This disease causes ulcers on branches and shoots, and also causes gum disease. The pulp of the fruit is affected to the very bone, ceasing to grow in the affected areas and gradually drying out.During the formative pruning, the crown is not allowed to thicken, all unnecessary branches are cut into a ring. At the same time, new strong main branches are laid. In tree-like cherries, the number of such branches is brought up to 10, in bushy cherries - up to 15. Later, when thinning, some of them will be removed. After completion of the crown formation, the height of the tree is limited to 2-2.5 m by transferring to weak branching. Trees prone to thickening in the early years of fruiting require more thinning than shortening. At the first signs of growth attenuation (with a shoot length of 15-20 cm), light rejuvenating pruning is started.
For the 5th-6th year, manure is applied at 20–30 kg.
The latter give new coppice formations.
It is good to sow green manure (rye, mustard, etc.) in the aisles of the garden. Do this in the second half of summer, when the crop is already harvested. When green manure plants grow up to 15-20 cm, they are mowed down and buried in the ground.
The tree is usually watered 3 times, but before watering, the ground around the tree is mulched and fertilized. It is necessary to water very plentifully. It is important to water the tree before the winter cold to saturate the earth with moisture.
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Having filled the hole by 2/3, a seedling is installed in it, carefully pouring fertile soil to the roots and compacting it. The support to which it is tied should be located on the south side - this will allow the tree to avoid sunburn. After planting, the cherries are watered, and the soil is sprinkled with peat, compost or mowed grass.
Popular varieties of garden cherries.
Appears at the time of mass cherry blossoms. First, it feeds on buds, flowers, then bites into the pulp of the fruit and severely damages it to the very bone. Females lay eggs inside the fruit, from which, after about 1 week, larvae appear, eating out all the contents in the unripe bone. The disease causes great damage to fruit crops. In apple, pear and cherry, this disease has much in common, but it causes a special type of fungus that is characteristic of each culture individually. It affects the leaves, and a mass of brown spots appears on their outer side. The infection persists until spring on fallen cherry and anemone leaves. In autumn, before leaf fall, the affected shoots and branches are removed. Spraying with 1% Bordeaux liquid is recommended.
Regardless of the varieties, tree-like and bushy cherries are formed based on the same rules.
Seedling and soil preparation.
Cherry varieties are also divided into three groups according to growth strength: dwarf (no more than 1.5 m high), vigorous (7 m or more) and medium growth strength (up to 2.5 m).
In a rainy summer, cherries can suffer from such a common disease as cocomycosis. This very serious fungal disease must be stopped at the first sign. First, red spots appear on the leaves, then on reverse side leaves form a whitish coating. On the fruits, spots can also be seen first, and then rot. It all ends with premature fall of foliage - already in August. Cocomycosis can be controlled with fungicides. If the tree is already sick, then spraying is carried out several times: when the buds open, at the beginning of flowering and after harvesting. As a preventive measure, trees are sprayed twice with a 3% solution. Bordeaux mixture. The first time - when flowering ends, the second - after harvesting. And in spring and autumn, all the trees in the garden (including cherries) need to be whitewashed lime mortar with the addition of copper sulfate.
Having received good harvest Be sure to keep it away from birds. They are capable of literally destroying the fruits of your labor in a matter of minutes. To do this, gardeners tie light blue flags, shiny discs, Christmas decorations, in short, everything that glitters. It helps, but not for long. It is best to cover the trees with special nets and then the harvest will delight you! Cherry is a heat-loving plant. Cherry is not only a very tasty berry, it looks very decorative on the site. The color of the foliage varies from green to dark green, while the berries range from yellow to dark red. But in order for such a beauty to please you, you need to know how
It must be remembered that cherries are self-sterile. For normal pollination, it is necessary to plant cherry trees of different varieties nearby. The second option is to try to graft several different cuttings onto a winter-hardy variety. Among the best pollinators, varieties stand out
Features of planting cherries .
So that the flowers do not crumble, try to observe the landing features:
How to care?
After 1 month, they go into the soil, where they pupate and turn into beetles.
Fallen leaves are destroyed in autumn and summer, anemone plants are not allowed to spread near the cherry orchard. With the mass occurrence of rust foci, trees are sprayed with 1% Bordeaux liquid. A disease that has spread widely in last years, affects leaves and fruits. Especially often young seedlings and weakened due to coccomycosis suffer from coccomycosis. bad care trees. Reddish-brown small (0.5-2 mm) spots appear on the leaves, as the disease develops, they merge, and pinkish or pinkish appears on the underside. white coating. The disease is caused by a fungal infection. Pathogens persist in fallen leaves, so all leaves are burned, and affected trees are sprayed with 1% Bordeaux liquid.
Cherry pruning rules: tree-like; bushy; coppice.
Cherry shaping pruning.
