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

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

Cherry varieties Shpanka: Ukrainian variety of sweet cherries

Cherry under the beautiful name Shpanka is the fruit of Ukrainian folk selection, obtained as a result of crossing cherry and sweet cherry. The variety is grown in many Ukrainian orchards and has successfully spread to Moldova and Russia. Learn how to properly plant cherries, crown formation, follow-up care and reward the long-awaited harvest.

Content

• 1 Description of Shpanka cherry varieties

  1.1 Video: how to properly care for Shpanka cherries

• 2 Table: advantages and disadvantages of the variety

• 3 Features of planting cherry Shpunk

  • 3.1 Where to plant a tree

  • 3.2 Planting dates and selection of cherry seedlings

    3.2.1 Criteria for choosing a seedling:

  • 3.3 Pit preparation and planting

• 4 Spanking Care

  • 4.1 How to form a crown

    4.1.1 Video: how to properly prune cherries

  • 4.2 Watering

    4.2.1 Video: how to properly water a fruit tree

  • 4.3 Table: types of fertilizers, timing and methods of their application for fruiting Shpanki
  • 4.4 Shelter a tree for the winter

• Table 5: Cherry diseases and pests, preventive and control measures

  5.1 Photo gallery: common diseases and pests of cherry

• 6 Harvesting and processing cherries

  6.1 Video: a method of making cherry liqueur with raspberry sourdough

• 7 Reviews of gardeners about Shpanka cherry varieties

Description of Shpanka cherry varieties

Spanka is an old cherry variety that has lingered in our gardens for a reason. Among its advantages:

• resistance to frost and disease;
• tasty and large berries;
• powerful growth;
• high productivity of mature trees.

The height of the tree is up to 6 meters. The crown is spherical, medium thickening. Due to the fragile connection of the branches with the trunk, there are fractures in the crown, which are characterized by gum flow (the presence of resin). Shpanki leaves are dark green, serrated. 5–6-year-old trees begin to bear fruit. The first harvests are very modest, but over the years the fruits become more and more, a 15-year-old tree already yields 50 kg of cherries.

Spanky berries grow in garlands, the fruits are large and beautiful

Fruits ripen in late June - early July, are located along the entire length of annual shoots. Ripening uncooked, overripe fruits partially crumble. The berries are large, 5-6 g each, dark in color, ripe become claret-brown. The taste is sweet-sour, with a predominance of sweet. Another characteristic feature of the variety is light yellow flesh, so the juice is clear and slightly colored.

Spanka was bred in a warm country, but it grows well in many regions of Russia: from the south to the North-Western District and Siberia. Cherry fell in love with amateurs and professionals so much that on its basis they began to develop varieties for other climatic zones:

• Shpanka Bryanskaya;
• Donetsk spank;
• Kursk;
• Shimskaya;
• Dwarf (for a harsh climate);
• Early (large-fruited).

In all cases, it is a fruitful tree, resistant to adverse conditions, with large, dark and tasty fruits.

Video: how to properly care for Shpanka cherries

Table: advantages and disadvantages of the variety

Benefits	disadvantages
Durability of wood	Later bush cherries begin to bear fruit
Large and tasty berries	The berries are juicy and soft, therefore they are not transportable and cannot be stored
It reproduces well by shoots	Forms a lot of overgrowth that must be constantly removed
Frost resistance up to -35 ⁰C	Susceptible to gum leakage due to frost cracks and mechanical damage

Features of planting cherry Shpanka

A large tree will grow from a Shpanki seedling on your site. Its wide crown will cast a shadow for many years, which can become both a blessing and a problem. Therefore, the first thing to do when planting cherries is planning which plants you will plant and constructions to build in the future. Would a tall and sprawling cherry tree interfere with these plans? In addition, although Shpanka is self-fertile, she gives large yields only with cross-pollination. This means that there must be another early cherry in the garden. In the southern regions, cherries come to the rescue.

Where to plant a tree

Always choose a sunny place, in the shade the berries will grow tasteless, sour. In addition, Shpanka does not like strong winds. They are capable of covering a tree from the wind: a large structure, a high solid fence or a forest belt. Maintain a distance of 5 meters to nearby trees and immovable objects. The groundwater level is at least 2 meters. If the roots are constantly washed away, the cherry will not be able to grow and please with the harvest. There should be no excess water on top, for Shpanka a lowland with stagnant melt and rain water is not suitable.

A good place for cherry blossoms is a sunny southern slope, protected from cold winds by a fence and buildings

Planting dates and selection of cherry seedlings

In the southern regions, it is better to plant any seedling in autumn, in September-October, since during spring planting, hot summer will dry out the soil and leaves, interfere with survival. In the middle lane and northern regions with short autumn and cool summer, trees are planted in spring. But now, in most nurseries, planting material is offered in containers with a closed root system. Their survival rate is very high, so the planting period is extended throughout the year.

