How many years does a cherry tree live: life expectancy, when does it begin to bear fruit?

In what year after planting do cherries bear fruit?

On average, young cherries bear their first harvest 3-4 years after planting. In rare cases, this happens earlier - buds and ovaries appear already in the 2nd year. Depending on the variety and conditions in the garden, the tree bears fruit later, 5-6 years after planting. If this does not happen, you need to look for the reasons for the failure and try to eliminate them.

The time when a tree begins to bear fruit varies depending on the variety. When purchasing seedlings, especially hybrids, you need to study information about care and planting, find out what year they begin to bloom and bear fruit. In the first years the number of berries is small; cherries actively bear fruit in the 6th and subsequent years of life.

Cherry: planting and other subtleties

There are several types of cherries: common cherry (also known as sour cherry), bird cherry (better known as sweet cherry), sakura (finely serrated cherry) - trees; Felt cherry and steppe cherry are shrubs.

Cherry

Our story is dedicated to the common cherry (Prunus cerasus), so wonderfully suitable for aromatic and tasty compotes, jams, juices and pies. In this article we will pay special attention to planting cherries, proper crown formation, subsequent care and receiving a long-awaited harvest as a reward.

What do the deadlines depend on?

Factors influencing the appearance of the first flower stalks and berries:

1. Cherry variety.
2. Quality of planting material (seedlings).
3. Planting conditions - choice of location, soil type, time, hole depth.
4. Caring for a young tree.
5. Correct pruning, crown formation.
6. Weather (drought or frost uncharacteristic for the region).
7. Presence of pollinators.

Landing rules

Seedlings should be purchased from reliable sellers, paying attention to the condition of the roots and upper bud. Before purchasing, study the information about the variety.

Cherries are planted in the spring, usually in April, when the ground has completely warmed up and the buds have not yet begun to bloom. Choose sunny, wind-free places. The soil should be loose and fertile. It is first enriched with mineral and organic fertilizers.

Cherries do not like acidic soil; it is better to choose areas with neutral or close to it. Clay soil from the hole is mixed with sand.

After planting, the area around the trunk is mulched with sawdust, humus crumbs or similar material to prevent drying out of the roots. During the entire warm period, the soil under the seedling should be loose and free of weeds. When loosening, you need to remember that the roots lie shallow and not damage them.

Cherry care

Cherries are fertilized using the fractional method, 2-3 years after the first planting enrichment of the soil. Watering is carried out 3-4 times a year depending on weather conditions. The first year of life is watered more often.

Many varieties have a dense crown and grow quickly. There are different pruning patterns for bushy and tall varieties. Cut shoots more than half a meter long. Otherwise, the tree will not stop bearing fruit, but the berries will become small and may lose their taste.

It is necessary to monitor the health of the bark and leaves, and eliminate diseases and pests in a timely manner.

Neighboring plants also influence the growth and fruiting of cherries. She is friends with cherries, elderberries, honeysuckles, plums, and grapes. Peach and apricot, apple, raspberry, pear, wild trees with a powerful root system interfere with its development.

How to plant cherries

Cherry is a widespread crop in the middle zone, growing in almost every area. Planting cherries is a fairly simple process that consists of several steps. It is necessary to decide on the planting time and place in the garden, as well as select a seedling and prepare the ground. After this all that remains is to plant the cherry tree correctly.

When is the best time to plant cherries?

Planting dates may vary depending on the climatic conditions of the growing region and the root system of the plant.

If the seedling has a closed root system (CRS), that is, grown in a container, then it can be planted in spring, summer, and autumn, but no later than a month before frost.

It is recommended to plant young trees with an open root system in the middle zone, northern regions, the Urals and Siberia in the spring, when the snow has melted and the earth has warmed up a little and dried out.

This usually occurs in early or mid-April. Planting work must be carried out before the buds swell. If a seedling is purchased in the fall, it must be buried before spring, always before frost sets in.

This should be done from mid to late September according to the following scheme:

1. Place it in a trench about 0.5 m deep at an angle of 30 degrees, directing the crown to the south.
2. Cover the roots and trunk with soil up to the 1st side branch.
3. Compact the soil and water it.
4. Cover the crown with spruce branches. This way the seedlings will be preserved until spring, when it will need to be planted in a permanent place.

In the southern regions, seedlings with an open root system can be planted in spring or autumn.

Planting in autumn is carried out a month before frost - in the second half of September and throughout October

How to choose planting material

Attempts to grow a fruit-bearing cherry tree from a seed or root shoot are likely to end in failure, especially for inexperienced amateur gardeners.

The most reliable option is to purchase a grafted seedling from a nursery or garden market. Usually they buy one-year-old or two-year-old trees with mature wood and well-developed roots.

You can purchase seedlings with both open and closed root systems.