After digging out of the nursery, the seedling loses some of its moisture, so before planting it is better to dip its root system in water for 4-10 hours. 5-4 m. On fertile soils, planting pits are dug 40-45 cm deep and 50-60 cm in diameter. In any case, the dimensions of the pit should be such that the root system of the seedling can be freely placed. The soil from the pit is mixed in half with humus. It will not be superfluous to add 1-2 kg to the planting pit wood ash. On heavy clay soils, 1-1.5 buckets of sand are also added.
Fruiting of cherries depends on a number of factors, including simple, mixed, single and group buds. Simple have the beginnings of flowers or growth formations; mixed - the beginnings of both flowers and leaves at the same time; they are very rare, and only in bushy forms.
Galina Titova
So now you know how
Revna, Bryansk Pink, Iput, Raditsa, Tyutchevka.
The distance between plants is 1.5-2 m. As a rule, after planting, soil compaction occurs, in connection with this, it is necessary to plant at a depth at which the lump will be 10-20 cm higher than recommended. Soil mixture: leaf or garden soil, sand (3: 1). 10-15 kg of organic fertilizers, 150-300 g of phosphorus, 40-80 g of potash or 500 g of ash are added to the planting pit. Liming is carried out on acidic soils. Nitrogen fertilizers are applied in spring, phosphorus and potash fertilizers in autumn. Organic fertilizers can be applied in autumn and spring (8-10 kg per 1 sq. m.). After planting, the plant must be watered: 2-3 buckets of water per plant. In dry weather, water as needed. Young plants in the dry season are watered often and plentifully. In autumn, they dig the soil to a depth of 15-20 cm. In the season, the soil is loosened 3-4 times. After planting, the plants are mulched with a layer of earth or peat. The best place for cherries - open sunny spaces, with good aeration. For cherries, choose the warmest, most elevated and protected areas from cold winds.
How to increase the yield of cherries?
To destroy the weevil, a solution of karbofos is used (15–30 g per 10 l of water), sprayed immediately after flowering, spraying is repeated after 10 days. A good effect is the use of trapping belts, which are applied at the base of the boles in early spring. In addition, the beetles are shaken off the tree onto a bedding and thrown into a bucket of water, to which a little kerosene is added.
The disease forms oblong ulcers on the bark, from which gum appears after browning. Shoots wither, leaves dry up; smallness occurs. The burn spreads during pruning, grafting. Used mainly preventive measures: especially strictly selected planting material, at the slightest sign of disease, seedlings are destroyed. In addition to bacterial, there is also non-infectious gommosis, which causes the formation of gum on the trunk and branches. It appears with waterlogging, poor oxygen supply to the root system, mechanical damage. You can get rid of plant gommosis by eliminating the causes of gum disease.
This disease is caused by a fungus.
Cherry diseases:
Moniliosis.
Sanitary and anti-aging pruning.
To the bottom landing pit pour a little of the prepared mixture in the form of a conical mound. The roots are straightened around the mound and covered with soil, which is compacted. The seedling is pulled up so that after planting the grafting site is 2-3 cm above the surface. After planting around the seedling at a distance of 25-30 cm from the stem, a roller is made from the ground to form a hole for watering. The seedling is watered at the rate of 1-2 buckets of water. When the moisture is completely absorbed and the soil in the planting hole settles along with the seedling, the root collar will be slightly above ground level. After planting, the stem is loosely tied to a peg with a figure eight. The planting pit around the seedling is mulched with humus, sawdust or compost crumbs with a layer of 2-3 cm. Mulch protects against excessive evaporation of moisture and cracking of the soil surface.
Smoky spotting (clastero-sporiosis)
Cherry varieties can be
Care for stone fruit crops.
coccomycosis
proper care of cherries
Red spotting.
- a beautiful and useful tree.
Even during the flowering period, you can try to spray the sweet cherry with a honey solution in the morning (1 tablespoon per liter of water). This will attract bees and improve pollination. If frosts are expected during the flowering period, try to spray the crown with a solution of an ovary formation stimulator or at least plain water the day before - this will increase the stability of the flowers.
Powdery mildew.
Try to plant ONLY zoned varieties,
This is a reddish-brown butterfly with a wingspan of 12 mm. In Moscow, Vladimir, Ivanovo and other neighboring regions, it causes great damage to cherry plantations.
The causative agent of the disease forms brown rounded spots on the fruit, where the infection is concentrated. Trees are sprayed with a 1% solution of Bordeaux liquid, diseased fruits are destroyed.
Yellow or yellow-red spots appear on the lower and upper sides of the leaves, and the leaves fall to the ground. The fungal infection overwinters on these leaves, so they are harvested and burned, and in early spring the trees are sprayed with 1% Bordeaux liquid.
Fruit rot.
In tree-like varieties of cherries, pruning is temporarily suspended upon completion of formation. With weak branching, more attention is paid to shortening the branches, and in trees with pronounced branching, the crowns are thinned out to a greater extent. In cherries older than 10 years, the growth of shoots is weakening, there are fewer bouquet branches left, and fruiting is concentrated on annual generative branches. In order not to reduce the yield, one should refrain from shortening annual branches, especially weak ones. Pruning for 2-3-year-old wood and lightening the crown have a multifaceted positive effect on the tree. As a result of shortening for translations of the elongated branches of the crown, they become more compact, which makes it easier to care for the tree.