Seedling selection criteria:

• Age - no more than 1–2 years. The smaller the tree, the easier it is for it to settle down and adapt to a new place. Annual seedlings are one stem without branches up to 1 meter high, two-year-olds have lateral branches, and the height is already more than a meter;
• The bark is smooth, without damage.
• The buds are not dry, in the spring they are swollen. In the summer, inspect the leaves on the container seedling. They should not have holes and spots: yellow, brown, red.
• The root system is branched with a large number of small roots (fibrous). The root of the seedling in the container should braid the entire clod of earth.

In a seedling in a container, the roots entwine the entire earthen ball, which is very convenient for transshipment

Pit preparation and planting

Cherry grows well on fertile loose loam and black soil with a neutral reaction. On such soils, it is not necessary to prepare the planting pit in advance. It is enough to make a hole in the size of the roots and plant a seedling. But in most cases the soil does not meet this standard, it can be clay or sandy, devoid of humus or acidic. Therefore, the pit is made several times larger than the root system of the seedling, it is filled with a nutritious mixture, deacidified, allowed to sink, and only then they begin to plant.

Landing pit preparation rules:

1. Prepare the hole in the fall for spring planting and 2-3 weeks for summer and autumn planting.
2. Dimensions - 80 cm in diameter and 60 cm in depth.
3. Set the top 30 cm of soil aside, next to the pit, and collect the bottom layer and remove it from the site. It is not suitable for planting plants.
4. Now return the top fertile layer to the pit, sandwiching it with the same amount of humus or compost.
5. Add 300 g dolomite flour and stir.
6. Stick a peg in the center of the hole.
7. When the soil mixture in the pit sags naturally, from rains and under its own weight (at least 2 weeks later), proceed to planting.

Planting stages:

1. Remove the peg and in its place, dig a hole the size of the cherry root, from the north side, stick the peg again.

   

   The pit is ready for planting cherries

2. Plant the tree to the same depth as it grew and tie it to a peg.

   

   It is best to tie a cherry seedling to a peg with a figure-eight knot so that the rope does not tighten the fragile trunk

3. Make an irrigation hole in the form of a wide furrow 10-15 cm deep around the trunk at a distance of about 20 cm.

   

   Pour at least 5 liters of water into the irrigation hole

4. Fill the hole with water, let it soak, fill the hole, lay mulch around the cherries: rotted sawdust, dry peat or cut and dried grass.

A proper watering hole is a wide furrow around the seedling. In this case, water will not get on the root collar.

Spanking Care

According to experienced gardeners, Shpanka is picky about care. It is enough to feed and water the tree 2-3 times, treat it for diseases and pests as many times. All this is easy and simple if you know when and how it is done. In addition, the formation of the crown causes many difficulties.

How to form a crown

Shpanka is a tree-like cherry, a feature of the variety is the fragile connection of the branches with the trunk. All this must be taken into account in the very first year of life of a small cherry on your site and by forming it to ensure a long and productive life.

Principles of tree formation:

1. Prune in early spring before bud break.
2. Cover all wounds with garden varnish or special garden paste.
3. An annual seedling (one trunk, without branches) is shortened to a height of 70–80 cm.
4. On a 2 year old, select skeletal branches. There should be 5–6 of them on an adult tree. Good skeletal branches are shoots that extend from the trunk at an obtuse angle, about 60⁰. In addition, they should be directed in different directions, and not be located one above the other. On a two-year-old seedling, there may be only 2-3 suitable ones. Leave them and wait for next year, when the next ones grow. It can take 2-4 years to provide Shpunk with such skeletal branches.
5. Shoots extending from the trunk at an acute angle are unreliable; on a fruit-bearing tree, they cause dangerous fractures on the trunk. Therefore, it is better to prevent this at a young age, when the tree is still plastic and actively growing.
6. If you had to choose a shoot that branches off at an acute angle as a skeletal branch, then drive a peg next to the cherry and tie the future skeletal branch into it so that it turns out to be bent at an angle of 60⁰. If this is done in the spring, then by the fall the branch will already hold itself in the desired position.
7. On the skeletal branches, shorten the annual growth by a third, then shoots of the second order will form, fruiting will not go to the periphery of the crown.
8. The stem of the tree must be at least 80–100 cm in height, that is, cut all branches below this level. This rule applies to an already mature tree, not a seedling.

In addition to crown formation, thinning is necessary. In the spring, the tree seems sparse and bare, but in the summer, leaves and shoots will grow from all the buds. The sun and air will not be able to penetrate deep into the crown. The buds will no longer be laid along the entire length of the branches. Fruits will form only on the lighted and ventilated ends of the shoots. To prevent this from happening, first cut out all dry branches, and then growing in the crown and down, as well as vertically extending from the skeletal branches, all criss-crossing and rubbing. This is usually sufficient for thinning.

