It is hard to imagine a garden on a summer cottage or near your own house without cherry trees. In spring, they delight us with lush flowering and pleasant aroma, and in summer - a rich harvest of juicy ripe fruits. In winter, a jar of cherry jam for tea is a real pleasure. Today in the nurseries you can find different varieties. Especially popular is the "chocolate" cherry. A description of its remarkable characteristics will help you understand what is the reason for this demand for this variety.
By what signs can you recognize the “chocolate” cherry?
This
fruit tree grows compactly, forming a raised crown, similar to an inverted pyramid. Small height, bright matte foliage of spiky shape - all this is “chocolate” cherry. A description of its flowering should begin with an indication of the term: in the Russian region, buds, in most cases collected in inflorescence of 3-4 pieces, open in mid-May. A strong aroma attracts bees and other insects to cherries, but pollination is not necessary for this variety, as “chocolate” refers to self-fertile garden crops. If you get a very young seedling, the first harvest can be expected in the fourth year.
Chocolate Cherry Variety: Description of the Fruit
By early July, the first ripe berries appear on the tree. Midsummer is the time to harvest. Where does such a name come from - “chocolate” cherry? The description of the berries will help you understand this: they are maroon, from afar they seem really chocolate. However, such an intense fruit color is far from the only advantage of this kind of cherry. The pulp is very juicy, not too dense, well separated from the bone. From the "chocolate" you can get a fragrant juice of bright red color.
On the palate, this cherry is moderately sweet. Without any additives, it may even seem sour, but it has an amazing aroma. From “chocolate” very tasty compotes and preserves are obtained.
What about resilience?
This variety is chosen just for resistance to difficult climatic conditions. “Chocolate Girl” cannot be called a very productive, quick-ripening and early cherry, but it tolerates harsh winters and droughts. Even young seedlings do not die during late spring frosts, which are so dangerous for the buds. In a word, if in your region there are sharp changes in temperature, and the cold can return even in April, cherry "chocolate" is perfect for you.
A description of this variety would not be complete without mentioning its reaction to fungal diseases, which fruit trees so often suffer from. The Chocolate Girl is susceptible to fungal infections of coccomycosis and moniliosis, but today this does not present a great difficulty for gardeners, because on the market you can find a number of drugs for treating and protecting trees.
What do those who have already planted it at their site say about the "chocolate bar"?
Reviews cherry "chocolate" deserves mostly positive. She attracts housewives, first of all, by the fact that she is perfect for making compotes and preserves. Due to the fact that the pulp is easily separated from the bone, the berry remains neat, practically does not deform. Fans of fruit desserts note the aroma and pleasant taste of “chocolate”, which is a cross between sugary sweetness and acid.
Owners of household plots in arid areas with not very fertile soil positively evaluate cherries. The only nuance associated with the care of this variety is the need to form the trunk and crown. If you do not carry out regular trimming of excess growth, the tree can gradually turn into a bush and run wild.
And in conclusion, one more piece of advice from gardeners: despite the fact that the “chocolate girl” is a self-made cherry variety, if another variety of the same crop is “planted” next to it and organizes pollination, the crop will become richer.