Sweet cherry 'Summit'

Sweet cherry 'Summit' (Prunus avium Summit) – an early-bearing sweet cherry variety of mid-late or late ripening, developed in Canada in 1974 by breeder Lapins K. O. from a cross of the varieties Van x Sam.

It is a medium-vigour tree with a strong ovoid crown. It flowers in mid-season.

Fruits are large, weighing up to 10 g, broadly heart-shaped. Skin bright red, when fully ripe - dark red. Flesh red, somewhat cartilaginous, very juicy, of excellent taste, with a distinctive wine-like flavor. Resistance to cracking is medium.

Pollinators - Burlat, Van, Karina, Techlovan

Fruit transportability is high; the produce is suitable for long-distance transportation. Winter hardiness and tree productivity are high; fruiting is regular. The variety is commercial and very popular abroad.

Hardiness zone: 4 (-34°C)

Location: prefers sunny and sheltered from wind sites. Does not like acidic soils, nor sites with shallow groundwater (not closer than 1.5 m). Performs best on elevated sites, near fences or buildings where a lot of snow accumulates in winter.

Planting: planting is recommended in spring. Before planting the soil should be improved. The planting site should be dug to a spade depth and fertilizers applied: manure or compost at 8-10 kg/m², superphosphate - 150-200 g, potash fertilizers – 100 g or complete fertilizers – 150-200 g/m². Recommended soil reaction pH 6.5-7. It is also recommended to add fertilizers into the planting hole – 10 kg of humus, non-acid peat or well-rotted compost, and 500 g of ash. The hole should be dug and prepared 2 weeks before planting.

Pruning: from 2-3 years of age pruning is necessary – remove suckers, remove lower branches to form the trunk, shorten the leader by transferring it to a lateral branch, and thin the crown. Pruning is carried out in early spring before bud swelling.

Care: care consists of regular pruning. In spring and autumn it is necessary to whitewash the trunks and the bases of the scaffold branches. In autumn it is recommended to cover the trunks with conifer boughs or other material to protect against rodents. It is also necessary to protect ripe fruits from birds – for this purpose special nets for covering trees are used.

Diseases: resistance to fungal diseases and canker is high.

Pests: brown fruit mite, cherry sawfly, cherry slug sawfly, cherry twig borer, yellow plum sawfly, cambium borer, western bark beetle, tussock moth, fruit striped moth.

Propagation: The cherry is propagated by several methods: by seed, by stump suckers and by root suckers. In natural conditions seed propagation predominates.

Usage: Cherry fruits contain: sugars (fructose and glucose), organic acids, vitamins A, B1, B2, C, E, PP, microelements (iron, iodine and iron), macroelements (magnesium, potassium, calcium and others), pectic substances, as well as anthocyanins. Cherry fruits are highly valued for their pleasant sweet taste. Fruits are consumed fresh, and are also used for making juices, compotes, fruit wine, preserves and jam. It is also a valuable melliferous plant, providing pollen, nectar and propolis. Honey productivity 35 kg/ha.