Drogan Yellow Cherry

Cherry variety Drogana Zheltaya has been known for a long time and has already become the progenitor of numerous hybrid varieties of this culture. Cherry Drogan Yellow is a combination of such qualities as unpretentious character, allowing to take root even in adverse environmental conditions, and excellent taste of the fruit. In this article, we will talk about the main characteristics of the Drogan Yellow cherry, as well as how to grow it.

Drogan Yellow Cherry: the origin of the variety

Cherry Drogan Yellow: photo of the variety

The homeland of the Drogan Yellow cherry variety is Saxony, and it got its name thanks to the surname of its creator - Drogan. Unfortunately, history has not preserved information about this breeder, as well as the exact date of breeding the variety. To date, Drogan's Yellow cherry is one of the most common varieties, although it is absent in the State Register.

Cherry Drogan Yellow: description of the variety

Drogan Yellow cherry trees are classified as tall and can grow up to 6 m in height. The slightly flattened and not too dense crown resembles a ball or a cone in shape. Long shoots have no bends and are covered with light brown bark. Large leaf plates are elongated. Their length is about 17 cm, and their width is no more than 7 cm.

The fruits of the Drogan Yellow cherry are above average in size and can weigh up to 8 g. They have an attractive heart-shaped shape and are painted in a rich yellow color. The surface of the thin skin of the fruit is tender and thin. Under the skin there is a dense pulp saturated with juice. It is characterized by the presence of veins, as well as a beautiful yellow color with a straw tint.

The stone is hardly removed from the fibrous part of the fruit. The fruits of the Drogan Yellow cherry are distinguished by their sweet taste, which received a high tasting rating of 4.6 out of 5 possible points.

The chemical composition of the pulp of the Drogan Yellow cherry fruit includes dry matter (18%), a lot of sugars (about 14%), acids (0.2%).

Cherry Drogan Yellow is recommended for cultivation in the North Caucasian republics and regions, as well as in the Lower Volga region. Meanwhile, the area of ​​its cultivation is much larger than the recommended area.

This cherry variety has become ubiquitous in Central Russia, throughout the entire domestic middle zone, as well as in the former Soviet republics - in Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine, and the Baltic states.

Cherry Drogana Yellow successfully takes root even in the northern regions with cold and long winters and short summers, while maintaining impressive harvest volumes.

Main characteristics of Drogan yellow cherry

Cherry Drogan Yellow: photo of the variety

Drogan Yellow Cherry demonstrates a balanced set of the most valuable qualities typical of sweet cherries. The most important characteristics of this variety will be considered in more detail below.

Resistant to winter frost and drought

Cherry Drogan Yellow safely tolerates short dry periods. Lack of watering for a month does not harm her.

Cherry variety Drogana Yellow also has a high degree of winter hardiness. The buds of the generative type overwinter safely in fairly severe frosts down to -35 degrees. Late flowering period eliminates the risk of death of flower ovaries from recurrent spring frosts.

Features of flowering and pollination

As mentioned above, flowers appear on the Drogan Yellow cherry rather late - not earlier than the last week of May. This cherry variety is considered to be partially self-fertile. It produces a modest crop of fruits in the absence of pollinators. Therefore, to increase its volume, one cannot do without the proximity to pollinating plants.

The spacing between trees in this case should not exceed 40 m. The best examples of pollinators for Drogana Zheltoy are an old Western European variety of sweet cherries.Napoleon", Czech variety" Francis ", as well as cherry" Large-fruited ".

For successful pollination, the color of the fruit of the pollinator does not play a role, in contrast to the timing of flowering. It is important that they coincide with the opening of the buds of the Drogan Yellow cherry. There is also a risk of confusion when gardeners refuse to use it as a pollinator due to the incorrect naming of a variety. So, the incorrectly named "Drogana black" cherry variety is actually quite suitable for pollination of "Drogana Yellow" variety "Napoleon".

The ripening period of the fruits of Drogan Yellow cherries falls on the last decade of June, less often it is extended until the beginning of July.

Cherry variety Drogan Yellow: features of fruiting and harvesting

Cherry Drogan Yellow: photo of the variety

With the right pollinator, Drogan Yellow cherries consistently show a bountiful harvest. The maximum indicator of its volume is about a centner of fruits from each tree. The average yield varies depending on the climatic characteristics of a particular region and ranges between 50 and 70 kg.

