Cherry Colon-shaped: description, care, features of cultivation and reviews

Colonial trees first appeared in 1964 in Canada. On one of the private farms, a natural apple tree mutation was discovered. It became the basis of selection. Further work on fixing the characteristic features has already been achieved in Europe. In private gardens, the colonial trees are not found yet. The most common apple and pear, but the sweet cherry is still a rarity. What is the difference between this tree and traditional species?

The cherry is a column-shaped tree, which has the shape of a cylinder and grows only upwards. The crown is formed by short lateral branches. In diameter, it does not exceed one meter. The peculiarity of the lateral branches is the enormous number of fruiting processes and the absence of branching.

Advantages of Colon Trees

Sweet cherry has a lot of advantages when growing on the site. Among them:

Decorative

These trees are able to preserve the integrity of the landscape in the design of the site. Such a selection novelty will not leave anyone of the amateur gardeners indifferent.

Compactness

Due to the small diameter of the crown, the trees allow the use of much less space under the fruit trees. They are much easier to handle, take care of them and harvest.

Taste and fastness

The cherry is a column-shaped variety, which has been taken out to date, and has preserved the main taste characteristics of classical varieties. In different varieties technical ripeness comes from the beginning to the middle of June, and therefore allows you to enjoy the vitamins already in the beginning of summer. The height of the column does not exceed two meters.

Cherry Colon is in high demand in industrial gardening. When receiving a new variety, scientific methods of influence are used:

• Selection;
• Agrotechnical and chemical methods;
• Mechanical and surgical effects.

Thanks to these techniques, the yield and early maturity of trees increase. Industrial cherry orchards are formed with a perspective on the yield of each tree from 8 to 10 kg. When landing, the following options are used:

• The trees are planted according to the scheme - 3,0х2,5 and 2,0х1,5 meters;
• Density of planting up to 13 300 trees per hectare.

Grow and compact trees in trays and containers. This allows you to protect the trees in winter and thus promote industrial gardening to the north.

Popular varieties: Black Cherry

Highly productive, unpretentious variety, which is highly decorative. During flowering this slender tree completely covers the lace of light pink petals. After flowering they cover the earth with a solid carpet.

Slender, tall, vertically standing tree, not having horizontal branches. The height does not exceed two meters. This is a self-pollinating variety, so its yield does not depend on its pollinating neighbors. Fruits are dark maroon, sometimes almost black, large. The berries are juicy and very sweet, shiny. They are distinguished by their excellent commercial appearance and high transportability.

Delight

This cherry is a columnar species that refers to varieties of the mid-term maturation period. The tree grows no more than 2.5 meters in height. The diameter of the crown is not more than a meter. The variety is famous for its high yield and winter hardiness. The berries are ruby red, large: weight up to fourteen grams. The flesh is dark red, with small pink patches, very juicy. The plant is resistant to many diseases characteristic of stone fruit.

Colon cherry for the Moscow region

For gardeners in the southern regions of our country there are no problems with the selection of high-yielding early ripening varieties of a favorite berry. And the inhabitants of the Moscow region and the middle zone of our country were interested in the columnar cherries: they are high-yielding, early-ripening and, moreover, occupy very little space on the site.

Helena

A small tree with a height of no more than 2.5 meters, which pleases stably high yields (12-14 kg from one tree) and tasty large berries. Mature berries appear already in the first half of June. The fruits are burgundy. Pulp is dark red with thin pink veins. This variety is self-fertilized, but if you want to increase the yield, plant a tree next to the Sylvia variety.

Silvia

Very similar to the basic characteristics of the previous grade. Large berries of ruby color. Helena and Sylvia are considered grades with an average winter hardiness, so for winter it is desirable to cover them.

Revna

Today, in the suburbs, you can successfully grow colonnade cherries. The varieties that the breeders have developed today are distinguished by an amazing sweet taste, juicy berries with excellent transportability. An example of this is the variety of Revna.

Its berries are distinguished by a characteristic wide funnel with a round-shaped top. Their weight is from 5 to 8 grams. The tree begins to blossom in May, and the first berries ripen in early July. The merits of this variety include outstanding taste qualities, frost resistance, increased resistance to fungi and sunburn.

Sem

A pollinator with berries weighing six grams. The tree is the same height as the large-berry varieties. Sees bear fruit for about fifteen years.

Preparation for planting

What should be the seedlings of the columnar cherry? What should I look for when buying? First, look at the main kidney, which is located at the top, since it has the greatest impact on the development of the tree. If the tree already has leaves, then they should be healthy, not damaged by pests.

When to plant a tree?

This work is preferably carried out in the spring, when a positive temperature is established at night, and before the sap flow begins. In the southern regions, the autumn planting is no different from the spring planting. Before the onset of cold weather, the root system is strengthened, and in the spring it will give new shoots. In more northern regions, one can not be sure that the tree will adapt to winter, so it is more expedient to dig it up to early spring, and then to be determined with its permanent place.

Choose a place

Cherry is a columnar - a light-loving culture. It needs plenty of sunlight and protection from winds and drafts. The southern sides of the buildings, fences, will perfectly suit, but avoid low places and nearby groundwater. Stagnation of moisture will destroy the tree and significantly reduce the characteristics of winter hardiness.

Colon cherry: planting

To plant the seedling will require a pit, the size of 60x70x70 cm, since the root system of these species is rather weak. From the compost, thin twigs and manure make a homogeneous mass and lay it on the bottom of the pit with a layer of 30 cm. Top with a layer of ten centimeters of sand, which in time will become a good soil and settle a little. In the early years, this will allow the plant to tolerate frost and protect against overflow during the summer. The last layer should contain fertilizers, but it is better organic, and not mineral.

Depending on the size of the seedling, it is watered abundantly (from 20 to 30 liters of water). The contents of the pit are rammed, make a hole and plant a tree. After this, fill the ground in such a way that a small hillock about fifteen centimeters in height is formed. It is desirable for the stability to make a backup and garter of the seedling. When planting the distance between cherries can be from 2.5 meters.

Fruiting

Since in the first year experts recommend removing the ovaries during flowering, the first small crop of cherry colonies will please you in the second year after planting. Although in the cultivation of certain varieties, fruiting may occur in the year of planting, which is particularly attractive for gardeners.

Care for cherries

These small, slender trees do not require much effort from you - the pruning is done quite rarely if necessary, the crown is formed using a central shoot. In the first year of three to four copious irrigation is enough, because excess moisture reduces the level of air in the soil, which the plant needs to strengthen the still fragile root system.

Despite the resistance of the plant to most diseases, to prevent the appearance of pests or when they are found, treat the tree with special means, but always in the evening.

Reproduce the culture in two ways: a bone or a grafted seedling. In the second case, a two-year-old cherry is vaccinated at a height of about one and a half meters. In the first - in a pot of soil and sand, plant a bone of ripe berry, after she gives a sprout, prikopayte it.

Reviews of gardeners

Despite the fact that the colonial cherry tree is not too widespread in private garden areas, the responses of the owners of this tree are enthusiastic. In addition to the excellent taste of berries, simple care of the plant, it is a real decoration of any garden. In addition, the tree occupies very little space, which is especially important for owners of small country or garden plots.