Weather-resistant variety of Vasilisa cherry with large and tasty berries
Vasilisa is a large-fruited cherry variety with medium ripening period. Its advantages are a pleasant dessert taste of berries, frost resistance and consistently high yield. We will tell you in detail about the characteristics of this variety and its requirements for planting and care.
Description of the Vasilisa cherry variety
This is a mid-season cherry variety - the harvest ripens in the first half of June. Fruiting begins 3 years after planting the trees; they gain full strength at 4-5 years of age. The average yield, depending on growing conditions (soil composition, regional climate) is 25-50 kg per tree.
Reference. The maximum fertile age of Vasilisa is 15-20 years.
The readiness of the crop for harvesting is judged by the color of the skin - when it becomes deep red, the berries are picked along with the stalk to increase their shelf life. At a temperature of +1...+3°C the fruits are stored for 3-5 days.
History of origin and distribution
Vasilisa was bred in the early 2000s. Ukrainian breeders led by L.I. Taranenko at an experimental horticultural station as a result of cross-breeding the Donetsk beauty and the Donetsk coal.
Characteristics and description of trees
The Vasilisa cherry is a tall, up to 4 m, tree with a branched root system, a dense and spreading spherical crown and thick, strong, slightly curved shoots. The bark of young plants is reddish-brown, becoming grayish as they grow.
Reference. The crown occupies ⅔ of the entire height of the tree.
The leaves are large, dark green, ovoid in shape with pointed tips and serrated edges, located on long petioles.
In late April - early May, white flowers appear on the trees. Each bud produces 3-5 flower stalks.
Temperature resistance
Trees tolerate air temperature increases up to +40°C and drops to -25…-30°C. Returning spring frosts are destructive for buds, flowers and ovaries.
Moisture and drought resistance
Thanks to the deep root system, trees continue to develop and bear fruit even in drought conditions. To obtain a bountiful harvest this and next year, trees are regularly watered, preventing the soil from drying out.
Excessive, untimely watering and heavy rains lead to cracking of the berries.
Resistance to diseases and pests
The variety is characterized by high resistance to diseases and pests, but the possibility of trees being damaged by moniliosis, cytosporosis, gum, cherry flies, cherry shoot and fruit moths cannot be ruled out.
Characteristics and description of berries
The berries are large (average weight - 11-14 g), round in shape, covered with a smooth, shiny, dense skin, which, after the fruit ripens, acquires a rich red color.
The pulp is red, dense, fleshy, gristly. It has a sweet taste with slight sourness and a slight wine aftertaste. The stone is round and easily separated from the pulp.
Areas of use
The main purpose of Vasilisa berries is fresh consumption. At the same time, they are also suitable for processing: preparing compotes, jams, syrups, preserves, confiture and other preparations.
Reference. Cherries are often frozen. In this form, the berries do not lose their antioxidant and tonic properties.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
The main advantages of Vasilisa:
- high degree of frost and drought resistance;
- large fruit;
- immunity to diseases and pests;
- rich chemical composition and high commercial quality of berries;
- abundant yield;
- keeping quality and transportability;
- possibility of universal use of fruits.
Disadvantages of the variety:
- need for pollinators;
- tendency to crack berries in case of heavy rainfall or improper watering.
Growing technology
Cherry is a capricious fruit crop. For the survival of seedlings, the development of trees and high yields, it is important to choose the right place and timing of planting and provide the plants with care.
Optimal conditions
Vasilisa grows in loose, light, fertile soil with neutral acidity and moisture and breathability.
Reference. Lime or dolomite flour is added to acidic soil in advance at the rate of 300-500 g of the substance per 1 m².
When purchasing seedlings, choose 1- or 2-year-old specimens with an even, smooth trunk of 2 cm in diameter, 3-4 branched shoots, swollen, elastic buds and a developed, not dry root system.
Immediately before planting, the roots are soaked in a mixture of water, clay and a growth stimulant (Kornevin, Epin), the central trunk is cut to 80 cm, the side shoots to 20 cm.
Landing dates and rules
Cherry trees are planted in the spring, when the soil warms up to +5°C, or in the fall, about 1.5 months before frost (late September - early October).
For Vasilisa, choose a lighted, sunny place, protected from gusty winds, on a slope in the south or southwest direction, where melt and rainwater do not accumulate. The depth of groundwater is at least 2.5 m.
Planting technology:
- 2 weeks before planting, in an area dug up and cleared of plant debris, dig planting holes with a diameter of 0.6-0.8 m and a depth of 0.5-0.7 m every 3.5-4 m.
- Place a drainage layer of gravel or broken brick no more than 20 cm thick at the bottom of each.
- Place a nutrient mixture on top (1 part each of peat, humus, river sand and fertile soil layer, 40 g of superphosphate and 500 g of wood ash).
- Drive support stakes on both sides of the center of the pit.
- Form a hill of soil mixture in the hole, place a seedling on it, spreading the roots along the slopes.
- Cover the seedling with soil so that there are no voids around the roots, and the root collar is flush with the soil surface or 5 cm higher.
- Compact the soil and form an irrigation furrow.
- Water the plants at the rate of 10 liters of water for each.
- Mulch the tree trunk circle.
