“Winter pomegranate” is a relatively young dwarf variety that has already managed to prove its worth. It will help to save space on the site, will not leave without a crop and will please spring-flowering snow-white. Description of the variety, especially planting and care, as well as a lot of other useful information - further.
grade "Winter pomegranate"
"Winter garnet" stands out among dwarf trees with a good harvest
Winter pomegranate berries finally ripen by mid-August
Description of Winter Pomegranate Cherry
The variety is the result of selection of sandy and steppe "Canadian" cherries. These two species are characterized by undemanding to soil, resistance to temperature extremes. All these qualities were inherited by Winter Pomegranate.
Those who take the first steps in gardening should pay attention to this variety. He will forgive you for small agricultural mistakes and will not leave you without a crop.
Wood
Cherry is a low bush with erect shoots. In height, it reaches no more than 2 m on highly fertile soils, on less nutritious soils its height varies from 150 cm to 180 cm. Such a small growth greatly facilitates tree care and makes harvesting convenient.
The optimal climate for its cultivation is sharply continental, that is, these are regions with harsh winters and hot summers. Without shelter, cherries can withstand temperatures down to -45 ° C, but still such extreme temperatures negatively affect crop yields. In a snowy, cold winter, it is advisable to insulate the trunk.
The variety belongs to the decorative species. Contemplators of cherry color will not regret if they drop him on their site. In May, numerous delicate pink and white flowers bloom on it.
For the formation of the ovary "Pomegranate" does not require assistant pollinators, because the plant copes with this task independently, being self-fertile. It is interesting that 25-40% of the fruits are planted even without the help of bees, but this indicator is also affected by the weather and tree care.
The first small fruits appear in the 3rd year after planting a seedling. However, you have to be patient - full-fledged crops begin to be harvested from 5-7 years. The yield per tree is 10 kg.
Fruit
The fruits ripen in the second half of summer - towards the end of July and the beginning of August. Ripe fruits do not fall for a long time, hold well on branches, can sag until October. They are small in size, the weight of one berry does not exceed 4 g. The color of the fruit changes as it ripens - from ruby to deep rich burgundy. Ripe fruits are almost black. The bone is very small. The pulp is sweet with a slight acidity, without astringency. It is better not to rush with the collection. Unripe fruits are very acidic, so you need to pick them when the color becomes darker.
Advantages and disadvantages
The advantages include:
- small tree size;
- self-fertility;
- undemanding care;
- frost and drought resistance;
- good yield;
- high resistance to diseases and pests;
- excellent taste;
- not crumble berries.
Of the minuses, many gardeners note the small size of the fruit, their lack of "meatiness".
Landing Features
Specialists recommend planting all dwarf varieties in the spring. It is better to plant a tree on the sunny side. Shadow from buildings and tall trees should not fall on it. It is undesirable to grow them near conifers, there is a risk of infections.
Although the Winter Pomegranate is undemanding to soils, it will grow better on loose, water- and breathable soil. These are soil types such as loamy, loamy sand, in which fertilizers are necessarily applied, or clay with the addition of sand, chernozem.
Training
The best planting material is a one or two year old seedling. While the plant is young, it easily adapts to the climatic characteristics of the region and takes root more quickly.
The root system is carefully inspected before planting. Broken branches and dry, rotten roots are pruned with pruning shears. The plant is checked for pests. If they settled, then it is treated with suitable insecticides. Before planting in the soil, the root system is soaked in water or a solution of a growth stimulant for 10 hours.
Landing pit prepared in advance in the fall. The selected site is dug up, cleaned of weeds, roots and manure is introduced. Then they dig a hole. The depth of the pit should be equal to half the size of the seedling. The topsoil is mixed with 300 g of superphosphate, 1 cup of wood ash and is covered with 1/2 mixture of this mixture. Leave everything until spring.
Landing stages
Follow the following instructions when planting a seedling:
- They dig the earth and form a mound.
- A peg is driven into the center of the pit and a seedling is tied to it.
- The roots are leveled on the embankment.
- They fall asleep with earth and tamp well.
- At a distance of 60 cm from the trunk in a circle they break through the earth, making a small mound.
- 1-2 buckets of warm water are poured, focusing on soil moisture.
