Cherry Donchanka

Cherry Donchanka is considered one of the most common and favorite subspecies among gardeners. Basically, he was loved for its unpretentiousness in care and cultivation, as well as for its regular high yield and the universal purpose of its fruits. Farmers are very happy to cultivate this variety on their site, and, starting from 4 years of life, the plant will receive from it an average of 50-100 kilograms of healthy, tasty and juicy fruits.

Cherry Donchanka: variety description and characteristics

Cherry Donchanka: photo of the variety

Cherry Donchanka appeared at the Donetsk Experimental Station, due to the sowing of seeds of the variety Drogana yellowgrowing among the Melitopol subspecies in the Novoselidovsky GSU. This variety was added to the State Register for the North Caucasus region in 1988.

Cherry variety Donchanka is distinguished by its vigorous tree with a powerful and strong trunk, as well as a round crown. By the beginning of fruiting, the tree can reach up to 3.5 meters in growth, and when the plant is 10 years old, its growth can be 9 meters. The bark of a tree at a young age has a brownish-red hue with numerous stripes, which are strewn with lenticels, it happens that occasionally peels off in thin layers. The leaves of this plant are large and green in color, and also have an elongated rounded shape with a slight sharpening, and a wrinkled structure. The flowers of this subspecies are white. Fruiting occurs on shoots one year old and on bouquet branches. During the flowering period, this variety is simply beautiful, at this time the tree is showered entirely with white umbrella flowers.

Sweet cherries of the Donchanka variety have a pinkish-yellow hue and a rounded shape. Each such fruit can reach a mass of 10 grams. The stone of such a berry is round and small in size, it is quite easy to separate from the dense inner part, which has a pale yellow color. The fruits themselves are quite juicy, have a sweet taste and a rich smell. These fruits have good appearance and do not crack when ripe. In 100 grams of such fruits there are: 1.7 milligrams of ascorbic acid, 1.3 percent of acids, up to 15 percent of sugars, up to 21 percent of dry matter.

Like any fruit plant, Donchanka cherry has its own advantages and disadvantages. Let's consider them in more detail. The advantages of this subspecies include: there is no cracking feature, a good indicator of drought tolerance, early maturity, a high level of regular yield every year, the fruits have a universal purpose, a high level of cold resistance. The disadvantages of this subspecies can be called: self-infertility, a relative indicator of immunity to diseases of a fungal nature, a poor indicator of transportability and keeping quality of fruits.

Cherry Donchanka: planting varieties

Cherry Donchanka: photo of the variety

The sweet cherry variety Donchanka is quite demanding regarding the choice of the landing site, weather conditions and the composition of the soil. Although this plant is considered to be quite cold-tolerant, it does not respond well to strong and cold winds, as well as shaded areas of growth. The best will be a sufficiently lit and bright area. The soil for growth must be fertile with a good ability to absorb moisture; sandy loam or light loam is perfect for this.

When choosing and purchasing a seedling of this variety, carefully examine the place of its budding.It can be found at the level of one to one and a half centimeters above the root collar, in this place the trunk is slightly curved, which is proof that this is not a seedling, but a true varietal elite seedling. The growth of an annual plant of this subspecies reaches 60-150 centimeters, and for seedlings at the age of two, the height is about 200 centimeters. Most often, there are 2-4 shoots on the culture. The general condition of a young tree is determined by the external characteristics of the branches and roots. The root system should be powerful enough and moisturized, without the presence of growths and various mounds, and even on the ground part of the plant there should not be any kind of damage. If you try to roll the roots of the tree into a ring, you can notice elastic bending, but in no case should there be a crunch at this time. Look carefully so that the bark on the shoots of this young plant gathers like an "accordion", but does not flake off. Take advice and get young trees of this variety with a fairly developed crown, which consists of three to four branches, reaching a length of about 40 centimeters. During transportation, in order to maintain moisture in the culture, such a product should be prepared: mix the soil and clay in equal quantities and dilute it with water. The root system is dipped in this substrate, and then dipped in sawdust, thereby making a layer of mulch that will retain the desired moisture. After that, wrap the young plant in burlap, while removing all the leaves to avoid dehydration. If you purchased young plants of this variety in the autumn, and are going to plant in the spring season, then you need to place the seedling in a hole half a meter deep, in the direction from east to west. Young trees are placed in such a way that the trunk, together with the shoots, is directed southward to prevent the likelihood of sunburn. The root system is sprinkled with moistened soil and compacted so that frostbite does not occur, after which it is well watered. It will be great if you spread out the bait for rodents and small pests. If possible, you can pour snow on the plant. With the right actions to dig in young trees in the autumn, they will be able to survive well enough until the arrival of the spring season.

