Caring for cherries - how to grow and care for a fruit-bearing tree. Advice from professionals and recommendations from experienced gardeners (video + 135 photos)

The quality and taste of the crop directly depends on the care of the plant, and cherries are no exception in this regard. It is important to understand that caring for cherries is a very important process that should not be neglected. People who think that a tree can grow without attention and care, and that it is enough to simply plant it, water it several times, and then everything will happen on its own.

The difference usually becomes noticeable when it comes time to harvest. Today we will talk about the intricacies of caring for cherries.

Cherry varieties

To choose the best variety of cherries, you need to pay attention to the following criteria:

• resistance to low temperatures, down to frost of 30-35 degrees;
• winter hardiness and tolerance of any vagaries of nature (unexpected frosts and sudden warming, ice);
• resistance to diseases.

Of course, it is important to choose a convenient place for the cherries and perform timely and attentive care, but still, most of the success depends on the correctly selected variety. The most popular of them: Zhukovskaya, Vladimirskaya, Turgenevskaya, Lyubskaya, and such hybrids as Mayak, Shokoladnitsa, Molodezhnaya.

Early varieties of cherries

The fruits on the trees of these varieties begin to ripen in June-July.

Chocolate girl

Medium height crop, crown in the form of an inverted triangle. Burgundy fruits are sweet with a sour taste. The stone is easily separated, which is important for winter preparations. It is a frost-resistant variety that tolerates drought well. Does not require cross-pollination. Each year consistently produces a moderate to abundant harvest.

Shpanka

Cherry-cherry hybrid with a crown resembling a ball. The disadvantages are weak branches that can break under the weight of the harvest. The sweet and sour taste of the flattened fruits has a rich red color.

6-7 years after planting the seedling, you can harvest a bountiful harvest of fruits, starting in June. At 20 years old, the tree can produce up to 60 kg of cherries.

This variety is frost-resistant, can survive without watering for a long time, and requires pollinators for fruiting.

Youth

A low crown with branches hanging down forms a bush of the Molodezhnaya variety. It has average disease resistance and frost resistance. The weight of one fruit is 4.9 grams. Excellent for preservation. The color of the pulp and skin is the same - burgundy. The pit is easily removed from the core. The first cherries from the bush can be collected 5 years after planting the seedling.

Baby

Beautiful and even fruits of dark red color ripen on a tree of medium height. The crown is spherical. The taste is pleasant, sweet and sour. The berries are round with an easily separated seed, weighing 5 grams. The culture is resistant to mold and rot. Harvest begins at the end of June. Baby is not afraid of severe frosts and sudden temperature changes. Under favorable conditions, it produces 25 kg of harvest. In the northern regions, this figure drops to 7 kg per tree.

Medium varieties of cherries

Vladimirskaya

The oldest and most popular variety to this day, grown in central Russia. The shape of the crown is weeping due to the branches growing downwards. The elongated leaves have a matte color. The fruits, pressed on one side, are slightly fibrous with a sweet and sour taste. The color is very rich dark.

The variety needs additional protection from pests and diseases. Healthy and ripe fruits are ideal for making preserves, preserves and marmalade.

Zhukovskaya

The cherry tree reaches 2-2.5 meters. The crown has spreading and sparse branches, strewn with dark green leaves and single or double fruits. The berries ripen on last year's branches. Heart-shaped cherries weighing 4 grams are burgundy in color. The taste of the tender pulp is sweet, but not cloying. The Zhukovskaya variety is quite resistant to diseases.

Morozovka

The medium-sized Morozovka cherry tree has a spreading crown. The fruits are round in shape with pits at the stalks and ripen on branches - twigs. The berries are dense, juicy and sweet and have good transportability. They are equally good both in compotes and fresh. Already in the third year of cultivation, cherry trees bear fruit at the end of July.

The culture is frost-resistant and is rarely affected by disease. To bear fruit, you need to plant another variety of cherry nearby.

Late cherry varieties

The fruits of trees of these varieties ripen towards the end of summer and beginning of autumn.

Generous

A bushy tree of the Shchedraya variety has raised branches. One bright red fruit weighs 4 grams. Gastronomic quality is high. The berries are resistant to crushing and crushing. They have an excellent presentation and are suitable for long-term transportation.

From the name of the variety it is already clear that the harvest is plentiful. Ripening time is early autumn. Gardeners growing the Shchedraya variety can boast of their first fruits after 4, and sometimes even 3, years. Cherry is resistant to frost and sudden drops in temperature. The culture is not afraid of attacks from insect pests. In dry summers it does not suffer as much as other varieties. The owner of the Generous cherry should pay special attention to protection from fungi and other diseases.

Robin

The variety was bred for cultivation in the Middle Volga, Ural and Central regions.

The harvest ripens at the end of July. The tree tolerates cold climates well, but flower buds may freeze during spring frosts. The downside is that the robin is self-sterile and to pollinate it you need to plant another variety nearby. Otherwise, the tree will bloom, but there will be no fruit on it. Vladimirskaya and Lyubskaya varieties can become pollinators. Ripe, small berries have a rich red color. The weight of one fruit is 3 grams. The seeds are easily separated from the tasty, slightly sour pulp.

The crown of the tree is dense, elevated with round outlines. The variety grows in height by a maximum of 3.5 meters.

Menzelinskaya

A winter-hardy variety with spreading, thin and long branches - twigs. The yield from one crop reaches 9-10 kg. The berries are not large, sweet with sourness. The crop is rarely exposed to diseases and pest attacks. The best pollinating varieties are Shubinka, Ukrainka, Vladimirskaya. Menzelin cherry tolerates drought well and is resistant to coccomycosis.

Cherry varieties for Moscow and Moscow region

To choose the best variety for gardens and dachas near Moscow, you need to take into account the following criteria: winter hardiness, disease resistance, self-fertility, productivity.

In Moscow and the Moscow region, it is best to plant cherry trees in the spring. Stone fruit crops always start to wake up early. As soon as the last snow melts on the site, you need to start planting seedlings with an open root system.

Seedlings in pots can be planted all summer until frost. If seedlings with bare roots are purchased in the fall, they are dug in at an angle and remain under the snow for the winter until spring.

Lyubskaya

A very old variety, most likely originated in Kursk. It is actively grown in the central part of Russia. The fruits are low in sugar and high in acids. The first harvest, albeit small, can be collected as early as next year. Larger quantities are removed after 5 years of growth. The shape of the dark red berries is elongated, heart-shaped. The stone is small and can be easily separated from the pulp.

Winter hardiness is average. Frost holes often appear on trunks and thick branches due to freezing. Therefore, it is advisable to cover the trunk and roots during frosts.

The kidneys are quite resistant to cold. The fruits ripen simultaneously in the third decade of July. You don’t have to rush into harvesting; the berries can hang on the branches without falling off for up to three weeks.

Lyubskaya is a self-fertile crop that produces a good harvest even in single-varietal plantings. For even greater yields, experienced gardeners advise planting Zhukovskaya and Vladimirskaya nearby as pollinators.

This cherry has become a real hit in the gardens of the Moscow region. It is found in almost every summer cottage. It gained popularity due to its unpretentiousness, productivity and relatively good winter hardiness. Care requires frequent fertilizing with organic matter, but not chemical fertilizers. In acidic areas, before planting the Lyubskaya variety, you need to add lime to the soil.

