How to care for cherries? All about pruning and nutrition

Cherry is one of the very first fruit crops on earth. She grew up in the sacred gardens of the Ancient East. Already at the beginning of the Middle Ages, cherries were collected by peasants in Western Europe. At the same time, the tree began to be grown in Turkey, the Caucasus and Crimea.

Until the 70s of the last century, it was believed that cherries had very low winter hardiness. However, it was Russian breeders who created completely new frost-resistant varieties, the berries of which are not inferior in size and taste to the best ones from the south. And some even surpass them.

One of the main advantages of these varieties is their resistance to such terrible diseases as coccomycosis and moniliosis, which annually destroy entire cherry plantations in Europe.

In this article we will tell you how to properly care for cherries in order to get a lot of tasty, ripe berries every year.

Cherry varieties

There are a huge number of varieties and types of cherries. They are classified:

• by the color of the berries (yellow, yellow with a red side, pink, dark red);
• to taste (sweet, sweet with sourness);
• according to the density of the pulp (tender, soft or dense crispy).

Early ripening

Their fragrant and juicy berries with excellent taste reach maturity in the 2-3rd decade of June. The best among the early varieties are:

Valery Chkalov . A productive, frost-resistant variety. It has a dessert purpose and is suitable for canning. Large fruits (7-9) g, collected on a small stalk, are heart-shaped with a dark red color. Berries with a large, semi-separable seed. Has average resistance to fungal diseases.

And the way . Frost-resistant, partially self-fertile, medium early-fruiting variety has an average yield and early ripening. The fruits are average 5-7 g, heart-shaped with roundness and a white point at the top. The color changes as it ripens from dark red to almost black. The stone is light brown, slightly pointed at the top, and sticks slightly to the pulp with medium density. If there is excess moisture, the fruits crack. The Iput cherry is resistant to fungal diseases. It begins to bear fruit in the 5th year.

Raditsa . The variety tolerates winter frosts well. High-yielding, but self-sterile, so a pollinator variety should grow nearby. The fruits are dark red in color. The tree is low-growing with a compact crown.

Orlovskaya amber . A variety of medium winter hardiness with good yield. The berries are average 5-6 g, with good taste, yellow-pink in color.

Mid-season

After the early varieties, the turn of the middle ones gradually comes:

Bull's heart . A variety with large pomegranate-colored fruits with hard-to-pull heart-shaped fruits weighing 8-10 g. Ripening occurs in the second half of June. The variety tolerates cold well and is resistant to diseases.

Fatezh . A medium-sized plant with small berries up to 5 g, but a stable yield. The variety is resistant to diseases. The fruits are pale scarlet in color and have slightly sour flesh.

Vasilisa . A low tree with mixed fruiting. The berries are large, up to 15 g, sweet with dense pulp. With good resistance to frost. It begins to bear fruit 3 years after planting.

Surprise . A variety with average frost resistance. Low damage from disease. Tolerates drought and heat well, but can get sunburn. Large berries 10 g dark red with sour pulp. Pollinators required.

Late

These varieties require more heat and time to ripen the fruit. They are finishing the cherry season:

Tyutchevka . Medium height. The harvest is stable. The berries are medium scarlet 6-7 g with red pulp. They tolerate transportation well. The plant is resistant to moniliosis. Ripens in early July.

Record holder . The tree is tall and productive. The berries are large, 8-10 g, creamy with a pink tint, the flesh is elastic, sweet, and has a medium seed. It is resistant to frost.

Regina . A low tree that begins to bear fruit in the 3rd year after planting. The fruits are dark red, large, 8-10 g, with a rich taste, suitable for transportation. They begin to ripen in mid-July. The plant is frost-resistant.

Napoleon . Tall tree. The fruits are large, 6-8 g, slightly oblong, heart-shaped, dark red (almost black) with dense pulp, which has a sweet taste with a barely noticeable sourness. Transported without compromising quality. Cherries are ready for harvest in early July.

By correctly comparing the characteristics of varieties, such as their flowering time, yield, winter hardiness, disease resistance, and soil requirements, you can grow an excellent harvest with a minimum of effort.

Is it possible to grow cherries from seeds?

Many gardeners dream of growing cherries on their plot. But this tree is quite whimsical, and often the experiment of growing cherries ends in failure. If you want to enjoy the taste of cherries, you must definitely follow the requirements for planting, caring for, and watering this tree. We will tell you about the subtleties and rules with which you can grow cherries and reap a good harvest.

