Cherry Kalitvyanka

Cherry Kalitvyanka was bred by the breeder Voronchikhina by crossing such varieties as Zhukovskaya and Stakhanovka. The plant is still under testing since 1988.

The variety is not very popular among gardeners, however, in the Voronezh and Rostov regions, the culture is still grown on the site.

Cherry Kalitvyanka: variety description and characteristics

The height of the Kalitvyanka cherry tree is small, as a rule, it is no more than 3 or 4 meters. The crown has the shape of a circle, the branches grow quite densely and they are characterized by a large number of leaves. The main branches form a right angle with the trunk. The color of the bark here is gray with a slight cherry tint. If the Kalitvyanka cherry tree is mature, then the bark becomes dark gray and slightly rough to the touch, uneven. It is characterized by small cracks: transverse or longitudinal, as well as lenticulars of various lengths.

Branches and buds

The shoots of Kalitvyanka cherry have a straight shape and a fairly large diameter. The internodes are long, the color of the branches is green-brown, and with age they acquire a silvery hue. On the shoots there is a large number of lentils, which have different sizes and shapes.

The Kalitvyanka cherry tree is characterized by large buds that reach 5 mm in diameter and have an oval shape. And also the round tops of the buds, characteristic only for this variety. Generative buds are smaller in size, they are characterized by a pointed tip with an oval shape. Buds are formed in bouquets, on small twigs.

Leaves and flowers

Speaking of cherry leaves of the Kalitvyanka variety, one should note their oval shape with a characteristic sharpening at the tip, as well as a wedge-shaped base. The length of the leaves reaches 12 cm, while the width is about 5 cm. The shade of the leaves is green, the surface is uneven, wrinkled, with the presence of lateral veins. In the middle, the leaf is concave, and veins are pronounced on it. The surface of the leaf is shiny, and on the reverse side, the leaf has a gray-green tint and a distinct pattern of veins. The color of the veins themselves is light pink. All leaves have an often serrated edge. The leaf plates are quite long - up to 3 cm and strong. Slight pubescence is also characteristic for them. Each leaf plate contains up to 3 small glands, which have a light shade.

Flowers of the Kalitvyanka cherry tree are formed, as a rule, in the amount of 5 pieces per inflorescence. Sometimes there are six of them. In a frosty winter, the number of flowers may be even less. The flower has a small diameter, about 3 cm. The flat petals are oval in shape, the color of the petals is snow-white, the level of the pistil and stamens is the same. Inflorescences can form on a rather long pedicel, which is not typical for other types of cherry. Here one can note the slightly bent edges of the sepals, which have a lanceolate shape and small denticles along the edges. The sepals are usually crimson, especially at the end of flowering.

Fruit

Cherry Kalitvyanka: photo of the variety

Kalitvyanka cherries also ripen on bouquet branches, which are mainly formed on last year's growths. The berries are quite large, about 6 grams. Moreover, the height of each fruit is about 2 cm, as is its width. Thus, the shape of Kalitvyanka cherries is round, sometimes a little irregular, close to an oval. The fruit is characterized by a wide funnel and a slight rounding at the top. The skin color is red here. When the Kalitvyanka cherry is already overripe, then the shade may be closer to cherry.The shade of the pulp is also red. The pulp tastes a lot of juice, quite dense and fleshy. In addition, it is characterized by a very pleasant taste, which is highly appreciated by scientists during the tasting test.

The fruits of Kalitvyanka cherries contain a large amount of nutrients. These are dry substances, sugars, various acids, tannins and dyes. Each fruit is attached to a rather long stalk, which is approximately 12 mm long. The peduncle is easily separated from the fruit, leaving a dry separation. Inside each fruit there is a large bone, which makes up almost 10% of the total mass of the berry. It has the shape of a wide oval, and is slightly rounded at the top. The color of the stone here is brown, and, which is characteristic, it is rather difficult to separate from the pulp. Scientists estimate the external qualities of Kalitvyanka cherry at about 4.5 points. Fruits can be harvested at the beginning of July, if we are talking about the territory of the Central Black Earth Region.

Cherry Kalitvyanka: yield and winter hardiness

The Kalitvyanka cherry tree begins to bloom late and is self-fertile. In order for the tree to bear fruit, it is necessary to plant more varieties such as Zhukovskaya and Rossoshanskaya Black... Cherry variety Kalitvyanka begins to bear fruit 3 years after planting and brings a fairly large amount of harvest annually. So, an adult tree can produce about 11 kg of fruit. There were cases when it was possible to collect an even larger crop.

The Kalitvyanka cherry tree has a fairly high resistance to winter, while an average score was set for freezing even in extremely cold winter conditions. Despite this, flower buds are more vulnerable here, which can die already at a temperature of -30 degrees, and at lower rates, everything can freeze out at all. However, since the variety is grown in areas characterized by a mild climate, freezing of flower buds is not noted here.

Diseases and pests

Speaking about diseases and pests, it was noted that the Kalitvyanka cherry variety has a high immunity to coccomycosis. Therefore, even during an epidemic, a tree is rarely affected by this disease. However, the plant can suffer from moniliosis. And also in very rainy weather, cherries can crack. Due to the fact that the fruits are very close to each other, the disease spreads almost throughout the tree.

Cherry Kalitvyanka: reviews of gardeners

• Kristina Petrovna, Rostov region: “Different varieties of cherries have been growing on my site for many years. I got acquainted with the Kalitvyanka cherry variety relatively recently. I liked the relatively small size of the tree, despite the fact that the amount of the harvest turned out to be a lot. Kalitvyanka made jam from cherries, which my family eats with pleasure. "
• Marina Egorovna, Voronezh region: “I like the Kalitvyanka cherry with its large size of berries. And when growing the variety, I did not encounter any problems. The only thing is that Kalitvyanka cherry has a weak fruit color, because of this, its external qualities suffer, but not as taste. Kalitvyanka made a delicious jam from the cherry variety ”.

Conclusion

Cherry variety Kalitvyanka is successfully cultivated in regions with a mild climate, has many advantages, among which are the good taste of berries and abundant fruiting.