Griot Moscow

The crown is spherical, the leaves are matte. Harvest period is July. The tree's winter hardiness is average - frostbite is possible in harsh winters. Flower buds tolerate cold well and in this respect are superior to the Vladimir variety. The culture is durable and bears fruit for up to 20 years.

A distinctive feature is its high gastronomic qualities, unlike other varieties. The fruits are equally good for fresh consumption and for canning. The berries are above average in size, round in shape, dark red with poorly visible subcutaneous points. The pulp has a liquid consistency, a sour-sweet taste, and the juice is red.

Apukhtinskaya

Low variety - the tree grows up to 2.5 meters. The shape is similar to a bush. Fruiting occurs already in the second year after planting. The berries are dark red, heart-shaped with a slight bitterness. They can be collected at the end of August. Refers to winter-hardy varieties. It blooms in June and is self-fertile.

The disadvantages include the fact that if cold weather sets in early, the fruits may not ripen. A clear advantage is its high resistance to the disease coccomycosis.

A two-year-old seedling is needed for planting. The most suitable place is the south of the site, since the Apukhtinsky variety needs a lot of sun for normal growth and abundant fruiting.

Turgenevka

The variety was bred from Zhukovskaya seeds using the open pollination method. Winter hardiness is above average. Grows well in the nursery. The trees are early-bearing, the harvest can be harvested already 3 years after planting the seedling. More than 20 kg of fruits are harvested from one crop under favorable growth conditions. The berries are large, burgundy, the juice is dark scarlet, the stalk is long. Cherries have high technological qualities and are also suitable for the table. The variety is partially self-fertile, so it is better to plant next to cherries: Vladimirskaya or Zhukovka.

Miracle cherry

A hybrid of cherries and sweet cherries, known by the other name Duke, bred by Russian breeder F.M. Tarasenko. He crossed the Belaya Winklera and Belle varieties, which have an excellent taste.

People gave cherries another name - “Beauty of the North”. Initially, the variety was intended for cultivation in Siberia, but still, not all buds survive severe frosts and the harvest is very meager. But for the European part, the hybrid survives frosts very well.

Tree seedlings are distinguished by powerful trunks with dark brown bark. The crown is the same as that of the cherry. The variety is resistant to many common types of diseases. The taste of the fruit is sweet, the aroma is pronounced cherry with cherry impurities. Large berries reach 10 grams. There are 6-8 pieces per brush.

Cherry growing conditions

Cherry is successfully grown in all climatic zones (with the exception of columnar cherries - it is recommended to grow it only in the southern regions and central regions), but this crop is distinguished by its demanding conditions, so before planting cherries, you need to select the most suitable area and properly prepare his.

Basic requirements for the site

Location. It is best to plant cherries in an open, well-lit area (try to choose a south or west side). It should also be sufficiently ventilated, but if possible protected from the cold north wind. Some gardeners are perfectly fine placing cherries next to a house wall or fence, since a lot of snow accumulates in these places in winter, which helps protect the root system from freezing. The minimum distance is 1 m, but if you rely on established standards, then the distance to the fence is 2 m, to the walls of the house - 1.5 m.

The soil. In the selected area, the soil should be sandy, sandy loam or loamy. If you do not know what type of soil is on your site, then read their brief description.

Sandy soil. The composition of such soil is dominated by sand. This type of soil is loose and flowable, and also allows water to pass through well. But you need to remember that such soil needs regular fertilization (usually compost or humus is used for this purpose at the rate of 20 kg per 1 m2).

Sandy soil needs regular enrichment

Sandy loam soil. It is a mixture of sand and clay and forms lumps well. The color of this soil is usually light brown. Measures to maintain fertility: mulching, sowing green manure, adding organic matter (3–4 kg/m2) plus fertilizing.

Sandy loam soils respond well to cultivation

Loamy soil. The composition is dominated by clay, so the soil has its usual dark color. You can form it into a sausage, which will fall apart when you try to make a ring. Measures to maintain fertility: the same.

Loamy soil is suitable for growing any crop

It is strictly not recommended to grow cherries in the shade and on marshy soils.

Acidity. It is recommended to plant cherries on neutral soils, so check their acidity in the area you choose. If the ground is covered with a light coating, moss or horsetails grow well on it, and the pits are filled with rusty water, then this indicates a high level of acidity. To lower it, add slaked lime (250–350 g/m2), ash (250–450 g/m2) or dolomite flour (300–500 g/m2).

Groundwater. Must lie at a depth of at least 1.5 m from the surface. If groundwater is close, make an earthen mound 0.8 m thick to plant the cherry tree.

Neighbours. Gardeners say that the best neighbors for cherries are cherries (it can be planted at a distance of 6–8 m), plums (the distance to the cherry is 4–6 m), and honeysuckle (it can be planted at a distance of 1.5–2 m).

It is not advisable to plant cherries next to:

• Apple and pear trees, since they will take away beneficial substances from the cherry;
• Raspberry (she suffers from the same diseases as cherries);
• Gooseberries (they can harm the root system of cherries);
• currants (the soil is not suitable for cherries). The distance between the cherry tree and these crops should be at least 10 m.

Also, you should not place cherries next to nightshade plants (tomatoes, eggplants, peppers) and blackberries (they form dense thorny thickets) - there should be at least 1.5 m between the cherries and these crops. Among non-fruit crops, unsuccessful neighbors are oak, birch, linden, poplar and some conifers (spruce, pine), so try to plant the seedling 10 - 15 m from these trees.

Site preparation

If you want to plant cherries in the fall, then preparation should be done in the spring, if in the spring, then in the fall. To do this, along with digging, add 10 kg of compost or humus, 100 g of superphosphate and 100 g of potassium salt per square meter into the soil. After 3–5 days, add deoxidizing material, if necessary.

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Landing dates

• In the middle zone and colder regions, it is recommended to plant cherries in early spring (early - mid-April), when the snow melts and the soil dries out a little and warms up, but before the buds swell. If you get a seedling in the fall, it is recommended to bury it until spring. This is done like this: dig a trench 40–50 cm deep and place the seedling in it at an angle of 30° so that the crown is directed to the south, then fill the roots and trunk with earth up to the first side branch. Compact the soil and water it, cover the crown with spruce branches. It is better to plant seedlings in the period from mid to late September, before frost sets in.
• photo

  If you dig in the seedlings, they will remain well until spring.

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• In warm southern regions, cherries can also be planted in the fall from mid-September to the end of October, about a month before the onset of frost.

Selecting a site for planting

The choice of a site for planting cherries must be taken with full responsibility. The correct location determines the amount of harvest and the overall growth and development of the tree. It is worth noting that cherries do not tolerate transplants well.

In one place, a cherry tree will grow without transplantation for 15-20 years.

The soil for seedlings is preferably sandy loam, slightly acidic, loamy and light. Any variety of cherry will bear fruit well in illuminated areas; a slope to the south or southwest is ideal.

The culture does not tolerate close groundwater; there must be a distance of at least 1.5 meters from the roots, otherwise the process of rotting will begin. If the entire garden plot is located in a lowland with groundwater, then you can make a small mound 0.8-1.5 meters high or a mound of the same size and plant a seedling there.

