Unpretentious variety of cherries Baby is grown both on garden plots and on farmland due to the abundant fruiting and compactness of the crown. Experienced gardeners of the Central Black Earth region and the Volga region are familiar with a fruitful and drought-resistant hybrid cherry variety.
Grade description
Varietal hybrid The baby was bred by breeders of the Saratov Experimental Station in 1995 when crossing a hybrid of cherries and cherries (Duke) and cherry early seedlings.
Early cherry is rather tall in comparison with bush varieties - up to 3 m, has no more than 2-3 bud inflorescences and the fruit taste characteristic of cherries. Duke red cherry ripens very early, stands out among other varieties by abundant fruiting even on the shoots of last year, up to 10 pieces of inflorescences occur in one ovary. The berry is fleshy and very sweet. These qualities are perfectly combined in a hybrid plant.
The fruits have excellent taste, are well transported, the plant is resistant to drought, tolerates low temperatures.
Important! The baby has another name - Saratov baby.
The hybrid has a stable crop (up to 25 kg per tree) in Central Russia and the southern regions. Closer to the Urals and Transbaikalia, fruiting occurs later than in the Black Earth region. As a result, 5-15 kg from one plant matures.
In the Far East and Siberia, thanks to the enthusiasm of gardeners, Baby brings yields of up to 8, sometimes up to 12 kg per season. But for such a result, it will be necessary to correctly form the crown with the stanled method, in which the branches grow horizontally and provide protection from cold and freezing.
The hybrid combines specific vegetative features and taste of cherries and cherries. It looks like a dwarf tree of medium size, reaching 2-2.5 m. The spherical crown is easily moldable and does not require abundant pruning in the spring. The plant begins bearing fruit in the 2-3rd year. The fruits ripen early, in the middle or end of June (depending on the region).
Advantages of the Baby Hybrid:
- frost resistant;
- resistant to drought;
- does not require frequent and regular top dressing;
- early;
- gives a stable crop both in hot and damp summers.
If the site does not have a few cherry trees for planting, the Saratov baby should not be planted. Without pollinators, the cherry will not bear fruit. This is the main disadvantage of the variety - it is self-fertile, cross-pollination is required for fruit formation (pollinating varieties such as Turgenevka or Lyubskaya cherries must be planted nearby) The drupe on the peduncle does not hold well enough; it is possible to shed berries when fully ripened - another minus of the hybrid.
Berry cherries Baby is suitable for both freezing and preservation
The harvest will be rich, and the berry will gain enough sugar content in the event that a sunny place without drafts is chosen for planting, there is no close occurrence of groundwater. The clay does not like clay and scarce sandy soil. In case of wetland, the plant will die.
Planting Baby Cherries
For planting, choose a sunny place protected from the winds from the western or southern side of the garden. It should not be planted in lowlands where damp accumulates, and on slopes open to drafts. The composition of the soil is preferred sandy loam with the addition of humus, quite breathable and loose, the best option for cherries is neutral acidity.
The tree will feel as comfortable as possible:
- on fertile, not heavy soil with a layer of humus;
- when groundwater is at least 1.5 m;
- at a distance from other fruit crops of at least 1.5-2 m;
- next to the buildings that protect the cherry from the winds.
Protecting the fruit tree is especially important in the spring and winter and in the first year of planting.
The landing site is prepared in advance, in the autumn it is dug up, mixing the soil with organic top dressing - rotted litter or cow dung. On 1 m2 it will take 3 buckets of organic matter, which will decompose completely during the winter. 100 g of phosphate rock or superphosphate and 100 g of potash fertilizers are also added. Nitrogen-containing preparations do not contribute before planting.
For planting, pick up strong seedlings with a powerful root system, check the roots for rot, which must be removed on time. The seedling is no more than 2 years old. Usually this plant is about 1 m high with matured wood.
Practice spring and autumn planting of cherries. Optimum timing depends on climate. In the southern regions, trees are planted in open ground in mid-autumn before the onset of frost, in a temperate climate of the middle lane - in September. In Siberia and the Urals, cherries are planted in the spring so that the trees take root by winter.
Video: planting cherries in autumn
If the seedling is purchased in the fall, and it is planned to plant it in the spring, they dig it in the winter. To do this, prepare a furrow with a depth of 0.5 m in the area where snow lingers. The south wall of the groove is made at an angle of 30-40 ° and a seedling is placed in it, spreading the roots well. The branches should be facing south. Water is abundantly watered and the root system is sprinkled to the side shoots. Well-compacted soil is covered with sawdust or needles to protect against frost and mice, later it is thrown with snow. The plant is dug up when the threat of frost passes, and a permanent place is prepared.
