Sweet cherry Aprilka

A widely cultivated apricot variety in the southern fruit-growing region, originating at the end of the 19th century on the Northern Caucasus. It was officially registered for the North Caucasus and Lower Volga regions since 1947.

The tree is medium-sized, with a rounded, dense, and heavily foliated crown. Main branches are light brown with frequently spaced lenticels. One-year-old branches are curved and reddish-brown. Vegetative buds are 7 mm long, dark brown, and conical. Leaves are 120 x 50 mm, narrowly oval or narrowly inverted egg-shaped, with medium double-toothed margins; petioles are 35 mm, bearing oval, red glands at the base of the leaf blade. Flowers occur in clusters of 2-5, 23 mm in diameter, with broadly oval, pleated petals that overlap at the base. The calyx is narrow and cup-shaped.

Fruits are medium-sized, weighing 3.1–3.5 g, round, dark red, nearly black when fully ripe, slightly flattened on the ventral and dorsal seams. The stigma scar is located in a significant depression. Flesh is red or dark red, tender, with a slightly sweet flavor, satisfactory taste, containing 13.2% dry matter, 10.6% sugars, 0.48% free acids, and 13 mg ascorbic acid per 100 g fresh weight. The stone is 8.5 x 7.5 x 5.5 mm, small, 0.3 g in weight, rounded or broad-egg-shaped, semi-detachable. The pedicel is 28–35 mm, medium in length and thickness, weakly attached to the ripe fruit. Fruits are used exclusively fresh; not suitable for processing.

Plants begin fruiting at 5 years of age. Flowering is early, and fruit ripening is very early — by late May. Good pollinators include 'Daiber Chornaya' and 'Ramon Oliva'. Overall winter hardiness is moderate; branch freezing at -30.3°C is rated at 1.3 on average; flower buds at -24°C — 83.3%. During disease outbreaks, it is affected by coccomycosis (average 2.4/3), moniliosis (3/4), and clasterosporiosis (2/4). Productivity is moderate: 20 kg on average during the first 7 years of fruiting, maximum — 60 kg at 11 years old.

Aprilka is valued and widely grown as an early-ripening variety, which is the first to open the cherry season.

Advantages: very early fruit ripening, resistant to chlorosis on carbonate soils.

Disadvantages: average fruit flavor.