Many people are interested in: is it possible to grow cherries from seeds? Often this idea comes suddenly when you bought or were treated to delicious, fleshy cherries.

Important: Cherries can be grown from seeds. But you shouldn’t wait for a good harvest. Such a tree will begin to bear fruit at 5 or even 8 years. The berries will be small and sour. In other words, it will grow up wild.

You can grow cherries from seeds as an experiment. Many people like the process of such growth and the final result of their experience, for the sake of sporting interest. You will be surprised, but there are benefits to growing wild game.

Wildflower is ideal for grafting good varieties of cherries. Demanding cherries are susceptible to diseases and depend on temperature changes, but wild cherries are unpretentious, grow well and can become a real assistant in the formation of an orchard.

Choosing a cherry seedling

The choice of seedling determines how the tree will grow and how it will bear fruit. For planting, 1-2 year old trees with a mandatory graft mark are selected; this will be a partial guarantee of the varietal tree. The roots should not have growths or damage. A trunk with a diameter of at least 17 cm with good branching of branches - at least 3-4, ~ 40 cm long, the bark is smooth.

Of particular importance when choosing a planting plant is the good condition of the central wire trunk. He must be alone - straight and strong. With 2 trunks, an adult cherry tree is likely to break due to the severity of the harvest, and therefore, the death of the tree.

A broken wire trunk will contribute to the development of competitors, which will have a bad effect on the development of cherries.

At what distance should cherries be planted from each other?

Cherries need cross-pollination. Therefore, it is recommended to plant 2-3 trees at once so that they pollinate each other.

Important: The distance between trees is of great importance. As long as the seedlings are small, this is not critical. But in the future, the trees will grow, and the crowns of neighboring trees may interfere with each other. They shade each other and do not give the branches space. This affects the harvest.

Therefore, even at the moment of planting the garden, you should take care of the correct distance. It depends on the dimensions of an adult tree and is calculated using the formula: A1 + A2 (m). Where A1 and A2 are the maximum height of the tree.

If it is not possible to calculate the height of the trees or there is no space in the garden, the average distance between the trees should not be less than 3-5 m.

Landing dates

Depending on the region, cherries can be planted in spring and autumn. It is important that this happens during the plant’s rest period. In the south, seedlings are planted in the fall in September-October, the main thing is that rooting occurs before the first frost. In the northern regions in the spring before the onset of kidney swelling. It is important to create an adaptation period before the onset of heat.

Why cherries dry out: reasons

Cherries dry out for the following reasons:

1. Diseases
2. Improper care
3. Close occurrence of groundwater.
4. Pests

There are two diseases that most often cause leaves and branches to wither:

• Moniliosis
• Verticillium

Examine the tree carefully. With moniliosis, the branches dry out, as if struck by fire. With verticillium, you can see brown spots on the tree from which gum oozes. When a disease is detected, it is necessary to begin the fight:

1. Remove diseased areas, clean off the gum.
2. Treat the cuts with garden varnish.
3. Treat the tree with a special antifungal agent that fights the disease.
4. Burn the cut branches to prevent spores from getting back onto your trees.
5. Continue to care for the tree throughout the year, following the rules described above.
6. In the fall, dig up the soil in the tree trunk circle and apply fertilizer.

Now you know how to plant cherries and care for them to get a rich harvest.

Preparing the planting hole

The most suitable place for the growth and fruiting of cherries will be sunny southern or southwestern areas of the garden with loam or sandy loam soil. Thanks to its air and moisture permeability, quick access of fertilizers to the root system of the tree will be ensured. This crop does not tolerate stagnant water.

During autumn planting, the following work is expected to be carried out:

1. Site preparation. To do this, fertilizers are applied per square meter. m – compost (10 kg), superphosphate (180 g), potash fertilizer (100 g). It can be replaced with a special complex fertilizer, then the soil is dug up. Acidic soil is limed a week before applying fertilizer;
2. In the prepared area, dig a hole with a diameter of ~100 cm and a depth of at least 70 cm, while the earth is divided into upper and lower layers and folded in different directions.
3. A rod is driven into the middle of the hole. Its purpose is to fix the seedling in a vertical position, so it should be ~0.5 m above the ground.
4. The deposited top layer of soil is mixed with superphosphate (200 g), potassium sulfur (60 g), ash (500 g) and compost. Part of this mixture is poured into the hole, lightly tamped, sprinkled with earth from the bottom layer, watered and left for 2 weeks to shrink.