Cherry loves being next to fences and buildings. In these places, as a rule, there is a lot of snow in winter, which means that the tree will be reliably protected from frost.

Transplanting germinated seedlings into the ground

The procedure for transplanting cherry seedlings does not involve complex actions, so anyone, even a novice gardener, can cope with it. The main thing is to choose the right place.

When and where to plant

For cherries, you need to choose a sunny area, protected from cold gusts of wind. Seedlings should be planted at a distance of 2.5-3 m from any building. Cherry shows good performance in loamy and sandy loam soil with good aeration and low acidity.

Planting should be carried out in early spring, when the ground has thawed to a depth of 0.5 m, and the temperature will confidently remain above +10...+12 degrees. If there is a threat of return frosts, then young seedlings need to be covered with agrofibre.

Important! The groundwater level in the area intended for cherries must be at least 2 m.

Young seedlings react poorly to excess moisture in the soil

Selection of seedlings

Choosing a seedling is not such a difficult task. The main thing is to pay close attention to the appearance and place of purchase. The right seedling determines how soon the tree will begin to bear fruit and in what quantity.

It is not recommended to buy planting material for stone fruit crops on the market or from hand. There is a risk of running into an old variety with small berries or a wild crop.

The best place to purchase seedlings is a nursery that values ​​its name and reputation. But even in such places you can make a bad purchase. This will never happen if the buyer knows all the subtleties and characteristics that are inherent only in high-quality varietal planting material.

First of all, you need to know when to buy seedlings. Don't wait until spring. In autumn there is the richest selection of material for planting, and in March-April nurseries sell leftovers that were stored in unknown conditions. You can make a purchase in the spring when there is no place to store seedlings. This period also has its advantage - low price.

When inspecting seedlings, you need to pay attention to the following points:

1. Tall specimens with a large number of shoots, with powerful-looking roots, take a long time to take root. It's all about the probably damaged root system during digging;
2. annual varieties take root much better and faster;
3. pay attention to the budding area, which is usually located at a height of 6-15 cm from the neck of the roots. This place should be slightly curved to the side; if this sign is not present, then it is most likely a seedling;
4. high-quality one-year-olds have a height of 85-96 cm, two-year-olds - 2 meters. The exception is the Bystrinka variety, which after a year already grows to 1.5 meters;
5. There should be at least 8 shoots on a standard annual seedling. Their length is from 10 to 20 cm. Two-year-old trees have shoots of 20-25 cm with branches with a total number of 12 or more;
6. there should be no leaves.

Result: a seedling of one year of life is 1.5 meters long, it has a well-developed root lobe, and there are 2-4 branching shoots.

The health of a seedling is determined by the condition of both the roots and the above-ground parts. The shoots should not have growths or damage. A healthy root system is moist and free of suspicious formations.

To check the roots and shoots for dryness, roll the root into a ring. If you hear a crunching sound, then it is better to refuse the purchase immediately.

Before choosing a seedling, you need to find out the following information from the store:

• name and description of the variety;
• flowering and fruiting time;
• Are there any pollinating varieties and what are they called?

Transportation of seedlings is also an important point if there is a long journey to the planting site. To preserve the roots, you need to prepare a mash. It is a mixture of clay and soil in equal parts with water. The roots are dipped into this mixture, and then immediately dipped in sawdust, which will help retain moisture. Afterwards, the roots are wrapped in thick cellophane.

Features of growing ordinary and felt cherries

Growing cherries is a simple matter, but not every gardener can achieve good yields.

Of the main mistakes that hinder cherry yields, it is worth noting the following:

• the selected variety is not suitable for cultivation in local climatic conditions;
• cherry shoots were used for planting (often the shoots inherit the negative qualities of the mother plant - the fruits become smaller, the taste deteriorates, the yield decreases);
• Growing cherries do not have the pollinator variety necessary for fruit set; even self-fertile varieties bear fruit better if there is a pollinator variety nearby;
• the seedling was planted deep - the root collar was underground;
• due to dry summers and insufficient watering, the buds freeze out in the winter and spring months;
• on acidic soils without liming, mineral starvation occurs in cherries and the plant is inhibited.

Felt cherry

If you avoid the mistakes listed above, cherries will bear a bountiful harvest year after year. And in order to protect the tree from coccomycosis, you can use as a rootstock, which are not afraid of this common disease.

A lone cherry tree is unlikely to be loaded with fruit unless there is a cherry tree suitable for pollination growing in a neighboring area.

Video about felt cherry

Planting cherry seedlings follows the same principle as other fruit trees. The main thing is not to introduce fresh manure and nitrogen fertilizers into the planting hole. It is enough to mix the soil with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers and add humus. Nitrogen fertilizers are applied later, the first time after the spring snow melts, the second time after the cherry blossoms. According to this scheme, fertilizing with nitrogen fertilizers is carried out annually for the first four years.

Cherries can do without watering due to their high drought resistance, but to increase the yield and quality of the fruit, it is recommended to water the bushes several times a season. The first watering together with fertilizing is carried out after flowering, the second time the cherries are watered when the berries begin to grow, the last watering occurs at the beginning of October after the leaves have fallen from the cherries. Each cherry bush requires from three to six buckets of water, depending on the size of the cherry, its age and soil moisture.

Cherry can do without watering due to its high drought resistance

A cherry is formed depending on its variety: tree-like cherries are usually formed with one trunk (it can reach five meters), bush-like forms can have two or three trunks, but it is more convenient to care for a single-trunked bush with a low trunk (up to 50 cm) in order to have access to the tree trunk circle.

Growing felt cherries has its own characteristics:

• The bush thickens quite quickly, so regular pruning is indispensable;
• felt cherry does not suffer from coccomycosis, but often suffers from moniliosis;
• An ordinary cherry growing nearby can also be used as a pollinator variety;
• Felt cherry does not produce root shoots, unlike ordinary cherries.

One of the main secrets of how to grow healthy and productive cherries is to periodically inspect the plantings for diseases and pests in order to immediately take appropriate control measures and prevent their further spread.

Felt cherry does not produce root shoots, unlike ordinary cherries.

Preparation of planting material

Before planting, the roots of the seedlings are inspected and broken roots are cut out using pruning shears. It is also necessary to trim all long roots by 5-10 mm. Black spots on them may indicate rotting or freezing. In this case, the root should be cut to the light part.

It is important to plant seedlings at the correct depth. When planted shallowly, a lot of growth is formed, and the roots are damaged by tillage tools and low temperatures. When planting in depth, the air supply to the roots deteriorates, especially on heavy soils.

The planting depth is determined by the level of the root collar, taking into account the type of soil and the method of its cultivation. Seedlings must be installed so that the root collar is level with the soil surface. On sandy soil, the root collar should be deepened by 2-3 cm. If the root collar is deepened, the trees grow poorly and later enter the fruiting season.

After planting, holes are made near the trees for watering. It should be noted that irrigation is necessary in any weather. For each planted tree, 20-30 liters of water are consumed. In dry and hot weather, watering is repeated after 20-30 days.