Cherry Drogan Yellow begins to bear fruit as early as 4 years of tree cultivation. Its fruiting process is characterized by simultaneity, which greatly simplifies harvesting.

Appointment of the variety of cherries Drogana Yellow

The attractive and tasty fruits of the Drogana Yellow cherry cannot boast of good transportability and long shelf life. During freezing, their thin skin is usually covered with cracks, so this type of storage of this variety is not recommended. It is optimal to use the fruits of the Drogan Yellow cherry for food fresh, or immediately after harvesting them to process them for the purpose of making juices, preserves, compotes.

Disease immunity and pest control

The necessary care and preventive treatments for plantings of Drogan Yellow cherries help protect them from the most common fungal infections and harmful insects.

The greatest danger for this variety is represented by the most typical diseases for cherries, such as gray rot, as well as a real scourge of stone fruit plants - cherry flies. In addition, the sweet cherries of the Drogana Zheltaya variety attract birds and rodents.

Strengths and weaknesses of Drogan Yellow cherry

In addition to the high taste of fruits, a high degree of winter hardiness and drought resistance, Drogana Yellow cherry has other merits. So, it is not too demanding in the composition of the soil and adapts well to any environmental conditions.

Weak side of this cherry variety is the fragility of the fruits, which are extremely poorly tolerated during transportation and storage. The need to plant pollinating trees on the site also adds hassle to gardeners who want to increase the yield of Drogan Yellow cherries.

Drogan Yellow Cherry Planting Instructions

Cherry Drogan Yellow: photo of the variety

The algorithm for planting cherries of the variety "Drogana Zheltaya" is no different from other varieties of this crop. The only feature of this particular variety is its high growth characteristic of its trees. This circumstance should be taken into account when placing "Drogana Yellow" on a small area. In addition, harvesting and processing and pruning tall trees is much more difficult than in the case of more compact varieties.

Cherry "Drogana Yellow". How to choose the time for boarding

It is recommended to choose the time for planting seedlings of "Drogana Zheltoy" based on the characteristics of the climate of the region. For regions with early autumn frosts, spring planting is recommended, which falls on the first days of May. It is important that the procedure for planting a cherry seedling is carried out at least 30 days before the flowering phase.

In the southern regions, autumn planting of material purchased in the summer is possible. Its preliminary storage period is 14 days, and planting must be completed by September 20.

Choosing a landing site

When choosing a place to place "Drogana Zheltoy", it is recommended to give preference to well-lit areas. It is optimal if the seedlings are in the sun for 16-18 hours during the day. For this reason, the most successful planting option is the southern border of the site. The presence of protection from the north side of the garden will protect young trees from the cold wind.

As for the soil composition, Drogana Yellow cherries successfully take root almost everywhere, although they give preference to slightly acidic soils. Soil moisture is much more important, since this cherry variety is extremely sensitive to excess moisture. The groundwater level at the site should be no higher than 4 m from the ground surface.

Drogana Yellow: cultivar pollinators

When choosing neighbors for cherries of the Drogana Yellow variety, you should abandon berry bushes like currants or gooseberries. Planting cherry trees nearby is also undesirable. As a result of cross-pollination of these crops, the tree will bear a modest harvest of tiny fruits that have lost the high flavor characteristics of yellow cherries. A good option for the neighborhood with "Drogana Yellow" are apple and mountain ash trees.

Preparing for landing

Cherry Drogan Yellow: photo of the variety

The preparatory stage of planting Drogan Yellow cherries is the selection of seedlings. Young bushes that are 2.5-3 years old are best suited for planting in open ground. It is recommended to purchase planting material from large nurseries that can provide documents for seedlings.

In the absence of documents, the tags on the bushes will be enough. For planting, seedlings are suitable, which have at least 3 root processes, as well as several generative buds. Before planting, you should cut off all the leaves present on the seedling. Otherwise, they will take away moisture from the trunk and root system of a young plant.