The basic techniques for caring for cherries are the same as for other fruit trees. Starting in spring, throughout the growing season, the soil under cherry bushes and trees should be loose and free of weeds. For this, 2-3 shallow loosenings are carried out in the summer. In autumn, after fertilization, digging is done to a depth of 15-25 cm. Cherry is a fairly drought-resistant crop, but watering will not interfere with it. The first time it is produced immediately after flowering, simultaneously with top dressing. The second watering is given at the beginning of the increase in the size of the berries. Watering rates depend on the amount of precipitation, soil moisture, as well as the age and size of the plant. The last winter watering is given in early November after the leaves fall.
Rust.
Self-fertile or self-fertile.
Cherry.
Bacterial burn (gommosis).
in the garden and grow strong and beautiful tree. See you!
bitter rot
First you need to decide on a place, since cherries are very warm and photophilous. Trees self-pollinate perfectly, so feel free to plant two or three different varieties side by side with the same flowering period or plant different varieties for one stem. It will be very good if you plant a cherry next to it.
milky shine
Cherries need to be fed. Young trees - 2 times per season (in May and June), adults older than three years - 3-4 times. Cherries are fed with slurry (1:6) with the addition of a tablespoon of complex fertilizer to a bucket of water. At the last top dressing, after harvesting, you should not use nitrogen fertilizers. Ash is well suited for top dressing. In the spring you need to add urea.
Or cuttings from productive varieties asked from neighbors Eggs overwinter near fruit buds on thin branches, as well as in cracks in the bark. When the buds swell, greenish-yellow caterpillars, 0.6 cm long, emerge from the eggs. They eat buds and blossoming leaves, after which the shoots dry out. When the cherry blossoms, the caterpillars crawl into the soil of the near-stem circle, where pupation occurs, and after 1 month butterflies appear that lay eggs.
Cherry pests and their control.
cherry aphid
This disease is caused by a fungal infection. The leaves change color dramatically, acquiring a mother-of-pearl hue. Pockets of dead tissue appear on them between the veins.
The disease manifests itself in the form of a white cobweb plaque on leaves, petioles and flowers.
Cherry weevil.
Despite lush bloom of this crop, most of the flowers of this tree do not bear fruit. This is due to the self-infertility of many varieties. For the normal fruiting of cherries, it is necessary to have other cherries capable of pollination in the garden or nearby. You can increase the yield of cherries if you plant cherry trees nearby, most varieties of which perfectly pollinate almost all varieties of cherries of any flowering period. Despite earlier flowering, cherry pollen is retained by insects, which then pollinate the cherry.
Self-fertile give normal yields if the entire garden is planted with one variety. Self-infertile in a single-sort array almost do not bear fruit. For each variety, pollinators are selected that bloom simultaneously with pollinated trees and ensure the normal process of fertilization and tying of berries. If the varieties are unequal, then the number of trees and pollinators is reduced by 2–4 times compared to the pollinated ones. The soil near the trunk is compacted. Immediately after planting, an earthen roller is made around the plant within a radius of about 50 cm, so that with strong watering, which is necessary immediately after planting, the water does not drain outside the pit.
Lyubskaya Ural Ural Large-fruited.
Cherry shoot moth.
If a fruit tree is alive, it must bear fruit.
The soil should be fertile, permeable to moisture, but not sandy or clayey. Swampy places and lowlands should be excluded, otherwise the tree will die. Since the tree is photophilous, a height of 50 cm can be made for planting. The distance between the seedlings should be at least 4-5 meters from each other, since the crown that has subsequently grown will negatively affect the yield of the neighboring tree.
In addition, due to rapid growth, young trees need annual pruning. Remove all branches directed inside the crown, as well as shoots on the trunk and from the roots. Cuts must be very neat, they must be made with a well-honed tool. After pruning, be sure to treat the cut points with garden pitch. Inaccurate pruning can cause gum disease.
Add lime and phosphates to fertilizers.
Cherry slimy sawfly.
If a lot of caterpillars are expected, then during the period of bud swelling, the trees are sprayed with a solution of karbofos (20 g per 10 l of water).
Infection can be prevented by avoiding mechanical damage, sunburn and curing emerging cracks and wounds
Gradually, the plaque acquires a yellowish tint. From the affected flowers, fruits are not formed.
When working with young trees, it is better not to use a pruner, which, pressing down on the cut points, injures the skeletal branches.
A competent choice of seedlings, planting cherries and caring for them - that's all you need to enjoy juicy berries from this tree in 5-6 years. Some novice gardeners think that sweet cherry is a heat-loving tree and it is problematic to grow it in the northern regions. This is partly true, this fruit tree is very demanding on environmental conditions. However, climate warming and the purposeful work of breeders have allowed the sweet cherry to "advance" far into the central and even northern regions of the country. Nurseries, garden centers, even online stores have a huge selection of cherry seedlings, including winter-hardy varieties. Therefore, almost any gardener can plant and grow this tree.
