Sweet cherry Sashenka

Developed at the North Caucasus Regional Institute of Horticulture and Viticulture (Krasnodar) by crossing the cherry varieties Caucasian and Melitopolskaya Chery. Author: E.M. Yelkhina. Undergoing state variety testing in the North Caucasus region since 2000.

Medium-growing tree with a medium-dense, round-oval crown; no silvering of branches. Medium-sized buds, vegetative conical, generative oval, moderately deviated from the branch. Leaves reverse-egg-shaped, medium size (15.5 x 6.5), dark green, shiny, without anthocyanin coloration, apex moderately pointed, base with a slight notch, margin doubly serrated, blade flat, slightly wavy at edges, lower surface slightly pubescent. Petiole short, thick, light green with pigmentation, glands well-colored, arranged 2-3 on petiole. Flowers arranged in clusters mostly 2, very large, corolla flat, petals light pink, loosely arranged, calyx cup-shaped, calyx lobes with anthocyanin, no serration, stamens medium and short, stigma medium, positioned both above and below stamens.

Fruits above-average size (7.5 g, maximum 8.0 g), round-oval (2.4 x 2.6 x 2.3), fruit apex rounded with small depression, shallow wide pit, covering color dark red, flesh light red with small white veins, juice light red, juicy, medium density, pedicel long, medium thickness. Attractive fruits (4.5 points), high consumer quality (4.5 points). Contains 17.4% dry matter, 9.4% sugars, 0.7% acids, 7.4 mg/100g ascorbic acid. Main use: dessert; suitable for various processing applications.

Medium flowering, medium-early ripening variety. Enters fruiting at age 5, fruits on flower clusters and base of one-year shoots. Self-sterile. Fruits regularly, except in critical winters, average yield 9 t/ha, maximum up to 12.0 t/ha in favorable years.

Shows sufficient winter hardiness; significant freezing observed only in critical winters; resistant to spring frosts. Moderately resistant to fungal diseases; weakly affected by aphids and cherry fly.

Advantages: early ripening, high consumer fruit quality, harmonious flavor, rapid yield increase.

Disadvantages: insufficient resistance to coccomyces and clasterosporiosis.