Video: how to properly prune cherries

Watering

There is a misconception that cherries need to be watered often and abundantly. In fact, water negates the air permeability of the soil, the roots do not breathe, the tree suffers. Many gardeners like to arrange sprinkling throughout the site. This is also wrong. In the southern lane in the heat, when there is no rain for 2-3 weeks, you can arrange a refreshing shower in the garden. In other regions where there is enough rain, the nights are cold, a drop of water on a leaf is a breeding ground for pathogenic fungi. And all common diseases of fruit trees and garden crops are fungal.

Water the spanko into the furrow-hole made along the periphery of the crown. The best watering assistant is mulch. A layer 5–7 cm thick retains moisture well in the ground and keeps it loose. Watering is necessary only when the soil under the mulch becomes dry, especially be sensitive to the tree during the budding and pouring period. Watering rates depend on the age of the tree and how well the soil will absorb moisture. A bucket is enough for a young seedling, for an adult cherry and 10 buckets are not enough. In order not to carry water with buckets, you can fill the hole with a hose.

Video: how to properly water a fruit tree

In addition to spring and summer, there is also autumn charging watering. But it is relevant only in case of dry autumn, and it happens extremely rarely. If in September-October there was little rain, the soil under the mulch is dry or slightly damp, then watering is mandatory. The rate of charging watering is 1.5–2 times more than what you give your tree in summer.

Table: types of fertilizers, timing and methods of their introduction for fruiting Shpanki

Terms of introduction	Fertilizers and rate	Method of application
In early spring through melted snow or at the beginning of the growing season	50 g of urea per 1 m² of trunk circle	Just scatter over the melted snow, scatter over the soil, loosen and water, so that the fertilizer dissolves and goes deep
After flowering	Infusion of weeds (1: 5), mullein (1:10) or bird droppings (1:20) plus ash solution: shake and water 200 g per 10 liters of water	Introduce into the irrigation furrow at the rate of 1 running meter bucket. Water the ash solution separately, a week after feeding with organic matter.
10-14 days after the previous feeding
In autumn, after falling leaves	200 g superphosphate and 60 g potassium salt per tree	Sprinkle in a near-trunk circle, loosen and water

Once every 3-4 years in the spring or autumn, add organic matter: humus or compost. Spread a thin layer over the entire trunk circle (1–2 buckets per 1 m²) and dig up with the top layer of earth (5–7 cm). If the soil is poor, sandy or clayey, airtight, then apply organic fertilizing annually. Young saplings do not need additional fertilizing before entering fruiting. All food for this period was brought into the planting pit.

Shelter a tree for the winter

The weak points of Shpanki during wintering are the stem and roots. Twigs also freeze slightly, but they are easily restored, replaced with new ones. Deep cracks (frost cracks) can form on the trunk and skeletal branches in spring due to solar activity and sudden temperature changes. This will be followed by gum removal, infection by fungi and insects, the tree will die. The roots also suffer, especially at the beginning of winter or in spring, when the snow has not yet fallen or has already melted and frosts have come.

To protect Shpanka from such troubles, cover the trunk circle with a thick layer of mulch (15–20 cm) in autumn, shovel up snow in winter, then the ground will not be exposed at the first thaw. Whitewash the stem and skeletal branches with garden lime. In an adult tall tree, whiten not only the bottom of the trunk, but also all thick branches to the very top, where the brush can only reach. Young seedlings do not need to be whitened, provided that you completely wrap them up with covering material.

In trees, not only the bole should be whitened, but also all thick parts of the skeletal branches

From rodents and frost, wrap the tree above the level of snow with the following materials:

• fine mesh;
• spruce branches;
• nylon stockings;
• burlap.

In the spring, remove all shelters, including a thick layer of mulch, as soon as the snow melts and the ground dries slightly.