Lime and nitrogen fertilizers are not applied during planting of cherry seedlings, as during this period they will cause burns to the roots.

In the case of spring planting, the prepared hole at the end of October and November remains open for the winter. After the snow melts, mineral fertilizers are added to this pit in the spring, and nitrogen fertilizers, which are prohibited in the fall, can also be applied. After 7-10 days, you can begin planting the cherry seedling. It is produced in spring and autumn according to the same scheme:

How to properly germinate cherries from pits: a step-by-step guide

To grow cherries from seeds you will have to proceed in several stages:

• Choice of material.
• Preparing material for planting.
• Planting sprouts in pots.
• Planting sprouts in the soil.

Let's look at what these stages include.

Material selection

The cherries you bought at the market are not suitable for growing from seed. The fact is that unripe berries are picked for sale; the embryo in the seed is not fully formed. Choose only ripe cherries from the tree; you can take fallen fruits. Check that there are no chips on the bones. If you have collected fruits from different varieties of cherries, sort the seeds into different containers.

Important: There should be a lot of seeds. During the process, most of the planting material will be eliminated.

Selected ripe cherries
Preparing material for planting

• Dry all collected seeds. Then wrap them in paper and cover with film on top. In this form, the seeds should be stored until the end of November in a cool place.
• At the end of November, place the seeds in water for no longer than 3 days.
• After 3 days, place the seeds in damp sand, cover the container with film and place in a cool place with a temperature no higher than 2°.
• Water and ventilate the planting material every day.
• We just have to wait for the sprouts to appear.

Sprouted cherry pit
Planting sprouts in pots

Important: Large containers are not suitable for planting sprouts in pots. This can cause rotting. You can use many small pots or one long container.

Recommendations for planting sprouts:

1. It is advisable to buy soil in a store. It contains all the necessary additives for the growth of the tree.
2. If you take soil from the garden, you need to thermally treat it. For example, in a microwave or in a water bath.
3. A layer of drainage (crushed stone, fragments of clay products, expanded clay) should be placed at the bottom of the container.
4. Add coal to the soil to loosen the soil.
5. Plant the seeds in moist soil to a depth of 2 cm.
6. Cover the container with film and place it in a well-lit, draft-free place.
7. Ventilate the sprouts every day, make sure the soil is moist, but do not overwater it.

Planting sprouts in open soil occurs in the spring, when the snow has completely melted, before buds appear on the trees.

How cherries grow from seeds

Planting seedlings in open ground

The prepared seedling is soaked in the root solution for 8-10 hours. Next, the seedling is inspected, damage is removed, and all roots are lightly pruned. Landing is carried out according to the rules:

• The seedling is placed in a prepared hole with the south side facing the peg. The roots are carefully laid out on the soil with fertilizer. The root collar should rise above ground level up to 7 cm;
• the roots are covered with soil from the bottom layer;
• pour in a bucket of water;
• the pit is completely filled up;
• compact the earth around the tree and pour out 1 more bucket of water;
• Make a roller from the remaining soil to the diameter of the hole.

When planting several cherries, given the large size of mature trees, seedlings should be planted on the site at a distance of up to 5 meters from each other.

Why the cherry tree doesn’t bloom or bear fruit: reasons, what to do?

Cherries bloom when the average daily air temperature is 10-12º. During the day the temperature should be above 15º. These are the spring months of March-April.

Let's look at the reasons why the cherry tree did not bloom:

1. No pollination . To do this, you need to plant not one tree on the site, but several. Cherries are not suitable for pollinating cherries.
2. Incorrect pruning . The crown should be formed in the form of tiers or a bowl at an angle of branches of 50 *. Pruning must be done on time.
3. Excess or lack of moisture . During heavy rains and when water stagnates, the soil around the cherries should be mulched with a special film. It should be watered not too often, once a month in the summer and once in September before the onset of cold weather.
4. Incorrect landing . The root collar should not be planted deep in the ground or, conversely, positioned high. The optimal height is 5 cm above the ground.
5. Pests and diseases . The tree may not bloom because it is affected by the disease.
6. Frosty winter . Cherries simply may not survive the winter if the frost resistance of the variety is low and the winter is cold.
7. The time has not come . Some varieties may not bear fruit for up to 5 years.
8. Wrong place . The cherry tree may not bloom because the planting site was chosen incorrectly.
9. Feeding . If you do not apply any fertilizer, the cherry tree may stop blooming.