The range of seedlings is especially wide in the autumn, so it is recommended to buy it during this period. Planting material is selected according to the following external characteristics:

• A healthy young tree has a well-developed root, but few branches.
• The seedling should not have any damage or signs of disease.
• Plant height is approximately 1 m.
• For a two-year-old seedling, the trunk should be about 60 cm in height, the diameter should be at least 2 cm, and the length of the main skeletal branches should be about 60 cm.

In addition to external signs, you need to pay attention to the variety. It is chosen depending on the climatic conditions of the growing region - it must be suitable for them. If the climate is dry, you should choose varieties that tolerate drought well. It is important that cherries are disease resistant.

There is one more selection criterion: some varieties have the appearance of a tree, others have the appearance of a bush.

For cherries, you need to choose an area with good lighting, ventilated, but at the same time protected from strong and cold winds.

Important! It is strictly not recommended to plant cherries in the shade.

It is advisable to plant it on the south or west side. A good location is near a fence or wall of a house where there are no drafts. In addition, snow accumulates in such areas in winter, which protects the root system from frost. The distance to the wall, according to the standards, should be 1.5 m, to the fence - 2 m, in extreme cases - 1 m, no less.

Neighborhood

According to experienced gardeners, the best neighbors of cherries are honeysuckle, plum and sweet cherry.

It is not advisable to plant it next to pear trees, apple trees, gooseberries, blackberries, raspberries, and currants. The distance to them should be at least 10 m. Raspberries and cherries have common diseases. Pear and apple trees take away nutrients. Gooseberries harm the roots. Currants grow on other soils that are not suitable for cherries.

Bad neighbors include nightshades - eggplants, tomatoes, peppers.

Non-fruit trees not suitable for cherries: birch, poplar, linden, oak, pine, spruce. The distance from them should be at least 10-15 m.

Soil requirements

Sandy loam, loamy, sandy soils are suitable for cherries.

Cherries prefer light and fertile soils. Before planting, it is recommended to check the acidity of the soil - it should be neutral. A high level of acidity is indicated by such signs as a light coating on the surface of the earth, horsetail and moss, and rusty water in pits. In this case, deoxidation is necessary, which is carried out using slaked lime, dolomite flour or ash.

Groundwater should not come close to the surface - at least 1.5 m. Otherwise, you will first need to make an embankment of earth 80 cm high, then plant a seedling on it.

Important! Wetlands should not be allocated for planting cherries.

If you plan to plant cherries in the fall, the soil needs to be prepared in the spring.

While digging into the ground (per 1 sq.m.), you need to add 10 kg of humus or compost, 100 g of potassium salt and superphosphate. If the soil needs to be deoxidized, after 4-5 days you need to add slaked lime or another deoxidizer.

Autumn planting of seedlings with an open root system consists of inspecting and preparing the plant, preparing a hole, and planting itself.

Seedling preparation

First, you need to remove all the leaves to reduce the plant's moisture consumption. Then you need to inspect the roots and remove the rotten ones. If they have dried out, it is tedious to put the young tree in water for three hours. Next, you need to prepare a mash of water, manure and clay, taken in equal quantities.

Pit preparation

The planting hole must be prepared at least 2 weeks before planting.

The process consists of the following steps:

How to grow felt cherries from pits

1. Dig a hole.
   Its width and depth may vary depending on the quality of the soil and the size of the root system. For chernozem - 60X60 cm, about 50 cm deep. For infertile soil, the size needs to be increased to 80 cm wide and 60 cm deep, so that there is room to add fertile soil.
2. When digging a hole, throw the top fertile layer and the bottom infertile layer in different directions.
   The latter will not be needed in the future.
3. Mix the soil of the top layer with humus (1 to 1) and add ½ part of wood ash. Mix well and put into the pit. Form a mound out of it.
4. Add potassium-phosphorus fertilizers or ash.
   It is important that when planting, the roots of the cherry trees do not come into contact with them to avoid burns.

Planting process:

1. Drive a peg into the middle of the mound to serve as a support.
2. Place the seedling next to the peg on the north side. First, they try it on so that the root collar (the place where the roots enter the trunk) does not end up underground. If it turns out to be below ground level, you need to add more soil and try it on again. Make sure it is at ground level.
3. Straighten the roots so that they do not bend and hang over the mound.
4. Sprinkle the root with fertile soil.
5. Water, using half the bucket per hole.
6. Cover it completely with fertile soil, without deepening it, so that the root collar is at ground level, otherwise the plant will sprout root shoots.
7. Compact the soil.
8. Tie the seedling to the support using a knitted cord.
9. Mulch the tree trunk circle with rotted manure or peat.
10. Water again. There is no need to water frequently in the future. Cherry is unpretentious and drought-resistant.

If you need to plant more than one tree, then the distance between them should be at least 3 meters. If a whole garden is planted, then the distance between the rows is 3.5 m.

