Sand cherry Besseya

There are two types of sand cherries: east and west Bessei cherry. The place of birth of the plant is the North American continent, where cherry grows near water bodies. The western variety is used as an ornamental and fruit shrub, the eastern species has become a decoration for garden plots and protection from the winds.

In our country, Bessey's sandy cherry has spread in the Siberian and Far Eastern regions. Rarely found in the Urals.

Cherry Besseya: photo of the variety

Cherry Bessey: the history of the variety

The fact that sand cherries are called cherries is not true. In terms of its descriptive characteristics, its relationship is noticeably greater with plums. There is no cross-pollination, crossing, grafting of the Bessey sand cherry variety with ordinary and steppe cherries, as well as with sweet cherries. But there are a large number of hybrid varieties of cherries obtained from crossing with apricot, with plums. Our variety is ranked among micro cherries. They were crossed with "Besseya", resulting in many amazing varietal species.

Sand cherries are native to Canada and the United States. In Russia, only Putov V.S., a representative of the M.A.Lisavenko Research Institute of Horticulture in Siberia, was actively engaged in the selection of western sand cherries. Until this moment, the plants began to be cultivated by Ivan Michurin. So, V.S.Putov bred Western cherries for quite a long time, until his death. Thanks to his selection, the world learned about five elite varieties of sandy western cherries with large sweet berries: "14-29", "14-32a", "14-36", "14-36a", "14-40".

From time to time, new varieties of Bessei cherries appear, which were obtained by contemporaries. Still, the variety is often crossed with other plants. There are 6 varieties of sand cherries in the State Register.

Cherry Besseya: photo of the variety

• Variety "Aquarelle black"... The originator is the firm LLC NPO Garden and Garden from the village of Shumovo, Chelyabinsk Region. The application for inclusion in the state register was filed in 2017 and approved in 2018.
• Variety "Breeze"... The originator is the same firm. The application for inclusion in the state register was filed in 2017 and approved in 2018.
• Variety "Carmen". The originator is the FGBNU Sverdlovsk SSS VSTISP. The application for inclusion in the state register was filed in 2016 and approved in 2018.
• Variety "Severyanka"... The originator is the same firm. The application for inclusion in the state register was filed in 2016 and approved in 2018.
• Varieties "Black Swan", "Relay". The originator is the same firm. The application for inclusion in the state register was filed in 2016 and approved in 2018.

Western sandy Bessey cherry could be ideal for rootstock of plums, apricots, micro-cherries. But it does not anchor well - the root is weakly hooked to the soil, the tree may overturn. The rest of the cherry varieties are not grafted onto this variety, since they will not be able to take root.

Cherry Besseya: variety description

Cherry shrub reaches a height of 1-1.5 m, with a crown diameter of 2 meters. The shrub grows in 3-4 trunks. Old twigs are dark gray in color, young ones are red-brown. Initially, the growth of shoots occurs vertically, then they descend, by the age of seven they are already spreading along the surface of the soil.

The leaves resemble willow - elongated, lanceolate.In length, they stretch up to 6 cm. The outer part of the leathery leaf is painted in a deep green tone, the inner part is gray-silver. In the autumn season, the bush turns red, it looks decorative.

At times, after the snow starts, leaves remain on the tree.

In the last spring days, the variety wraps up a large number of flowers up to 1.5 cm in size, which exude a faint pleasant aroma. The berries are black, brown or greenish-yellow in color. They can be in the form of a circle or an oval. The average weight of the fruit is 2 g, there are also champions - up to 3 g. The flesh of the berries is sweet, tart, sometimes knits, pale green in color, may have veins of red or burgundy colors. The berries are slightly sour, but it is imperceptible. The breeding of the variety is aimed at removing the tart taste.

Taste qualities are not always associated with a variety; they may differ from variety to variety.

Bessey cherry characteristics

Cherry Besseya: photo of the variety

The characteristic features of the Bessey cherry cultivated in Russian gardens may differ from foreign ones, since experiments on varieties from Canada and the United States have not been carried out in Russia.

The variety is not afraid of dry and frosty periods. The roots can withstand low temperature conditions down to -26 degrees. In America, the shrub tolerates temperatures down to -50 degrees. In Russia, cherries can withstand temperatures as low as -40 degrees if not covered.