How to choose a seedling for planting
can live up to 100 years and reach a height of up to 12, and some specimens up to 30 meters. Once planted cherries, you can get delicious "dividends" from this for the rest of your life. The main thing is to choose a seedling that will take root without any problems.
When buying a young tree, you need to pay attention to such details:
- Preferred place of purchase - fruit nursery where the tree was grown. If there are no nurseries nearby, then you can choose a seedling in the garden center. The most unreliable options that threaten the acquisition of sorting are buying via the Internet, in bazaars from resellers and summer residents.
- The label is the "face" of the seedling. On it should be detailed information about the variety. If the seller has a passport (approval certificate, test report) for the plant, this is the best option.
- seedling age- not older than three years.
- Appearance of the seedling- the bark should be smooth, without any damage. The roots on the cut are light and elastic (not brown rotten), without growths and cones. There should be three roots, each about 20 cm long.
- If the seedling is bought in the spring - the presence of buds is mandatory, if in the fall - foliage.
When choosing a young cherry, pay attention to the seller and his qualifications. And also on the conditions under which the seedlings are stored.
The local nursery, as already mentioned, is the most appropriate place to buy a seedling, but why? Because a tree grown in these climatic conditions is more likely to take root and produce high yields than a tree brought from afar. The zoned variety also has advantages in early maturity, quality of berries, fruiting regularity, disease resistance and longevity of plantings.
If the seedling was grown in the south, and planted in the central or northern regions, this will be of little use. It is quite easy to distinguish the southern seedling in the total mass - the tree itself is vigorous, but the root system is poorly developed. The lower buds of the tree have been removed.
Also, experts do not advise buying seedlings from which:
- there is no trace of vaccination on the trunk. Such plants, most likely, are not varietal and come into fruition late, taste qualities berries medium or low
- no branches. On such plants, crown formation will take a very long time.
- poor conductor condition. A weak conductor with the beginning of tree growth will have competitors from strong branches
- two conductors- a break in half and the death of a tree is possible with abundant fruiting
How to store a seedling before planting
You can plant cherries in spring and autumn. Some gardeners buy young trees in the fall and plant them the following spring. If a tree was bought, but it is not yet possible to plant it, it must be stored in “comfortable” conditions.
It is necessary to store the tree in a shaded, cool place, it must be reliably protected from overdrying and damage by rodents. To do this, they are first kept in water - from 2 to 12 hours. And then, wrapped with a damp cloth, placed in a plastic bag or sprinkled with wet tyrsa.
If the tree is bought in the fall, it must be dug in until spring. For this, a shallow (50 cm) pit is made, one side of which has a slope of 45º. A seedling is laid on this side, after which the roots are sprinkled with earth, and on top they are insulated with what is at hand - straw, fallen leaves, spruce branches, burlap, roofing felt.
Some gardeners use this storage system:
- The roots of the tree are sprinkled with wet tyrsa. Then using polyethylene film a dense ridge is formed.
- A tree with a root system sealed in this way can be stored until spring in a cellar or basement. It is also convenient to transport.
However, the most best option- this is planting a tree on the day of purchase, in a previously prepared hole.
Choosing a landing site and preparing a pit
Cherry loves the sun, warmth and space. Since it can grow very high, this fact must be taken into account when choosing a place for planting - the tree must be at least 4-5 meters apart from others so that there is no shading. If you plan to set up a large cherry orchard, the trees can be staggered.
Other cherries (2-3 varieties) must grow nearby, or on extreme case cherry, because sweet cherry is a cross-pollinated plant. The main thing is that the flowering period of the trees coincides.
The optimal place for planting is the south side of the garden, a place with a slight elevation (not a hill, but not a lowland), protected from the winds. If it is not possible to plant cherries in the south, the southwest or southeast will do. It is also a good idea to plant cherries on the south side of buildings or fences - this is an excellent protection from northerly winds.
The soil should be fertile, and clay, peaty or sandy will not work. Also, the earth must be well aerated, moisture-absorbing and moisture-permeable. Even a slight stagnation of moisture is detrimental to cherries, so you need to ensure that there is no close occurrence of groundwater at the landing site.
A pit for planting cherries is prepared in advance - a few weeks in advance, this will allow the disturbed soil to settle. The dimensions of the landing pit are 50 cm deep and 80 cm wide.
At the bottom there should be a layer of soil mixture - fertile soil, compost or other organic fertilizer, as well as ammonium sulfate (2 kg / 2 buckets of earth), superphosphate (3 kg), ash (1 kg) and potash fertilizer (1 kg).
When to plant?
You can plant sweet cherries in spring or autumn, it all depends on the preferences and capabilities of the gardener. If planting occurs in the spring, you should not focus on a specific month. Spring can be early or late, and therefore it is important not to miss the right moment.
