Sweet cherry Sverdlovchanka

This variety was obtained by selection from seedlings of the 'Ideal' variety, freely pollinated and sent in one-year-old seedlings from VNIIGiSPR. Originator — Sverdlovsk Selection Station for Gardening. Authors: N.I. Gvozdikova, S.V. Zhukov. Introduced into the State Register in 1986 for the West Siberian region.

Bush up to 1.8-2 m tall, with a wide-rounded, spreading, densely foliated crown, prone to crowding. Bud 4.5 mm, oval, slightly deviated from the shoot. Leaf elongated-ovate, green. Leaf apex acuminate, base narrowly-ovate, leaf margin doubly serrated. Leaf blade glossy, leaf slightly folded into a boat shape. Stipules 2-4 at the base of the leaf and petiole. Petiole: length 10 mm, thickness 1 mm, slightly purplish. Number of flowers in inflorescence 3-4. Corolla diameter 21 mm, open. Petals white, loosely arranged. Stigma positioned relatively higher than the stamens. Stigma length 11 mm, stamen length 4 mm. Calyx cup-shaped. Degree of serration of the calyx lobes is moderate.

Fruits weighing 3 g, broadly oval, height 16 mm, width 18 mm, thickness 17 mm. Fruit cavity wide and shallow, apex rounded. Fruits dark cherry-red, with glossy skin. Flesh dark red, medium density, juice red. Pedicel length 40 mm, thickness 0.8 mm. Fruits have an attractive appearance, rated 4.4 points; flesh dark red, juicy, sweet-sour, acceptable flavor. Taste rating of fresh fruits 3.8 points. Fruit detachment from pedicel dry. Used fresh, but mainly for processing into compote, jam, juice. Fruits contain soluble solids — 12.4%, sugars — 6.9%, acids — 1.5%, vitamin C — 13.8 mg/100g, vitamin P — 221.9 mg/100g. Pit oval-egg-shaped, mass 0.21 g, which is 7% of fruit mass, brown. Apex and base broadly rounded. Pit separates from flesh easily.

Flowering in mid-season (May 25 — June 2). Fruit ripening late, second decade of August, asynchronous. Enters fruiting on 3-4th year. Longevity of rootstock plants is high — over 30 years, with timely rejuvenating pruning. Bears fruit on flowering shoots and one-year-old growth. Self-sterile. Good winter hardiness of wood and buds. Flowers resistant to spring frosts. Drought-tolerant. During years of epidemics of coccomycosis and moniliosis, it is significantly affected. In some years, weakly damaged by cherry sawfly and cherry aphid.

Bears fruit annually, well. Fruits resistant to cracking. The variety has high productivity rating in Sverdlovsk and Chelyabinsk regions' collective farms. Suitable for industrial and hobby cultivation. Suitable for intensive orchards.

Advantages: winter hardiness, good stable yield.

Disadvantages: late, asynchronous ripening, susceptibility to coccomycosis and fruit rot.