Why are there such differences? This is due to the fact that in order for the wood to mature enough, higher temperature conditions are required in the summer season. In America, trees grow in the steppe. In our latitudes, this falls on the forest, taiga, forest-steppe. In our summer season it is colder there than in the steppes.

But not everything is so sad. Western sand cherry, even if it is frozen, has the ability to quickly recover. From the root collar, young shoots grow, giving a very rich harvest next year.

It is dangerous when the variety grows out. The root collar is touched = the bush died. For this reason, in the winter season, it is necessary to pierce the snow in 3-4 areas with a pointed object from time to time.

The Bessey sand cherry variety cannot be pollinated by itself. We need pollinators, 2-3 plants. These can be other varieties of cherries.

Flowering occurs late, for example, in Barnaul, this event falls on the last days of May. Because of this, the variety is not susceptible to repeated frost. The flowers are beautiful, stay on the bushes for 20 days. Cherry begins to bear fruit in the last days of August.

This cherry variety begins to bear fruit early. Bessey cherry seedlings give their first berries already 2-3 years after the shoots have appeared. Only young one-year-old shoots begin to bear fruit. Their excellent growth occurs on five-year branches. This means that in order to get a rich harvest, it is necessary to regularly carry out a rejuvenating procedure for cutting the shrub.

The branches give fruits best of all, medium in length - 15-50 cm.

Cherry varieties Besseya live for 10-12 years. At this time, up to 30 kg of berries can be harvested from each bush every year. By the way, fruit shedding is not observed. The berries overexposed on the bush in warm autumn will dry up, their taste will only get better.

The fruits can be eaten fresh. But for this, the berries must be of good taste, like varietal or selected cherry varieties. If the berries have astringency, then jam, wine, juice, compotes, fruit mixtures are prepared from them.

The Bessey sand cherry variety has a strong immunity to diseases and damage from harmful insects. Sometimes cherries can be struck by clasterosporium.

Benefits of the Bessey cherry variety

• Bears fruit every year.
• It is immune to diseases and harmful insects.
• Not afraid of dry periods.
• Bears fruit for a long time. The fruits are dried on the bush, from this their taste only improves.
• It is resistant to frosty periods. This is its main superiority over other stone fruit plants.
• Propagating cherries is easy.
• The bush is very beautiful.
• Bears fruit early.
• Recovers quickly after repeated frosts.

Cons of the Bessey sand cherry variety

• Short term life - up to 12 years.
• Small berries.
• Poor immunity to clasterosporium disease.
• The berries are not very tasty.
• Can vomit.

How to correctly plant Bessey cherries

Cherry Besseya: photo of the variety

The requirements of the Bessey sand cherry variety to the site and planting conditions are almost similar to the requirements of other cherry varieties. But there are still differences, and it is better not to lose sight of them.

When is the best time to plant cherries.

It is recommended to plant the Bessey cherry variety in the spring season after warming up the soil. In areas with a warm summer season, containers with shrubs can be on the plots throughout the entire period.

How to choose a site for planting.

The site must be well lit, must be protected from winds and waterlogging. It is forbidden to plant cherries in hollows or on those places that are swampy. The Besseya cherry variety can vanish, is sensitive to stagnant moisture in the root system. the best site for planting Bessey cherries is an elevated place.

The soil can be any. Bessey's cherry grows even on alkaline soils. Better, of course, to plant cherries in soil rich in sand and organic matter.

When planting Bessey cherries, you should take into account the nearby growing plants. It is not necessary to plant cherries close to trees, raspberries, sea buckthorn, black currants, as they will shade it. Besseya cherries are best planted close to other sand cherries.

How to choose and prepare Bessey cherry seedlings

If you can grow the material for planting Bessey cherries yourself - feel free to grow. If this is not possible, then it is recommended to purchase planting material in specialized nurseries or garden shops, time-tested. The roots should be well developed and the shoots should be reddish-brown in color. It is impossible that there are cracks or damage on the branches.

Work progress.

• Initially, you need to make a soil mixture: mix the top layer of earth with humus, dolomite flour, ash and a handful of superphosphate.
• Next, we prepare a pit for planting Bessey cherries. Its size is 40x40x40 cm. If the underground waters lie close to the surface layer of the soil, then the depth is made deeper, and drainage from broken red brick, crushed stone, sand is laid on the bottom of the pit.
• The spacing between seedlings should be 2 meters.
• Then the soil filled with nutrients is poured into the pit.
• In the center, put a seedling of Bessey's cherry
• The root system is filled up with the harvested soil mixture, as the roots are buried, it is compacted so that no empty places are formed.
• After planting around the circumference of the bush, it is necessary to form a soil roller and conduct good watering.
• Next, the trunk circle is mulched.