On the one hand, the snow should already be gone, the soil should dry out, and the temperature should not fall below 0º (even if a winter-hardy variety is planted). On the other hand, the active movement of tree sap should not begin. If the leaves have already blossomed on the trees, planting will have to wait until autumn.
Most gardeners prefer to plant cherries in the fall, as this time of year is the most wide choose varieties. But how right is this? A young, fragile tree almost immediately falls into adverse conditions, and it has less chances to survive than when planted in the spring, when the owner can observe its development and condition throughout the season.
- in areas with a warm climate, young cherries are planted in autumn - in September-October. Or based on the weather - you need to have time to plant trees a few weeks before the soil freezes
- in areas with a cold, northern climate, the planting procedure can be started in early spring before the buds begin to swell
Correct fit cherries are half the battle. Therefore, the process must be approached with all responsibility.
Landing habits regardless of the time of year
A landing pit prepared in the fall or 2 weeks in advance must be protected with a roller of earth. Pour a couple of buckets of water settled in the sun into the pit.
A small mound of soil is formed in the middle of the hole (it can also be formed while the planting hole is being prepared) and the planting process begins:
- The tree, or rather its roots, should be released from packaging.
- Leaves, if any, must be carefully removed - the plant loses through the leaves excess moisture. If the leaves are removed, the tree will “focus” on the process of formation, growth and strengthening of the root system.
- The roots must be straightened and trimmed if necessary. Spread the roots over the surface of the mound.
- Supporting the seedling with one hand, and periodically shaking it, you need to cover the roots with earth.
- When the roots are sprinkled, you need to water the plant with several buckets of water. When the soil finally settles, top up the soil to such a level that, after thrombosis, the root neck of the tree rises 3-5 cm above the ground.
- The earth in the trunk circle must be leveled and mulched with straw, peat, humus or special materials.
Drive a peg into the center of the planting hole - this will be an excellent support for the young tree until it takes root.
Care in spring, summer and autumn
Sweet cherries, if planted correctly, do not require any special care in the future. All activities are quite standard - watering, disease prevention, pest control, pruning, fertilizing, etc.
In early spring, the trunks of seedlings and adult cherries need to be whitewashed. In this way, you can avoid sunburn of the bark when it starts to warm up. spring sun. It is necessary to whitewash not only the bole, but also the bases of the skeletal branches.
An important step in caring for a seedling is the removal of weeds. Cherry does not tolerate any competition, which means that trunk circle will need to be regularly cleaned of unwanted neighbors. Simultaneously with weeding, loosening of the soil occurs, which allows the roots of the tree to receive more oxygen.
If there is no desire to constantly remove weeds, you can resort to one of the many options for preventing their growth:
- Landing in the trunk circle lawn grass with a shallow root system. The grass will need to be cut regularly.
- Mulching the soil with materials that are difficult for weeds to grow through. Suitable pebbles, sawdust, or special covering materials from weeds.
- Landing in the trunk circle ornamental plants that will cover the ground. The main thing is that the plants are not demanding on the nutritional value of the soil, moisture and tolerate shade well.
If during the season the sweet cherry grows basal shoots, it must be cut off, not allowing it to grow.
Watering seedlings and grown trees
Watering cherries should not be plentiful, but regular. It is enough to carry out the procedure 3-5 times per season. In especially dry periods, the amount of watering can be increased, focusing on the condition of the tree.
The first watering can be organized in early spring, the second before flowering or during the formation of berries, the third or fifth after harvest, and then as needed. Water consumption - 2 buckets of liquid for each year that the tree has lived.
A day after watering and after each rain, the soil in the trunk circle (if there is no permanent mulch) must be loosened. For these purposes, use a hoe or manual cultivator. After loosening, the earth is again covered with mulch.
One of the most important waterings is before the onset of cold weather. The soil should be tried to soak with water 60-80 cm deep. This is a great way to increase the winter hardiness of a tree. And also such impregnation will slow down the freezing of the soil in winter.
Pest and disease treatment
Treatment of wood from pathogens and insects is carried out immediately after the air warms up to 18º. It is noteworthy that bacteria and fungi, as well as all sorts of pests, can overwinter both in the bark of a tree and in the soil around it. Therefore, insect spraying should be carried out when the insects have already come out of the ground.
For preventive treatment, you can prepare a solution of 700 g of urea and 10 liters of water.
To scare away pests, cherries can be treated with drugs:
- akarin
- agravertin
- fitover
- bio caviar
the first spring processing must be carried out before the buds begin to open. If the solution gets on the tree after the start of sap flow, the kidneys can get a chemical burn.
To increase the resistance of a young tree to adverse conditions and chemical, biological, physical and climatic phenomena, it can be additionally spray with zircon or any other bioregulator. Due to this, root formation, growth, flowering and fruiting of cherries are intensified, and disease resistance is increased.