Cherry blossoms

Proper care of cherries

In order for cherries to enjoy a good and tasty harvest, they need care. They need a sunny place without drafts, properly fertilized soil. The basis of care is proper planting, timely watering, digging, fertilizing, pest control and pruning.

Watering and fertilizing

Cherry is a moisture-loving plant. Active, deep watering is applied to it - the moisture should reach the location of the main mass of roots ~ 40cm. Watering is required in June - this is the period of tree and fruit growth, during severe drought, in the fall before cold weather, no more than once a week. During fruit ripening, cherries are not watered to prevent cracking of the berries. Watering also stops in the 3rd decade of July and August, so as not to delay the growth of shoots.

In order for the cherry tree to withstand the freezing of moisture from the crown and not freeze in windy and frosty weather, it is necessary to remember about autumn watering.

Whether feeding is necessary or not is decided individually depending on the appearance of the tree and the condition of the soil. Cherries in the fourth year and older can be fed in the 1st decade of May with the following composition: superphosphate, potassium sulfate, urea, 20 g of each per 1 sq. m. m. After harvesting, foliar fertilizing with mineral fertilizers is carried out and organic fertilizers are added.

Crown formation and pruning in two stages

A mandatory step in caring for cherries is pruning. With its help, a tiered crown is formed that can withstand the mass of a huge harvest. The pruning process should begin with the formation of a skeleton of the correct shape. It is held from 1st to 5th year. Gradually forming several tiers:

1. In the first year, the height of the trunk is adjusted: it is measured to 60 cm, 4-6 buds are counted up, and a cut is made.
2. In the second spring, the base of the first tier is formed. They will be 3-4 shoots located in different directions from the central trunk, and this is done by pruning them leaving 0.5 m. The trunk is measured 70 cm long from this mark, counted up to 6 buds, the rest is cut off.
3. In the third spring, branches growing inside the crown or vertically are removed. The second tier is formed and their length is adjusted. It should be up to 15 cm shorter than the branches of the 1st tier and 20 cm below the main trunk. It is measured from the beginning of the second tier at 0.5 m and cut off behind the 6th bud.
4. In the fourth spring, the formation of the first two tiers is completed; if higher branches appear on the tree, then the third tier is formed. To do this, cut branches to 20 cm less than the length of the central trunk.
5. In the fifth spring, work on the formation of cherries is completed - they bear fruit.

Pruning cherries in two stages

Summer pruning is carried out in 2 stages. The first after flowering, but before fruiting. To provoke the growth of new horizontal branches, young shoots growing in the wrong direction are shortened. The second stage occurs at the end of fruit harvesting. It involves removing weak, broken, misdirected branches.

Harvesting and subsequent care of cherries

Harvesting begins as the berries ripen. They can be collected in several ways - by cutting the berries with scissors along with part of the cuttings, or by picking them by hand with or without cuttings. For safety, devices are used on a telescopic handle; they can be collet with a grip or wire, pneumatic fruit pickers, and a tulip fruit picker.

When the fruits are collected, the trees are treated with insecticides and fungicides or Bordeaux mixture. Pruning and fertilizing with organic and mineral fertilizers are carried out.

Watering and mulching the soil

The plant most of all needs watering during the period of active shoot growth and fruit filling . Therefore, the first watering is carried out at the end of May, after flowering. The second - in mid-June, the third - in July, if the weather is dry. The third watering should be treated with caution: excessive moisture during fruit ripening can lead to cracking.

In September - early October, abundant watering is carried out in order to create reserves of moisture in the soil. Water consumption in this case is approximately 50–60 liters per m2, the soil should be saturated with moisture to a depth of 40 cm.

In order to prevent water evaporation, the soil in the circles around the trunk is mulched.

Cherry propagation

Cherries can be propagated by grafting, seeds and cuttings.

The most effective method of propagating cherries is the grafting method. This method requires cuttings and rootstock. Cuttings of several varieties are cut in the fall and stored in a cool place. The rootstock is shoots and seedlings. 1-2 weeks before the start of active sap flow, copulation is carried out - oblique cuts of up to 5 cm are made on the rootstock and scion, an additional cut of up to 1 cm is made on both sections. The scion and rootstock are connected to each other in a lock, creating immobility, and wrapped with a special tape or tape.

To improve the engraftment process, cuttings are taken with 2 buds, which must be of the same diameter as the rootstock at the grafting site.