Table: diseases and pests of cherries, preventive and control measures

Disease / Pest	Description	Prevention and control
Moniliosis	The first signs appear during the flowering period: shoots with buds and leaves dry out. The wood looks burnt. The disease develops further, the fruits dry up, they can remain hanging on the tree until next spring.	Fungal diseases are treated with copper-containing drugs: Trees without leaves, before bud break and after leaf fall, treat with 3% Bordeaux liquid or copper sulfate solution. If in the spring you are late with the processing, the leaves have blossomed, then treat the tree with the same preparations, but at a lower concentration - 1%, that is, 100 g per 10 liters of water. A stronger solution will burn the leaves and the tree will die. 2 treatments are enough: in early spring or autumn and immediately after flowering. For prevention, if there is a danger of disease (damp summer, sick trees grow in the neighborhood), treat with Fitosporin (2 tablespoons of paste concentrate per 10 liters of water). This drug does not heal, but increases the immunity of the plant, stimulates growth. Fitosporin is harmless to health, it can be processed 3-5 days before picking berries.
Clasterosporium disease	The leaves are covered with small brown spots, which fall out over time, forming a hole. The fungus spreads to the shoots, they dry out, the buds of the next year are not laid.
Frost breakers	Longitudinal grooves are formed on the trunk and skeletal branches - fractures of the bark. This is the result of spring temperature changes. Such cracks sometimes reach the very center of the trunk, moisture gets into them. The wood rots and the tree dies.	The only thing that can be done is to prevent the occurrence of tree diseases by whitewashing in the fall. Many recommend stripping to healthy wood and covering with var and other means. But such a place cannot be cleaned sterile, rot fungi in most cases remain under the putty. Better take care of the cherry, the strong tree will heal the wound itself. Avoid repeated frostbites.
Gum therapy	Drops of resin appear on the ground of frost holes, breaks, cuts. The tree “cries”, loses strength and resistance to diseases and pests.	Remove the gum and clean the place under it to healthy wood, disinfect with a 3% solution of copper sulfate and cover with var. If gum appears on a knot, refresh the cut and coat.
Cherry aphid	Black, small insects, up to 3 mm in size, live in colonies on succulent, green twigs and on the back of leaves. More than 10 generations of insects develop during the season. Aphids overwinter on shoots, in spring they feed on green parts of plants.	Start the fight in early spring along a green cone, repeat the treatment every 10-14 days until budding with drugs: Karbofos (60 g per 10 l), Inta-Vir (1 tablet per 10 l), Iskra-M (5 ml per 5 l) and dr. After flowering, use folk remedies, one of the most effective is a decoction of red hot pepper: boil 50 g of pods in 1 liter of water for several minutes, dilute with 7 liters of water and process the leaves. This procedure will also help drive the ants away.
Cherry fly	If you have a worm cherry, then the cherry fly is to blame. A cute-looking insect, small (up to 5 mm), with two striped wings, emerges from the ground in mid-May, feeds on the secretions of aphids, leaf juice, lays eggs on berries, one for each. White larvae eat the flesh.	In early spring or late autumn, when the ground is unfrozen, but the temperature is about freezing and below, loosen the soil in the trunk circle, turn the mulch over. The pests that are still sleeping will die from the cold. When the soil warms up to +10 ⁰C, the flies begin to leave the wintering area. Treat the trees with preparations against flying pests: Karate (4 ml per 10 l of water), Iskra-M (5 ml per 5 l), Lightning (2 ml per 10 l). Repeat after 10-14 days.
Birds	A flock of starlings can destroy the entire cherry crop in 2 hours. They will not eat the whole berry, but spoil it. Pecked fruits rot or dry out on the tree.	The most effective means of protection is a net that covers the entire tree during the ripening period. Scarecrow scarecrows, rattles, shiny objects do not help. The birds quickly realize that these are inanimate objects and return to the tree.

Photo gallery: common diseases and pests of cherries

A young shoot died from a monilial burn

Clasterosporium or leaf holes - the disease also affects the shoots

If the gum flow is not treated, the tree will weaken, it will hurt and develop poorly

A deep crack has formed on the tree - frost

The worm cherry is the result of the successful breeding of the cherry fly

A small cherry fly can rob us of a big crop

Our feathered friends love sweet cherries too

More than 10 generations of cherry aphids develop during the season

Harvesting and processing of cherries

Spanka gives up the entire crop by early July. The fruits must be picked selectively, in several steps. The first to keep pace are those that receive the most sunlight. It's not worth waiting for everyone to ripen. Overripe cherries will either crumble or become prey for birds, insects and fungi, such as rot and mold. Pick cherries in the morning after the dew has melted. Berries of this variety are not kept fresh for a long time (2-3 days in the refrigerator), they do not tolerate transportation well. Berries plucked without a stalk give juice and lose their presentation in a few hours.

Delicious blanks are obtained from Shpanka:

• jam;
• jam;
• jam;
• syrup.

You can make wine, tincture, or make liquor. For drying, cooking candied fruits and freezing, it is better to choose other varieties with denser berries.

Video: a method of making cherry liqueur with raspberry sourdough

Reviews of gardeners about Shpanka cherry varieties

Spanka is good both for its berry taste and yield. It is resistant to fungal diseases. The tree manages to give the harvest before the mass reproduction of many pests. But the purpose of the fruits cannot be called universal: they do not keep their shape well, they easily give off juice. For this reason, and also for better pollination in the garden, you need to grow, in addition to this variety, other cherries.