Attracting pollinators
Attracting bees is carried out in order to increase productivity. This is not a mandatory, but desirable step in the care of cherries during the period when they begin to bloom. It's easy enough to do, and the results can be impressive.
To attract bees and organize high-quality pollination of cherry inflorescences, you can resort to one of the methods:
- Plant honey plants, for example, mustard, in the garden or in the garden (if it is in close proximity to cherry plantings).
- Take a little honey, a tablespoon is enough, dilute in a liter of water and sprinkle the tree. Insects from afar will smell a familiar smell and flock to him.
Bees that come to pollinate cherries will provide the same “service” to others flowering trees in the garden.
organic fertilizers
Organic fertilizers, such as humus and compost, are applied under the cherries in the spring. In the summer, in August, you can also feed the trees with organic fertilizers - mullein, a solution of chicken manure.
The need of each seedling and young cherry tree for feeding with organic matter is purely individual. It all depends on how much fertilizer was applied to the planting hole, the age of the tree, the quality of the soil, and even weather conditions.
Top dressing with mineral fertilizers
Cherry needs minimal feeding. If there is too much fertilizer, the tree will “fatten”, many new shoots will appear, which will then have to be cut. Optimal time to apply mineral fertilizers- autumn.
Some gardeners do not use mineral fertilizers in the first year or two after planting cherries. This is due to the fact that fertilizers introduced into the planting pit should theoretically satisfy the needs of the seedling. Especially in the case when the soil in the garden is fertile.
Preparing trees for winter
After the crop is harvested, the cherries are left alone until autumn, periodically watered and treated for diseases / pests if necessary.
In autumn, when the leaves begin to turn yellow, you need to carry out a number of activities:
- The last top dressing with fertilizers, followed by digging the soil of the tree trunks to a depth of 8-10 cm.
- Water the trees generously so that they are saturated with moisture before a long period without watering. It is especially important to carry out winter water-charging irrigation in the case when the harvest was high and the autumn turned out to be dry.
- Fallen leaves need to be collected, it can be burned, or if the leaves are healthy, put in a compost heap.
- The last time to treat the tree with preparations, you can use one complex preparation against diseases and insects that are already wintering in the bark.
- Whiten like spring.
The most important thing to do for a young cherry seedling is warming. Even if a frost-resistant variety was planted, do not forget that the sweet cherry is still a southern plant. It is better not to take risks and wrap the trunks of young trees with any breathable protective material- burlap, spruce branches, but it is unacceptable to use lutrasil or any other synthetic material for insulation, since the tree under it is dying.
In autumn, it is also necessary to carry out sanitary pruning of a seedling, and then a grown tree. At this time, branches that have broken under the weight of fruits, during bad weather, dry or with signs of disease are also removed. It is quite easy to distinguish such unviable branches - they do not have leaves and berries, they stand out against healthy ones in color and structure of the bark.
If you cut off all weak, broken or incorrectly growing branches before the cold weather late autumn, you can greatly facilitate the wintering of the tree. Moreover, for pruning in the fall, it is preferable to use not a secateurs, but hand saw, since the cut from it heals easier, faster and more painlessly for the tree.
The nutrients laid in the planting hole are enough for the tree for 3 years. But nitrogen fertilizers were not applied during planting, therefore, in the second year of life in the garden in early spring, 120 g of urea should be scattered around the tree and immediately planted into moist soil to a depth of 10-12 cm.
It is even better from May to early June to carry out 3 top dressings with a solution of urea (20-30 g per 10 liters of water), followed by watering and loosening the soil. In the spring of next year, carry out the same top dressing.
By the 4th year after planting, the roots of the sweet cherry will go beyond the near-trunk circle. You will have to apply fertilizer and water further from the trunk. To do this, along the periphery of the crown projection, ring furrows are made with a depth and width of 25-30 cm. 150-200 g of urea are added to them in early spring, followed by watering, and in the second half of summer or autumn, 300-400 g of granulated superphosphate and 100-120 g are poured potassium sulfate.
Advice. Remember that untimely application of fertilizers or overestimation of doses can cause the sweet cherry to delay the growth of shoots, which reduces the winter hardiness of the tree.
In the 5th year, they are fed with ammophos in spring (30 g per 10 liters of water), and in autumn with organic matter at the rate of 20-30 kg of humus per 1 tree.
After fruiting, early in the spring they fertilize with urea every year, pouring 200-300 g into the furrow. In September, a year later, 40-50 kg of organic matter (compost, humus) are applied, and every year mineral fertilizers - 400 g of granulated superphosphate and 200-300 g of potash salt.
In addition, liming is carried out every 5 years using limestone, fluff lime, chalk, shale ash, and dolomite on sandy soil. The amount depends on the acidity of the soil. And once again we remind you that lime materials cannot be applied together with organic and nitrogen fertilizers.
