Spring replanting of cherries: timing, benefits, complete instructions

Why is a transplant needed?

The cherry tree reacts very painfully to changes in soil and location, so it is not recommended to touch it without good reason: the older it is, the worse it survives the movement.
Agronomists advise leaving trees older than 5 years in place: after transplanting, they get sick for a long time and stop bearing fruit. It is necessary to transfer to another place in the following cases:

The cherry tree was initially planted in the wrong place: in a low area, in an area with high humidity or in too dark.
It grows close to the house or outbuildings: it interferes with use, blocks the passage, the roots destroy underground communications.
A lot of cherry shoots have appeared, taking away the juices from the mother tree.
The site is undergoing redevelopment.
Moving to a new place of residence, the desire to take the cherry with you.
Use as planting material.

Transplanting a cherry tree or bush to a new location

If, during planting, the design of the site was well thought out and all recommendations for caring for the cherry tree were followed, there will be no reason to change its location. But there are other situations when a plant needs to change location:

improper planning of the location of trees and shrubs in the garden, the desire to use the territory for another purpose;
poor flowering due to poorly selected neighboring crops;
nutritional deficiency;
unsuitable soil;
close location to buildings and other residents of the garden.

In order not to have to replant an already mature tree, it is important to correctly calculate the place for the full growth of the crop.

Attention! Cherry is susceptible to lack of space; in such an environment it stops growing.

Need for an event

Timing for spring replanting of cherries

Work should begin when the tree is at rest and sap flow has not yet begun. The timing of the spring procedure is selected depending on natural and climatic conditions:

Middle zone, Moscow region: first weeks of April.
Siberia, Ural: late April-early May.
Southern regions of Russia: from the second ten days of March to early April.

In areas with unstable weather conditions, when choosing the time for transplantation, it is recommended to focus on the following indicators:

the buds have not yet swelled;
the average air temperature settled at 10 °C;
The period of night frosts has ended.

If all conditions are met, then the procedure is carried out in the morning, evening or afternoon in dry cloudy weather.

When is the best time to replant cherries?

Replanting a cherry tree is always stressful for the tree, and its further growth, development and fruiting largely depend on how it is done and in what time frame.

The most favorable period for transplantation is early spring or autumn; each of these seasons has its own pros and cons. Most often it is recommended to do this in the fall, from mid-September to mid-October, several months before frost. By this time there should be no leaves left on the tree. Autumn transplantation shows better results than spring transplantation:

at this time, high temperatures are observed, which allows the tree to quickly adapt to a new location;
Before the onset of frost, the cherry tree will have time to take root and strengthen a little, and with the beginning of spring it will immediately begin to grow.

The best spring month for moving a tree is considered to be the end of March - April, until the buds swell.

Spring replanting of cherries is done only when the plant is at rest, before sap begins to flow in it.

Moving to a new location during this period has not only its advantages, but also disadvantages:

in the spring the plant has a lot of time to adapt, which allows it to gain strength and safely survive the cold;
in new conditions it will take longer to get sick and adapt;
With the arrival of heat, pests become more active and can destroy the cherry.

It is better to transfer the plant to a new area on a sunny, windless day with an air temperature above +10℃ and in the absence of night frosts.

Selection of material for transplantation

It is advisable to move only young specimens to another place - no older than 4 years.

If transplanting seedlings is planned, it is necessary to select one- or two-year-old plants with well-developed roots, without damage to the bark and roots, signs of fungal diseases, and mold. The optimal height is about 1 m, the thickness of the trunk is 2-2.5 cm, skeletal branches are 3-4 pieces, the length of which is 50-60 cm.

Gardening tips

Tips from experienced gardeners for successfully replanting cherries:

When purchasing or replanting a plant , experienced gardeners recommend paying special attention to the seedling, conducting a thorough inspection, and cutting off all dry and damaged branches.
If the roots of the seedling are dry , it is recommended to immerse it in water for three hours. Thus, the small roots will be filled with moisture and come to life. It is recommended to remove damaged roots.
If there is no soil on the root system , then it is immersed in a special clay solution. A plant with a wet root system is planted and watered abundantly.
To avoid damage to the root system by rodents , the hole is covered with Christmas tree branches. The needles should be laid out.
A plant planted in autumn does not require special care in winter. They only make sure that the hole is covered with snow. This reduces the risk of the tree freezing.
It is better to transplant with the capture of the mother root. The cut part of the root is cleaned and paint is applied to it. But this can only be done in the spring. If you carry out this procedure in the fall, you can damage the seedling and the mother tree. Both trees may die.
Before planting, the crown of the cherry tree is trimmed. Thus, they try to balance the crown and root system.
The surface of the hole must be covered with mulch. It helps retain moisture and protects against severe frosts. In the spring it is removed and the soil is loosened. Further care is no different from caring for other trees.
During rooting, attention is paid to watering the tree . The soil should not be allowed to dry out; it should be constantly loosened.
The seedlings are given disease prevention and the branches are regularly inspected. The disease is easier to cure at the initial stage. Sometimes a tree cannot be saved.
Focus on your region of residence , regardless of recommendations for planting dates.
When purchasing, choose varieties with the required qualities.