In the winter, you need to add a layer of soil about 30 cm thick to the young cherries. In the spring, it needs to be removed.

Methods for planting cherry seedlings with an open root system in the fall

Advantages and disadvantages of autumn planting

Planting cherries in the fall has the following advantages:

1. Planting material is of higher quality than in spring. Seedlings are dug up in the fall, and unsold ones are stored until spring. Even with proper storage, they are inferior in viability to autumn ones, since they experienced stress at this time.
2. When planted in autumn, the roots develop quickly in the spring and the cherry tree grows well.
3. Less exposure to adverse weather factors if planting is done correctly.
4. Plants planted in autumn are about 3 weeks ahead of spring plants in development.
5. The planting process is simpler and subsequent maintenance is minimal. In the fall, you only need to plant and cover, while in the spring, regular watering, weeding, fertilizing, and fungicide treatment are required.
6. All injuries received during the rest period, which lasts throughout the winter, will heal well.
7. It is easier to determine the condition of a seedling by its fresh root system.

Disadvantages include:

• There is a risk of freezing of the root system and the entire tree in severe frosts.
• Possible adverse effects of weather factors: snowfall, strong winds, icing.
• Rodent damage.

A seedling with a lump of earth can be planted in the summer. The soil requirements are the same as for a bare-root plant.

The best time for planting is warm, humid weather.

Planting process:

1. Dig a hole the size of a clod of earth. The graft should be above the soil.
2. Carefully remove the film from the ball.
3. Gently loosen the earthen lump using a knife, making vertical movements. Proceed carefully so as not to damage the root system. Once the roots are free, they will take root better.
4. Place the young tree in the hole so that the most developed branches of the seedling are located on the north side.
5. Cover with soil and press down firmly with a shovel.
6. Pour water (half a bucket per hole).
7. Add soil and tamp down with your foot.
8. Mulch with quail manure, leaving about 8 cm from the trunk.

Tip 1

When planting a seedling with a ZKS, there is no need to place a support in the form of a peg, since such trees are already strong.

Tip 2

If you have a choice, it is better to buy seedlings with a clod of earth - in this case, the roots are less damaged and the tree takes root better, and they are also easier to transport and store. The disadvantage is that it is impossible to assess the condition of the roots. In addition, plants with ZCL develop more slowly.

Tip 3

In winters with little snow, you should shovel snow onto the buried seedlings, making a small snowdrift. This way young trees can survive the cold.

FAQ

What varieties of cherries should I buy for cold climates? It is better to choose frost-resistant ones, such as Shokoladnitsa, Resistant, Nezyabkaya. The following varieties have been bred specifically for Siberia: Metelitsa, Altaiskaya rannyaya, Shadrinskaya, Altaiskaya krupnyaya, Maksimovskaya, Altaiskaya lastochka.

Is it possible to plant cherries in June? Planting cherries in summer is possible, but only seedlings with a closed system that grow in plastic containers are suitable for this.

How to replant cherry trees from old ones? Shoots are planted only from ungrafted (own-rooted) plants. You need to separate the cuttings from the mother bush in the spring. You should select a specimen located at a distance of 15-20 cm from the mother cherry and cut the root on both sides. Do not dig up cuttings.

It needs to be left in place so that over the summer it develops a root system and begins to develop on its own. Then loosen the ground around it, drive a peg nearby and tie it up. During the summer, watering and fertilizing are required. With good care, after a year it can be transplanted to a permanent place.

Why mulch the root circle? Mulch retains moisture, prevents crust from forming on the ground, prevents the germination of weeds, facilitates care, and protects young seedlings from freezing in winter. Mulched plants tolerate heat and drought better and do not require frequent watering.

Source: https://yagoda.guru/vyrashchivanie/posadit-vishnyu

Basic information about cherries

The most common representative of the species is the common cherry. Does not grow in the wild. It has been cultivated for more than one century. Breeders tirelessly develop new varieties, for example, Bessey, Vladimirsky cherry, dessert variety Iput, Molodezhny, Morozov, Saniya, Turgenevka, etc.

According to its individual characteristics and structure, it is divided into two types: tree-like and bush-like.

The bush form is characterized by a spherical crown, the branches are lowered down, shoots are formed abundantly, and the fruits are characterized by an almost black color. Subject to all rules of agricultural technology and in optimal climatic conditions, it actively bears fruit for 10-18 years. The root system of a bush-shaped tree grows around 6-7 meters and does not lie very deep. This form has high frost resistance, unlike the tree form.

The fruit tree bears fruit with sweet and sour berries. They have a universal purpose: they are consumed fresh, added to baked goods, prepared compotes/jelly/cordials and much more, and they are also dried and frozen.

How many times does a cherry bear fruit?