After watering, the tree trunk circles are mulched with rotted manure, peat, and compost. Lay mulch in a layer of 6-8 cm. This technique greatly increases the survival rate of seedlings and eliminates the need for repeated watering, since under the mulch the soil remains moist for a long time.

The planted tree is tied to a planting stake, otherwise the winds will rock the seedlings and the survival rate will deteriorate. It is better to tie it with a narrow strip of polyethylene, since it does not cut into the bark and stretches as the trunk thickens.

Reproduction methods

Many novice gardeners often wonder. How does such a popular cherry tree reproduce? The answer is quite simple. Experienced gardeners can recommend three such methods.

1. The first of them is propagation by cuttings.
2. The second method is propagation by seeds.
3. The third is breeding by shoots (layering).

All three of the above methods are quite simple and at the same time effective. Even an inexperienced gardener can use them.

Propagation by cuttings - simple and affordable

This method is suitable for both those who have sufficient practice in the field of gardening and those who are just taking their first steps in it. Propagating felt cherries from cuttings is quite simple. And you need to start preparing them at the beginning of summer. To do this, you need to select the most suitable shoots from an adult tree.

These are processes that are hardened at the base and reddened. They are cut very carefully; the height of the cut shoots should not exceed thirty centimeters. A small piece of mother wood or bark should remain on each cutting that is cut. Almost all experienced gardeners recommend starting cutting early in the morning or in the evening.

Propagation of felt cherries by cuttings in the summer should be accompanied by the rapid formation of horses on the latter. Therefore, after cutting, they must be immediately placed in water. As an additional means to ensure that roots appear quickly enough, the use of special stimulants is recommended.

The most popular among these drugs is called heteroauxin. To obtain a solution that stimulates root growth, use this drug, cold water and ethyl alcohol. Ethyl alcohol and water are mixed with one hundred milliliters of heteroauxin so that a total of about one liter of solution is obtained.

Bunches are tied from cut cuttings, each of them should contain up to 30 cuttings. These bundles are immersed in the above solution, so that it covers them only by one and a half centimeters.

The soil in which future trees will be planted should be prepared a little earlier. In carefully dug soil, you should make beds, pour a mixture of equal amounts of sand and peat into them 10 cm deep. Cover all this on top with coarse river sand. Align all layers and compact well. Leveling should be done using a rake.

Before planting cuttings, the soil should be thoroughly saturated with moisture and enriched with mineral fertilizers.

The latter is often used popular superphosphate. A solution from it is prepared as follows. A teaspoon of superphosphate is dissolved in ten liters of water.

The cuttings are placed vertically in the beds. They are buried only 3 cm, leaving 7 cm between the rows. When using a growth stimulator, planting should be done early in the morning. The planted material is covered with film, protected from direct sunlight for a month, and watered using a watering can or sprayer.

Cuttings of felt cherry in the spring are well tolerated by some of its varieties.

Propagation using seeds

This is the simplest of all methods. And at the same time – the most effective. It is also good because it can be used in spring, autumn, and summer.

When using a seed for planting in the fall, you should first place it briefly in a weak manganese solution, just for a few seconds. The still wet bone is buried in wet sawdust or moss.

The material obtained in this way is planted only in October, again in moist soil, previously loosened. Seeds are also planted directly into the hole in October. The depth of the hole is three to four centimeters. And the distance between them is from 20 to 30 cm.

After wintering, the shoots produced by the seeds are thinned out, leaving the strongest ones.

Planting in spring involves stratification. That is, they must ripen after harvesting. Stratification can last from three to four months; for its implementation, a moist environment is chosen - sawdust or sand. The temperature should not exceed 20 degrees, but also not be lower than 15.

As the substrate dries, it is moistened and stirred periodically, ensuring the flow of air. After this, the seeds are transferred to a cooler room or to the refrigerator. There they remain until germination. Ready-made sprouts are moved into a glacier or snow until they are planted in the soil. Those. to a permanent place.

Again, only some varieties are propagated by seeds.

Cherry planting

Landing dates

In the south, cherries are planted in spring or autumn. In the central and northern regions, it is better to refrain from autumn planting. As a last resort, choose the month of October for work. The period when dormancy has already arrived, and frosts will arrive only after 3-4 weeks.

Preparing planting holes

The soils of the central region differ significantly in mechanical composition, depth of arable horizon, acidity, and nutrient content. Therefore, the methods of preparing the soil for planting a garden also differ.

Doses of organic and mineral fertilizers also vary depending on the type and fertility of the soil. When digging, organic matter and lime are added to the upper layers of the earth. If it is necessary to neutralize highly acidic soil, then the amount of lime increases. Mineral fertilizers are applied separately. Superphosphate – 20 grams per 1 sq. m, potassium chloride 25 hectares, per 1 sq.m.

The holes are dug 3–4 weeks before the planned planting. This is necessary in order for the soil to erode. The top layer of soil is left on one side, and the bottom on the other. A stake 1-1.5 meters long is driven into the center of the hole.

The pits are arranged like this:

1. if the variety is tree-like, then the distance of the holes from each other is 3-3.5 meters for the correct formation of the crown;
2. bush cherries will grow well at a distance of 2-2.5 meters from the seedlings.

It is convenient to plant several trees in a checkerboard pattern.

Planting in autumn

If the purchase was made in the fall, then a logical question arises: “how to preserve the seedlings until spring?”

To protect planting material from small rodents and cold, you need to dig it in using the following scheme:

• dig a groove - 45-55 cm deep, from the south the wall should be inclined 45-50 degrees, from the north there is a plumb line;
• seedlings are laid so that the crown is above the ground and turned to the south; in winter and spring, this position will protect the delicate bark from sunburn;
• the hole is sprinkled with moist soil and compacted so that there are no voids due to which the roots may freeze;
• the buried seedling is watered.

Spruce branches should be placed around the planting to protect the cherries from rodents and as additional heating. In winter, it is advisable to periodically cover the planting site with snow.

Planting in spring

Fertile soil is brought into the center of the hole. Next, the seedling is placed vertically. In this case, you need to carefully straighten the roots. Then the holes are sprinkled with soil from the top layer. The earth around the planting is trampled down. You need to ensure that the root collar remains 3-4 cm above the soil level. The last point is watering around the planting hole.

Seedling care

Newly planted trees need careful and attentive care. For proper growth and development of fruits, gardeners do this:

• as necessary, loosen the soil under trees or bushes during the growing season;
• in the warm season, they regularly get rid of weeds, because they take moisture and nutrients from the soil;
• in the fall, deep digging is carried out in the tree trunk circle;
• prevent pests using treatment;
• regularly prune dry and lifeless branches, form the crown correctly;
• in late autumn, they wrap the trunks with dense material to protect them from rodents.

Grown bushes and trees do not need to be watered; the crop is drought-resistant. However, after frequent watering from spring until the first berries, the yield increases, and the fruits themselves become even tastier and more tender.