To propagate cherries by cuttings, it is necessary to prepare planting material - shoots with growth buds ~ 30 cm long and a substrate of peat and sand 1:1. Prepared cuttings with the lower cut parts are kept in a growth stimulator for about 12 hours. Then they are planted in a greenhouse, with the prepared substrate deepened to 3 cm with an interval of 5 cm. Caring for them consists of frequent watering and maintaining a temperature of 25-300 C. The roots appear after 3 weeks.

Propagation by cherry seeds most often results in trees with inedible berries. This type of propagation is used to grow rootstocks compatible with any variety.

What to do if the cherries are frozen?

Both an old tree and a young one can freeze. Most often, young trees suffer after the first winter. If the first frosts hit in the first half of winter, the tree will probably survive this phenomenon normally. Much worse is the first severe frost that appears in the middle of winter. By this time, the tree loses its frost resistance.

Important: You can determine if a tree is freezing by darkened shoots, buds, bark, and roots.

When the snow melts, you can check if the roots are frozen. To do this, carefully dig out a small area and make a cut on the wood. If the color darkens, it means the roots are frozen. In the same way, you can check for freezing of shoots.

If the buds are frozen and darkened, there will be no harvest. They will crumble. This often happens in the spring, when frosts suddenly begin.

A frozen tree cannot always be saved. There are times when a tree is so damaged that all that remains is to uproot it and plant a new one. In most cases, the tree can be treated.

How to revive a frozen tree:

1. Trim off diseased, damaged parts.
2. Frost holes need to be cleaned before the spring sap flow begins, treated with copper sulfate and garden pitch.
3. Tree trunk circles must be mulched with humus.
4. A frozen tree needs special care. This includes frequent watering, weeding and loosening the soil.
5. If frozen cherries have bloomed, 1⁄4 of the flowers are left, the remaining ovaries are removed. This is done so that the cherry tree regains its strength and does not waste it on the fruiting process.

Diseases and pests

Cherry trees are susceptible to fungal diseases: clasterosporiasis, monoliosis, coccomycosis. Methods to combat them involve cutting out the infected parts and burning them. The cleaned wound is treated.

Dangerous enemies of cherries are aphids: black cherry and apple-plantain. To get rid of it, herbal preparations are used. Insecticides are used if necessary.

Caterpillars of the Pentecostal plant, cherry blossomworms, and leaf rollers cause harm. It is better to carry out preventive treatment against them in the spring.

Cherry berries have excellent taste and are a storehouse of nutrients; there is nothing more beautiful than a blooming cherry tree. And to have all this you need to put in a little effort and patience.

Recommendations for preparing seedlings

Trees aged 1-2 years have the best survival rate. To choose a good quality seedling, you need to pay attention to several points:

• availability of vaccination (confirmation of belonging to a certain variety);
• appearance - many branches, strong and well-developed conductor;
• the root system does not have dry, diseased or damaged areas.

Before planting, remove the foliage from the tree and remove damaged and dried roots. It is advisable to soak the root system of the seedling for 2-3 hours before planting. You can use a solution of heteroauxin, a root growth stimulator (the seedling is soaked in a solution of 0.06 g/l for 15-18 hours).

Advantages and disadvantages of spring planting

When growing fruit trees in the middle zone and southern regions of the Russian Federation, more and more summer residents give preference to spring planting of seedlings.

• However, this is not surprising if you consider all the advantages of such a solution:
• there is more time for adaptation and strengthening of the root system of a young plant, up to six months;
• During the warm season, it is much easier for the gardener to monitor the condition and development of the cherry tree, responding in time to any changes in the condition of the seedling, which are often associated with pest activity or disease damage;
• You can prepare the planting hole in the fall so that the soil in it settles well over the winter. This will significantly simplify the planting task, allowing you to avoid excessive deepening of the root collar.

• At the same time, along with the advantages of spring planting, there are also certain disadvantages of such a solution:
• in the warm season, vegetation processes are not inhibited, which means that the seedling, in addition to the forces for rooting, will need energy to build up green mass in the above-ground part;
• There is more work in the garden and garden in the spring, so there is not always enough time for mass planting of fruit trees;
• After spring planting, the seedling has a greater chance of getting sick or suffering from pests, which are more active at this time.

True, in the latter case this is an indirect drawback, since with the correctly chosen landing site and compliance with all the requirements for performing the process itself, such problems can be avoided.

Did you know? To choose the sweetest and ripest cherries, always look at their stalks: in suitable specimens they are dark green in color with the dark red color of the berry itself (the darker the skin, the sweeter the pulp).

FAQ

Gardeners often have questions related to planting cherry seedlings. They are interested in what is the best way to plant this tree, and whether it can be replanted.

