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Felted cherry, or rather, its wild form, grows in Mongolia, Korea and China. In the middle of the last century, the cultivated shrub plant became popular in Europe and North America. Gradually, the popularity of the felt cherry reached Russia. According to some information, our famous botanist I. V. Michurin brought to Russia wild Chinese cherry saplings (this is also the name of this plant) and, after carrying out some breeding work, received the first variety of large-fruited felt cherry. His passionate successors continued his work. And since then they have bred many new varieties of this culture, one of which is Ogonyok.
Breeding history
In 1965, at the Far Eastern Research Institute of Agriculture of the USSR, a group of agronomists under the leadership of G.A.Kuzmin carried out work to develop a new variety of felt cherry. A completely new variety of shrub was obtained from the seeds of the already known variety Rannyaya rozova. Its berries were larger and more intense in color. Perhaps that is why the variety was named Ogonyok.
Description of culture
Felt cherry varieties Ogonyok is a perennial shrub or semi-shrub plant. The fruiting period begins 2-3 years after planting. It lasts from 10 to 15 years, but with timely rejuvenation, constant care and maintenance, the culture can bear fruit for up to 20 years and longer.
The shrub brings tasty and juicy berries, which are rated at 4.5 points (with a five-point system) for taste. It can also serve as a decorative element in the garden landscape, adorning it with its abundant flowering in spring, and in the summer with a bright red decoration of bead berries.
The berries of the felt cherry Ogonyok are not very large, but their number on the bush is amazing. All branches are covered with fruits like sea buckthorn. Like sea buckthorn, felt cherry Ogonyok is not a self-pollinating plant. Felt cherry Ogonyok requires pollinators to set fruit. Therefore, you should plant the felt cherry Ogonyok next to such shrubs and trees as plum, apricot, common cherry.
The unpretentiousness of the Ogonyok variety allows you to grow this shrub in gardens and areas where the climatic conditions are harsh and unpredictable: in Siberia, in the Urals, in the Moscow region and the Leningrad region. One of the important conditions for growing felt cherries is the correct planting site. It should be well lit by the sun. Acidified, low-lying and swampy areas must be prepared in advance (1-2 years in advance) for planting seedlings: drain, reduce the acidity of the soil, add the necessary additives (dolomite, lime, sand) and fertilizers. With proper implementation of agricultural measures, the fruits of the plant will be larger, sweeter, and the yield will increase.
Characteristics
The characteristics of the felt cherry Ogonyok are shown in a small table below.
Main factors | Minimum values | Maximum values |
Shrub height | 1.8 meters | 2.5 meters |
Crown volume in circumference | 1.6 meters | 1.8 meters |
Depth of the roots | 0.25 meters | 0.35 meters |
Fruit weight | 2.5 g | 4.0 g |
Bone (non-lagging) | 1.6 g | 1.6 g |
The chemical composition of the fruit: |
|
|
- dry matter (vitamin C) |
| 14,1% |
- sugars (glucose, fructose) |
| 11,8% |
- acids (malic, citric) |
| 1,0% |
- tannins and pectin |
| 0,3% |
Drought resistance, winter hardiness
During periods when there is not enough natural moisture, cherries need to be watered, especially during the formation and ripening of berries. Otherwise, the fruits dry out and shrivel due to lack of moisture. The plant tolerates winter colds down to -25 ° C, its buds do not freeze. At lower temperatures and prolonged periods of frost, an insulating shelter should be prepared in the form of slate or other shields.
Pollination, flowering period and ripening times
Felt cherry Ogonyok is a self-fertile crop. For normal fruiting, she needs the neighborhood of plants that bloom at the same time with her. And insects, carrying pollen, pollinate the flowers of the bush. These garden plants include different varieties of apricot, plum, common cherry, peach, cherry plum. The cherry blossom period depends on the growing region. The warmer the climate, the earlier the flowering will begin. In the middle lane, this period lasts from late May to mid-June. Cherry berries of the Ogonyok variety reach full maturity in July, fruiting lasts until the end of August.