Winter Pomegranate Care
In order to get a crop from a tree, they organize the right care, which consists in proper watering, timely feeding and pruning of trees.
Watering
The frequency of watering depends on the weather. In rainy times, just loosening the ground so that the roots do not suffer from a lack of oxygen.
In the dry period, during flowering and ripening of fruits, they are watered regularly, pouring 2-3 buckets of water under each tree.
Top dressing
In the first year, top dressing is not applied, provided that the soil has been previously enriched before planting.
Next, the first top dressing is carried out before flowering, introducing nitrogen-containing fertilizers. In summer, organic fertilizers (2 times) with an interval of 3 weeks are applied to the near-stem circle. After harvesting, the mineral balance of the soil is restored using fertilizers rich in potassium, phosphorus and calcium.
Pruning
The tree needs sanitary and shaping pruning. Form a crown begin immediately after planting. On the trunk, remove all branches that are from the ground at a distance of 50 cm.
To enhance growth, pruning is carried out annually in early spring before the sap flow begins, at the same time all broken, dried branches are removed. Slices are treated with garden varieties or dusted with ash.
On the tree leave no more than 10 branches, which should be located symmetrically on both sides of the trunk. All shoots growing inside the crown are cut.
Diseases and Pests
"Winter pomegranate" has a strong immunity to various diseases, and practically does not suffer from attack by insects, especially if it grows away from other crops.
In most cases, insects migrate to cherries from neighboring trees. To reduce infection to a minimum, a number of preventive measures are carried out:
- In the spring, the trunks are whitened.
- The aphid will not disturb the plant if it is treated with "Oleokoprit" before blooming, and before flowering with a solution of Karbofos.
- “Aktara” protects against weevil larvae well.
- In the autumn, they dig a near-stem circle, clean it of plant debris.
Of the diseases, cherries are susceptible to moniliosis or a moniliosis burn. But this variety is rarely affected by this fungal disease, and only if the neighboring trees are already sick. Therefore, if the mushroom has settled in other crops in the garden, they must process the Fitosporin-M cherry after it has flowered and begins to actively form the ovaries. This will help not only save part of the crop, but prevent the death of the tree itself.
The disease can be recognized by the following symptoms:
- dry darkened branches appeared on the tree;
- semi-dried foliage;
- soft patches on 3-year-old shoots;
- mummified fruits on the branches.
If the tree is sick, the main thing is not to miss time. Part of the harvest can be saved, provided that the treatment is started in a timely manner, that is, during the period of active flowering. Processing is carried out in dry, calm weather. If it rains after spraying, then there will be no positive effect.
Berries from an infected tree are unsuitable for storage, the maximum that can be made of them is to cook compote or put on jam.
The treatment is carried out as follows:
- The crowns of a diseased tree are treated with a 3% solution of Bordeaux fluid until the kidneys spill.
- At the same time, the trunks are whitened with a solution of lime, adding a small amount of copper sulfate and an antifungal agent to it.
- Before flowering, the crown is sprayed with a 0.4% Tsineba solution, if you missed the time and did not spend treatment, then the flowering tree must be treated with a 1% Topsina-M solution.
- Until the plant completely fades, repeat the treatment with “Topsin-M” no more than 2 times with an interval of 2 weeks. After flowering, no chemical treatment is used.
To reduce the risk of moniliosis in the garden, follow the rules:
- the trunk circle is regularly cleaned of weeds, plant debris, fallen fruits;
- carry out regular pruning - thin out the crown;
- each tree is well examined in the spring - sick and dry branches are cut out, if mummified fruits remain on the branches, then they are also removed;
- do not allow mechanical damage to the bark, if there are wounds or cracks, the place is cleaned and greased with garden varnish so that the mushroom does not settle and grow;
- a plant is planted so that they do not touch each other with branches and have free space between each other;
- when a disease is detected, diseased branches are cut off, capturing 15 cm of a healthy area, and burned.
"Winter pomegranate" refers to varieties resistant to disease. We should not forget about the universality of its fruits. Would you like to taste fresh sweet cherries, stock up on juice, jam or jam, prepare homemade liquors or liquors? "Winter Pomegranate" is your grade.