Cherry variety Oktava

When planting thermophilic cherries in the central region of Russia, the gardener must be confident in its ability to withstand low winter temperatures. Scientists engaged in crop breeding, first of all, try to impart precisely this characteristic to cherry varieties. So, for example, the Octave, created at the end of the last century, has been proving its reliability for many years. It was bred in Bryansk at the State Agricultural Experimental Station (FNTS "Vik named after VR Williams"). The authors of the novelty are A.I. Astakhov and M.V. Kanshina, singled out our heroine among the seedlings of cultivated varieties grown in the nursery, the selection was carried out on the basis of marker characters, the formation of which does not depend on environmental factors. In 1982, the novelty entered the variety testing, and since 1986 it has been listed in the State Register of Breeding Achievements of Russia. Cultivation approval was obtained for the Central Region. The variety is suitable for use in intensive plantings.

Description

The dimensions of the plant are quite compact, the tree is undersized, about 1.5 meters high, maximum - 2.0 meters. Cherry crown is compact, dense. Shoots are erect, thin and medium, not covered with pubescence. Leaves are light green, small, elliptical, narrow, pointed apex, wedge-shaped base, leaf surface matte, without shine. The leaf blade is shaped like a boat. The edge of the leaf is serrate-crenate, no waviness. The petiole has faint traces of pigmentation and is medium in size. Yellowish glands, small. The inflorescence consists of 5 - 6 medium-sized white flowers. The goblet corolla is formed by adjoining petals. The anthers and stigma of the pistil are at the same level, the calyx is goblet, without serration, the pistil and stamens are long. The crop is tied on short fruit branches.

Cherry berries are not too large, weighing 3.9 grams, of the usual flat-round shape. The skin is shiny, dark cherry color, almost black at the stage of consumer ripeness. The pulp of the variety is dark cherry, dense, tender and juicy. Dark-colored juice. The taste of the Octave fruit is very good, predominantly sweet, with an easily perceptible sourness and a light tart aftertaste. The pulp has a rich chemical composition, 100 grams of raw matter contains: 18% solids, 15.5% sugars, 1.1% acids, 13.7 mg of ascorbic acid. The stone is small, rounded, easily separated from the pulp. The peduncle is not long, thin. The separation from the cherry is dry.

Characteristics

• The variety favorably differs in early maturity and already yields a harvest in the 3rd year after planting. Fruit buds in nurseries are laid even on one-year-olds, however, they need to be cut off;
• in terms of ripening, the cherry is mid-ripening. The harvest ripens in mid-July;
• a small tree shows very good yields. Some sources give information about 25.0, and even 40.0 kg from one tree. According to VNIISPK, in favorable years, 100 centners of berries are harvested from one hectare;
• the wood is moderately winter-resistant, it can be damaged in especially unfavorable years. But flower buds are much more resistant to the complex of environmental influences not only in winter, but also in early spring;
• VNIISPK marks the variety as self-fertile, but the State Register insists on the partial self-fertility of Octave. In any case, it does not hurt to plant 1 - 2 more varieties nearby for cross-pollination. As pollinators for our heroine, they are suitable Chocolate girl, Griot of Moscow and Lyubskaya;
• immunity is not high enough. Resistance to major diseases - coccomycosis and moniliosis - is noted as average;
• the transportability of cherries is high;
• the way of use is universal. Due to their good taste, berries are used as a dessert that refreshes well in summer. Fruits are also suitable for various processing.

Agrotechnics

Agrotechnology corresponds to generally accepted ones. But in intensive plantings, a higher fertilization background will be required. In a private garden for the plant, try to allocate sunny areas with a low occurrence of groundwater.

Octava is an excellent variety not only for a summer cottage, but also for industrial plantings. The small size of the plant allows you to save space in the garden, facilitate maintenance. Despite the modest size of the tree, the yield is very good, which is also facilitated by the high winter hardiness of the flower buds. And the berries themselves have an excellent presentation and dry separation, are well transported and suitable for any processing. There are disadvantages - this is insufficient winter hardiness of wood and the inability of cherries to resist diseases in unfavorable years. But with good agricultural technology, all the disadvantages are minimized.