Growing felt cherry and its difference from the usual one

Unlike the common cherry, the felt cherry is frost-resistant and easy to care for. Already in its second year, it begins to yield tasty and healthy berries with a delicate, sweet-tart flesh. This shrub, or more commonly, tree, is also known as the Chinese cherry. By following the proper cultivation practices, a single plant can yield approximately 15 kg of intensely scarlet berries.

Description of the plant

The plant owes its second name, "Chinese cherry," to its native habitat (Central China), from which it began to spread thanks to the work of breeders to develop varieties. The plant, up to 3 meters tall, develops in two forms: a shrub and a tree. Graceful shoots form a dense, oval-shaped crown. The small leaves have a rough, textured texture reminiscent of felt.

In late spring, the crown is adorned with pink blossoms for about two weeks, fading to almost white by the end of this vegetative phase. By the end of June, the felt cherry tree produces fragrant, sweet berries. The oval, scarlet-colored fruits with firm flesh weigh about 4 grams. With proper planting and care, a single plant can yield up to 15 kg.

The cultivar is more compatible with plums than with common cherries. It is also often crossed with peaches, apricots, and cherry plums. Compared to common cherries, the felt cherry has the following differences:

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• early fruiting – in the second year after planting;
• rapid ripening and;
• stable yield;
• frost resistance – for the typical species up to -40 °C;
• decorativeness;
• absence of root growth;
• immunity to coccomycosis.

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Features of cultivation

To ensure consistently high yields throughout the felt cherry's life cycle, it's important to follow the recommended cultivation practices for both care and planting. If the plant is planted in a shaded and damp location, growth will be slow and the berries will be tasteless. Neither regular fertilizing nor loosening the soil will improve the situation.

Planting nuances

Felt cherry trees are planted in sunny locations with a low water table to prevent root rot. Since the plant cross-pollinates, two to three other plants of different varieties are planted nearby.

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Planting is carried out in the spring before the sap begins to flow, taking into account the following nuances:

1. Dig holes 50 cm deep and 1 m apart.
2. Pour a handful of superphosphate and potassium sulfate into the depressions, and mix the granules with the soil.
3. To ensure better rooting, the roots of the seedling are shortened by 20 cm, and then the planting material is placed in the holes.
4. The latter are covered with the extracted soil, which is compacted so that no air pockets remain around the roots, which could provoke the development of fungus.
5. The tree trunk circles are mulched with peat.

Secrets of care

To ensure healthy growth and abundant fruiting, felt cherry trees require regular care. However, this doesn't require much time or effort, as it consists of a few fertilizing sessions, moderate watering, periodic loosening, and pruning. Pruning, after the seedling has established itself, helps form a proper crown and is then used for sanitation. Key activities:

1. Watering: Water the felt cherry moderately to prevent waterlogging in the roots. Dig grooves around the trunk and add water. This procedure is carried out in the evening after the top layer of soil has dried.
2. Soil cultivation – regular loosening and mulching with peat or sawdust help maintain good aeration. As weeds grow, they are removed, providing the cherry tree with a larger feeding surface.
3. Fertilizing: If fertilizer was applied at planting, begin enriching the soil with nutrients starting in the third year of growth. After the snow melts, apply ammonium nitrate around the trunk. During budding, superphosphate and potassium sulfate are added to prolong flowering and fruit set. Fertilizing with a similar mixture is repeated in the fall. This strengthens the plant's immune system, helping it survive the winter without any shelter, even in northern regions.
4. Pruning: After planting, to create a beautiful crown, seedlings are shortened to a height of 40 cm. The following year, all shoots are pruned by a third of their length, having first identified 3-5 skeletal branches. Subsequently, each spring, before the sap begins to flow, a sanitary pruning is performed, removing inward-growing shoots, as well as damaged, diseased, and fruitless shoots.

Felt cherry is a high-yielding fruit crop. If you follow the proper planting and care guidelines, it will delight you with a reliably rich harvest of healthy berries every year.

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Unlike the common cherry, the felt cherry is frost-resistant and easy to care for. Already in its second year, it begins to yield tasty and healthy berries with a delicate, sweet-tart flesh. This shrub, or more commonly, tree, is also known as the Chinese cherry. By following the proper cultivation practices, a single plant can yield approximately 15 kg of intensely scarlet berries.