BAIKAL RUBY

Sea buckthorn «Baikal Ruby» – an early variety bred at the Donskoe estate and selected among wild bushes in Buryatia. A shrub up to 1 m tall with a compact crown, weakly spreading, yet cold-hardy down to –45 °C. Thorns on branches are small, which facilitates care and harvest.

Fruits are of medium size (0.5–0.8 g), oval with red-orange skin and a light bloom. The taste is sour-sweet, juicy pulp, and in composition – up to 7% sugars, up to 1.5% acids, 200–270 mg C vitamin/100 g, up to 5% oil, and up to 26 mg carotenoids/100 g. Thanks to such properties, the fruits are suitable for making juice, compote, jam, and other products.

Yield is about 7–8 kg per bush with a planting scheme of 3 x 1.5 m, equivalent to approximately 15 t/ha. The variety is easy to grow in moderate climatic conditions: requires a sunny location, loose fertile soil, and regular pruning twice a year to maintain shape. Pests (scale insects, spider mites) can be controlled with folk remedies, and diseases usually do not manifest. The variety is characterized by low growth, weak thorniness, and high yield, making it a convenient choice for both gardening and commercial production.