Cherry Morozovka: Description And Characteristics Of The Variety, Advantages And Disadvantages, Planting And Care Features With Photos And Reviews

2024 Author: Bailey Albertson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-17 22:26

Tasty cherry Morozovka: features of the variety and the nuances of growing

When choosing a cherry for central Russia, it is important that the variety is frost-resistant and easy to care for. A good choice in this case would be Morozovka.

Content

• 1 Description of the variety Morozovka

  1.1 Advantages and disadvantages

• 2 Planting cherries

  • 2.1 Pollinators for Freezing
  • 2.2 Place for cherries
  • 2.3 Selection of seedlings
  • 2.4 Timing and planting process
  • 2.5 Video: how to plant cherries correctly

• 3 Care

  • 3.1 Cropping

    3.1.1 Video: Autumn Cherry Pruning

  • 3.2 Watering
  • 3.3 Fertilization
  • 3.4 Bird protection
  • 3.5 Wintering a tree

• 4 Diseases and pests of the Morozovskaya variety

  • 4.1 Table: methods of combating diseases and pests of cherries
  • 4.2 Photo gallery: diseases and pests of cherries in the photo
• 5 Harvest: collection and storage
• 6 Reviews of gardeners

Description of the variety Morozovka

Cherry variety Morozovka (Morozovskaya) is common in central Russia. The tree grows up to 2.5 m. The crown is spherical, wide, spreading, medium thickened. The branches are light brown with a gray tinge. The dark green leaves are oval, not pubescent, along the edge of the notch, and on the sharp tip you can see several dark reddish veins.

Morozovka's flowers are large and white

Cherry blossoms in April with large white flowers, and yields a harvest by the end of July. The tree bears fruit as early as 3-4 years after planting and bears up to 15 kg of berries. Cherries ripen large, with dark burgundy pulp and are very sweet, almost without acidity. The variety is considered mid-season, dessert. Cherry seeds, like stalks, are easily separated from ripe pulp, which makes processing easier.

Advantages and disadvantages

Freezer is a very profitable variety that actually has no negative sides. Its advantages include:

• early maturity - bears fruit in the 3-4th year;
• early maturity - yields a harvest in July;
• stable fruiting;
• excellent taste and appearance of the fruit;
• frost resistance (transfers cold to -27 ^of C);
• undemanding care;
• coccomycosis resistance;
• drought resistance.

The main advantage of Morozovka is its delicious harvest.

The disadvantages of the variety include early flowering, which is why in the northern regions the buds can be damaged by spring frosts, as well as the partial self-infertility of the tree (an adult cherry itself will bear no more than 5-7 kg of fruit).

Cherry planting

Pre-planting cherry blossoms is just as important as tree care.

Pollinators for Frosting

To obtain a tasty, plentiful and regular harvest, Morozovka needs additional pollinators growing at a distance of no more than 10 m. These can be Lebedyanskaya, Turgenevka, Vladimirskaya, Zhukovskaya and Griot Michurinsky varieties. These crops have approximately the same flowering time, which allows them to successfully pollinate each other.

Freezer needs pollinators - cherry varieties with similar flowering times

Place for cherry

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 at 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).

Selection of seedlings

Best suited for planting are 2-year-old seedlings with 3-4 branches and a developed root system. Be sure to inspect the plant before purchasing.

2-year-old seedlings are best suited for planting.

Make sure that the bark of the tree is smooth, firm, the branches are easy to bend and do not break, the roots are healthy, and have no dry or rotten shoots. Before planting, re-inspect the tree, cut off any dried roots, and tear off the leaves.

Timing and planting process

Cherries are best planted in spring, late March or early April. This will allow the tree to take root well before winter. If necessary, you can plant a seedling in the fall, in September, at least 6-8 weeks before the onset of frost. But in this case, it is worth paying special attention to the insulation and wintering of Morozovka.

It is better to prepare a planting pit for cherries in advance - in the fall (for autumn planting - in 2 weeks). For this you need:

1. Mark a hole 80 cm in diameter and remove the top 20 cm of soil.
2. Dig a hole 50 cm deep.
3. Mix the top soil with 10 kg of humus or compost, 20 g of potassium chloride, 50 g of superphosphate and 700-900 g of wood ash.
4. Pour the prepared mixture onto the bottom with a mound.
5. Cover the hole with waterproof foil before planting.