Sandy cherry Bessey: variety care

Young bushes require watering without fail. An adult shrub is not afraid of dry periods. Don't overdo it with watering. In the spring season, nitrogen-containing fertilizers are applied, in the autumn season - potash and phosphorus fertilizers, and phosphorus is applied in a small dose. For the winter season, it is recommended to mulch the soil with humus mixed with ash, since it contains everything necessary for the development and growth of cherries, as well as for pouring berries.

Bessey's western cherries need to be pruned regularly. When it is planted, it is made shorter, leaving 5-10 cm. It still quickly overgrows with young shoots. Four to five-year-old branches of Bessey's cherry are cut completely. When making sanitary or lightening pruning of Bessey cherries, do not forget that the most productive shoots are shoots that have grown in length up to 15-50 cm. Leave them.

The Bessey cherry variety has almost no shoots. Until the branches lie on the surface of the soil, he needs to loosen and remove weeds.

Cherry trees need shelter for the winter season only where severe frosts can occur (-50 degrees and below), and where there is practically no snow. The variety can grow out, for this reason, it is required to regularly pierce the snow cover to the surface layer of the soil in 3-4 places to ensure ventilation.

Diseases and harmful insects, control and preventive measures.

According to the reviews of Bessey cherry growers, it can be understood that the variety has immunity to diseases and is practically not susceptible to attacks by harmful insects. Only in the summer season, which does not please with warmth, but is accompanied by cold and rain, the plant can be defeated by clasterosporium. Preventive measures against this disease: 2 times the shrubs must be sprayed with a 1% solution of Bordeaux mixture. The first time in the green, the second time immediately after the plants have faded. It is forbidden to ignore sanitary cutting and cleaning of fallen leaves.

Cherry Besseya: variety propagation

Cherry Besseya: photo of the variety

Even a beginner can propagate Bessey cherries.

Breeding methods:

• Planting seeds. Seedlings from them appear quickly and efficiently. The seeds are planted immediately after eating the berries, or after the seeds have been stratified for two to three months.
• Successful survival is observed in both green and lignified petioles. They need to be grown for two years before being planted in the ground.
• The easiest way to reproduce is by layering. They need to be dug in and secured with metal staples or hairpins. Next year, the young seedling must be separated from the mother and planted in the ground.

How to collect and process fruits.

You can harvest the crop whenever you want, after the fruits are ripe. After all, they do not fall off, and if they are overripe, then on the contrary, the taste becomes better. To prevent the berries from getting dirty, it is recommended to lay agrofibre or cut grass on the ground. You can set up supports under the bushes so that the branches do not spread to the soil due to the severity of the fruit.

Processing of berries is carried out in the same way as processing plums, since in their composition they are almost identical to each other. Fruits are added to jams, compotes, juices, fruit wine, so the products will have a special color and aroma.

Bessey's sandy cherry variety can be cultivated even in areas where other cherry plants cannot survive. Perhaps the taste is peculiar and not everyone will love, but the content of a large amount of vitamins and other useful elements fully compensates for this.

Cherry Bessey: reviews of gardeners

Alena Dmitrievna, 54 years old, Altai Territory: “Several bushes of the Bessey cherry variety are grown on my site. It is difficult to count how many of them are already there, maybe the rooting of branches creeping on the ground has already taken place. The decorativeness of the variety is expressed in full - the shrub is beautiful both in the spring season and in the autumn. Almost does not get sick, if it freezes, it recovers in one period. The berries do not differ in taste. We take it for food only when they become slightly dried and not tart. "

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Oksana Alekseevna, 33 years old, Moscow region: “Bessey's sandy cherry variety was acquired spontaneously to decorate the garden. A very ornamental shrub: in the spring season, it is covered with flowers, by the end of the summer period, with fruits of black color and purple leaves. The beauty! Do not get enough! Fresh fruits of Bessey's cherry are not accepted by my household, everyone likes jam. But still, a lot of berries are also eaten from the bushes. Passing by, how not to pick a berry. Perhaps because the taste is original. "

Cherry Besseya: video about the variety