- Tie the seedling to the support with elastic clamps.
Other varieties of cherries, cherries, cherry plums or berry bushes are planted next to Vasilisa. Undesirable neighbors are nightshade crops, conifers, tall fruit and ornamental trees.
Further care
In case of sufficient rainfall, trees are watered 3 times per season:
- during the growing season and flowering (April - May) - 15-20 liters of water;
- at the beginning of fruiting (early June) - 15-20 liters of water;
- before winter (late September - early October) - 30-40 liters of water, so that the soil is saturated with moisture to a depth of 70-80 cm.
In case of drought, they focus on the condition of the soil, preventing it from drying out. On average, watering is carried out every 3-4 days at the rate of 10-15 liters per tree.
To avoid cracking of the berries, stop watering 2 weeks before harvest.
Reference. Cherries are watered not at the root, but in ring furrows around the perimeter of the crown.
They begin to feed Vasilisa 2 years after planting the seedlings, adding a urea solution (30 g per 10 liters of water) into the irrigation furrow. After 4 years of active fruiting, fertilizers are applied 2 times per season:
- April – 300 g of dry urea;
- September – 300 g of superphosphate and 100 g of potassium sulfate.
It is acceptable to add compost or rotted manure. Fresh organic matter will burn the roots of the trees.
Every year the tree trunk is whitewashed to a height of 1.2 m with a lime-clay mixture. This protects plants from pests and fungal diseases.
Every spring the crown is pruned, removing damaged, frozen shoots growing inward. Formation begins from the first year of tree life: side branches are shortened by 20 cm, skeletal branches are made shorter than the central shoot by 15 cm, and branches growing at an acute angle to the trunk are cut out.
When forming the crown in tiers, the distance between them should be 60-70 cm.
Possible problems, diseases, pests
Diseases and pests dangerous to Vasilisa are presented in the table.
| Disease/pest | Signs | Treatment/prevention |
| Moniliosis | The eyelids dry out, look burnt, and the berries rot. | Treatment with copper sulfate, Nitrophen, Horus. For prevention, trunks are whitened in the fall. |
| Cytosporosis | Dark spots appear on the bark, branches become brittle. | Infected parts of trees are removed with a sharp, sterile instrument. |
| Gum | A viscous amber-colored liquid appears on the cracks of trees. | To eliminate the possibility of fungi and viruses entering through cracks, they are treated with copper sulfate for disinfection and covered with garden pitch. |
| cherry fly | Holes are visible on the skin of the berries, the pulp becomes loose. | The plants are treated twice (with an interval of 10 days) with insecticides, for example, “Fury”, “Confidor”, “Fufanon”, “Aktellik”. |
| Cherry shoot and fruit moth | Small caterpillars can be seen on trees. | Treating trees with an infusion of wood ash, soap shavings and vinegar. |
To protect the berries from birds, the crown is covered with a special net, and stuffed animals are installed in the garden.
Wintering
Trees do not need winter shelter. Preparing for winter consists of abundant moisture-recharging watering in the fall, after which the tree trunk circle is loosened and mulched, and the trunk is wrapped with mesh and agrotextiles to protect it from rodents.
Reproduction
Vasilisa is propagated by cuttings or grafting. In the first case, there is a high yield of seedlings, but a fruit-bearing tree from a cutting will grow in at least 5 years.
Grafting is the most effective way to quickly obtain high-quality seedlings. Mature cuttings are grafted onto strong mature trees. This also helps to improve the taste of berries, increase productivity and resistance of trees to frost and disease.
Features of cultivation depending on the region
Vasilisa grows successfully in the southern regions and temperate latitudes. In the northern regions, whose climate is characterized by long and frosty winters, the variety is not cultivated due to the high risk of seedling death.
Vasilisa's care requirements do not depend on the growing region. Only the time of planting seedlings varies: in the middle zone it is carried out in the spring, before the start of sap flow, in the south - in the fall, at the end of September.
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Pollinator varieties
Vasilisa is a self-fertile cherry.In order for the trees to bear fruit, at least 2 pollinating varieties are planted nearby.
Suitable pollinators for Vasilisa:
- Bigarro is early;
- Burlat;
- Starking;
- Valery Chkalov;
- Melitopol early;
- Annushka;
- Drogana yellow;
- April;
- Valeria;
- Donetsk coal;
- Bagration;
- Skorospelka;
- June early.
Reviews from gardeners
Gardeners speak positively about the variety.
Victoria, Volgograd: “I have been growing Vasilisa for more than 7 years. I’m very pleased with this variety - over all the years the trees have never gotten sick, the berries are tasty, and the yield is so high that during fruiting the branches have to be propped up so that they don’t break under their own weight.”
Gennady, Krasnodar: “I really like the taste and size of Vasilisa’s berries. The only negative is that they are stored fresh for only a few days, so you need to process them as quickly as possible. My wife makes jam, compotes and freezes them, so we enjoy cherries not only in summer, but also in winter.”
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Conclusion
Vasilisa is one of the most popular varieties of cherries from domestic and foreign gardeners. This is due to its many advantages, including frost and drought resistance, large fruit, immunity to disease, excellent taste and high commercial quality of the berries.