How to get rid of cherries in the garden forever

What to do if you need to remove an old, diseased tree or bush, and so that in the future the root shoots do not interfere with other plants? Removal of the root system raises special questions - after all, individual roots can reach a length of 3–5 meters. To imagine the size of the roots, use the size of the crown as a guide. If the height of the cherry is 2 meters, then the roots are approximately the same length. Step-by-step instructions for uprooting a cherry tree:

1. They order a tractor.
2. The tree is cut down, leaving the trunk at a height of 1–1.5 meters.
3. Large roots are carefully dug up. This is necessary to make it easier to pull out the plant with all its roots.
4. Tie the tree to the tractor using a strong cable.
5. They pull out a tree.

This method is quite effective. Only small roots remain in the ground, which cannot survive on their own. The area can be cultivated for future plantings.

Manual root removal is not effective and will require a lot of time and effort.

There are also recipes with salt:

1. Remove the crown from the tree.
2. Dig up the tree, cut off large and medium-sized visible roots.
3. While rocking the trunk, cut off the roots that are closer to its center.
4. After as many roots as possible have been cut, cut the trunk as low as possible.
5. Sprinkle the stump with salt and wrap it in cellophane.
6. Leave it for a year.
7. In a year the stump will rot.

A significant disadvantage of this method: soil salinization is not beneficial for plants.

How to remove cherry roots without uprooting

Without uprooting, there is only one way to destroy the stumps and roots of old or unnecessary plants: chemically. Wood residues are burned with a strong oxidizing agent - saltpeter. It allows you to destroy even deep roots. The procedure is simple: many holes are drilled in a stump or the remains of a tree in early autumn or late summer. Potassium or sodium nitrate is poured into the resulting holes, watered with water to better soak it in, wrapped in film, and bandaged.

Holes are drilled around the perimeter of the stump to place ammonium nitrate.

For a medium-sized tree with a trunk 15 cm in diameter you need 2 kg of saltpeter.

The stump treated in this way is not touched until next summer. During this period, all the roots and the stump itself, under the influence of the substance, will dry out. Wait until the tree dries completely after the rains. Now it is enough to make a fire near the stump. When it burns completely, the soil is dug up. That's all - the place is completely free, you don't have to worry about the appearance of cherry roots.

Instead of ammonium nitrate, you can use urea. The sequence of actions is the same.

Despite its effectiveness, the method has disadvantages. Nitrate is a good fertilizer, but during the period of action on the stump the soil becomes oversaturated with it, which can be harmful for many fruit or tuber crops.

Follow safety precautions when working with chemicals!

Chemical stump removal - video

Of course, when starting a cherry orchard or planting individual trees, it is worth studying the most important issues much more deeply: competent pruning technology, the nuances of choosing a variety for your region, protecting cherries from diseases, which is especially relevant for the Middle Zone in recent years. All this, together with proper care in spring and autumn, will allow you to obtain abundant harvests.

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Cherry care

For the best results in growing stone fruit crops, they must be cared for all year round.

Cherry care in spring

Young cherries require minimal care after spring planting. You just need to water the tree in the heat - 4-5 buckets per watering in May and June. Protection and prevention from diseases and pests is also necessary.

Old cherry trees need the careful hand of a gardener. It is necessary to constantly clean the bark from dead areas, whitewash the trunk, and rejuvenate it with pruning.

Cherry care in summer

Flowering in summer is supported by applying nitrogen fertilizer. Organic additives are also useful - cow manure, bird droppings. After flowering, it is necessary to spray the tree with urea at the rate of 40 grams per 10 liters of water. Spraying the cherry crown has a beneficial effect on the ovary until the final ovary.

After picking the berries, the trees are treated for pests and diseases. Coccomycosis is especially dangerous in summer, and Bordeaux mixture can be used to combat it (1%). During this same period, the gardener’s main task is to preserve foliage for a good winter.

Caring for cherries in autumn

Autumn is the time to treat all cracks and wounds on cherry trunks. The area around the crop is cleared of dry grass, leaves and other debris. For the winter, fertilizing is applied - phosphorus and potassium, but not nitrogen. The trunks must be treated with limestone with the addition of chicken manure.

Watering and fertilizing

Watering in gardens is carried out depending on weather conditions. If it is hot, then watering is carried out from spring to mid-summer (until July 15-25). At this time, cherry trees undergo intensive growth processes, flowering, and fruit set.

By the end of July, tree growth stops. If you continue watering in August and September, secondary growth of shoots is possible, and in winter they may freeze.

Watering is resumed before leaf fall or during it (mid-October - onset of frost). Wet soil freezes less, and fruit trees undergo better preparation for winter (hardening off). At this time, secondary growth of shoots, as a rule, does not occur.

On clay soils, water less often, but in larger doses; on sandy loam and sandy soils, water more often, but the watering dose is reduced by 1/3. Watering rate: 1-2 buckets per 1 sq. m of tree trunk circle.

Correct fit

Sometimes we see the following picture: neighbors dug out a hole with a shovel and poured some water. Then they stuck a seedling in and pressed it with their foot. And these people are waiting for a good cherry harvest?

The young tree is still too weak, with a small root system. At first, it needs some space for growth and a little nutrients. In two years, the tree will be able to obtain its own moisture and food, but for now, let’s plant it correctly.

For one seedling you need a planting hole with sides of at least 50 cm. We put the removed soil nearby. Add a bucket of humus or 2 kg of compost to it. Pour a liter jar of ash, add phosphorus and potassium mineral fertilizers (see recommendations on the packaging). Then thoroughly mix the resulting soil mixture.

The next step is to place a mound at the bottom of the planting hole to half its height. We stick a strong peg into its center. We carefully place the seedling close to it and spread the root system over the entire mound.

Then we begin to carefully sprinkle the roots with soil. You can lightly press the soil with your hands

Next, the tree trunk circle is generously shed with water containing a root formation stimulator. Then the soil is mulched with peat or mowed grass. The seedling itself is carefully tied to a peg for the first time.

How much should I pour? Focus on the color of the bark. Where the planting height was usual for the seedling, the bark is of a different shade. It is not recommended to fall asleep above this mark. Cherries, in principle, do not like deep planting; they begin to hurt and rot. You can do it even simpler. The seedling is buried within 5 cm of the grafting site. It is always clearly visible even in a mature tree.

It is better to plant cherries in early spring. This way she will grow faster and gain strength. When planted in autumn, the tree may not have time to develop a good root system before frost, and will die in the winter.

Advice. Up to 3 years old trees can tolerate planting almost painlessly. If you are forced to replant cherries that are older than 3 years, then at least try to damage the root system as little as possible.

Crown formation

Pruning is an optional agrotechnical technique, but experience shows the need for this action. When forming the crown, one should take into account the growth and development of trees and their age. Two types of axillary lateral buds are formed on cherry shoots: fruiting and growth. The terminal bud of the shoot is usually growth bud. Cherry buds, unlike apple tree buds, are simple. Growth buds produce only shoots, flowering buds only produce flowers. In them, the leaf parts are either completely absent or are in their infancy. As a result, after picking the fruit, a scar-like mark and a bare branch remain from the flower bud.

When to prune cherries

During the period of active growth, when the shoots are 30-40 cm long, growth buds are formed not only at their ends, but also interspersed with flowering buds throughout the shoot. Under favorable conditions, group buds, double and triple, flowering in combination with growth buds or single flowering buds are formed on strong shoots. With age, when growths weaken, growth buds form only at the ends of the shoots.