The tree is buried in the ground at an angle and insulated
In spring, cherries are planted in late March - early April, when the snow has melted and the threat of frost has passed. Before planting, carefully inspect the roots and remove dried and ripe, then the seedling is lowered into a bucket with water and a growth stimulator (for example, Kornevin). The roots will be saturated with water for about 3-4 hours.
Landing process:
- A pit with a depth of about 60 cm and a width of 80 cm is dug up in advance, for 1-2 weeks, so that the earth settles a little. It is not recommended to deepen the roots too much, as this will slow down the process of cherry development, and too small a planting will lead to a drying up of the root system and a lack of nutrients.
- Experienced gardeners recommend dipping the root system of a seedling in a mixture of clay and manure, and let dry for 10-15 minutes. A support wooden peg is installed in the center of the landing pit. The roots are straightened down and to the sides, the trunk should be located perpendicular to the soil and at the same time remain on the north side of the support.
- Planting soil is mixed with organic and mineral fertilizers: approximately 10 kg of rotten manure or chicken droppings are combined with 500 g of wood ash, thoroughly mixed and 100 g of superphosphate and 50 g of potassium chloride are added. Mineral additives are mixed with the bottom layer of soil; after the seedling is placed in a pit, its roots are sprinkled on top with a soil mixture with the rest of the additives.
Fragile roots neatly straighten
- The upper layer of earth in the hole is compacted, a young tree is tied to a support. The neck of the trunk is left at a height of 3-4 cm from the soil surface, over time, the earth in the hole will settle and the seedling will drop.
Cherry should firmly and firmly sit in the ground
Cherry is plentifully watered, making a groove for moisture. The soil in the hole should be below the soil level of the site, then sediment will accumulate in the basal space and absorb.
The surface of the root circle is mulched with sawdust or dry straw, this will help retain moisture and prevent the formation of a crust. The next watering will be required during fruit setting and ripening, and in a dry summer, it is necessary to water the tree 2-3 more times with an interval of 2 weeks.
Growing Features
Agricultural technology includes standard events:
- watering;
- top dressing;
- weeding and loosening;
- pruning
- pest control.
Despite the fact that the variety is resistant to drought, periodic watering is required the first time after planting for better rooting, on dry, hot days in the middle of summer, when the fruits are poured. If rainy days happen during fruiting, watering should be less frequent, but be sure to loosen the soil and remove weeds in the near-stem circle.
To enrich the root system with oxygen and moisture, the soil around the trunk is carefully weeded and loosened
Mulching of the near-stem circle with hay, sawdust, pine and spruce needles favorably affects the growth and retention of moisture. 2-3 times a season it is recommended to raise mulch and loosen the soil, this prevents various insects from accumulating and prevents waterlogging of the soil around the tree.
Periodic dressing is also very important for proper tree growth. Both organic and mineral fertilizers are selected, seasonally selected and depending on the age of the tree. The first top dressing in spring includes nitrogen. It can be urea or ammonium nitrate. Before foliage blooming, root dressing is carried out, so trace elements are dissolved in water (10-15 g per 10-liter bucket) and water the soil near the trunk.
After watering the trunk circle with dissolved mineral fertilizers, gardeners are advised to water again (1-2 buckets of water) so that the solution is better distributed in the soil.
Nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers are recommended to be applied twice a season
After flowering, it is recommended to apply organic fertilizers. One option is rotted compost, which is distributed on the surface of the earth. Manure or chicken droppings, diluted with water, with the addition of wood ash enhances shoot growth and multiplies the number of ovaries. The composition is obtained by diluting one third of the manure or chicken droppings with settled water. The mixture is insisted for 7-10 days. The resulting infusion is diluted (1 liter per bucket of water) and watered at the rate of 10 liters of sweep per 1 m2.
Another option for both root and foliar dressing is complex preparations purchased in specialized stores. They process and feed the cherry according to the instructions. Fertilizers are introduced under digging or in liquid form into the trunk circle. After fruiting, the Baby is fed with nitrogen fertilizers with organic matter (rotted manure or green manure). After harvesting, liming is useful to reduce soil acidity. In the autumn, dry potash-phosphorus fertilizers are applied, scattering them around the entire perimeter of the tree growth, followed by digging the soil to a depth of at least 10 cm. In the autumn, nitrogen-containing preparations are excluded.
Some rules for fertilizing:
- fruit trees often have a deficiency of iron and nitrogen, so the plants are treated with copper sulfate and make urea (urea);
- feeding cherry ash (1.5 kg per 1 m2) enriches the soil with microelements;
- calcium deficiency is compensated by chalk.
