Cherry fruits captivate with taste and are in great demand. Gardeners also love the crop because it is almost not damaged by diseases and pests. The cherry tree is powerful, reaches a height of 20 meters and has a semi-spreading crown. On calcareous soils with a high organic content good care A cherry tree will live up to 100 years.

Popular varieties of cherries

A lot of cherries are grown in Moldova, Ukraine, and Georgia. In the Russian Federation, the crop is successfully cultivated in the Stavropol region, Crimea, Krasnodar region and Dagestan. In these regions, thanks to the mild southern climate, any variety can be planted.

Recently, excellent cultivars have appeared for the temperate climate of the middle zone. The first varieties of cherries for the Central Black Earth Region were obtained at the Rossoshan experimental station:

Julia– a tree up to 8 meters high with vertical branches. The berries are pink-yellow.
Early pink– tree height up to 5 m, pink berries with a yellow side.
Rossoshanskaya large– late-ripening variety with large dark berries – up to 7 g. The tree is tall.

Cherry selection is successfully carried out at the Oryol Experimental Station. Oryol breeders have developed 3 new varieties:

Orlovskaya pink- the most frost-resistant of all Oryol varieties, can withstand spring thaws. The berries are yellow, tree height is 3.5 m.
Poetry– a large-fruited variety with heart-shaped fruits of a dark red color. Tree 3.5 m high.
Baby- a tree no more than 3 meters high, which is rare for a tall crop. The crown is compact. Due to its small size, the variety can be covered during spring frosts with any non-woven material. The fruits are bright yellow.

Oryol varieties can withstand temperatures down to -37, giving an average yield of 10 kg per tree. They are resistant to coccomycosis and begin to bear fruit already in the fourth year after planting.

Cherry seedlings are bought in autumn and spring. It is better to buy annual ones - they take root faster. Pay attention to the roots - they should be powerful, and the cuts should be light in color.

It is better not to buy seedlings that have dried leaves on their branches - their root system may be overdried, since seedlings with leaves quickly evaporate moisture. Overdried seedlings do not take root well or do not take root at all.

Nurseries grow tall seedlings for industrial gardens. The height of the plants reaches 2 meters. They grow into trees on a high trunk, which are easy to care for in industrial culture. To grow in dachas, you need other trees: more compact and low-growing ones.

In southern nurseries, cherries are grafted onto Antipka - Magaleb cherry. Even when planted in the fall, they manage to take root, ripen by winter and overwinter well. If a tall seedling is planted in a cold climate, it will go into the winter unprepared and freeze.

In central Russia, it is better to choose seedlings grafted onto wild cherries and grown on a small stem - about 20 cm. After planting, you can trim the stem yourself to the desired height, and then grow a tree from it in a bushy form, without a central trunk.

Preparing cherries for planting

When planting cherries, it is important to choose the right place.

Light

The culture is demanding of light. IN wildlife it never grows near tall trees, preferring places where it can occupy the upper tier, suppressing other plants. If a cherry tree in the garden is shaded by taller trees, the crown will begin to stretch upward and the tree will become difficult to maintain. Fruiting will concentrate at the top, and the fruits will become small and lose their sweetness.

The soil

The second requirement of culture, after light, is soil quality. For cherries, soil with a good structure is suitable, allowing air to penetrate deep into the ground.

The tree will not grow on clay. Loose, heated, organic-rich loams and sandy loams are better suited, in which the roots can penetrate a layer 20-60 cm from the surface. Individual vertical cherry roots can go 2 meters or more deep.

The wintering of a tree greatly depends on the soil. On heavy clays, cherries freeze out more often. The tree does not tolerate rocky soils well due to the fact that they are poorly soaked with water. In the south, industrial plantations are planted in river floodplains and non-flooded river valleys.

In the south, cherries are planted in the fall. In the temperate zone, only spring planting is used.

The cherry tree grows quickly and needs a large feeding area. Seedlings are planted in the corners of a square with a side length of at least 6 m.

The soil for planting is carefully prepared. Later, the soil in the tree trunk circles cannot be deeply cultivated to add fertilizer or ameliorants. Impressive holes are dug for planting seedlings: width 1 m, diameter 0.8 m. Under each seedling, the following is added to the bottom of the pit:

10 kg of humus;
3 packs of double superphosphate;
500 gr. potash fertilizers.

Sweet cherries have the same agricultural technology as cherries. The main difference in growing crops is that cherries do not have self-fertile varieties.

In the year of planting, nothing is planted in the tree trunk circles; the soil is kept under black fallow. Weeds are strictly weeded out throughout the growing season.

Next year, the row spacing can be used for growing other crops, leaving at least 1 m of free area next to the tree. Then, every year, another 50 cm is added to the tree trunk circle. The tree trunk circles are always kept free of weeds and, if possible, mulched with any bulk material.

A pollinating variety should be planted next to the cherry tree. A universal pollinator for any cherry is the Crimean variety.

Vegetables and flowers can be planted next to young cherry trees in the rows of the garden.

Bad neighborhood

You should not plant perennial crops, such as berry bushes, between rows. Cherries grow quickly. Despite the delicate appearance of the seedlings, they will quickly turn into trees and their crowns will close together.

Watering

Cherry is moderately demanding of moisture compared to other crops. She does not like waterlogging, reacting to it with gum production. In areas where groundwater comes close to the surface, the roots rot and the tree dies in a matter of years.

The requirements for moisture are influenced by the characteristics of the rootstock. If antipowder was used for the rootstock, the tree will be more drought-resistant. A plant grafted onto a wild cherry seedling, on the contrary, is very sensitive to drought.

Three additional waterings are carried out in the garden during the summer, each time mulching or loosening the soil crust. The crop reacts poorly to dry or humid air - the fruits rot or become smaller.