Cherries are hygrophilous. Watering is required during active growth trees (in May), when fruits are pouring (in June), in drought and before winter (before the onset of cold weather). At the same time, it is enough to water once a week, but thoroughly, in order to wet the soil layer with a depth of 30-40 cm, where the bulk of the active roots are located. Mature trees are watered into an annular groove 20-30 cm deep, dug along the periphery of the crown.
But watering during the ripening period of the berries leads to their cracking. Cherries should not be watered in the second half of summer, as this contributes to the protracted growth of shoots and a decrease in winter hardiness. Winter moisture-charging irrigation is usually forgotten, but everyone needs them so much. fruit trees for a good winter.
The fact is that in frost and windy weather, moisture freezes out of the crown of trees. But it does not matter if there is moisture in the soil. Through the roots, it moves to the crown, and the tissues of the branches do not dry out, the plants do not freeze. Therefore, do not forget about autumn moisture-charging irrigations.
In autumn, when the last leaves fly from the cherry tree and the tree prepares for winter rest, the gardener should forget about peace. After all, this is exactly the time when a tree requires a lot of care, tillage, pruning and protection from the approaching winter frosts.
Below are specific instructions for caring for cherries in autumn period, guided by which you can easily and quickly put your garden in order.
The soil is the main environment, on the condition and fertility of which the growth and development of a tree, the formation of fruits depends. Therefore, digging and fertilizing the soil around the cherry trunk should occur at regular intervals, but regularly. Many people think that since the tree does not bloom or bear fruit in winter, there is no need to take care of the soil.
In fact, even in winter, the root system of the tree must have a sufficient amount of both air and water. After all, a tree is a living organism, which, although it falls into a conditional "hibernation", but still, in order to maintain life, must have sources of nutrition with the necessary substances.
Proper fertilization of the soil in the autumn
In most cases, gardeners believe that it is necessary to fertilize cherries in the spring. After all, it is in the spring that she needs a lot of nutrients that will favorably affect the growth of the tree and its other vegetative processes.
All this is correct, but one very important nuance- Fertilizers applied in the spring will only decompose in the soil and will only slowly and gradually reach the roots, when the tree has already blossomed and berries have had time to set on it. For a tree to have good feeding at the time of flowering fertilize in the fall.
However, here it is also important not to miscalculate with a suitable period of time when you need to feed. After all, if fertilizers are applied too early and they, due to good moisture autumn soil, will begin to decompose, the growth of cherry shoots may be stimulated, which is very dangerous for the tree (winter with severe frosts is ahead). That's why, fertilizer should be applied before the frost.
If you live in the Seven region, then this may be October or its second half. If in the more central part of the country - the beginning of November. In the South, if frosts have not reached the territory of this region, you can fertilize cherries even in winter.
Cherry top dressing in autumn can be carried out using both mineral and organic fertilizers. The best thing is a combination of both.
Organic fertilizers, which in particular are humus and compost, it is best to dig underground. At the same time, the layer of soil that should cover them should be at least 20 centimeters. This is necessary so that even in the absence of snow, fertilizers are not dug up by animals or they are not blown away by the winds.
Also, at such a depth, they will begin to decompose faster and will sooner get to the roots of the sweet cherry. If you do not have the above fertilizers, peat can be a good substitute. After all, it is also a natural substance, consisting of the accumulated semi-decomposed remains of plants, combined with mineral impurities.
Among mineral fertilizers in autumn it is best to apply superphosphates and urea to the soil around the cherry, which is a carrier of nitrogen. Very often, using dry mineral fertilizers, gardeners simply sprinkle them on the dug up soil. However, in dry areas, the natural soil moisture may not be sufficient to dissolve fertilizer crystals.
Therefore, it is better not to take risks and dissolve the fertilizer in water, and then pour it over the cherries. Use too a large number of mineral fertilizers are categorically impossible, because as chemical compounds they can burn the root system. Their number will depend on the fertility of the soil, but it is not recommended to apply more than 200 grams of each fertilizer per 1m2.
Wherein, it is necessary to water around the circumferential circle, that is, where the largest number of roots are located that can absorb the resulting fertilizer.
Very important advice- in no case should you apply fertilizer directly under the trunk of the sweet cherry.
After all, directly under the stem there are large roots, which only carry nutrients to the tree, but are not able to absorb them. Therefore, as organic fertilizers, and mineral is better to make along the periphery of the near-stem circle, at a distance of 0.7-1 meter from the tree trunk.
Loosening the soil - benefits and basic instructions
The main task pursued by gardeners, digging up the soil around the sweet cherry in the fall, is to saturate it with the air that is so necessary for the root system. Also, thanks to digging, the soil will be able to pass water through it more efficiently, and does not compact too much during the winter period due to the weight of the snow.
Soil cultivation can be carried out both along the perimeter of the near-stem circle, and contain all the soil in the area under black fallow. In the first variant, the diameter of the circumferential circle in the second year after should be at least 1 meter. Every year, in place with the growth of cherries, this circle needs to be increased, stretching it another 0.5 meters. Along the edges of the near-stem circle, you need to make a deepening of about 5 centimeters in order to use it for watering and applying mineral fertilizers.
