A garden in a summer cottage or near your own house is hard to imagine without cherry trees. In spring, they delight us with lush flowering and pleasant aroma, and in summer - with a rich harvest of juicy ripe fruits. In winter, a jar of cherry jam for tea is a real pleasure. Today in nurseries you can find different varieties. Chocolate cherry is especially popular. Describing its noteworthy characteristics will help you understand why this strain is in such high demand.
How can you recognize chocolate cherries?
This fruit tree grows compactly, forming an upturned pyramid-shaped crown. A small height, bright matte foliage of a pointed shape - all this is a chocolate cherry. The description of its flowering should begin with an indication of the period: in the Russian region, buds, in most cases collected in an inflorescence of 3-4 pieces, open in mid-May. The strong aroma attracts bees and other insects to the cherry, but pollination is not necessary for this variety, since the "chocolate" is a self-fertile horticultural crop. If you purchasevery young seedling, the first harvest can be expected in the fourth year.
Chocolate Cherry Variety: Fruit Description
By the beginning of July, the first ripe berries appear on the tree. Mid-summer is the time to harvest. Where does the name “Chocolate Cherry” come from? The description of the berries will help you understand this: they are maroon, from afar they seem to be really chocolate. However, such an intense color of the fruit is far from the only advantage of this cherry variety. The pulp is very juicy, not too dense, well separated from the stone. From the "chocolate box" you can get fragrant juice of bright red color.
This cherry tastes moderately sweet. Without any additives, it may even seem sour, but it has an amazing aroma. Very tasty compotes and jams are obtained from the "chocolate box".
What about resilience?
This variety is chosen precisely for its resistance to difficult climatic conditions. "Chocolate" can not be called a very fruitful, fast-ripening and early-fruiting cherry, but it perfectly tolerates harsh winters and droughts. Even young seedlings do not die during late spring frosts, which are so dangerous for the kidneys. In short, if there are sharp temperature changes in your region, and the cold can return even in April, chocolate cherry is perfect for you.
Description of this variety would be incomplete without mentioning its response to fungal diseases that fruit trees so often suffer from. "Chocolate Girl" is susceptible to fungal infections of coccomycosis andmoniliosis, but today this is not a big problem for gardeners, because on the market you can find a number of drugs for the treatment and protection of trees.
What do those who have already planted it on their plot say about the "chocolate plant"?
Reviews cherry "chocolate girl" deserves mostly positive. It attracts housewives, first of all, because it is perfect for making compotes and jams. Due to the fact that the pulp is easily separated from the stone, the berry remains neat, practically does not deform. Lovers of fruit desserts note the aroma and pleasant taste of "chocolate", which is a cross between cloying sweetness and acidity.
Cherries are positively assessed by homeowners in arid areas with not too fertile soil. The only nuance associated with the care of this variety is the need to form a trunk and crown. If you do not carry out regular pruning of excess growth, the tree can gradually turn into a shrub and run wild.
And in conclusion, one more advice from gardeners: despite the fact that the “chocolate” is a self-fertile variety of cherries, if you “settle” another variety of the same crop next to it and organize cross-pollination, the crop will become richer.