Find out more about transplanting cherries and other fruit trees by watching the video:

Pruning during transplantation

Removal of part of the skeletal branches and crown is carried out to facilitate the survival of the cherry. Pruning balances the size of the above-ground and underground parts of plants. Thanks to this, the supply of nutrients to the roots is enhanced, and the process of rooting in a new place is facilitated and accelerated.

Before pruning, it is recommended to mark the cardinal directions on the trunk to ensure the correct placement of the cherry.

Skeletal branches should be cut to a third of their length, the crown should be thinned by removing 2-3 large branches at an equal distance. Treat the cut areas with an antiseptic or garden varnish to prevent rotting and pest damage.

Preparatory work

It is important not only to choose the transplant date, but also to choose the right place and prepare the site. These events are no less important, since it depends on them whether the crop will develop correctly and produce a plentiful harvest of good quality.

Choosing a new location and preparing a planting hole

Cherry loves places well lit by the sun, while protected from gusts of wind and drafts. The groundwater level is also taken into account. It is preferable to transplant the tree to a small hill located in the southern part of the garden .

The soil is needed with a neutral acidity level, loose, sandy loam. To make it easier for the plant to adapt, the soil composition should be selected the same as it was in the previous place of growth.

The planting pit for cherries is prepared with a depth of about 0.5 m and a width of 0.7 m. A drainage layer of broken brick or small stone must be laid at the bottom.

What to put in a hole to feed a tree

When transplanting cherries into a hole, it is advisable to apply the following fertilizers:

humus;
wood ash;
potassium salt;
superphosphate.

All fertilizers are thoroughly mixed with the soil.

Preparing planting material

Cherries no more than 4 years old are suitable for replanting. An old tree has minimal chances of taking root in a new place. Felt cherries do not tolerate transplantation well at any age. It is better to select young seedlings for this. The trees are dug up together with the earthen clod, without shaking it off. All excess branches should be trimmed in advance and antifungal preventive treatment should be carried out.

Preparing the site and soil

Cherries are extremely sensitive to changes in location, so it is necessary to carefully and correctly select the planting site. A well-lit place, protected from winds and drafts, suits her. It should not be in a lowland, otherwise the root system will rot and freeze. You should choose a site on a flat surface or a small hill (natural or filled).

A good location is close to the fence: it will protect from the winds, and in winter it will retain snow, which will prevent the roots from freezing. The recommended distance from other plantings and buildings is 3-4 m.

When choosing a location, it is necessary to take into account the proximity of other plants:

Favorable: other varieties of cherry trees, sweet cherries, apple trees.
Undesirable: apricot, nightshade, raspberry, sea buckthorn, black currant. Neighborhood with them will slow down the development of stone fruit culture and increase the risk of infection with various diseases.

As for the soil, light chernozem, loamy and sandy loam soils with a neutral pH are ideal for cherries. Sandy and clayey ones are less favorable, so it is recommended to drain and fertilize them before transplanting. To balance the composition of the soil, add clay and compost to sandy soil, and sand to clayey soil.

How to transplant an adult plant

A two-year-old cherry tree will take root well and take root. A five-year-old plant will be very sick, but there is no guarantee that it will be able to adapt. The lifespan and active fruiting of the tree is 10 years. Transplanting it at the age of five is not advisable. But if such a need arises, then you must strictly follow the instructions:

The cherry is dug up carefully so as not to damage the root system.
It is not recommended to shake off the soil; as much of it as possible should remain.
The branches are pruned as much as possible so that there is a balance between the root and the crown.

Methods of replanting cherries

The stone fruit crop is moved to another place with bare roots or with an earthen lump. The latter option is more preferable, since the roots are less damaged. Trees with bare roots take longer to take root, get sick more often, and bear fruit later.

The preparation of the planting hole should begin in advance - in the fall or 7-15 days before transplantation, so that the soil settles.

Sequence of work:

Dig a hole according to the root system. The dimensions of the planting pit for plants with bare roots are at least 60x60x60 cm. For plants grown in containers, it is 2-3 times larger than the capacity.
Set the top layer of soil (20-30 cm) aside - it will go with fertilizer to the very bottom.
At the bottom of the pit, lay drainage made of broken bricks, crushed stone or pebbles in a layer of 10-15 cm.
Mix the top soil with 8-9 kg of compost or humus, 1-2 cups of superphosphate (can be replaced with 500 g of bone meal), 0.5-1 cup of potassium sulfate (or 2-4 tbsp. ash).
First pour out the mixture of soil and fertilizers, then the rest of the soil.
Compact and pour generously with 2-3 buckets of water.

Transplanting seedlings

Sequence of moving bare-rooted plants:

Make a depression in the prepared hole and build a mound at the bottom. You can dig a peg in order to later tie the trunk to it.
Place the seedling on top, straighten the roots.
Add soil evenly, compacting lightly.
Water the tree trunk circle with 2-3 buckets of water.
Cover the damp soil with mulch.