The fruit contains a high concentration of tannins, vitamins A, B, C and PP, organic acids, pectins, macro- and microelements, fructose, ash and nitrogen compounds. Due to its chemical composition, the fruits are widely used in folk medicine. The composition contains pectins, which cleanse the body of toxic substances.

Important! When cooking cherry jam, the seeds should be removed from the berries, since they contain amygdalin. As a result of heat treatment, organic bonds disintegrate and toxic substances are formed.

Beneficial properties of cherries for the body:

• Stimulates an increase in hemoglobin levels, reduces blood pressure and strengthens capillary walls.
• An effective preventive measure against angina attacks, heart attacks, atherosclerosis, strokes and thrombosis.
• It is used to treat gout and arthritis, as it reduces the concentration of uric acid in the body.
• The composition includes copper, which is effective in the fight against mental illness.
• It fights dysentery pathogens and is also active against streptococci and staphylococci.
• The composition includes a high concentration of pectins, so the berries effectively cope with constipation and remove toxic substances from the body.
• It is used in the form of expectorants and antipyretics.

You can make masks from the pulp that nourish and cleanse the skin and tighten pores.

How many times does a cherry bear fruit in a lifetime?

Cherry is a fruit tree belonging to the Rosaceae family, genus Plum. The oldest representative of this species is a cherry variety called Bird Cherry, but today this variety is better known as sweet cherry. The homeland of this culture is considered to be the territory of Denmark, Switzerland and Asia Minor. Today, fruit cherries are distributed almost throughout the globe; they are grown on an industrial scale in Iran and Turkey.

Basic information about cherries

The most common representative of the species is the common cherry. Does not grow in the wild. It has been cultivated for more than one century. Breeders tirelessly develop new varieties, for example, Bessey, Vladimirsky cherry, dessert variety Iput, Molodezhny, Morozov, Saniya, Turgenevka, etc.

According to its individual characteristics and structure, it is divided into two types: tree-like and bush-like.

The bush form is characterized by a spherical crown, the branches are lowered down, shoots are formed abundantly, and the fruits are characterized by an almost black color. Subject to all rules of agricultural technology and in optimal climatic conditions, it actively bears fruit for 10-18 years. The root system of a bush-shaped tree grows around 6-7 meters and does not lie very deep. This form has high frost resistance, unlike the tree form.

The fruit tree bears fruit with sweet and sour berries. They have a universal purpose: they are consumed fresh, added to baked goods, prepared compotes/jelly/cordials and much more, and they are also dried and frozen.

Life cycle of a cherry, reasons why it doesn’t bear fruit

How many times does a cherry tree bear fruit in its life? In what year will cherries bear fruit after planting? How long does a cherry tree grow before fruiting? These and many other questions concern new agronomists.

Cherries, as a rule, begin to bear fruit 3-4 years after planting. Dwarf varieties are a little earlier. This time is required to build up the crown and root system of the tree. If cherries are grown from seeds, then you will need to add at least 2-3 years.

Cherry blossoms, but does not bear fruit

The main reasons why cherries do not bear fruit.

• Cherry diseases. A fruit tree may not begin to bloom and bear fruit if it is affected by coccomycosis and moniliosis. In the latter case, the tops of the shoots, young leaves, ovaries and fruits will begin to dry out, and when you see the branches, you get the impression that they are burnt. The disease is activated by excess humidity. Pronounced symptoms of pathology: the formation of numerous small spots of red-brown color; As they develop, the leaves turn yellow, curl and fall off.
• Planting a seedling in a bad place or poor-quality planting material. It is recommended to purchase seedlings from special nurseries, where there is no chance of purchasing sick, weak or damaged trees. As for location, all fruit-bearing trees need plenty of light. If the cherry grows in a sunny place, you should regularly expect abundant harvests.
• Increased soil acidity or nutrient deficiency. Cherries are not able to produce high yields when growing in acidic soils. Using a pH meter you can find out the acidity level of the soil. At high values, it is necessary to add lime to the soil.
• Inappropriate trees in the neighborhood. Cherry is quite picky in choosing neighbors. It will not bear fruit well if any representative of coniferous trees grows in the neighborhood. Also, cherries do not like the proximity of honeysuckle and apple trees. It is also better not to plant irises, pansies, lilies, daffodils and tulips nearby.

Important! For abundant fruiting, it is recommended to plant peas, turnips, hazel grouse, gladioli, marigolds, lupine, etc. in the cherry tree trunk.

• Lack of pollinators. If a tree blooms every year, but does not bear fruit, then there is a high probability that the natural process of pollination is absent. The vast majority of cherry varieties are self-sterile, so to set fruit, you need to plant a different variety of cherry nearby. In addition, bees and other pollinators should be attracted to the site.
• Improper pruning of cherries. With a competent approach to the procedure, the tree will bear fruit abundantly. There is an opinion that for the first 20 years after planting, a fruit tree does not need pruning, because it reacts very painfully to it, and this is true. To avoid adverse consequences, all pruning rules must be followed. Clean and sharp tools must be used. After trimming the branches, the cut points and all damage must be treated with a solution of garden varnish.
• Freezing of fruit buds in cherries. Return frosts can cause great damage to the health of a fruit tree, especially cherry buds. To prevent this unpleasant phenomenon, you should follow all the rules of agricultural technology.