When digging, you need to dig a shovel into the soil to a depth of about 6-8 centimeters. But in the event that heavier soils dominate on your site, you need to dig up the soil already by 8-11 centimeters. After that, it is very important to mulch all the dug up soil. This will keep the soil moist much longer.
The near-stem soil can be constantly kept under black fallow. However, this method has both its advantages and disadvantages.
The whole point of it is that loosening the soil around the sweet cherry is carried out throughout its entire growing season, in addition to loosening, the soil is thoroughly cleaned of all weeds. Due to this, the moisture in the soil will remain much longer. Thus, it will be possible to water the sweet cherry much less often. In addition, this method allows you to constantly maintain required amount air in the soil and favorably affect the activity of microorganisms.
But still, when using the black steam method, it is important to take into account the disadvantages that it can cause. The constant maintenance of the soil around the sweet cherry in this state can cause compaction of the arable horizon. As a result of the constant removal of weeds, changes in the water-physical characteristics of the soil may occur, as well as a decrease in its fertility.
To prevent this, it is recommended to abandon it at intervals of 2-3 years and sow near-stem soil with green manure crops and allow weeds to grow on it. Legumes can be used as green manure crops, as they saturate the soil with a large amount of nitrogen (replace about 4 kilograms of humus or manure). The cultivation of mustard, spring rapeseed, and oats has a good effect on the soil.
Rules and terms of autumn watering of cherries
If autumn enters its second decade and does not please with rain at all, the soil in the garden may dry out. However, we have already indicated above how negatively this can affect cherries.
That's why, winter watering in this case must be mandatory. After all, as gardeners and agronomists point out, if the soil is thoroughly moistened to a depth of 1.5-2 meters, then its freezing in winter is virtually eliminated, which will keep the roots of the tree intact. Thus, even despite the abundance of precipitation, you can simply check how deeply the soil is moistened and correct the situation yourself.
If you did not have the opportunity or the soil did not need regular watering in the summer, then in autumn, up to 100 liters of water should be used per 1 m2 of the near-stem circle of cherries(that is, up to 10 buckets).
If, after the summer, the soil has dried out only to a depth of 0.6-0.7 meters, then much less water will be needed. At the same time, during the winter period, the sweet cherry will not be able to use all the moisture introduced into the soil, so in the spring it will not even be possible to carry out watering - the tree will have enough water to effectively enter the vegetative period.
Watering cherries before the onset of winter is possible only on certain types of soil.. Such watering will benefit the tree if cherries grow on forest, sandy loam or podzolic soils. If the soil contains a lot of clay, and even located in a lowland, it is better to abandon this part of caring for cherries.
It is very important that this type of watering is carried out along with top dressing of sweet cherries. If, after fertilizing, you water the soil, then the nutrients can get directly to the root system of the tree much faster. Also, don't forget to mulch the soil. This should not be done immediately, but 2-4 days after watering.
Autumn pruning of a cherry tree
On various Internet gardening forums and in special publications devoted to the peculiarities of growing and caring for sweet cherries, very different opinions are expressed about whether this tree can or cannot be pruned in the fall.
Opponents argue that such a late pruning before the onset of frost can only damage the sweet cherry. After all, this tree is not able to quickly heal its wounds, and in the absence necessary conditions will hurt.
In particular, wood tissue can freeze slightly, which in turn will cause cracking of the bark, and later - fruit rot. Even if branch removal robots are carried out, then the cut points should definitely be cleaned with a garden knife, and then treated with garden pitch.
On the other hand, exactly in autumn, you can effectively remove all damaged and diseased branches, thus reducing the likelihood of the disease spreading throughout the tree. After, in this case, all remote branches should be burned along with fallen leaves.
Formation of the crown of a young tree
On one's own cherry crown may be poorly formed. This is especially true for the main conductor. It is especially important that it is 20 centimeters ahead of the rest of the branches in growth. Therefore, it is very important to constantly monitor its length, as well as adjust the length of other branches. The longest should be the lower branches, and the shortest should be the top ones (naturally, everything except the conductor).
How to protect cherries from diseases and rodents in autumn
In autumn, it is especially important to take up the fight against various pests and diseases that the tree suffers from. Thus, you will not damage or affect the growth of the fruit of the tree, nor will you interfere with the natural vegetative period of the sweet cherry.
In addition, at this time, various rodents begin to become more active, which are capable of causing a lot of damage to the cherry orchard. If there are other trees in the garden that have been affected by diseases, it is very important to carry out similar procedures with them, since these diseases can spread to cherries.
Protect cherries from sunburn
So that the bark of the cherry is not damaged sunbeams during the winter, when the internal processes of the tree are practically stopped and occur very slowly, certain measures must be taken. If we are talking about a small cherry seedling - it the trunk can be covered with various thin boards. As big as small tree whitened with whitewash diluted with water. With this, the tree will not only be protected from the sun, but also from various pests.