Cherries with a closed root system are replanted in the same sequence, but there is no need to make a mound at the bottom. The seedling is removed from the container and placed in the hole as carefully as possible.

Replanting a young tree

If the cherry is moved from place to place within one area, the course of the operation is as follows:

Dig up the tree along with a lump of earth.
Inspect the roots, remove dry and damaged ones. Treat the sections with clay solution.
Thin out the branches.
Make a depression in the planting hole, form a mound so that after transplanting and watering the root collar rises 3-5 cm above the ground.
Lower the cherry into the hole, spread the roots down the mound so that they do not bend upward and become exposed after watering.
Gradually fill in the soil.
Make a groove along the boundaries of the planting hole.
Pour 2-3 buckets of water: in small portions, each time waiting for absorption.
To prevent the tree from moving after replanting, drive 2-3 pegs along the boundaries of the hole and tie the cherry with twine or rope.
Loosen the damp soil, mulch with peat, grass or humus.

If a tree with bare roots is being transplanted, then before planting it must be treated with fungicides and rooting preparations. The operation sequence is the same.

Transplanting a mature tree

When preparing the hole, it is necessary to take into account whether the cherries were fed in the fall. If fertilizers were applied in the required quantity, then during spring replanting they are given in a smaller volume. Next, you need to properly dig up the cherry tree in order to preserve the root system as much as possible.

Work progress:

Pour 4-5 buckets of water into the tree trunk circle so that the earth is compressed and does not crumble when excavated.
Outline the outline of the crown on the ground.
Start digging, forming an earthen ball on the roots. Its size depends on the age of the tree: if the cherry is 4-5 years old, then the diameter of the coma should be about 1.5 m, height - 0.6-0.7 m.
To make it easier to remove the cherries, make one side of the hole sloping and cut off the roots that are too long with a shovel.
Remove the tree from the hole and place it on a spread cloth or plastic wrap.
Remove dead, dry and damaged roots. Cover the cut areas with garden varnish.
Move the tree to the new location as quickly as possible. If it is large, then transport it on a cart with sawdust to avoid damage from strong shaking.

After this, proceed to transplantation:

In the planting hole, make a depression the size of the earthen ball.
Add a little soil so that the root collar rises 5-10 cm above ground level after replanting.
Lower the tree into the hole and straighten out the roots.
Fill the soil and water it.
Compact the soil in the tree trunk circle and mulch.

Preparing for winter

Winter cold can come suddenly and can destroy even the strongest tree. Therefore, cherries need to be prepared in advance, when the ground begins to freeze and the air temperature drops to -10°C . In addition, rodents begin to experience a shortage of food and the bark of fruit trees during this period becomes most attractive to them.

Mulching the soil will help protect the cherry roots from frost.

First of all, you need to protect the roots of the cherry from the effects of frozen soil in the depths. Autumn rains greatly compact the soil around the tree trunk, displacing air from it, which contributes to the rapid freezing of the soil. In this case, mulching the soil surface under the crown of the cherry tree will help . To do this, you can use any loose material: peat, leaves, sawdust.

A thoroughly cleaned trunk must be protected from sunburn. To do this, whitewash is carried out . This can be done using synthetic latexes BC-551 or the “Protection” product. You can also prepare the mixture yourself.

Compound:

lime 1 kg;
clay 1 kg;
mullein 0.5 kg;
copper sulfate 300 g.

The components must be dissolved in water until the consistency of thick sour cream. Adding a fungicide will additionally provide protection against fungal spores. The smell of mullein will scare away hares. For additional protection, the tree trunk is wrapped in breathable material and garden netting .

It will be useful for you to know:

Care after transplant

No special care is required, but you need to water it abundantly and often during the first year to maintain the required level of humidity at a depth of 40-50 cm. Then the roots will be able to develop normally and the tree will take root. After this, frequent watering is stopped, transferring the plant to normal mode.

After transplantation, no additional fertilizing is required. Every two months you can add an infusion of bird droppings. It is also recommended to regularly loosen the soil in the tree trunk circle and remove dry branches.

Video for beginners on how to plant felt cherry

Having seen the felt cherry blossom at least once and tasted its sweet and sour berries, you will certainly want to plant it on your site. Before planting, keep in mind that it is self-fertile; it cannot self-pollinate, like most fruit trees. Therefore, when planting, you need to take into account that varieties that bloom at the same time grow nearby. It is better to plant it in the spring until the buds bloom on the trees. But you can also plant it in the fall, since the longer the period of dormancy, the better the seedling will take root.

Felt cherries are propagated from pits, by layering, and by grafting, just like with ordinary trees. You need to know how to plant it correctly, since it has a shallow root system. But learn about everything in detail in this video.

This year I also planted 2 seedlings; I really wanted to grow delicious berries on my plot. And although our climate is harsh and unpredictable, I hope that they will grow and produce a generous harvest. And I will tell you how to properly care for cherries in another article.

Have a good harvest!