Cherry is characterized by the property of active shoot formation and thickening of the crown, and with age - exposure of the shoots. The annual fruiting of trees is ensured by the appropriate ratio of growth and fruit buds.

Pruning will make it possible to obtain the correct crown shape, allowing sufficient air circulation and penetration of the required amount of sun for ripening of the berries.

According to the nature of their growth, all cherries are divided into bush and tree-like. The first group has a spreading crown, and they themselves are low or medium in length. The fruits are formed on the previous year's growth. The trees are more vigorous. They have the obvious skeleton of an ordinary tree. The fruits ripen on bouquet branches. With age, the shoots of tree-like cherries also become bare and, in terms of the type of fruiting, approach those of bush-like ones.

You can begin to form a crown after the cherry reaches the age of 4 years. Cherry is heat-loving and does not tolerate crown pruning. The best period for pruning is the 2nd half of April to prevent frost. The timing is different for each climate zone.

Pruning is done before the sap begins to move along the trunk.

How to trim a cherry tree

The formation of the crown of bush-like and tree-like cherries is done in the same way. The main goal is to select skeletal branches, distribute them evenly in space and ensure smooth development.

In young trees, first of all, the branch ring growing below 30-40 cm is cut off. This is necessary in order to create a standard. All strong branches directed in different directions are left as skeletal ones. It is better if these branches do not come from adjacent buds, but there is a gap of 5-10 cm between them. Weak and parallel branches are pruned.

Over the entire period of formation - 2-3 years, bush-like cherries leave 10-15 main skeletal branches, and tree-like ones - 8-10. All lateral branches developing on skeletal branches are usually left behind. Only intertwined ones are cut out, which cannot be directed into free space by trimming. With good care, young trees grow shoots 50-60 cm long.

In tree-like varieties, with weak branching and strong growth, poorly subordinate branches, forks, and competing shoots often grow. For them, more than for bush cherry varieties, shortening of shoots during the formation period is used. First of all, they get rid of frozen and diseased branches so that they do not infect the entire tree. The cut is covered with garden varnish or ointment.

Pruning cherry trees in spring

Pruning is done in early spring before growth begins. The wounds are cleaned and covered. Cutting dry branches can begin after the buds swell. This will allow you to determine where the frostbitten shoots are and where they are alive.

The sequence of actions when forming the crown is as follows:

• removing branches that thicken the crown;
• branches that grow upward are cut so that the branches remain parallel to the ground.
• if the branches are up to 30 cm long, you should not touch them; cut off only those branches that will interfere with the growth of the others.
• the final stage is trimming the trunk. Its height should rise above the frame at a distance of 20 cm.

Pruning felt cherries is a more painstaking task. After the first year, you need to shorten the branches to 50 cm, next year you need to remove up to a quarter of the side branches. It is impossible to achieve a large harvest from felt cherries with dense branches. Therefore, you need to leave only strong branches 10 cm long, and remove all other shoots without regret.

Pruning must be combined with other agrotechnical measures, such as fertilization, loosening, and pest control.

Pruning cherries in autumn

Fall pruning will help the tree prepare for winter. Depending on the area where it grows, cherries are pruned differently. In the south you can start the process until November, in the northern regions - until September.

The best time for pruning is at the end of the growing season, when the juices slow down. The crop is heat-loving, so it is important that the cuttings have time to mature before the first frost. Otherwise, the branch will dry out. A seedling that meets winter for the first time should not be pruned under any circumstances. The tree may not survive and die.

General recommendations for carrying out work are as follows:

1. remove branches that prevent others from developing normally; in this case, the skeletal branches may not be pruned;
2. It is better not to touch small branches in the fall; spring pruning is more suitable for them;
3. when working, one must be guided by the principle of rejuvenation of the entire tree, which will lead to an increase in yield;
4. Sharp corners in the form of branches should not protrude from the crown.

Pruning a seedling requires care and patience. The cut is made carefully, leaving no stumps. Gum may form on them after frost. Tree branches are pruned only when they are strong enough.

Pruning and getting rid of overgrowth

Pruning cherry trees is a controversial issue. There is an opinion that cherry trees are too sensitive to this; it is better to prune them only at a young age. There is another thing: supposedly there is no need to prune a tree if it is well covered with flowers. However, thinning cherries is necessary if you want to get not just beautiful flowering, but also maximum yield. On the other hand, for a beginner, the pruning procedure itself, especially if we are talking about an old tree, is quite complicated. Today there are even mobile specialists who, for a fee, will carry out competent pruning of mature cherries.

The main rules for pruning fruit crops

Pruning rules depend on the type of cherry: bushy or tree-like. The first bears fruit mainly on annual growths; in tree-like ones, fruits are formed, in addition to annual growths, also on bouquet branches. Flower buds are located on annual branches from the outer part of the crown. Cherries begin to bear fruit early, on annual branches, which are a continuation of the skeletal ones. As the tree ages, by 15–20 years, annual growth weakens greatly, skeletal branches become bare, and productivity decreases. On annual growths longer than 40–50 cm, flower and growth buds are formed; on shorter ones, flower buds are formed only on the sides, and growth buds are formed on the top. After harvesting, such branches remain bare.

Formative pruning of cherries: basic rules

How to thin out cherries in spring

Key points for pruning bush or tree cherries:

1. Before pruning, you should understand how the annual shoot of a bush works. It has both flower and growth buds, collected 2–3 per node. The older the bush, the fewer growth buds. During a short annual growth of 20 cm, growth buds are located only at the top.
2. In trees, flower buds are located differently: on bouquet branches that bear fruit and live for several years.
3. The optimal length of annual growth for bush cherries is 30–40 cm.
4. If the growth is longer than 50 cm, there is overfeeding with nitrogenous fertilizers or freezing of the buds. Growth that is too long means a reduced number of flower buds.
5. The branches at the bottom of the crown are cut off to those branches that are directed upward.
6. If the growth length is less than 20 cm, even more intensive anti-aging pruning is required. Remove all unhealthy branches, those that do not have branches and growths.
7. If the pruning is primary, be sure to do moderate pruning so that the tree does not immediately lose too much mass at once.
8. Stumps are not left behind when pruning.

Rules for cutting for ring and transfer

How to get rid of cherry trees on your property

Cherries - depending on the variety and type, of course - form quite a lot of side shoots. This growth is regularly removed: for the purpose of reproduction, and so that it does not take away the vitality of the main tree. This is done simply - the shoots are cut off at the root. It is important to do this so that a new plant does not start growing from the new growth point in a few weeks. And this is more than likely if the shoots are simply torn off or cut off above ground level.

To get rid of the shoots efficiently, each shoot is carefully dug up, reaching the large roots of the main tree. The shoots are cut from the root, the wound is treated with garden varnish.

Cherry root shoots are removed from the growth point of the main roots

There is an option to get rid of overgrowth using a weed killer - Roundup, Secateurs, Hurricane. Unnecessary shoots are treated as weeds. But not all gardeners like the use of chemicals.

To avoid the spread of shoots throughout the area, the root system of the cherries is fenced off. They use linoleum, slate, old 200 liter barrels (they are cut into rings), but the garden system should be thought through and prepared before planting the seedling.