How to plant grafted cherries?

Grafted cherries are planted in the same way as own-rooted ones. But if the graft is located lower than usual, it is important to ensure that this place is not buried in the ground. It is advisable that the grafting be 6-7 cm from the soil level. If the region is snowy, seedlings with the grafting located at a height of 50-100 cm are needed.

How to plant cherries with pits?

If you grow cherries from seeds, you will not be able to get an original plant. From a seed taken from the most delicious and largest cherry, an ordinary game grows - small and sour. A tree grown from a seed is frost-resistant, resistant to diseases and pests. Why is it? It can be used as a rootstock for grafting cherry trees or for landscaping.

How to plant cherries with pits:

1. The seeds are taken from completely ripe fruits. extracted from the pulp, washed and dried.
2. Place the seeds in a paper bag and store until December. Storage temperature is room temperature.
3. When December comes, the seeds are soaked for several days. The water is changed every day.
4. The bones are placed in a container with moistened sand and sawdust.
5. Place the container in a cool place (can be in the refrigerator) for 3 months.
6. They take it outside in March and cover it with snow.
7. The sprouted seeds are placed in separate pots. Depth – 1.5-2 cm.
8. Seedlings that have grown to 10-15 cm dive into larger pots.
9. By autumn, seedlings grow up to 30 cm.
10. A month before frost, they are planted in the ground, covered with plastic bottles.

Is it possible to plant cherries using cuttings in the spring?

The method of propagation by cuttings allows you to obtain all varietal characteristics from a new tree. But this propagation option is not suitable for all varieties. Usually no more than 10% of cuttings take root. And only in a few varieties this figure reaches 50%.

You can plant cherries from cuttings in the spring; this is done in the same way as when planting ordinary seedlings. But first the cuttings need to be rooted. It's not difficult, but it takes time. In central Russia, the timing for harvesting cuttings is June 10-30.

How to replant a tree in spring?

If it is decided to transplant a young tree from place to place, it is dug up in the fall and planted in the spring. Procedure:

• The day before digging, moisten the soil.
• Carefully remove the tree, having first dug a groove around the circumference - according to the diameter of the root system.
• Without destroying the soil lump, the tree is buried outside for winter storage.
• In the fall, a planting hole is prepared.
• When early spring comes, the buried tree is taken out. It is planted just like a regular seedling.
• To prevent the plant from losing strength as it grows shoots, its skeletal branches are cut off by 30%. All flowers are also removed to prevent fruiting in the first year of transplantation.

It happens that you have to replant an adult cherry tree. Such an event does not benefit the tree, but if necessary, it is quite feasible. Transfer order:

• In September, a circle is drawn around the tree with a diameter corresponding to the root system. They try to cover as many roots as possible.
• Using a shovel, cut the roots to 1/2 of the circle, and dig a trench along this half. The depth of the trench is 1 bayonet shovel.
• In the trench, the roots are again cut by one bayonet.
• Having filled the trench, water it with water - the tree feeds on half of the roots that remain untouched. New roots will appear on the cut part.
• A month later, the procedure is repeated for the second half of the circle and watered for two weeks.
• When spring comes, the tree is dug up and, together with a lump of earth, moved to a new location.

Spring planting of cherries is an ideal option for central Russia. Seedlings planted in spring have a better chance of taking root safely and growing into a strong, high-yielding tree.

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Video on planting a seedling: useful tips from a specialist

Igor Bilevich, a plant expert and popular blogger, talks about the general rules for planting seedlings

There is an opinion that a summer cottage cannot generate income. Expensive travel, high maintenance costs. Most gardeners treat gardening more like a hobby. Meanwhile, a competent approach to business allows you not only to get benefits from even a small plot, but often to completely provide for your family financially.

For each climate zone there are horticultural crops that provide the maximum economic return. In this issue we will talk about cherries - it is profitable to grow them in latitudes from the Krasnodar Territory to the Voronezh Region.

Why cherry

Sweet cherries are more advantageous than cherries - their yield is 2-3 times higher. It is practically not susceptible to disease and is much less damaged by pests. And let’s not even talk about taste!

Cherries are always in demand in markets and stores - they are one of the earliest and most delicious berries, so it’s worth planting cherries .

You won’t have to wait long for the harvest - cherries begin to bear fruit in the fourth year, reaching a maximum in the 7-8th year.

Modern varieties in the Rostov and Volgograd regions and further south yield up to 150 kg per tree, and even more in favorable years.

