushes for the 2nd year. The variety is early ripening, the berries ripen in the second ten days of July. The bush bears fruit for 15-18 years.
Possible pollinators
One of the disadvantages of the variety is self-sterility.. For bushes to bear fruit, they need pollinators. Plant felt cherries of other varieties with the same flowering time on the site. Suitable as a pollinator:
- Firework;
- Morning;
- Fairy tale.
As pollinators, they will allow Natalie's cherries to bear fruit and improve the quality of the fruit.
Bush
The bush is tall and reaches 1.5 - 1.8 m in height. The crown is oval, wide, with an average level of density. The branches are thick, erect, with bark Brown. The branches are covered with green, oval-shaped leaves, heavily pubescent, slightly wrinkled.
At the end of May the bush blooms. Flowers along the entire length of the branches, five-petaled, up to 2.5 cm in diameter, white. During this period, felt cherry looks decorative.
Fruit
Cherries ripen 1.5 months from the beginning of flowering. Distinctive characteristics fruits:
- rounded, smooth shape;
- weighing up to 4.5 g;
- thin dark red skin;
- slightly pubescent;
- the bone occupies up to 10%;
- the flesh is red, dense;
- taste sweet and sour;
- according to the tasting scale 4.5 points;
- The separation area is dry.
On one adult bush, 8 - 10 kg of cherries ripen.
Useful properties of berries
Eating felt cherry fruits promotes digestion, improves appetite, and regulates blood flow. This cherry will be an excellent dessert for dietary nutrition.
The nutritional value:
- calorie content - 52 kcal;
- carbohydrates - 10.48 g;
- proteins - 0.76 g;
- fats - 0.2 g;
- sugar - 8.2%;
- vitamin C 30 mg/%.
The fruits of felt cherries are used fresh, as well as for preparing desserts and canning (compotes, jams, preserves). Suitable for drying.
Landing Features
An incorrectly selected planting location negatively affects plant growth, yield and fruit quality. A well-lit place, not crowded with other plants, is suitable for planting. Natalie grows well in fertile, light soils. Avoid planting in clay soil. Planting in areas with stagnant rainwater or high groundwater levels has a negative effect.
Considering the self-sterility of the variety, you need to make sure that there is room for 2 - 3 seedlings. It is recommended to plant bushes at a distance of 1.8 - 2 m from each other.
Selection of seedlings
When choosing seedlings for planting, you need to consider a number of features:
- Two-year-old seedlings are best suited.
- The root system should have formed lateral roots.
- Young bushes should be free of signs of rot, mold and damage.
- The seedling should be 50-70 cm in height with well-developed branches.
- Felt cherry seedlings grafted onto plum rootstock will begin to bear fruit earlier and will have the shape of a dwarf tree.
You can choose high-quality varietal seedlings at exhibitions and in specialized garden centers. You can contact gardeners who grow this crop. They can also give you a description of proper care.
Main stages
The best accepted seedlings are those planted in early spring until the leaves bloom. In the southern regions, planting can be done in the fall.
- A hole measuring 50x50 cm is dug in the selected location.
- A mixture of compost and fertilizers is placed in the hole. For 3 kg of compost 0.5 kg dolomite flour, 50 g superphosphate.
- The seedling is placed in a bucket of water for 2 - 4 hours. Before planting, trim the roots to a length of 20–25 cm.
- The hole is spilled with water and the bush is planted, gradually covering it with soil. The root collar should remain at soil level.
- Lightly compact the soil in the tree trunk circle and mulch with peat or compost.
Rules of care
As with the cultivation of any other crop, in order for Natalie’s felt cherry to please with a good harvest, proper and regular care is required over many years
Trimming
In order for the bush to bear fruit and grow well, it needs to be pruned every year. In the spring, before the buds swell, formative and sanitary pruning:
- In the second year after planting the seedling, the branches are cut to a length of 40 cm.
- The next year, all side branches are shortened by 1/3.
- After the first year of fruiting, the lateral ones are pruned to the lowest point of growth, and 7-10 well-developed central ones are left.
The following pruning is carried out for sanitary purposes. Trim dry, old and damaged branches. It is worth remembering that felt cherries bear fruit on young, one-year-old shoots; they can be shortened to 60 cm.
Top dressing
Felt cherry responds well to regular feeding. In the presence of nutrients it blooms and bears fruit well.
In the first year after planting, the bush does not need to be fed; it will only need the fertilizers added to it. landing hole. In subsequent years, the main fertilizing is applied once, after flowering.
A mixture suitable for this:
- rotted manure – 5 l;
- urea - 30 g;
- superphosphate – 50 g;
- potassium nitrate – 20 g.
All ingredients are mixed and applied, shallowly embedded in the soil near the bush. After feeding, the bush is watered well.
Additionally, during the flowering period, to stimulate fruit set, the bushes can be sprayed with a solution boric acid(1 tsp powder per 10 liters of water). Late autumn You can mulch the tree trunk with vegetable peelings, peat, and compost.
Watering
You need to water the felt cherry at small quantity only during a long obedient period. Water for irrigation should be at least 18°C. Pour 10 liters of water under one bush. The quality of water can be improved by adding 2 tbsp. l. hydrogen peroxide.
Overmoistening of the soil can have Negative consequences- development of fungal diseases, rotting of the root system, up to the death of the plant.
Diseases and pests
Felt cherry Natalie is described as resistant to cocomycosis and clasterosporium blight, but without careful care it is prone to pocket disease and monoliosis.