Agricultural technology for growing cherries Cherries - care, cultivation, pruning

Cherries can be either bush-like or tree-like.

Bush cherry forms shoots, its fruit wood is short-lived and skeletal branches quickly become bare.

The group of tree-shaped varieties consists of trees up to 7 m high, with a powerful trunk and strong skeletal branches.

The root system of cherries lies shallow, and in self-rooted plants (coppice or cuttings) it is located more superficially than in trees grafted on seed rootstocks. It reproduces mainly by root shoots or by grafting (mainly by budding). Cherries can also be propagated by cuttings.

Cherry fruit formations are in the form of bouquet branches from 0.5 to 2 cm long, with 2-10 flower buds and one growth bud (at the top of the shoot). Bouquet branches bear fruit in the first 3–4 years, in subsequent years - irregularly, and after 7–8 years they die.

Sweet cherries and cherries are relatively shade-tolerant species, although their yield depends on lighting - the more light the plant receives, the higher its yield.

Cultivation requirements

Place. For cherries, southern, southwestern and western slopes are preferred.

The soil. The cherry root system adapts well to any conditions, but this crop grows best in rich and light soils.

Moisture. Groundwater in a cherry orchard should lie at a level no higher than 1.5 m from the soil surface.

Winter hardiness. Among fruit crops, cherries are the most winter-hardy; they recover even after serious frost damage.

Fertilizer

Among nitrogen fertilizers, preference should be given to ammonium forms; only on acidic soils is it better to use calcium nitrate.

Mineral fertilizers (preferably in granular form) are applied superficially and immediately incorporated into the soil.

Our advice:

In cherry orchards, tillage is shallow, so fertilizers are applied in the middle of row spacing to a depth of 10-15 cm, and in tree trunk circles - superficially, since the root system lies shallow. Many fertilizers for pome-bearing species are not suitable for cherries, since they severely damage the roots and stimulate the massive formation of root shoots.

Urea is applied in the spring, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers in the fall. Manure and composts are used at any of the indicated times.

Water the cherries 2-4 times per season (6-8 buckets for each tree, depending on the condition of the soil).

Crown formation and pruning

In many varieties of cherries, fruits are formed at the ends of the branches, which eliminates such a technique as shortening.

The main pruning technique for cherries is thinning, removing dead and drying branches that intertwine and grow inside the crown.

Tree, bush and coppice forms are formed in different ways. A sparse-tiered crown is used to form a tree-like cherry. The height of the trunk should be 40-60 cm, the main branches of the crown are placed singly or at a distance of 15-30 cm from each other, or in groups of 2-3 branches. The total number of branches in the crown is 6-8.

During the formation period, the conductor is kept, and after removing the required number of branches, it is cut off above the last side branch. The branches around the trunk are placed evenly and sequentially (in a spiral). When pruning fruit-bearing trees, the crown is thinned out and the branches are shortened. Once formed, trees do not need pruning.

Our tips:

• On fruit-bearing plants, in which the growth of annual shoots decreases over the years, rejuvenating pruning is carried out every 3-4 years. To do this, cut out the upper part of the central conductor above the side branches, significantly thin out the inner part of the crown, and make weaker thinning in the peripheral part.
• When branching stops in the crown of the cherry tree, the bare ends of the skeletal branches of the first and second order are cut off to the first branching. This pruning stimulates the appearance of shoots, which turn into 2-3-year-old renewal branches.
• Bush and coppice cherries are thinned out.

In general, this is all that concerns the basic techniques of cultivating cherries. However, in agricultural technology it is also desirable to take into account the characteristics of each individual variety.

Prepared by Irina KUDRENKO, Candidate of Biological Sciences, National Botanical Garden. N. N. Grishko NASU

Magazine "Ogorodnik"

Evgenny Marichev

Prevention of pest attacks on cherries

To suppress the activity of pests that cause damage to cherries, preventive measures should be carried out regularly.

To prevent insect attacks, you must follow all agrotechnical rules (watering, weeding, loosening, pruning, mulching, etc.). Treatment of plants with special chemical compounds (fungicides) is of great importance. They not only inhibit vital activity, but also destroy insect pests.

Cherries are unique fruit trees, the fruits of which have a positive effect on the human body. Even a novice agronomist can grow fruit-bearing and healthy trees. But to get good harvests, you will need to study the basic rules of agricultural technology and follow them.

Cherry propagation

The seed method of propagating cherries is used extremely rarely. It is only good for growing the rootstock that you will be grafting onto. Most often, propagation is carried out by cuttings, grafting or propagation by root shoots.