Since the Donchanka cherry in adulthood is capable of reaching its height of 9 meters, it is quite expected that the crown of the tree will be quite wide. Based on this, this variety should be planted at a distance of at least five meters from other crops. This subspecies loves to grow in areas that are calm and well lit, on fertile soil, and categorically does not tolerate heavy clay soil. In the southern regions, planting is done in the spring or autumn, in the middle lane this is done only in the spring season, so that young trees have time to adapt and take root before the onset of cold weather. The site for planting this seedling begins to be prepared in the autumn period of the year. With the predominance of clay soil, about two buckets of sand are poured onto the bottom of the dug planting hole to create a drainage layer. With sandy soil, clay is applied on the contrary, so that there is no rather rapid outflow of liquid and drying of the soil. After that, several buckets of humus are poured out and so left for the winter. Until spring comes, all nutrients can be absorbed into the soil, which, in turn, will help the root system take root faster and adapt to a new place. With the onset of spring, before planting a seedling, it is worth loosening in the prepared hole and adding nitrogen-containing and mineral fertilizers there, such as: one kilogram of wood ash, 300 grams of superphosphate and 100 grams of sodium sulfate.Just be careful and do not overdo it with fertilizing, since in this case, by the time of the autumn period, the plant will give out a large number of immature shoots that cannot withstand wintering. Let us analyze in stages the whole process of planting a seedling of this variety:

• We dig a landing hole, which should be about one meter in circumference, and should go 80 centimeters deep.
• We drive a wooden peg into the middle of the planting hole, which will serve as a support for the seedling. Sprinkle with soil near the peg to form a small mound.
• The seedling is placed in the hole so that its root collar is about 6 centimeters above the ground level, this is done due to the fact that the soil will settle over time.
• The root system of a young tree is gently straightened on this soil mound.
• When pouring soil on the seedling, shake it a little so that the voids around the roots can be completely filled with earth.
• The trunk of the seedling is tied to a peg.
• The soil in the near-trunk circle is watered with one bucket of water and tamped. A layer of mulch is made on top, in the capacity of which are transferred or sawdust, and then they are watered with more liquid.

In order for the root collar of the seedling to be at ground level, the plant should be raised at the time of planting by five centimeters, and then the soil will settle a little.

In order for a seedling of the Donchanka cherry variety to adapt and take root faster, it is necessary to observe the following planting features:

• Planting in the spring should be done only in thawed ground.
• When the roots dry before planting, you need to place them in water, for about 10 hours, to moisturize them.
• With the simultaneous landing of several copies, it is required to leave a distance between them not less than five meters.

Cherry Donchanka: variety care

In order for Donchanka cherries to please you with a regular and abundant harvest, you should make sure that they are properly and timely taken care of. The main requirements for caring for this tree are:

• Watering, loosening and mulching the soil throughout the season.
• Closely monitor the rate of nutrients and minerals in the soil, as this is the reason for the timely and correct flowering and fruiting of the plant.
• It is imperative to take into account the fact that these trees, even at a young, at least in adulthood, are very bad at the lack of liquid in the soil.

• Watering

Cherry Donchanka requires watering for itself at least three times in one season, and in such an amount that one and a half to two buckets of liquid fall on one year of plant life. The watering procedure is done before the flowering period, in the middle of the summer season, at the end of the autumn period. In the fall, along with watering, they also add top dressing, and also loosen the tree trunk circle and spread a layer of mulch for the winter. It is worth noting that in the autumn period, the soil should be moistened with a depth of 75-80 centimeters, in order to increase the plant's hardiness to frost and could not freeze the ground.

