Cherry Turgenevka: description and characteristics of the variety, planting and care, pollinators

Breeders of the Oryol region, in memory of a fellow countryman, a famous writer, bred one of the best and unpretentious varieties of Turgenevka cherries. A time-tested horticultural crop has been pleasing gardeners for more than 40 years with its abundant harvests. It is necessary to choose a varietal type of cherry for those who live in regions with a cold climate. For the central, northwestern regions, this is the best option for stone fruit.

Description of the Turgenevka cherry variety

Turgenevka was obtained by selection of the variety Zhukovsky by free pollination. The seedlings were selected in such a way that a cherry bush was obtained, capable of:

• reach a height of 3 meters;
• to ripen in the first half of July;
• partially self-pollinate;
• resist low temperatures;
• be resistant to certain fungal infections.

Supplementing the description of the variety is that the cherry increases its yield as it grows, starting from the 4-5th year of life. The duration of fruiting reaches 20 years, until the tree grows old. Then it is necessary to replace it with a new shoot.

Characteristic of the tree and fruits

Cherry Turgenevka belongs to tree types. It has a dense crown resembling an inverted pyramid. Straight branches and trunk are covered with bark of a brownish tone with a grayish coating. Shiny leaf blades have the shape of a narrow oval, dark green in color.The top of the leaves is strongly pointed, and notches are sawn along the edges.

The peculiarity is that the leaves of the Turgenevka cherry are folded in a boat.

In May, the tree blooms, covering the crown with a white fragrant cloud. Each inflorescence has 4 flowers, the cups of which look like miniature goblets. The stigmas of the pistils and stamens are located on the same level, so some of the flowers are self-pollinated.

To increase yields, pollinators of such varieties as Molodyozhnaya, Lyubskaya, Favorit cherries are needed nearby. Thanks to this neighborhood, the shoots of Turgenevka will burst from the abundance of fruits that:

• weigh up to 5 grams;
• about 2 centimeters in diameter;
• juicy and firm-fleshed;
• contain up to 11% sugars, 1.5% acids;
• bright dark red tone;
• have a rich sweet and sour taste;
• they have a cream-colored bone inside, weighing up to 0.4 grams;
• are used to make canned juice, compotes, jams.

Up to 20-25 kilograms of berries are harvested from one adult tree. Even with technical maturity, the fruits do not fall to the ground, but wither, picking up more sweetness.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

The advantages of choosing the Turgenevka variety for growing in a garden plot include the fact that cherries:

• survives below 35 degrees below zero;
• shows moderate drought tolerance;
• partially self-pollinating;
• pleases with harvests of large berries at a young age of 12 kilograms from one tree, in adulthood - 2 times more;
• not affected by diseases and pests during preventive measures.

The disadvantages of the variety are that the fruits of cherries are sour in taste and are rarely used for fresh consumption. In addition, Turgenevka does not differ in early maturity, the harvest must be expected 4-5 years after planting a tree.

Features of cultivation

The yield of cherries is affected by compliance with the terms and rules of planting. An important role is played by the age and quality of planting material, the place chosen for the Turgenevka cherry in the garden.

Seedling selection

If the choice fell on the Turgenevka variety, then a cherry tree should be planted in the garden that has:

• age 2;
• height 50-60 centimeters;
• strong root system 12-15 centimeters long;
• shoots are clean, without damage, rot, cracks.

Before planting, it is necessary to hold the seedling in water for 3 hours. You can soak the roots with the Kornerost nutrient mixture by adding it to the water.

For a quality cherry seedling, the presence of bright foliage on straight shoots is characteristic.

Choosing a landing site

Cherry Turgenevka is best planted in areas well-lit by the sun, which are closed from the wind and draft. In lowlands and places where the earth constantly accumulates moisture or the soil is swampy, it is not necessary to plant cherry trees. Loam or sandy loam soil, loose, with good permeability to water and air, is suitable for stone fruit culture.

Soil acidity for cherries is required within 6-6.5. Liming is carried out on acidic soils by adding slaked lime or dolomite flour.

In advance, the area for planting cherries is fertilized with humus, 2-3 buckets per 1 square meter. Poor soils are supplied with superphosphate and potassium s alt. They are brought in before preparing the planting pits.

Steps of planting

The Turgenevka cherries are being planted in autumn or spring in several stages.

First, they begin to prepare pits for seedlings. Their width ranges from 50 to 70 centimeters, their depth is more than 40. It is possible to prepare pits for spring planting in the fall before the start of snowfall.

A few days before planting, the pits are filled with humus. Then pour 30 grams of superphosphate, 10 - potassium s alt. You can replace mineral fertilizers with wood ash. All components of the nutrient mixture must be mixed with the ground.

On the day of planting, a mound is poured in the center of the pit and a seedling is installed. Holding the bush with one hand, cover the roots with soil. Lightly shake the seedling so that the clods of earth are evenly distributed inside the root system of the cherry.

When the planting is over, it is necessary to compact the soil around the trunk. Begin to crush from the edges of the near-stem circle to the stem of the seedling.

At the end, cherries are plentifully watered, each bush needs up to 3 buckets of water. It remains to sprinkle a layer of mulch around the tree. This will help keep the soil moist for a long time. It is important not to put mulch near the tree trunk so that it does not rot.

Care

Caring for the Turgenevka variety is easy. All you need is:

• water during dry periods 5-6 times per season, especially during flowering and fruiting crops;
• feed with nitrogenous fertilizers in spring, and mineral, phosphorus-potassium fertilizers in autumn;
• loosen the trunk circle shallowly so as not to damage the roots;
• prune damaged branches in spring, sick and old offspring in autumn, mulch the trunk circle before the onset of cold weather.

Care before winter consists in protecting young trees with spruce branches.They save from spring frosts by laying heaps in the garden between trees from plant residues, pouring manure on top. Heaps are set on fire when the temperature drops to 2 degrees above zero. It is necessary that the smoke envelop the crown of cherries during the night and 2-3 hours after dawn.

Diseases and pests

Of the dangerous diseases of Turgenevka cherries, they distinguish:

1. Moniliosis. The disease affects branches and leaves that dry out completely.
2. Coccomycosis. Brown dots on the leaves then turn into extensive raids of a pinkish color. Fungus spores hide in them.
3. Rust. It affects leaves, fruits that become stained, rotten, fall off.
4. Anthracnose. Manifested by lesions on leaves, fruits.

You can get rid of a fungal infection with solutions of copper sulfate or Bordeaux liquid. The same drugs are prophylactic against horticultural diseases.

Aphids often appear from pests in plantings of cherries. It can be found in colonies on the underside of leaves. Cherry fly larvae feed on the pulp of dark red berries. From this, the fruits fall off the branches ahead of time, rot.

Dangerous for culture and codling moth larvae. They hibernate in dense white cocoons under lumps of earth, and in the spring a butterfly flies out, damaging garden crops. Experienced gardeners arrange traps for the pest by hanging containers filled with a mixture of water and kerosene. At night, light bulbs are lit over the bucket, and codling moths fall into the liquid and die.

Cherry elephant, a long-nosed golden-red beetle, harms trees by feeding on buds and fruit ovaries. It is necessary to fight pests by spraying insecticides such as Aktara, Iskra.

To prevent diseases, pest attacks, you need to clean the garden plot from plant debris in time and burn the remains of branches, leaves and fruits that have fallen to the ground. It is necessary to dig up the soil in the spring to destroy the pests that have wintered in the soil, their larvae. Whitewashing the cherry trunk will protect both from the burns of the winter sun and from pathogenic microorganisms.

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