Cuttings

• Prepare cuttings in mid-July, cut them in the morning, before it gets hot, from the trees you want to grow. Green shoots that grow upward on the south side of the tree or bush work well.
• Wet the cut cuttings with water, remove the upper part with underdeveloped leaves, then cut a cutting about 12 cm long with at least 4 leaves from the remaining shoot.
• Plant the cutting vertically in a box with planting mixture, deepen its end by 3 cm, and lightly press the soil around the cutting. Planted at a distance of about 7 cm from each other.
• Place the seedlings in a bright, warm room away from direct sunlight for best rooting. You can put supports on the box and film on them.
• After rooting, the cuttings are hardened by removing the film.
• The cuttings overwinter in trenches.
• In the spring you can grow them in a permanent place or grow them.

Graft

Rootstocks are grown from seeds. To do this, the seeds are selected, dried, and stratified for about 150 days at a temperature of +1 to -7 °C before planting. You can sow in autumn or early spring before frost.

The figure shows grafting methods: 1) improved copulation; 2) cleft; 3) in a side cut; 4) for the bark.

Vaccination methods

Beneficial features

Let's consider why it is useful to have cherries in your garden and what riches its fruits hide:

• Cherry drupes are rich in organic acids such as malic, succinic, salicylic and others.
• Berries are rich in vitamins A, C, PP, B2 and B9.
• The fruits contain minerals and trace elements: calcium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, copper.
• They contain a lot of glucose, fructose, pectin, anthocyanins, tannins, etc.
• Cherries are used to treat the nervous system, some gastric diseases, bronchial asthma, etc.
• Cherry fruits are used to strengthen the immune system.

Cherry is a real treasure trove of various useful elements, so it simply must grow in the garden and bear fruit.

Cherry planting

It is better to plant cherries in the spring. In the fall, you buy seedlings and dig them in for the winter. Spruce branches can serve as a shelter for them. When choosing a seedling, make sure that the standard is about 60 cm, at least 2-2.5 cm in diameter, with a length of skeletal main branches of about 60 cm (this is the size of a two-year-old tree cherry seedling). Cherry seedlings are planted when the soil has warmed up and the buds have not yet bloomed. Planting holes, as a rule, are prepared in the fall.

Planting cherries. Photo from the site dachnaya-zhizn.ru

• The soil should be neutral acidity, sandy, sandy loam or loamy drained. (The article How to find out the type of soil and why it is needed will help you determine its type).
• Cherries should not be planted in lowlands where damp, windy microclimates predominate. She loves lit places.
• Pre-lime the soil (to reduce its acidity if it is acidic). To do this, scatter about 400 g of lime or dolomite flour per 1 square meter. m, dig up the soil to the depth of a spade bayonet, mix with organic fertilizers. This can be manure or compost, about 15 kg per 1 sq. m. m. Mineral fertilizers are also added.

Important: Lime and manure are applied at different times , lime the soil before adding organic fertilizers to it! When planting, keep a distance between plants of about 3 m. For cross-pollinated varieties, consider the possibility of pollination. To do this, you will have to plant a total of at least 4 varieties of cherries. They are placed in the garden according to a pattern of 2.5 x 3 m for tall trees and 2.5 x 2 m for low trees. The exception is self-pollinating varieties.

1. Dig a planting hole about 80 cm in diameter, about 50 cm deep, or 60 cm deep. When digging a hole, place the top layer of soil to one side, mix it with organic and mineral fertilizers, as well as wood ash (approx.). Important: Do not add lime or nitrogen fertilizers to the planting hole to avoid damaging the roots!
2. Drive a peg into the center, place the planting mixture in the hole, pouring a cone around the peg to make it easier to spread the roots over this pile, then lower the seedling there and spread out its roots. You need to make sure that the root collar is at soil level; you can plant it 4 centimeters higher, since then the soil will settle. This is done to prevent the seedling from rotting, because cherries do not like deep planting.
3. Plant the tree trunk on the north side of the peg strictly vertically. Sprinkle soil over the roots and lightly tap.
4. Next, make a hole near the seedling, pour a roll of earth around the edges, pour a bucket of water into the hole, and after pouring, mulch the soil around the tree trunk with humus or peat. Carefully tie the seedling to the stake.

Varieties

One of the criteria used when choosing a variety is the time of fruiting.

Early, medium and late ripening varieties are classified.

1. Early: English early, Kent, Griot Ligel, Pamyati Enikeev, etc. The fruits begin to ripen at the end of June.
2. Average: Melitopol Dessert, Griot Melitopol, Volochaevka, Griot Moscow. These varieties bear fruit in late July - early August and produce a high-quality harvest.
3. Late: Generous, Rusinka, Malinovka, Toy, Erudite. They ripen in late August - early September. They have tasty and large fruits.