The fruits do not crumble, they can mummify and hold out on the branches all winter.
Yield
There are always a lot of berries on cherry bushes, but their total weight, when calculating the yield, loses significantly in comparison with the yield of ordinary cherries. The average yield of felt cherry fruits can be from 8 to 12 kg per bush per season. The record harvest was 15 kg per plant.
Scope of berries
Cherry varieties Ogonyok are berries for fresh consumption, as a dessert or a children's delicacy. But in large areas it is grown for the preparation of juices, wines and mixes with other berry and fruit crops. Gardeners who have long been growing similar bushes in their plots prepare compotes and jam with seeds from berries. These blanks are stored for a short time, no more than 2-3 months.
During their removal, most of the juice and soft flesh is lost. It is not recommended to store workpieces with seeds for a long time due to the accumulation of hydrocyanic acid in them, which eventually turns into poison.
Disease and pest resistance
Cherry Ogonyok is resistant to some fungal diseases - coccomycosis and moniliosis. In the absence of preventive treatments in the garden, cherries can be affected by clasterosporium disease, pocket disease. The main pests are plum aphids, moths and mites.
Advantages and disadvantages
Undeniable advantages of the Ogonyok variety:
- compactness and low growth of the bush, which is convenient when leaving and harvesting;
- excellent berry taste;
- decorativeness of the plant.
The disadvantage is the low level of transportability and short shelf life.
Landing features
Felt cherry Ogonyok is very unassuming. Planting and caring for the felt cherry Ogonyok implies compliance with certain rules. Seedlings of the variety can be purchased in nurseries or ordered through online stores.
Recommended timing
It is recommended to plant seedlings in spring, late March or April, depending on weather conditions. The air temperature must be at least + 10 ° C.
Choosing the right place
Cherry Ogonyok prefers well-lit areas that are not blown by winds, protected from drafts. The composition of the soil is not a priority, but on acidic, infertile land, the bushes grow slowly, the yield decreases.
What crops can and cannot be planted next to cherries
Can be planted next to cherries: cherries, spicy perennial herbs, undersized flower crops, thorns, plums, cherry plums.
Cannot be planted near cherries:
- apple, pear, quince, low and dense fruit bushes;
- garden nightshade crops (tomatoes, peppers, eggplants).
Selection and preparation of planting material
Cherry seedlings can be purchased in special nurseries or grown independently. You can learn about some breeding methods for felt cherries of the Ogonyok variety by watching the video.
A feature that you need to pay attention to when buying a seedling is the characteristic layering of the bark in the form of uneven scales (in ordinary cherries, the bark is even and smooth).
Landing algorithm
Saplings are planted in the spring on prepared sites. Just before boarding:
- the earth is loosened and holes are dug with a depth and diameter of 50 cm;
- 1/3 fill the holes with compost;
- make mineral fertilizers for fruit and berry crops;
- water, and then place the roots of the seedling in the hole, spreading the shoots;
- covered with fertile soil, compacted.
In the next 2 years, the seedling will not require feeding. They begin to feed him in the third year of life.
Follow-up care of the culture
Starting from the third year of life, the bushes require annual sanitary pruning, feeding and preventive treatment against diseases and harmful insects. For spraying for this purpose, solutions of copper and iron sulfate, Bordeaux solution are used.
Variety Ogonyok is a winter-hardy shrub, it does not need additional shelter for the winter.
Diseases and pests, methods of control and prevention
Diseases and pests of the garden do not bypass the felt cherry. Therefore, the most effective way to protect against them is preventive spraying of the bushes at least 3 times per season. Breaks between treatments should be from 7 to 12 days.
Conclusion
Gardeners who prefer the cultivation of Ogonyok felt cherries get a double benefit: delicious berries and decorative garden decoration. And it is also worth noting the ease of caring for the crop, its winter hardiness, which is of great importance in regions with cold climatic conditions.
