CHERRY: FEATURES OF GROWING

Cherry has always been considered a southern plant. Some amateur gardeners tried to grow southern varieties in the middle lane, but due to low winter temperatures, the trees were severely damaged by frost and often died. Breeders have created sweet cherry varieties that grow well and bear fruit in the middle lane and in more severe climatic conditions.

CHERRY VARIETIES AND FRUITING

ALL YOU NEED FOR THIS ARTICLE IS HERE >>>

The northern varieties of sweet cherry Cheremashnaya, Ipug, Raditsa, Sinyavskaya, Fatezh, Rechitsa, Teremoshka, Revna, Tyutchevka, In memory of Astakhov and others, provided that they are well prepared for winter, the temperature of 25-27 ° C is tolerated without visible damage. Under these conditions, only generative kidneys can suffer. In regions with winter temperatures - 30-35 ° C, sweet cherries need to be covered. Without protection, the plants freeze strongly and can even freeze to the snow line, which leads to their death. These varieties are resistant to coccomycosis and other fungal diseases.

Sweet cherry begins to bear fruit in the 3-5th year after planting. All of the varieties listed above are self-fertile. For normal fruiting in the garden, at least 2-3 varieties must be planted so that cross-pollination of flowers occurs.

Sweet cherries bear fruit on lateral annual branches and bouquet twigs. The main crop of adult trees (up to 70%) is formed on bouquet branches. Annual branches are formed on branches that are more than 30-40 cm long, and bouquet ones - on underdeveloped branches 20-30 cm long. Flower buds and one growth apical are formed on shorter branches (10-15 cm).

Reference by topic: Cherry varieties for growing all season

PREFERENCES AND PLANTING CHERRY

Cherry is demanding for heat and light. He likes elevated, open and sunny places, excluding the stagnation of cold air. The site must be protected from all sides, especially from the north and northeast winds. It is better to place trees on the south or south-west side of the buildings or in a free sunny place among adult fruit trees, but at a distance of at least 3-5 m from them. With a closer placement, the sweet cherry forms a one-sided crown.

For this culture, soils that are light in mechanical composition (sandy loam, light and medium loams), fertile, slightly acidic, neutral or slightly alkaline with a pH of 7-7, which have a sufficiently powerful cultivated permeable subsoil horizon, are suitable. Unsuitable heavy clay, gley and peat-bog. On sandy lands with a thin fertile layer, sweet cherry grows poorly, bears little fruit, quickly ages and is short-lived.

Sweet cherry does not tolerate close occurrence of groundwater. Their level from the surface should be no closer than 2-2 m. It does not tolerate stagnant surface water, even short-term flooding.

Cherry seedlings are planted in early spring, before bud break, so that during the summer-autumn season the trees are well prepared for the first wintering. Landing pattern - 3-3, 5 × 4-5, 5 m.

Pits 70-80 cm in diameter and 60-70 cm deep are dug in autumn or early spring 10-12 days before planting. The bottom with dense soil is loosened with a crowbar for better permeability. Part of the fertile soil taken out of the pit is mixed with humus or rotted compost (2-3 buckets), 200-400 g of superphosphate, 1-5 kg of wood ash and poured into it by 1/2 so that a mound forms in the center . From above, a layer of fertile soil without fertilizers is poured 3-5 cm thick and compacted well. Cherry does not tolerate deepening of the neck. Therefore, the seedlings are set so that the root neck is 7-5 cm above the level of the edges of the pit, and covered with fertile soil without fertilizers. After planting, be sure to water. If necessary, watering is repeated at intervals of 6-7 days.

CHERRY - CARE AND CUTTING

Care of planted seedlings includes crown formation and pruning, fertilizing, watering, loosening the trunk circle, pest and disease control.

Cherry pruning is carried out only in early spring before the buds swell. All inflicted wounds are treated and covered with garden pitch to prevent gum disease, which leads to infection with fungal diseases and can cause the death of the tree.

The natural crown shape of sweet cherries varies from pyramidal to rounded. The crown is most often formed sparsely-tiered with a stem height of 60-80 cm. Forming begins in the spring of the next year after planting.

FOR THE NOTICE

When planting an annual seedling that does not have a crown, the stem is not shortened. From the apical buds, the central conductor and side branches are left to grow at a large angle of departure from the stem (at least 45 °). But if the seedling is very elongated and without side branches, then it is cut at a height of 100-110 cm.

If a two-year-old tree is planted with existing side shoots and their tops are at the level of the top of the central conductor, then they are cut so that they are 15-20 cm lower than the conductor.

This form of the crown consists of 5-6 skeletal branches (of the first order). Three branches are left in the first tier, two of which can be placed adjacently, and the third - above the first two at a distance of 15-20 cm. In the spring of the third year, the second tier of skeletal branches is laid at a distance of 60-80 cm from the upper branch of the first tier. In the same year, on each branch of the first order, two branches of the second order (the so-called semi-skeletal) are formed.

For their formation, branches of the first order, which have reached a length of 60-70 cm, are shortened by 20 cm, taking into account the subordination of shoots. Branches of the second order are left at a distance of at least 50 cm from the trunk and from each other. The third tier is formed from a single branch at a distance of 30-40 cm from the second tier. At the same time, the central conductor is cut out above the branch of the third tier a year after its formation.

Cherry care. Formation and feeding of cherries.

FEEDING CHERRY - AGRONOMIST'S RECOMMENDATIONS

For the first 2-3 years, the trees use the nutrients that were put into the holes before planting.

Nitrogen mineral fertilizers are applied every spring no later than April - May, starting from the next year after planting (20 g of ammonium nitrate or 15 g of urea per 1 sq.m of the trunk circle). Organics - once every 2-3 years, 3-4 kg / sq.m, also in April - May, when loosening the soil. The later application of these fertilizers excessively delays the growth of shoots, the wood of which does not have time to ripen before the onset of cold weather, which negatively affects their winter hardiness.

Phosphorus and potash fertilizers begin to be fed 2-3 years after planting. Superphosphate (40-60 g / sq.m) and potassium chloride (20-25 g) are applied every 2-3 years for digging the trunk circle in the first half of September.

Sweet cherry especially needs moisture in June, when shoots and ovaries grow intensively. At this time, the soil should not be allowed to dry out. During a drought during this period, 1-2 irrigations are carried out on light soils at the rate of 40-50 liters of water per 1 sq.m of the near-stem circle. During autumn drought, water-charging irrigation is carried out after leaf fall at an average daily temperature of 3°C.

Against coccomycosis, clasterosporiasis and moniliosis in early spring, before bud break, the trees and the soil under them are sprayed with 3% Bordeaux liquid, 10% ammonium nitrate solution or 7% urea solution.