The seedling pit must be prepared in advance

Immediately the day before planting, you need to prepare the seedling by placing the roots in water for 4-5 hours. After that, they are smeared with a clay-manure composition (for 1 kg of manure, take 2 kg of powdered clay and dilute with water to a thick consistency), which is left for 2-3 hours. This will protect the roots of the plant and give them additional nutrition. The tree planting itself is carried out as follows:

1. Place a support stake for a tree with a height of 150-170 cm at a distance of 5-7 cm from the center of the hole.
2. Form the ground at the bottom with a hillock.
3. Place the seedling in the center of the hole so that the root collar of the plant is 5–7 cm above the final ground level (to avoid drying out).
4. Spread the cherry roots over the slopes of the mound.
5. Fill the hole with earth in layers, ramming the soil and avoiding dips.
6. Tie the seedling to the support stake with a soft twine.
7. Pour 20 liters of water into a 5–7 cm deep groove along the edge of the planting hole.
8. Cover the trunk circle to keep moisture in the soil.

Video: how to plant cherries correctly

Care

Freezing is considered an unpretentious cherry variety, but proper care will help the tree to give a bountiful and tasty harvest, as well as protect against possible pests and diseases.

Pruning

Crown formation is carried out in the first 5 years of the tree's life. This procedure contributes to the correct development of cherries, as well as early fruiting. Formative pruning is done in the spring before the buds bloom. In this case, you should adhere to the following rules:

1. In the second year of the cherry's life, you need to form the first and second tiers of the crown. In the first tier there should be 3-4 differently directed branches, in the second - 2-3. The distance between the tiers should be at least 40-50 cm. All other shoots should be removed, and the remaining ones should be shortened by 15-20 cm. This will allow the tree to lay the correct foundation for the tier crown. The central cherry conductor should be cut by 20 cm.
2. In the third year of the tree's life, the third tier of the crown should be formed from 1–2 branches at a distance of 50–55 cm from the second, then all shoots on the trunk between the tiers should be removed, as well as branches growing strongly upward or into the crown. Shorten the main conductor by 15–20 cm, cut the branches by 25–30 cm.
3. In the fourth year of life, you can leave another 3-4 new skeletal branches on the tree, so that in the end their number was about 12-14 pieces. All unnecessary, improperly growing branches are removed, the main conductor is shortened by 20-25 cm.
4. In the fifth year of growth, cherries can be switched to adult pruning mode and only thin out the crown.

For young seedlings, pruning is most important

In addition to formative, the tree also needs sanitary pruning. It is held in October. During this event, all dry and damaged branches are removed so that in the spring the tree wakes up faster from hibernation.

Anti-aging pruning is essential for mature plants. It is held from the 10-12 year of the cherry's life. If new growths do not reach 15 cm per year, and the skeletal branches are bare at the base, the tree is cut into three-year branches, shortening them by 25-30%.

Rejuvenating pruning for increased cherry yields

Correct pruning of cherries allows you to get a larger harvest, and the berries themselves ripen both larger and sweeter. The branches are removed with a sharp sterile instrument, and the sections are treated with 3-4 layers of oil paint or garden varnish to prevent infection of the trunk.

Video: autumn pruning cherry

Watering

Cherry Morozovka easily tolerates drought, but with sufficient watering it gives a harvest more abundant and tastier. For an adult tree (from 5 years old) 4 waterings per season are required:

• before flowering;
• after flowering;
• 3 weeks before harvest;
• in October.

The first three irrigations by volume can be about 40–50 liters. A portion of water should be divided into two parts, bringing under the tree in the morning and in the evening. In autumn, in October, water-charging irrigation is carried out, which should be more than usual (60-65 liters).

Autumn moisture-charging watering increases the winter hardiness of the tree

For young trees, watering is required more often. In the first year, the seedling is watered weekly at 10-15 liters, and from the second to the fifth year, 20-25 liters of water is added under the tree every 2-3 weeks, focusing on weather conditions.

Mulch will keep moisture in the ground for a longer period

Fertilizer

An adult cherry tree over 4 years old is fertilized with organic matter every 4 years and with mineral fertilizers every 2 years. In this case, they are introduced according to the following scheme:

• 250 g urea before flowering;
• 30 g Ammophoska after flowering;
• 100 g of potassium sulfate and 300 g of superphosphate in August after harvest.

For stable fruiting, cherries need mineral fertilizers

Organic fertilizers for a mature tree are applied in autumn in October when digging the soil. An adult tree requires 25 kg of humus or 15 kg of cow dung. You can also use poultry droppings, diluted in a 1: 3 ratio (insist for 4–5 days).

Chicken droppings are applied under the tree only as a solution

For young trees up to 4 years old, mineral fertilizers are applied every year, while the dose of urea is 100 g, potassium sulfate - up to 50 g, and superphosphate is taken at the rate of 70 g per tree. Organic fertilizers for young trees are applied every 2 years at the rate of 15 kg of humus (or compost), 7-10 kg of manure and no more than 1 kg of chicken manure, which must be diluted with water and insisted in the same way as for an adult tree.