Boarding time

Cherries can be planted both in spring and autumn, but each time has its own characteristics. In regions with a warm climate, where winters are not very cold, cherries can be planted in the autumn, but it should be taken into account that early frosts can destroy a young tree. In regions where winters are quite frosty and long, it is better to plant cherry seedlings in the spring, so that during the summer the tree has time to take root firmly.

Spring

Planting a seedling in spring has a number of serious advantages. During the warm period, which can last up to six months, the tree will strengthen its root system and grow its crown. The cherry will get stronger and withstand the winter cold without any problems. In summer, gardeners almost constantly work on their plots. This will allow timely action to be taken in the event of a disease or the appearance of harmful insects. The supply of moisture in the soil, caused by melting snow, allows the root system to quickly adapt and actively develop.

Autumn

When planting cherries in the fall, an important principle should be observed. At least one month must pass from the moment of planting to the first frost. In the middle zone, the optimal time for planting cherries will be from the end of August to the end of September. When planting young trees in autumn, it should be taken into account that the soil, with the exception of sandstone, will certainly settle, and the root collar should be at ground level.

Before placing a seedling in a planting hole, its root system can be dipped into a mash of clay and manure or poured into the hole.

Landing dates and rules

Fruiting depends on when and how the cherry was planted. It is better to do this in the spring, in mid-April. Seedlings can be purchased both in spring and autumn. If young trees were purchased in the fall, then they are recommended to be buried for the winter. Spruce branches can serve as a shelter for them.

Planting pits are prepared in the fall. Cherries are planted when the ground has warmed up and the buds have not yet blossomed.

The soil

Cherries can grow in one place for up to 20–25 years, so you can’t make a mistake when choosing a place to plant.

Cherry grows well on soil with neutral acidity; it prefers sandy or loamy, well-drained soil. It is better to lim the soil in advance to reduce its acidity. To do this, dig the soil to a depth of approximately 15–20 cm, mixing it with 400 g of lime or dolomite flour (per 1 m2). Add organic fertilizer. This could be compost or manure. Cherries should not be planted in lowlands where a humid microclimate predominates, or in windy areas. Cherry does not like drafts and prefers a well-lit area.

Landing

For planting, it is recommended to dig a hole with a diameter of 70 cm and a depth of 50 cm. You can add organic fertilizers. The tree should be planted so that the root collar is 4–5 cm above ground level. You also need to dig a peg in the center of the hole, which will serve as a support for the tree, and tie a cherry to it.

What and when to feed cherries?

Feeding of young trees begins a year after planting. By that time, they will have taken root properly and absorbed most of the nutrients from the adjacent soil. It is important to observe the dosage and frequency of fertilizer application. Mineral fertilizers need to be applied every year, and organic fertilizers – every two to three years.

In the second year after planting, it is recommended to add 100 g of urea to the tree trunk circle for digging. In the third year - 180-200 g of urea or approximately the same amount of ammonium nitrate must be dissolved in half a bucket of water and pour this mixture over the cherries waking up after winter. In the fourth year, you can add autumn feeding to the spring feeding (180-200 g of urea). In mid-August or early September, it is necessary to distribute 250-300 g of superphosphate and 110-120 g of potassium sulfate on the surface of the tree trunk circle, and then dig the soil to a depth of 8-10 cm. In the fifth and subsequent years, add 200 g of ammonium nitrate in the spring, and add phosphorus-potassium (3 tablespoons of superphosphate and 1.5 tablespoons of potassium chloride per 1 sq.m of tree trunk), as well as organic fertilizers (20-40 kg of humus or compost).

To increase fruit set, you can use fertilizers containing boron or gibberellic acid. Among experienced gardeners, a drug called Universal Ovary is popular, which reduces the amount of barren flowers, ensures early formation of ovaries, and prevents their shedding. Fertilizing of this kind is carried out once a year during the flowering period at the rate of 2 g per 1.5-2 liters of water.

To improve the quality of fruits and ensure their additional resistance to mechanical damage, some gardeners practice foliar fertilizing with microfertilizers, for example, calcium nitrate, at the rate of 25-30 g per 10 liters of water.

Calcium nitrate must be applied before buds open. It is important to remember that it is incompatible with superphosphate.

When the roots and ground parts of the tree freeze, as well as when there is a risk of infection by diseases or damage by pests, foliar feeding is carried out with a 0.5% urea solution. The first feeding can be done a couple of weeks after flowering, and the second - another two to three weeks later.

If you want to get natural and truly healthy berries, you should not get too carried away with artificial fertilizers. Any fertilizer should be applied with caution, as too much can be more dangerous than too little.