Another subtlety in caring for a hybrid is pruning, without which an annual abundant crop can hardly be expected. Immediately upon planting, the seedling is shortened and cut off skeletal shoots. In the 2nd year, excess shoots are cut off, if necessary, shortened by 1/3. It is important to immediately form the crown of the tree. If necessary, sanitary pruning cut the entire branch, and not its escape. Next year’s cherry fruit buds are formed on the shoots, so they cannot be cut indiscriminately.
Seasonal pruning is shown after a constant average plus temperature is established:
- Most often pruning is carried out in the spring at the end of March - at the beginning of April, unnecessary, dry, diseased branches are removed.
- In summer, it is appropriate to cut branches as a result of severe thickening or when the first signs of disease appear.
- Autumn pruning is considered to be more sanitary, remove rotten, diseased and dried shoots.
- In winter, pruning is prohibited.
Every 5 years, 4-year-old shoots are removed, since the number of ovaries is reduced on them. Such pruning will increase yield and reduce crown thickening. The old tree will grow again and will bear fruit well.
Cherry Baby on a dwarf stock
A stock is a plant that has maternal roots with a grafted graft or a branch with a live bud, which can improve the quality characteristics of both varieties.
Differences of the Baby on a dwarf stock from a seedling (root) seedling of the Baby are expressed in such advantages as:
- resistance to adverse environmental conditions;
- almost complete absence of root shoots;
- genetic homogeneity of stockstock material.
A baby on a dwarf rootstock is able to yield a crop that exceeds the total green mass of the tree in volume - this distinguishes the variety from tall-growing cherry hybrids. The stock also shortens the waiting time for the first crop. The convenience of planting due to its compactness and the possibility of effective irrigation and tree care also adds advantages. In addition, the stock has a small root system, so groundwater is not afraid of him; and a small crown will not allow branches to break under the weight of berries.
Bonsai does not take up much space
Diseases and pests: the main ways to solve the problem
Despite the resistance of the variety to most known fungal and bacterial diseases, the Baby is susceptible to anthracnose, it is attacked by a cherry sawfly and aphids. Depending on the region where the culture grows, there are:
- moniliosis;
- kleasterosporiosis;
- gum detection.
For prevention, it is necessary to loosen the soil well 2-3 times a season in order to destroy the larvae and insects living in the near-stem circle. In autumn, it is recommended to remove rotten foliage on time and remove branches that have affected areas on the bark.
Spraying is one of the methods of controlling parasitic microorganisms on cherries:
- in the spring, treatment is carried out before and after flowering with Bordeaux liquid and copper sulphate according to the instructions against scab and larvae of overwintered insects;
- Autumn spraying should be carried out after leaf fall with iron-containing preparations and Inta-Vir - against larvae deposited under the bark during the summer, and putrefactive diseases.
The spray schedule is dependent on weather and climate. It should be remembered that frequent chemical treatments can also harm.
Anthracnose cherries can lead to a loss of 70% of the crop
Experienced gardeners know that whitewashing the bark of fruit trees is disease prevention and pest protection. The procedure can be performed before winter and spring. As a rule, they are bleached with lime, diluted with water, or with home-made paint. To prepare such a solution, take 300 g of copper sulphate and 2 kg of lime or chalk, stir everything in 10 l of water. Using a thick brush, the solution is copiously applied to the bark of the stem. To achieve maximum effect, this is best done in dry weather.
To protect the tree from small rodents and hares, the trunk is wrapped in burlap or other "breathing" material.
Reviews
Cherry "Saratov baby" we freezes, and you something even further north!
Summer resident, cottage in the Samara region
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And I planted Baby in such a way that the yard protects her from the north, and the greenhouse slightly shades and protects from the winds from the south. Therefore, God forbid, I really hope that it will be possible to save ...
Summer cottage in the Laishevsky district of Tatarstan
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The baby, apparently, was perfectly pollinated by someone - unlike all my cherries, she was all in berries. The berries are large, ripened very early - in July. In general - I liked it very much!
Lena K.
//forum.tvoysad.ru/viewtopic.php?t=107&start=105
Returning to cherry, I want to say that this year I received the first harvest. Variety Baby is good for everyone, - a large, fragrant cherry, trees are quite resistant to coccomycosis and monilia, very productive, - from two six-year-olds almost four buckets, quite winter-hardy.
Ella
//forum.prihoz.ru/viewtopic.php?t=1148&start=435
A small cherry tree The baby among the gardeners makes a splash due to the abundant harvest under any circumstances. Fruiting will be regular, if you choose the right planting place and plant other varieties of cherries nearby. A dwarf hybrid can withstand up to 20 kg of berries.