Bird protection

Very often the cherry crop is ruined by birds. To protect the tree on the branches during the ripening of the fruit, you can tie plastic bags or foil. An effective, but not cheap means of protection against feathered pests are nets, which are thrown over the trees from above. You can also place special scarers in the garden that emit low-frequency sounds and prevent birds from flying close to the tree.

The netting protects the cherry crop from birds

Wintering a tree

Morozovka easily tolerates the winters of central Russia, but trees in any case need certain preparatory measures. In order for the cherry to winter successfully, you need:

1. Clear the soil under the tree of weeds, fruits, foliage and branches.
2. Dig up the trunk circle.

3. Mulch the roots of the tree with sawdust or peat in a layer of 15 cm. Do not forget to remove the mulch in the spring so as not to overheat the roots.

   

   A layer of mulch protects the roots of the tree

4. 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 mature trees, the mixture is diluted in 5-7 liters of water, and young seedlings up to 5 years old need to be whitened with a half-less concentrated solution so as not to burn the trunk.
5. Young trees are covered with burlap or spruce branches.

Diseases and pests of the Morozovskaya variety

Like many cherries, Morozovka is susceptible to certain diseases and pests. You need to know what the first signs of these misfortunes look like in order to start treating the tree in time. As a preventive measure, it is recommended:

• regularly clean the trunk circle of weeds, branches and leaves;
• loosen the ground every 10 days;
• dig up the soil in the fall;
• whitewash the tree trunk before wintering;
• avoid thickening of the crown.

Table: ways to combat diseases and pests of cherries

Pests and diseases	Signs and damage	Treatment
Leaf rust	The leaves are covered on the back with an orange bloom, and on top - with small rusty spots of irregular shape.	Before and after flowering, the tree is treated with a 1% solution of copper oxychloride, and also after harvesting with a 1% Bordeaux liquid.
Sooty fungus	The branches and leaves of the cherry are covered with a black fungal bloom that can be easily wiped off by hand.	A diseased tree is treated with a solution of 5 g of copper sulfate and 150 g of laundry soap per 10 liters of water. A 1% solution of copper oxychloride or Bordeaux liquid will also help.
Moniliosis (fruit rot, monilial burn)	The berries are covered with brown rotten spots with white fungal spores.	After harvesting, the tree is sprayed with 1 percent copper sulfate.
Clasterosporium disease (perforated spot)	Dark spots appear on the leaves, over time they fall out, leaving holes.	After flowering, the cherries are treated twice with a 1% solution of Bordeaux liquid with an interval of 14 days.
Cherry moth	The buds and young leaves of the tree are eaten by the caterpillars of the pest.	When buds open and buds form, treat the tree with Karbofos or Spark. Digging the soil of the trunk circle after flowering.
Aphid	The leaves of the tree from the back are covered with insect colonies.	Before and after flowering, the tree is treated with Karbofos.
Ringed silkworm	The pest destroys the buds and leaves of the plant.	Cherries are treated with Entobacterin during flowering. Branches affected by the pest are cut off and burned.
Hawthorn	Caterpillars eat young leaves, shoots and buds of the tree.	Before flowering, it is necessary to spray the tree with Karbofos.

Photo gallery: diseases and pests of cherries in the photo

Sooty fungus easily spreads to all plants in the garden

Moniliosis is otherwise called fruit tree rot

Cherry moth caterpillars eat the leaves and buds of the tree

Silkworm destroys cherry buds and leaves

Hawthorn caterpillars eat the buds, leaves and young shoots of cherry

Clasterosporium - the cause of the appearance of holes on the leaves

With rust, the leaves are covered with a characteristic color bloom and spots

Aphids settle on the tree in large colonies and multiply rapidly

Harvest: collection and storage

To extend the shelf life of the crop, cherries are harvested along with the stalks. If harvested in sunny, dry weather, the fruits will lie in the refrigerator without loss of taste and quality for at least 2 weeks. Also, the berries can be frozen together with the seeds, which will allow them to be stored for up to 6 months. At the same time, cherries do not lose either taste or sweetness, and they also remain useful for the body. Freezing is considered a dessert variety and is perfect both for fresh consumption and for making juices, jams and preserves.

Berries harvested with stalks are stored longer

Gardeners reviews

If you want a bountiful and tasty cherry harvest, take a look at the Morozovka variety. This tree will delight you with good harvests, moreover, it does not require much effort to care for it. The variety is excellent for growing in central Russia.