• Pruning

Pruning on a regular basis can increase yields, increase the taste of the fruit and reduce the risk of infection with various diseases, as well as increase vitality. This procedure is performed every year in the spring. The first time pruning is carried out immediately after planting a young plant, and the next is done before the beginning of the period of sap flow. Thin stems should be trimmed with a pruner or a sharp garden knife, while dry and thick branches should be removed with a saw. At the same time, gardening tools should be clean and sharp enough, since dull blades can leave lacerations that heal for a long time afterwards. The sections of the cuts must be covered with garden pitch, due to the fact that, after such pruning, there is a strong enough gum flow.Those plants that are one year old are pruned to a height of 65-70 centimeters. The lower stem is made shorter by up to 50 centimeters, after which all the remaining ones are trimmed under it. The guide should be left only 15 centimeters above the skeletal shoots, not higher. Those branches that grow towards the trunk at an acute angle are cut. When there are no more than two lateral branches, they must be cut by 4-5 buds, and the conductor in this case is 6 buds higher. Then the formation of the lower tier will be postponed until next year. In this cherry variety, after the pruning procedure, you can notice a very strong growth of shoots and a lack of branching ability, which is why the crown of this plant is formed along the tiers of skeletal branches. The lowest tier begins to be laid from the stems, which are located at a distance of 15 centimeters from each other. On the first tier and the second, the number of branches is made less by one, these branches are no longer so strong and are located asymmetrically. The distance between such tiers should be more than 70 centimeters. During the laying of the third tier, on the first, another 2-3 branches of the second order are formed. The next year it is done on the second tier, and a year later - on the third. In the fifth year of the plant's life, only the height, approximately three meters, and the length of skeletal shoots, approximately four meters, are maintained by pruning, while removing and thinning out damaged and crooked stems.

With thinning and shrinking berries, rejuvenating pruning is done. Basically, the best time for this is the last week of February to the first week of March. Every year in the spring, they carry out sanitary pruning, and also form the crown of the tree. For this:

• The conductor and skeletal branches are cut up to 3.5 meters.
• Those branches that thicken the crown are thinned out.
• Branches with signs of damage and frostbite are removed.

There should not be less than 8-9 skeletal branches in the lowest tier.

If necessary, carry out the pruning procedure in the summer season. It is done in 2 stages:

• During the period of fruit formation.
• After harvest.

The purpose of this pruning is to reduce the length of young shoots in order to stimulate new horizontal branches. To do this, they do a pinching and create the need for the formation of branches in the right direction.

After the foliage has fallen, autumn pruning is carried out, in which damaged and weakened branches are removed, making it easier for the tree to survive the winter period. Such an autumn pruning should be done with a saw, because these cuts are less painful and easier for the tree to tolerate, and these wounds heal at a faster rate before the onset of cold weather.

• Pollinators

Cherry Donchanka belongs to self-fertile varieties. Subspecies such as Drogana yellow (and this variety is considered a rather close relative of Donchanka), Donetsk beauty, Donetsk coal, Sister, Aelita, Early Rozovinka, Ethics, Valery Chkalov, Annushka and Valeria are perfect as its pollinators.

• Top dressing

The main nitrogen-containing and mineral fertilizing is applied during the preparation of the planting hole for planting and with the irrigation procedure. These dressings are quite enough for a given plant for three years. Then the feeding is repeated again.

In early spring, or in the autumn, once every three years, the soil for a mature plant is fed with rotted manure, at the time of loosening, in an amount of 4 kilograms per square meter. For plants one year old, feeding with rotted manure is carried out only in the near-trunk circle, with the calculation for one square meter - 5 kilograms. For better tree growth, in the month of May, the soil in the near-trunk circle is loosened and fed with a urea solution, with this calculation: about 25 grams of urea per 10 liters of liquid. This top dressing is done three times with an interval of one and a half weeks.Three years after planting a tree in an open space, its rhizome grows, the trunk circle expands by about half a meter. Around this near-trunk circle, you need to dig circular grooves, about 25 centimeters deep, into which about 200 grams of urea is poured in early April, after which it should be poured abundantly with water. In the last days of July or in the first week of September, the plant is also fed with superphosphate and potassium salt, in an amount of 100 grams. After 4 years of life, top dressing in the spring is done in the first week of April with ammophos, in this ratio: 30 grams of the substance is consumed per 10 liters of liquid. And in October they are fed with humus, in the amount of 20 kilograms per plant.

It is worth noting an important fact that if this feeding algorithm is not followed, the Donchanka sweet cherry not only slows down its growth, but also decreases the fruiting and the level of frost resistance.

Siderates are still sown between the rows of these crops. Most often these are legumes: peas, vetch or lupine. By the beginning of the autumn period, they give out an excellent grass stand for embedding and mowing into the tree trunk circle, while forming humus and sod. In the first five years after planting this plant, it is recommended to plant garden flowers, berry bushes and strawberries between the rows. In the sixth year of its life, the crown of the tree grows and does not allow sunlight to break through in the right amount.