Economic calculation

When planted with a distance between seedlings of 5 and 6 m (in a row and between rows, respectively), up to 20 trees can be placed on 6 acres.

Already with a harvest of 80 kg per tree (for 4-5 years), from a plot of six acres you can harvest up to 1.6 tons of cherries. The market price of one kilogram of early berries reaches 150-200 rubles. Thus, already in the first years of fruiting, your income will be from 200 to 300 thousand rubles.

For the first three years, until the seedlings have grown too much, the space between them can be used as beds. We will tell you what to plant between the rows of cherries in the next issue of “Economy”.

Choosing the best variety

Before going to the nursery to buy seedlings, you should thoroughly study the varieties. It is necessary to select them so that the harvest comes in waves - from the earliest to the late. This will allow the harvest to be gradually sold. You can, of course, give preference only to early varieties - but then you will be faced with the problem of selling a large volume of perishable products at a time. In a word, weigh the risk and benefit and draw a conclusion.

Editor's Choice:

From the early varieties, we chose two seedlings each: June early (beautiful fruits), and varieties Valery Chkalov (large fruits, productive), Yaroslavna (very productive, drought-resistant, resistant to disease and cracking).

Of the mid-season, three seedlings of the following varieties: Bigarro Oratovsky (harvested, resistant to cracking), Donchanka (frost-resistant and drought-resistant, very productive, almost no need to reduce growth), Melitopol black (high marketability and taste, very productive and transportable).

Of the later ones, we took the Large-fruited one - five pieces (fruits weigh 11 g each - this is one of the largest cherries!).

For the middle band:

In the middle zone, naturally, it is difficult to get 100 kg per tree - here the predicted yield will be 30-40 kg per tree. Varieties should be taken that are more frost-resistant:

Early ones - Chermashnaya (ripens at the same time as strawberries!), Orlovskaya early (of the early ones the most winter-hardy). Medium - Malysh - does not grow higher than 3 m, Poetry (the largest), Fatezh (the most winter-hardy variety). Of the later ones - Bryansk pink (Winter-hardy, highly resistant to fungal diseases).

And in the Krasnodar Territory and to the south, attention should be paid to varieties with high-quality fruits - Kavkazskaya , Krasnodarskaya rannyaya , Dagestanka , etc.

How to choose a good seedling

When choosing seedlings, do not chase two- to three-meter rods! They will still need to be trimmed. The main attention should be paid to the root.

Ideally, the rhizome is well developed, thick, and has no growths or compactions. Dry and black roots of seedlings with growths and tumors indicate various diseases. One of the most terrible diseases is cancer of the root system. Such seedlings are very dangerous, since, once on your site, they can lead to the disease and death of many other trees, yours and your neighbors’. The white ends of the roots indicate that the seedling was dug up recently.

It is also worth paying attention to the tree bark. It should be smooth, since larvae can often be hidden under the bark scales, without stains or damage. Pay attention to the scion and rootstock - the bark should be slightly different. If not, perhaps the graft died and you got a wild one.

Site preparation

If you plant cherries , then, of course, ideally the area should be prepared in the fall. However, we have spring cultivation ahead of us, for which we scattered diammofoska around the site at the rate of 25-40 g/m2. We will apply all other fertilizers with summer loosening and watering of the soil (we will inform you about this in a timely manner in the newspaper - follow the publications!).

According to the “written” rules, holes must be dug 80 cm wide and 60-70 cm deep. 8-10 kg of humus and 300 g of superphosphate must be placed in them. We are not going to dig such trenches and we are not going to bring in manure either. They reasoned like this: there is a lot of work, but the result is dubious. To fulfill such requirements, you need a place for humus and fertilizers, which must be mixed with 2-3 buckets of earth and then covered with 20 cm of clean earth so that there are no burns to the young roots and they do not become rotten from the humus!

All this trouble for the sake of one - 3 years, such trees do not need to be fertilized. We decided that it would be better to feed the trees during the summer with each watering (once every 2-3 weeks) - it’s easier, and the result will be better.

So we dug holes

50x50 cm, and a glass of superphosphate was poured onto the bottom of each. A mound of loose soil was poured into the center of the pit (1-2 buckets of soil from the top layer, which was removed into a separate pile).

That's it: the site is ready for planting a garden!

The main thing is to plant it correctly!

The seedlings that dried out during transportation were thrown into a bath of water overnight. After this, before planting, we inspect the roots again and trim off any broken or torn ends.