Cherry propagation methods

Cherries reproduce in one of the following ways:

1. cuttings;
2. bones;
3. shoots;
4. vaccination.

Cherry seed propagation

Seeds from ripe berries are suitable for this method. They are washed in water and dried. The resulting seeds are sown at the end of September. To preserve planting material until this time, you need to place the seeds in a cool place in a container with damp sand.

It is easy to prepare a bed for planting:

• dig up the soil;
• remove weeds;
• apply fertilizers.

Cherry pits are deepened 3-4 cm into the ground. Cover the top with a layer of peat - 5 cm.

For spring planting, stratification is needed. To do this, the seeds are placed in sand, moistened and stored in a cellar at a temperature of +5-6 degrees for 200 days.

Such seeds need to be planted in early spring, the planting depth is 5-6 cm. The top of the planting is sprinkled with peat and humus. Further, care consists of loosening, getting rid of weeds and watering.

Cherry grafting

For this method, wild seedlings are used and varieties with the best qualities are grafted onto them. Grafting is an easy method of propagation, which is best done in the spring.

The shoots in the southern regions are prepared before budding, and in the northern regions - in early winter. A branch cut from a tree is lowered into warm water for a short time. Afterwards it is cut into shoots so that each stick has 4 buds. To prevent drying, they are filled with paraffin. You can simply wrap it tightly with film.

There are several grafting methods: behind the bark, in a split, in a side cut.

Green cuttings

The method is the most rational and easy to implement. Green cuttings are carried out in early June during the period when active growth slows down, and lignification of last year's shoots begins.

Cut a shoot up to 30 cm long in cool weather in the morning or evening. Before work, the sections are placed in water.

The cuttings should have two or three leaves and 3 cm of branches at the bottom. A cut is made at the bottom with a sharp blade at an angle of 45 degrees. At the top, the workpiece is cut at a right angle above the sheet. Before rooting, the cuttings are placed in a solution of growth stimulants for 12-18 hours.

The soil is slightly acidic or neutral, and must be moisture-permeable and breathable. Temperature is important for the process of root formation. Overheating and hypothermia negatively affect the entire process. The optimal temperature is 25-30 degrees, humidity is high, so the cuttings must be sprayed periodically. Roots will appear in 18-40 days, depending on the variety.

Root shoots

Siberians and Ural gardeners most often use this method. Trees grown in this way are more winter-hardy and are able to recover from freezing quite quickly.

To ensure that there is no misfortune in the form of thickets of bushes in the garden plot, for propagation it is necessary to take a varietal or own root crop. Such cherries produce shoots similar to the mother variety.

For planting, choose the strongest shoots at the age of 1-2 years, which grow at a distance of more than 1 meter from the mother bush. The shoots are prepared in late autumn or spring before the buds open. In cloudy weather, you need to cut off the root that connects the shoots to the bush. Next, the root must be left in place until it forms its own powerful roots. The top shoots should be cut off by 1/3. Fertilize several times throughout the season. Next year, the former shoots can be transplanted to a permanent place.

Watering young cherries

It is important here not to overwater – excess moisture will cause the skin of the fruit to begin to burst. Taking this into account, it is advisable to water the cherry tree only four times during the entire warm period. The plants should be watered for the first time immediately after flowering, the second time during the period of active growth, that is, at the end of June, the third time during the period of fruit mass gain - in July and, finally, the fourth time at the beginning of autumn, in order to saturate the soil with moisture.

You need to water so that the soil is saturated with moisture to a depth of about half a meter. Usually, 2-3 buckets are spent on one tree up to five years old, and 5-6 buckets older than this age.

How can you propagate felt cherry?

Having decided to plant felt cherries on their plot, many wonder how this garden crop reproduces. Cherry can be propagated by seedlings, cuttings, horizontal layering and even seeds. Cherry cuttings are a rather complex process, so only experienced gardeners often resort to it. For those who have decided to start growing cherries for the first time, propagation of the crop by seedlings is more suitable. Felt cherry can be propagated by seeds, but in this case you should be prepared for painstaking work. To do this, seeds are usually collected from the highest quality fruits of productive bushes. Next, the collected seeds need to be washed and dried. The seeds must be stored until October in a mixture with wet sand, after which they can be planted in the soil at a shallow depth of about 3-4 cm. The seedlings are left to grow for three years and then transplanted to a prepared area.

Planting felt cherries in spring: highlights

It is necessary to plant felt cherry seedlings in early spring before the buds begin to swell. The plant can also be planted in the fall. However, in this case you need to do it before October. If it was not possible to transplant the cherry tree into the ground before October, then you can leave it to overwinter in the basement and plant the seedling on the site the following spring. When choosing a place to plant a seedling in the spring, it is worth considering that it does not like heavy and acidic soils.

Also, when choosing a place, you should pay attention to the fact that it is not darkened. Felt cherry does not like darkening and usually when grown in such an area it begins to stretch out and its berries become smaller. There is no need to plant felt cherries in areas with groundwater or large accumulations of moisture.

All this is detrimental to the bush and will affect its successful growth and fruiting. To plant felt cherries in the spring, a hole is prepared in the selected area. The width of the hole for cherries should be within 50-60 cm. The depth of the hole should not be more than 50 cm. Rotted manure and mineral fertilizers must be placed in the hole under the seedling. The plant is placed at a distance between each other of at least 2 meters. When planting a seedling, its root collar does not need to be deepened. Strong deepening will contribute to rotting and the planted seedling will simply die over time. After planting, the bush must be watered and the ground mulched. To get good harvests, it is necessary to plant several varieties of cherries in close proximity to each other in the spring. This way, you can ensure complete pollination of the plant, which will subsequently affect the cherry yield.

Do I need to feed the felt cherry?

In the first years of life after spring planting, the felt cherry tree needs to be promptly weeded and the soil around it loosened. This will provide the necessary air access to the roots and will affect the development of the plant. In dry weather, the shrub must be watered. It is also necessary to feed the cherries. However, the first fertilizing is applied only three years after planting. You need to feed the bush twice a season. In the spring, it is better to apply complex compounds, but at the end of July or beginning of August, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers

It is very important not to forget about the formation of the cherry crown. A crown that is too thick prevents the fruiting shoots from receiving the required amount of light; accordingly, the berries will be small and begin to ripen worse

For this reason, the plant must be pruned annually, leaving 10-12 fruiting shoots on it.

More information about planting felt cherries in the spring will be discussed in this video. Leave yours and express your suggestions for the article.

When can you plant cherries?

Cherries can be planted in both spring and autumn. It is only important that planting is done at the optimal time: in the fall - no later than the beginning of October, in the spring - in April, before the buds open. It is better to bury seedlings purchased late in the fall until spring.

Purchase of planting material

By planting a cherry pit in the ground, you are also unlikely to achieve what you want - the result in this case is completely unpredictable, regardless of how large and tasty the cherry eaten was. Therefore, the most preferable option is to plant cherry seedlings, which are sold in large assortment in specialized markets.

For spring planting, it is better to buy seedlings in the fall, when the choice is especially rich. For the winter, cherry seedlings are dug in by making a hole in the ground and laying the seedlings horizontally there, and the roots are covered with soil. This way the seedlings are well preserved until spring planting.