In order to remove weeds for the soil in the near-trunk circle, they are treated with herbicides. From the second half of April to the first summer month, a calm and dry day is chosen so that the wind cannot spread the drug to other crops, and the rain can wash it off into the soil, respectively. Experienced gardeners advise using selective herbicides, such as Lazurit or Lontrel 300, but should be used strictly according to the instructions.

Diseases and pests

Cherry Donchanka: photo of the variety

Cherry Donchanka, unfortunately, can be subject to fungal diseases, as well as attacks by birds. Occasionally, but there are cases of damage to this plant by cherry fly, goose and cherry aphid. Consider the most common cases of attack by harmful insects and infection with diseases, as well as how to deal with these and measures to prevent these cases:

• Cherry fly. This harmful and dangerous insect feeds on the inside of the fruit, thereby turning it into a mushy mass. As a result of its activity, the fruits darken, even blacken, their defomation and decay occur, after which they fall off. For prophylaxis, constant loosening of the tree trunk is done. If the insect has already struck your culture, then an insecticide treatment procedure such as Lightning, Spark or Karate is used to combat it, in the amount of one tablet per 10 liters of liquid. Such treatments are carried out during the early summer of this fly (acacia blossoms will help you to determine this summer), after which the treatment is repeated after two weeks.
• Cherry aphid. Dangerous and harmful, small insect that damages the foliage of this tree. As a result of its activity, the leaves of the plant darken and wither, later drying out. For prevention purposes, whitewash is applied to the tree trunk, and damaged and dry leaves with branches are removed and burned. At the first detection of these insects, the plants are processed and continue until they are completely destroyed. The plant is sprayed in the evening, in calm weather, and they do it every five days and after precipitation falls, but only no later than 20 days before harvesting. Processing can be carried out by such means as: decoction of wood ash, for this, 300 grams of ash are poured with liquid, after which this mixture should be boiled, drained and diluted with liquid in an amount of up to 10 liters.You can also use a soap solution, for which you take 40 grams of laundry soap per 10 liters of garlic or onion broth. An insecticide treatment method, such as Decis, is also used, for this they take one ampoule per 10 liters of liquid.
• Coccomycosis... This disease primarily affects the foliage of the tree, occasionally the fruits and stalks. It makes itself felt by the appearance of spots of a brown-red hue on the leaves. As a result, the yield of the crop decreases, the resistance to frost decreases, and the fruiting of the plant slows down. For prevention, it is required to remove and destroy the affected fruits, stems and leaves of the plant in a timely manner. If the disease has already struck your culture, then you should start processing the tree before the beginning of the flowering period and 20 days after harvesting. Treatment is carried out with a solution of ferrous sulfate (for 10 liters of water you need 300 grams of the product), or with Horus (about 2 grams per 10 liters of water).
• Moniliosis. As a result of infection with this disease, fruit rotting occurs, as well as drying of the branches, which in turn leads to the death of the plant. With such a disease, mushroom spores form on the ovaries, which look like gray pads, which subsequently cover the fruits themselves. For prevention, measures should be taken to combat harmful insects, as well as whitewash the tree trunk and skeletal branches. If the disease has already struck the plant, then the treatment is carried out in several stages: before the beginning of the flowering period, after this period and in the autumn period. For the first time, the treatment is carried out in the form of spraying with a solution of copper sulfate (for this, 100 grams of the substance are taken per 10 liters of liquid), or with a solution of ferrous sulfate (in this case, 300 grams of the substance are taken per 10 liters of water). The second time is treated with Bordeaux liquid, fungicide, such as Captan or Kuprozan, and acting strictly according to the instructions. The last time, in the autumn, they simply destroy the damaged berries.
• Clasterosporium disease... The source of the disease is a fungus that affects the entire plant, from the buds to the bark. The disease manifests itself as the appearance of brownish spots, which eventually form into holes. As a result, the fruits dry out, the leaves wither and fall off. This fungus hibernates in the cracks of the tree bark. In order to prevent, whitewash the trunk of the plant, remove and further burn the damaged parts of the culture. If signs of the disease are detected, treatment is carried out in several stages: for the first time, before budding begins, the bark of the plant is disinfected with a solution of copper sulfate (100 grams of the substance is taken per 10 liters of liquid). 20 days after the beginning of the flowering period, the bark of the plant is rubbed three times with fresh sorrel, with a break of about 10 minutes, after which the wounds should be covered with garden varnish. After harvesting, the soil is treated with a solution of copper sulfate (100 grams are taken per 10 liters of liquid), or Nitrafen (200 grams of the substance are taken for 10 liters of liquid). You can also spray the plant with 3% Bordeaux mixture.
• Birds. Destroy the harvest of the fruits of this plant. To combat them, after the flowering period, they install stuffed animals on the site, hang shiny objects, rattles, and also cover the plants with special nets from birds.
• Fruit goose. This pest first gnaws the buds, and then damages buds, flowers, fruits and foliage. In order to prevent the attack of this pest, they attract "useful" birds, insectivores to the site, clean the branches and trunk of the tree from old bark, whitewash the trunk of the plant, dispose of damaged stems, foliage and bark by burning, and also loosen the trunk circle. If these pests have already attacked your plant, then during the period of bud swelling, these beetles are constantly shaken off from the plant to the tissue.And in the period before and after flowering, the tree's cone is sprayed with Dichlorvos or Karbofos, you can still treat it with Inta-Vir (one tablet dissolves in 10 liters of liquid).

