Sweet cherry Alice

This variety was developed at the Far Eastern Experimental Station of VNIIR in 1979 from a cross between the varieties 'Leto' x 'pollen mixture' (Damanka + Peschanovylachnaya + Ogonek). Authors: V.P. Tsarenko, N.A. Tsarenko. Introduced into the State Register in 1997.

Medium-statured bush, 1.5 m tall, oval-shaped, dense. Multi-year branches are straight, thick, gray, with numerous light-colored stipules. One-year shoots are brown and hairy. Buds are small, acute, formed in threes, the terminal ones generative, the middle vegetative, hairy, deviating from the shoot. Leaf blade is elongated-oval (5.2 x 2.5 cm), dark green, with a pointed apex and slightly rounded base. Leaf margin is doubly serrated, blade surface is wrinkled and corrugated, hairy on the abaxial side with short hairs, and velvety on the adaxial side. Petiole is 0.5 cm long, medium thickness, green, hairy, with two acute-linear, hairy stipules. Flower (1-2) is bowl-shaped, medium size, 2.6 cm in diameter of corolla, five-petaled, petals pale pink, freely arranged. Stamens 27, pistil one, hairy, ovary hairy. Stigma is located above the anthers. Calyx is cylindrical with strong anthocyanin, hairy on the outside, five sepals, finely toothed, hairy. Flowering and fruiting type is continuous along the branch: on one-year and multi-year wood (bouquet branches, fruiting twigs).

Fruit is large, average weight 3.3 g, maximum 3.6 g, size 1.8 x 1.6 x 1.6 cm. Fruit shape is elongated-oval, with slightly slanted apex and noticeable beak, base with deep pit, ventral suture in the form of a stripe. Fruit color is dark burgundy, skin hairy with short, barely noticeable hairs. Flesh is red, firm, juicy. Juice color is red. Pedicel length is 0.7 cm, medium thickness, hairy. Stone is 0.20 g, elongated-oval, constitutes 6.0% of fruit weight, does not detach from flesh.

Fruit appearance is attractive. Flesh is juicy, firm, fibrous. Taste is pleasant, sweet-sour, harmonious. Sensory rating 4.0 points. Fresh fruits contain dry matter — 10.8%, sugars — 8.9%, acids — 0.68%, ascorbic acid — 27.3 mg/100g. Fruit uses are universal: fresh consumption and processing into juice, jam, jelly, pastille, marmalade, compote, wine and others. Semi-dry fruit detachment. Transportability is weak. Not suitable for mechanized harvesting.

Flowering period is May 15-20. Ripening period is July 16-22. Fruits ripen simultaneously. Grafted seedlings begin fruiting in 2 years, rootstock seedlings in 3-4 years. Plant longevity is 17 years. Variety is self-sterile.

High yield — 8.5 kg per bush. Bush, one-year and multi-year branches are winter-hardy, flowers are resistant to spring frosts. Variety is drought-tolerant, does not tolerate excessive moisture. Resistant to coccomyces, relatively resistant to clasterosporiosis. Flowers and fruits are affected by moniliosis under excessive moisture.

High production rating: winter hardiness, early fruiting, high yield, large fruit size, semi-dry fruit detachment, longevity. Easily propagated by green cuttings. Suitable for intensive orchards with nearby processing facilities; for nursery and hobby gardening.

Advantages: large, attractive fruits of very good quality, high yield, semi-dry fruit detachment, winter hardiness.

Disadvantages: fruit size reduction under heavy yield, fruit susceptibility to moniliosis in wet years due to close fruit packing.