Planting stages

• First of all, you need to take care of the planting holes for cherry seedlings. Their average depth is about 70 cm.In order to increase the nutritional value of the soil on the site, humus is introduced into each planting pit, the layer thickness of which is about 15 cm.Another option to make the soil more fertile would be the introduction of green fertilizers mixed with manure infusion into the pit ... In addition, it is recommended to add mineral complexes to the resulting substrate. They should include superphosphate (about 0.5 kg) and potassium sulfate (no more than 0.1 kg). The nutrient mixture should be mixed well and spilled with water.
• The substrate will settle for two hours before planting.
• A sweet cherry seedling with pre-straightened root shoots is placed on top of the nutritious soil mixture. It is not recommended to deepen the root collar. It is better if it is located 5 cm above ground level.
• Next to the seedling, you need to place a peg to which the plant will tie.
• The remaining free space of the pit is filled with the remnants of the soil extracted when digging the planting pit. The soil must be tamped, and then spilled with water in the amount of 1 bucket.
• The surface of the ground around the seedlings should be covered with a layer of mulch, which can be peat or freshly cut grass.

Drogan Yellow Cherry. Care instructions

Cherry Drogan Yellow: photo of the variety

Caring for cherries of the Drogana Zheltaya variety comes down to the procedures typical for this culture - watering, tillage, and fertilization.

Active vegetation of plants, the process of flowering and fruiting require a lot of water. During these periods it is recommended to water "Drogan Yellow" at least once every 2-4 weeks, depending on the amount of rain.

Young trees need to be applied twice top dressing during the season. Mineral complexes are introduced in May and then in July. For mature plants, another fertilization procedure is indicated, which occurs at the end of the season. In October, 10 to 12 kg of compost or humus should be added under each cherry tree.

Despite the winter-hardy nature of the Drogan Yellow cherry, it needs hideouts for the winter. First, you need to dig up the ground on the site, and then mulch it with peat or humus. This will protect the root system of trees from freezing. It is recommended to wrap the trunks of young trees with a layer of heat-insulating material.

After enough snow has fallen, you should shovel it to the trunks of cherry trees in order to close their root part and trunk to a mark of 1 m.

Another important procedure for caring for cherries of the Drogana Yellow variety is pruning. It not only forms the crown of the tree, but also has a sanitary function, and also increases the volume of the harvest. First of all, infected, weakened and damaged shoots and branches are removed from the plant.

Pruning is carried out twice a year - in spring and autumn. To increase the yield of the tree, cut the fresh shoots of the current season by half.

Preventive treatment

The main danger for Drogan Yellow cherries is gray rot, as well as diseases associated with tinder fungus... If the latter appears, it is necessary to cut off the neoplasm. And then disinfect the cut site with copper sulfate, using a solution of 30% concentration. As a preventive treatment, you can coat the trunks of cherry trees with a lime mortar.

When infected gray mold all diseased parts of the plant should be removed, and then treated with fungicides such as "Fitosporin" or Bordeaux mixture (1% solution). To prevent the disease of cherries with gray rot, it is recommended to spray trees with copper sulfate (1% solution), or with the preparation "Nitrafemon".

Among the malicious insects The enemies of the Drogan Yellow cherry are cherry flies and tube-worms. You can get rid of them by treating them with insecticides - "Zolon" or "Aktellik" against flies, "Hexachloran" and "Metaphos" against pipe wrenches.

To avoid infestation of cherry flies, it is enough to regularly loosen the soil around cherry trees, and also use glue-based traps. Timely cleaning of the area from fallen leaves and fruits prevents the appearance of a pipe-runner.

Birds can be another problem. To scare them away, you can resort to the old method - place a scarecrow, a rattle, any source of harsh sounds in the garden. If this does not help, you can cover the crown of the tree with an ordinary fishing net - the smaller the cells, the better. Another method of scaring away birds is to sprinkle sweet cherry plantings with pepper infusion. To prepare it, pour 10 pods of red pepper with water (3 l). You can also use bird-repellent gels (Bird Free).

Conclusion

Cherry Drogan Yellow is an old cherry variety that has become widespread throughout Russia. It does not require special care and is unpretentious in terms of environmental conditions and soil composition. Subject to the minimum agrotechnical requirements, the Drogana Yellow cherry consistently yields high yields of tasty and attractive fruits.