In order to protect bushes from diseases, it is necessary:
- In the spring, before the buds open, treat with copper sulfate (100 g copper sulfate per 10 liters of water).
- They carry out sanitary pruning of the bushes, removing old and unnecessary branches. The bush should be well ventilated.
- The tree trunk circle is regularly cleared of weeds and loosened.
- In autumn, fallen leaves are removed.
In case of damage, the bushes are treated with special systemic fungicides (Topaz, Fundazol, Topsin-M).
Pests
Felt cherry variety Natalie can affect:
- grape mite;
- scale insect;
- codling moth;
- leaf roller.
For prevention and pest control, bushes can be treated with wormwood infusion, soap solution, onion or garlic infusion. Bioinsecticides (Aktarofit, Biofit, Bioreid) have also proven themselves well.
Conclusion
The felt cherry variety Natalie has been pleasing gardeners with good harvests for many years now. delicious berries And decorative look bushes It is not complicated in agricultural technology and, due to its high frost resistance, can be cultivated even in the northern regions.
Felt cherry, which is often called Chinese, looks very different from wild and varietal varieties of cherries. It is called felt because of the slight pubescence of young shoots, leaves and even the skin of the berries.
One of popular varieties This fruit plant is Natalie, bred by Far Eastern breeders in 1979. The resulting culture quickly gained recognition among gardeners from Kaliningrad to Khabarovsk and Vladivostok. Cherry takes root well and bears fruit in any climatic conditions. The exception is, perhaps, the Arctic and Subarctic regions of our country.
Plants are very decorative, compact, and not demanding. They produce good harvests and tolerate harsh, frosty winters. At the same time, trees of this variety live longer than other felt trees - up to 18 years.
Today our focus will be on the description of Natalie’s cherry, photos and reviews about it. I invite you to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this garden culture on the website “Popular about health”:
Description of the variety "Natalie"
As we have already mentioned, felt cherry trees are compact and not tall. Adult specimens do not grow higher than 3 m, which makes harvesting and pruning branches very easy. The crown is broadly oval, not very dense. The shoots are quite long, annual and perennial, and tolerate frost well.
The leaves are small, green, slightly wrinkled. The flowers are very beautiful - large, soft pink, the stalk is short. Flowering is abundant and begins in mid-May. After 1-2 weeks from its beginning, the flowers acquire a snow-white hue. The inflorescences are resistant to spring frosts.
Fruiting begins in mid-July. The fruits ripen simultaneously, in almost 2 weeks. Grafted seedlings begin to bear fruit 2 years after planting. Own-rooted - for 3-4 years.
The berries are quite large, the weight of one is up to 4 g. The skin is thin, dark red. The pulp is medium density, tender, juicy. The taste is rich, sweet and sour. The stone, although small, is difficult to separate.
Cherry Natalie is a frost-resistant variety. It has good drought resistance and does not tolerate waterlogging and stagnation of water at the roots. Resistant to common diseases. However, when the soil is waterlogged, inflorescences and berries can be affected by moniliosis.
The trees are self-sterile. Therefore, to increase productivity, it is recommended to plant several varieties of felt cherries nearby. Many gardeners who practice cultivation of this crop note that it is very good to plant ordinary cherries nearby. This proximity has a positive effect on the quality of the fruits of the Natali variety. They become sweeter and larger.
The Natalie cherry variety is unusually decorative. Trees are beautiful during flowering and fruiting. Therefore, the crop is often grown to decorate the garden, in particular, it is used as hedge.
In the photo is Natalie's cherry
Features of care
The best time to plant seedlings is the beginning of spring, before young leaves appear. In warm regions, this can be done in early September, but not later.
For good growth, the development of trees, you need to place them in dry, sunny, warm areas garden, preferably on a slight hill. Felt cherries are contraindicated in shady, damp places, as well as heavy silty, clay or peaty soil.
Watering should be done rarely, as needed and very moderately. In cloudy weather with frequent rains, watering is completely excluded.
It is important to feed the plants periodically. After flowering ends, into the soil trunk circle contribute organic fertilizers(5 l), urea (30 g), as well as a mixture of simple superphosphate (70 g) and potassium nitrate (20 g).
You also need to periodically loosen the soil at the roots. Every year, in the spring, carry out sanitary and regulatory pruning of shoots. Starting from the fifth year, trees are rejuvenated.
Impressions from Natalie's cherries, reviews from gardeners
I planted two seedlings of this Natalie variety. The first tree did not take root; it somehow dried up quickly. The second felt cherry sat for a long time, and that year it suddenly bloomed magnificently. There were few berries, only one and a half liters. But for the first harvest it’s not bad at all. And the berries were very tasty.
For better pollination and subsequent fruiting, you need to plant two, or even better, three cherries nearby. different varieties. The harvest will be very good.
I all like felt. But it is absolutely not resistant to moniliosis. Therefore, it is imperative to carry out preventive treatments bushes with copper-containing solutions. Otherwise, the infection will spread to other stone fruit plants.
I don't know about longevity, but from experience, felt cherries don't live 18 years. For me they grow for a maximum of 5-7 years. Everything seems fine, and then suddenly in the spring I discover that it has dried up and stands without signs of life. Then, they often suffer from moniliosis and become warm before the onset of spring.
Interesting, very beautiful fruit plant, very unpretentious and grows well in different climatic conditions.
Perhaps such reviews about Natalie’s cherry will scare someone away. Of course, like any garden crop, it has its drawbacks. But they are more than compensated by the decorative appearance of low trees and a bountiful harvest sweet, juicy and very healthy berries.