Tree care

For healthy growth, the tree needs good care. After planting, in the first year of growth, it is watered and the ground is mulched with peat or humus. A feature of the cherry tree is the rapid growth of shoots. Because of this, the tree crown becomes very thick. In this case, the cherry fruits will be small, the harvest will be poor, or the tree will not bear fruit at all. If the crown is well sparse, the fruits will be larger, the bouquet branches and foliage will be healthier, so you need to trim the branches if the length of the shoots is more than 50 cm.

If humus and mineral fertilizers were added to the planting hole during planting, then for the first time 2–3 years before the start of fruiting, it is not recommended to apply fertilizers. During the fruiting period, the plant should receive a large amount of nutrients. It is best to familiarize yourself with fertilizer application methods and choose the best ones.

Do not forget to loosen the soil in the tree trunk circle. This will help the roots absorb water and breathe better.

Features of care

Its further growth and fruiting depend on the correct place for planting the tree. The average age of the crop is approximately 15-30 years, but this depends on care.

It is better to plant cherries in early spring in a pre-prepared place. It is possible in the fall, but then there is an increased risk that the tree will not have time to grow after planting and will freeze from severe cold.

It is worth choosing a planting hole for the cutting carefully. Sandy loam soils with low acidity and no nearby groundwater are best. You need to dig a hole, the depth of which is 50 cm, width - 60 cm.

Pour a mixture of ordinary soil and humus into the bottom and add 20 g of superphosphate, 1 kg of wood ash and 25 g of potassium. You can also use a bucket of forest sand.

Carefully immerse the root of the plant in the soil, then sprinkle dry soil on top and water. You can dig a ditch around it so that when watering the water does not spread out, but goes straight under the root. The distance between planted trees should be no less than 2.5 m.

After planting, do not stop caring. It is necessary to constantly loosen the soil, fertilize it, cut off unnecessary branches, and spray it against parasites and diseases.

The plant calmly reacts to drought, but if you water it, there will be many times more fruits and they will become larger and juicier. You need to act depending on the general humidity of the soil, air, and the amount of precipitation. It is imperative to water the cherry when it begins to bloom, while the berries are filling and before the start of the dormant period. In late autumn, it is worth loosening the soil around the trunk more deeply and adding mineral fertilizers there. This can be nitroammophoska, urea, humus, cow manure, superphosphate, dry potassium. It is better to give saltpeter in early spring, when the tree is just waking up.

Fruiting

Typically, the tree begins to bear fruit after planting after 3–4 years. With good care, the tree can bear fruit 2 years after planting. Depending on the age and variety of the plant, we can talk about the level of yield of the tree. From 6–7 years old, the active phase of the plant’s life begins, which is characterized by a large number of berries. With high-quality agricultural technology, which includes proper care, the deadlines may shift.

But it may happen that after planting your tree does not bear fruit. The reasons for this can be very diverse.

1. Poor quality planting material.
2. Poorly chosen landing site.
3. Errors in care.
4. Failed trimming.
5. Weather conditions (frost, rain or drought).
6. Lack of pollinator (it is better to plant two trees at once not far from each other).

How to make it bear fruit

A property of cherries that you need to know is that flowers on the same tree often do not pollinate from each other, in hybrid varieties - in isolated cases. Therefore, if it is already blooming, but the berries are not setting, you need to plant a pollinator tree nearby. Different pollinators are suitable for different varieties; for non-hybrid varieties it can be a specimen of the same variety; cherry is also suitable.

Cherry is a fruit tree belonging to the Rosaceae family, genus Plum. The oldest representative of this species is a cherry variety called Bird Cherry, but today this variety is better known as sweet cherry. The homeland of this culture is considered to be the territory of Denmark, Switzerland and Asia Minor. Today, fruit cherries are distributed almost throughout the globe; they are grown on an industrial scale in Iran and Turkey.

How long do fruit trees live?

Among fruit trees, wild apple and pear trees growing in the forest are the most durable.

In central Russia they can live 100 and 150 years.

Their forest counterparts in Ukraine, where the climate is somewhat milder, can grow longer than this. The first cultivated varieties of apple and pear trees, propagated by seeds, also reached this age.

It is known that such fruits are more durable than grafted ones, or those grown from root shoots or from a stump. How long a fruit seedling will live depends on when it begins to bear fruit.

But the shortest term in the Russian expanses, even in the south, is given to the peach - from 5 to 20 years.

In Turkey and Greece, peach species live much longer, up to hundreds of years, just like apricot. In the Caucasus there are apricot species that are about 300 years old. Cherries and sweet cherries are considered sissies in our gardens; they are loved by pests, and without proper care, these trees quickly die.

The lifespan of trees depends on how tall it has grown i.e. How favorable are the living conditions?

Average lifespan of fruit trees

• Wild apple tree up to 200 years old
• Homemade apple tree 100-120,
• Pear 200-300,
• Plum 15-60,
• Peach 5-20,
• Apricot 100,
• Cherry 25-30
• Rowan 80-300