Collection and storage features

Cherry Donchanka begins its fruiting from the age of 4 years. The fruits ripen in the first half of June and until half of July. Harvesting should be done in just a few days, because the ripe berries of this variety fall off rather quickly and begin to rot. Despite the fact that a tree is less than 10 years old, you can get about 50 kilograms of harvest from it, and about 100 kilograms from a plant more than 10 years old. The berries of this culture should be picked by hand using ladders and stands. Before you start storing these fruits, they need to be sorted out well. If there is moisture on these berries, they should be dried without fail. Selected berries must be placed in the refrigerator in a ceramic, plastic or glass container, previously closed with a lid or napkin. It is absolutely impossible to wash the berries after picking them. When storing berries at room temperature, they will be able to retain their qualities for up to 3-4 hours; if stored in the refrigerator, their taste and external qualities are not lost for up to two days. When frozen, these fruits are able to perfectly retain their taste characteristics. If transportation of these fruits is needed, then they must be harvested together with the stalk, as this can increase their shelf life by 1-2 days. Although it is worth noting that you should not pick these berries "in a bunch", because this can harm the tree and affect the number of ovaries in the future. The fruits of this variety should be placed in fairly spacious, but not very deep boxes, first putting paper on the bottom, and the fruits are covered with a cotton cloth so that they do not dry out. The berries of this subspecies have a universal purpose. They can be used both fresh, not processed, and used in the preparation of preserves, compotes, jam and others, including making preparations for the winter period.

Cherry Donchanka: reviews

Farmers love the Donchanka cherry variety due to some of its advantages. Such as: good cold resistance, excellent flavor characteristics of berries, large and regular harvests. With the right choice of a seedling and a site for planting it, timely feeding, constant and correct watering, as well as pruning, your culture will be able to produce a bountiful and high-quality harvest of tasty and healthy fruits. At the moment, there are a huge number of reviews on the Internet about Donchanka cherries. Here are some of them:

• Personally, I really like the Donchanka cherry variety, especially the annual good harvest. Occasionally, when the season is wet enough, it can rot on the branch, since the berries hang in bunches very tightly. The tastiest and sweetest are found at the top of the tree. Big in size, flavorful and juicy! In short, spend half a day in the tree and there will be no problems in terms of lunch. The only thing bad about Donchanka cherries is that when the berries are picked without a stalk, they begin to rot after a few hours. We tried to cut them with secateurs, but in this case, the sharp ends pierce the juicy and tender pulp of the berries. Therefore, if you are going to transport these fruits somewhere, then you should definitely collect them together with branches. Another advantage of this variety is its resistance to frost and drought. This plant is not the earliest, but also not the latest. The harvest is always good and regular. It is ideal for making compotes due to its delicate and pleasant taste.

Egor, 48 years old

• Great taste, large berries, and outwardly they have a rather attractive appearance, they are sold out quickly on the market. It does not crack much during the rainy season.The plant has a fairly good immunity to diseases, only two or three treatments are needed and an insecticide is required before the start of the summer season from the cherry fly. Cherry Donchanka is quite unpretentious and fruitful, even though the growth force is large, but if the central conductor is cut off in time, the plant will become medium-sized. As for the best pollinators, I can't say, Tenderness and Donchanka grow near me, both varieties are endowed with excellent pollination, but Donchanka ripens a little later. In general, I am satisfied with this subspecies.

Irina, 53 years old