To plant cherries , it is better to plant trees together, but it is quite possible to do it alone.

The technique is as follows: one person installs a seedling on a mound (see paragraph above). When the second person begins to sprinkle the roots with soil, the first person should periodically shake the seedling so that voids do not form near the roots - this is fraught with the risk of mold appearing later! As the hole is filled with soil, the soil must be compacted so that the roots are in closer contact with it. They compact it with their foot - the toe to the tree trunk - leaning on the heel, transferring part of the weight to the toe. We fill the clay from the bottom layer of the pit on top and do not compact it.

After planting, we make a roller 15-20 cm high. We compact the sides of the roller so that water is retained in the soil next to the seedling. The diameter of the hole should be equal to the diameter of the pit. The seedlings must be watered by pouring 3-4 buckets of water into each hole. For better survival, add Kornevin to one bucket.

If after watering the seedling along with the soil settles too deeply, it is carefully lifted up until the root collar reaches the soil surface. It is important that when planting, the grafting site of the seedling should be 3-5 cm above ground level. After the water is absorbed, sprinkle the remaining clay on top to retain moisture longer.

After this, all that remains is to cut the seedlings in half. This must be done without any pity. Specimens with strong, dense roots can be shortened by only 1/3.

After such pruning, the seedlings will certainly take root and outstrip the unpruned ones in growth. Don't believe me? Check it out for yourself.

Tips for planting cherries

Having grown planting material or purchased cherry seedlings, you need to take care of proper planting and further care.

Choose a place

It is allowed to plant plants near dwellings, natural barriers in the form of dense bushes or trees with a wide crown, but they should not create shade.

Cherry prefers well-lit soils, preferably with a southern orientation. Fertile and sufficiently moisture-rich soils are suitable; it is great if they are well-drained, sandy loam or soddy-podzolic.

The groundwater level must be no closer than 2.5-3 m from the soil surface. Acidity is also important - ideally the pH is 6-6.5.

NOT suitable for planting cherries:

• The soils are clayey, especially characterized by a heavy mechanical composition.
• Peat bogs.
• Sandy soils (even the application of fertilizers will not help, which can only lead to a decrease in winter hardiness).
• Soils where there is frequent stagnation of moisture (after rains, in the spring after snow melts).

Decide on deadlines

The most suitable time for autumn planting of cherries is considered to be early autumn - best September , towards the end.

• Seedlings with a closed root system (ZKS) can be planted from September to the end of October.
• It is not advisable to plant seedlings with an open root system (ERS) even in October; it is better to limit it to September, after all, the crop has a southern character.

When is it better to plant cherries: spring or autumn?

Cherry is a southern crop. Therefore, in conditions of cold autumn and harsh winter, it is better to plant cherries in early spring. In southern regions with a warm, mild climate, both autumn and spring planting are allowed.

Follow the planting pattern

More often than not, two-year-olds are planted according to a 5x3 m pattern: 5 m between rows, and 3 m between plants in a row.

To guarantee a stable harvest on the site, it is necessary to have at least a couple of different varieties, but they must bloom at the same time.

Photo: leave 3-5 meters between cherry seedlings

Description and characteristics of cherries

Cherry is a tree that in the botanical classification belongs to the plum genus of the rose family. It is one of the varieties of cherries; its other names are also known: bird cherry, Prúnus ávium. The Romans called its fruits kerasun, and the Russian name comes from the English cherry.

Did you know? In other languages, cherries and cherries are called the same; they are distinguished only by the words “sour” (cherry) or “sweet” (cherry).

Cherries were known back in the 8th millennium BC. e. in the territory of modern Turkey, Denmark and Switzerland. Today it can be found in the wild in Western Ukraine, southern Russia, the Caucasus, central and southern Europe, Turkey and Iran. Mass cultivation in amateur gardens in Russia began in the second half of the 20th century. In total, more than 33 varieties of cherries are known.

These trees can reach 20 meters in height, and they grow very quickly. The crown forms an egg or cone shape. Shoots are directed upwards, bare, can be of 2 types:

• with well-defined internodes;
• with weakly defined internodes.

Harvesting, transportability and storage of crops

The fruits should be at the stage of optimal ripeness - not overripe, but ready to eat. To keep cherries longer, do not remove them from the stalk. Do not throw, but carefully place the berries in a container. If you provide them with a temperature within 0...+4°C, the shelf life increases to 2 weeks.

Before sending for storage, remove overripe, damaged, bruised fruits, place the rest in a plastic bag