Choose seedlings about a meter high. Make sure that the seedling is free of damage or signs of fungal and other diseases. Pay attention to the variety: will the cherry grow bush-like or tree-like, will it be resistant to frost, drought and disease?

Planting material can look different; the highest quality seedlings have several branches, and their roots form a good branched system. If you feel sorry for the money for such a beautiful specimen, you can take a simpler tree - with a less luxurious root system and small branches.

But it’s still better not to save money, because you are choosing cherries that will bear fruit for fifteen to twenty years.

Therefore, give preference to the highest quality seedlings so that they take root faster and in the future delight you with cherries that are excellent in all respects.

How to grow cherries (video)

Diseases and pests

Spring diseases that can threaten cherries. Unfortunately, even the most experienced gardener will not be able to completely avoid illnesses. Periodically, you will still have to carry out spraying and preventive treatment of tree branches and trunks.

Diseases can occur for the following reasons:

• improper tree care;
• sudden climate changes;
• depletion of soil composition;
• serious mechanical damage to the tree;
• lack of pest control;
• unfavorable neighborhood - the growth of conifers and other fruit trees;
• increased aridity;
• insufficient watering.

The following types of diseases can threaten cherries:

Moniliosis . Known in gardening as “burn” syndrome. The occurrence of this disease contributes to the fact that the branches, flowers and leaves of the cherry look as if they were burnt. The crop dies due to this fungal disease, and the protective properties of the tree are significantly weakened.

Clusterosporiasis . Appears as reddish-brown spots. Additionally, the disease affects the shoots of the tree and its fruits. Over time, holes form on the surface of the leaves and the berries become deformed.

Anthracnose . This fungal disease affects only cherry fruits. So, the fruits begin to become covered with small dark tubercles, which over time become covered with a pinkish dense coating. Most often, the disease is provoked by excessively wet and rainy weather.

Coccomycosis . Fungal infection affecting cherry leaves. So, small brown dots begin to appear on the leaves, which over time begin to actively spread and become larger. The leaves of the tree fall off and the berries become unfit for consumption.

How to fight? Each disease requires an individual way to combat it. The gardener must remember that treatment and preventive treatment of the tree must be carried out correctly, in accordance with existing instructions and rules. Otherwise, the treatment will not work and the disease will subside for a very short time.

How to treat cherries in spring against diseases and pests? For general preventive measures, the following formulations can be used:

1. Copper sulfate - 300 grams of the substance should be diluted in 10 liters of water.
2. Iron sulfate - 300 grams of the substance must be dissolved in 10 liters of water.
3. Bordeaux mixture - 200 grams of product is used per 10 liters of water.

The fight against specific types of cherry diseases should be carried out comprehensively.

This should be done as follows:

Moniliosis - in the spring, the crowns and trunk of the tree are treated with a solution of iron sulfate. The solution is made from 300 grams of the mixture and 10 liters of water. Branches affected by the fungus must be removed. Additionally, during the period of bud formation, the tree can be treated with copper oxychloride - 100 grams per 10 liters of water.

Clusterosporiasis - treatment with copper sulfate is carried out in early spring. You need to make a solution of 200 grams of the substance and 10 liters of water. Additionally, you can use special means to protect the tree from fungal infection. Prevention of the disease is the correct formation of the crown and ensuring sanitary pruning, which will allow for good air permeability.

Anthracnose - the treatment of this disease requires quite painstaking treatment. To process wood you will need the chemical composition “Polyram”. The product must be diluted according to the instructions. It is necessary to spray cherries 3 times in the spring. The first time - during the formation of buds, the second time - after flowering, the third time - 14 weeks after the last treatment.

Coccomycosis - before the cherry blossoms, spraying with Bordeaux mixture is carried out. You need to take 200 grams of the mixture per 10 liters of water. The branches and trunk of the tree are processed. After the main treatment, a solution of copper oxychloride is additionally applied.

Spring parasites that can harm cherries . Parasites can threaten cherries with quite serious consequences.

This tree has many pests and any gardener should know them in order to effectively deal with them:

Cherry aphid . This pest settles on young cherry branches and lays its eggs on them. At the very beginning of spring, these eggs give rise to entire colonies of parasites. The parasites are very small, they suck out all living things from young leaves, after which the leaves become distorted and then dry out completely.

Cherry shoot moth . These caterpillars are greenish-yellow in color and even destroy buds that have not yet blossomed. They gnaw out the stamens and ovaries. In addition, the moth attacks young foliage.

Cherry weevil . It has a bronze-green shell and is a beetle. The weevil spends the winter in the trunk of a cherry tree. With the onset of the first warm days, the beetle climbs the trunk and begins to feed on buds and flowers, and then on the ovaries. If any of the fruits survive, they suffer the same fate and are killed by subsequent generations of the weevil.

Hawthorn . This butterfly overwinters in special nests that it forms directly on the tree. Externally, hawthorn is very similar to cabbage. This pest eats buds and cherry leaves.

Ways to fight. Pest control is about following preventive measures. There are special types of cherry tree treatment for each type of pest:

Cherry aphid. To combat this pest, it is necessary to remove root shoots and weeds. It also requires treatment of the trunk and crown with special compounds. Among them are decoctions and tinctures of garlic, onions and wood ash. For preparation, 500 g of ash is used. They need to be filled with 5 liters of water. The infusion must be left for 3 days.

After this, add another 5 liters of water and spray. If the tree has been damaged excessively, the cherry can only be saved with the help of insecticides; most often it is recommended to use Iskra. For treatment, 10 ml of the composition is diluted in one liter of water. To treat one apple tree you need from 2 to 10 liters of solution. The main thing is to carry out the treatment before the first buds form.

Cherry shoot moth. To combat moths, it is necessary to spray the tree with broad-spectrum insecticides. Spraying is carried out in the spring before the leaves bloom and during it. The insecticides “Aktara”, “Intavir”, “Decis” and “Iskra” are excellent. Treatment with Iskra is carried out in the same way as when fighting cherry aphids: 10 ml or 1 capsule per 1 liter of water.

Cherry weevil. The simplest, but not the most effective measure to combat this pest is to shake off the weevil onto a film laid under a tree. After this, the parasites are destroyed. This manipulation is carried out from the very beginning of bud break until the moment when the ovaries begin to form. Also, after flowering, the insecticides “Fufanon” or “Karbofos” are used. According to the dosage, the drug is diluted in 2-5 liters of water and the tree is sprayed.

Hawthorn. Detected nests of this pest must be found and burned. It is also necessary to spray the tree when the buds swell. Insecticides used to combat hawthorn are Ambush and Actellik. The tree can also be treated with biological preparations “Dendrobacillin” or “Entobacterin”. Most often, hawthorn is combated by spraying the tree with a DDT emulsion. 100 gr. concentrate is diluted in 10 liters of water. Parisian greens are also used for spraying (15 g of poison, 30 g of lime per 10 liters of water).

When exactly should processing be done?

Processing cherries in the spring is a must. Spraying helps save ovaries, flowers and buds from pests and diseases. When processing, it is important to avoid burns to the bark and foliage of the tree. To do this, treatment is carried out at the very beginning of spring, when sap begins to circulate in the tree. Not only the tree is sprayed, but also the soil underneath it.