Cherry apukhtinskaya - the best of the late varieties

Cherries can be found in almost any garden. She is loved not only because of the delicious fruits, but also for the unique color and beneficial properties of both fruits and branches with roots and bark. Recently, the Apukhtinskaya cherry is gaining more and more popularity.

Characteristics of the variety

This variety was bred from the Lotovoy variety in the village. Apukhtino, which is located in the Tula region.

Apukhtinskaya cherry looks like a not too tall tree, which is perfect for planting the entire garden plot. Its appearance can be found in the photo below.

A distinctive feature of this variety is that the seedlings after planting begin to bear fruit already in the second year, and the yield increases every year. Annual branches also bear fruit.

Fruits, in comparison with other varieties, have a darker red color, which can sometimes acquire a brown tint. The fruit of the Apukhtinsky variety is larger than that of an ordinary cherry. Their weight can reach 3.5 g, and in some cases even 4 g. The peculiarity of the fruits of this tree is that they have an unusual heart-shaped shape, and their flesh is very juicy and always looks great. The juice also has an intense dark red hue. Berries contain a lot of free acids and sugar. A medium-sized oval bone is characteristic.

The berries themselves have a tart and sour taste, and sometimes they can give off a slight bitterness. Due to their properties, the fruits are used mainly for the preparation of various jams, preserves and compotes. They turn out to be spicy and unusual in their taste characteristics, which distinguishes the Apukhtinskaya cherry from other types.

Also, this cherry is characterized by a rather long stalk. The separation of ripe fruits from it is easy and dry (there is no violation of the integrity of the skin of the berry and the leakage of juice). But unripe berries are quite problematic to separate.

Apukhtinskaya cherry is a late species that ripens almost at the very end of summer - in August. She also blooms much later, somewhere in early June. Therefore, it cannot be used to pollinate earlier varieties of cherries that already grow in your area.

The variety itself is referred to as self-pollinating, self-fertile. This is due to the peculiarity of the structure of the flower - the height of the stamens with anthers and the height of the pistil are almost the same. Thanks to this, self-pollination is possible even before the flower opens.

The tree can grow from three to seven meters in height. This is its maximum height. But at the same time, such a cherry is quite spreading. Its crown is usually drooping. If desired, it can be made in the form of a bush, which will greatly facilitate harvesting.

Usually, up to ten kilograms of berries can be collected from one bush or tree of the Apukhtinsky cherry.

This variety has a high degree of resistance to various diseases, but still you should not rely entirely on this, because in rare cases, infection of the tree can still occur. More prone to coccomycosis.

This is a very unpretentious variety in its care. It is recommended for planting in the southwestern and northwestern regions, as it has a satisfactory winter hardiness.

Growing features

This cherry can be easily grown both on farms and in personal plots.

When growing Apukhtinskaya cherry, you need to know the following features:

• pollination with other varieties can significantly increase the yield of the tree;
• to obtain a sufficient level of yield, it is necessary to plant about 5 trees at once;
• the best time for planting is spring;
• one- and two-year-old seedlings are optimal for planting;
• it is necessary to plant seedlings on gentle slopes from the southwestern, western and northwestern directions;
• once within 3 years the tree is fertilized with organic fertilizers;
• subject to the introduction of mineral fertilizers and humus into the pit before planting the seedling, during the first years you can not fertilize the cherry;
• the crown can be formed from 2 years old.

The rest of the care is similar to the care of other varieties of this fruit tree.

Cherry Care Video

According to its characteristics, the Apukhtinsky variety is similar to the felt one, so from this video you can glean some information regarding our species.

For all its unpretentiousness in care and due to the taste characteristics of its fruits, the Apukhtinskaya cherry will be a worthy addition to your garden.