The work with fruit crops was started by C. Steven. The first fruit garden was planted In 1812, the nursery range at that time amounted to 74 cultivars of fruit and small-fruit crops. It is represented by 21 crops: peach ( 952 cultivars and forms), ornamental peach (98), nectarine (156), apricot (586), myrobalan (180), plum (238), sweet cherry (363), cherry (140), apple (771), pear (348), quince ( 204), almond (476), walnut (69), hazelnut (66), jujube (127), pomegranate (325), Figure (269), persimmon (123), olive (229), kiwi ( 7), feijoa (2). Resulting from research of the gene fund of fruit crops and performed breeding work, 153 cultivars bred by Nikita Botanical Gardens were entered in the Russian State Register of Breeding Achievements. In the branch "Crimean Experimental Horticultural Station" of Nikita Botanical Gardens agro-technologies are being developed enabling a 20-30% reduction of planting and cultivation costs, compared to respective foreign values. The most promising for Crimea are espaliered dwarf tree orchards with use of dwarfing rootstocks in combination with cultivars of early bearing age, with planting plan 4-3.5x2-1 m, round and small-sized crowns, such as Slender Spindle, Gruzbeck, Pillar, Crimean Columnlike and others.