Cherry trees are treated against pests and diseases as they appear. The crop is resistant to phytopathologies and harmful insects, so you won’t have to spray the garden often.

Pest	Symptoms	Drugs
	The leaves at the ends of the shoots curl up and young branches stop growing. On the back of the leaves there are colonies of small light green insects. Aphids appear on root shoots and near weakened trees	Cut out root shoots early in spring. If pests are on the main tree, spray young branches: 300 gr. laundry soap and 10 l. water. In spring and autumn, whiten the trunk and clean the old bark with a wire brush
Fruit rot	The pulp rots on the branch. Even unripe fruits are affected. Rotten berries become covered with hard cushions containing fungal spores	Immediately collect fallen and rotten fruits on the branches. Spray the bushes immediately after setting the berries with Bordeaux mixture
Coccomycosis	Weakened seedlings and trees are susceptible. The leaves are covered with red-brown spots, 2 mm in diameter. The spots merge on the lower surface of the plates. The infection overwinters in fallen leaves	Collect leaf litter in the fall and burn it. During the growing season, spray the trees with oxychome or Bordeaux mixture in the dosage specified in the instructions for the drug

Top dressing

Cherry is a fast-growing crop. Certain varieties come into offering in the fourth year. To do this, the tree will need a lot of nutrients. The garden is fertilized in the fall, adding organic matter and mineral fertilizers. It is advisable to apply the fertilizer to a depth of 20 cm.

In arid areas, dry fertilizers should not be applied - they will burn the roots. Mineral granules are first dissolved in water, and then the solution is poured, after spilling the soil with clean water.

The largest concentration of suction roots of cherries is located along the perimeter of the crown - it is worth pouring the fertilizer solution there. It is useless to pour fertilizers next to the trunk - they will not be absorbed, since an adult tree does not have suction roots in this area.

You can improve the condition of the tree and increase productivity by using green manure. For this purpose, the trunk circles and row spacing of the garden are sown with perennial legumes:

lupine;
clover;
sainfoin;
Lyadvinets;
alfalfa;
sweet clover

The above-ground part of the grasses is regularly mowed, leaving no more than 10-15 cm on the surface. Nitrogen-fixing bacteria develop on the underground parts of leguminous grasses, enriching the soil in the garden with nitrogen useful for cherries. A garden where row spacing and trunk circles are kept planted with grass will have to be watered much more often, since the deep root system of perennial legumes pumps a lot of water out of the soil.

Trimming

If the cherry tree is not shaped, the harvest will be low, and the tree will grow bulky, inconvenient for care and harvesting. Birds love cherry berries. By making the tree compact and low, you can cover it with a net during the ripening of the crop, and then the birds will not get to the tasty fruits.

The cherry tree has a sparse crown; few skeletal branches form on the tree, so shaping is not difficult. The crown shape that needs to be given to the tree depends on the type of garden. When planting thickly, trees are formed in the form of palmettes. In medium-density gardens, preference is given to flat-round and cup-shaped shapes.

Cherry trees can only be pruned in the spring, removing branches that have frozen over the winter, thinning out and shortening annual growth. When shortening lateral branches, the rule is that the central conductor should always be 20 cm higher than the skeletal branches.

The most popular low-growing form of cherry in amateur gardens is called “Spanish bush”, as it was developed in Spain. It represents a short trunk on which a bowl-shaped crown is formed.

Step-by-step guide to forming a “Spanish bush”:

When planting, cut the seedling at a height of 60-70 cm.
In the first year, when the seedling takes root, leave 4 side shoots on it, giving the tree a cup-shaped shape.
It is necessary that the shoots grow at least 60 cm in the first year.
Remove the remaining shoots growing from the stem into a ring.

As a result of the “Spanish bush” formation, you will get a plant on a low stem with four skeletal branches. Branches growing inside the bush can be removed completely or, if the tree is young, shortened to 10-15 cm. When the tree grows, the internal branches must be removed if fruit formations do not form from them.

Each skeletal cherry branch can bear fruit for no more than 10 years, after which it must be cut down and replaced with a new one. The crop bears fruit on fruit formations - fruit pods.

The fruit is a short branch, on the side or at the end of which there is flower buds. The main cherry crop is formed on them. The fruit is weak-growing, grows no more than 1 cm per year, but is durable.

Pruning should be done in such a way as to preserve the fruit. They try to remove berries from the tree without damaging the fruit formations, since the size of the harvest depends on their number on the tree.

Cherries may also have another type of fruit formation - bouquet branches. Their length reaches 8 cm. For comparison, the length of bouquet branches of plums and apricots is on average 4 cm.

The lifespan of each bouquet branch is 5-6 years. Each of them has fruit buds, and at the tip there is one growth bud. Fruit buds die after fruiting, and a new shoot can form from the growth bud.

Cherry grafting

Few seedlings of varieties suitable for the middle zone are produced. Gardening companies offer seedlings brought from Moldova. They do not take root well not only in central Russia, but even in warm Ukraine.

It makes sense to grow cherries yourself, especially since there are no particular difficulties in this matter. The crop can be grafted in spring using cuttings on cherry rootstocks. The scion - a twig of a suitable variety of cherry - can be taken from neighbors or friends.

Methods for grafting cherries:

in summer - with a sleeping eye;
in winter and spring - with a cutting (copulation, splitting, butt, side cut).

Good results are obtained by grafting cherries into the crown of a Magaleb or Antipka cherry, but this operation requires a lot of experience.

What is the cherry tree afraid of?

Cherries almost never get sick. The only weak point of culture is its heat-loving nature. In terms of winter hardiness, the cherry tree is inferior to other Rosaceae: apple, pear, cherry and plum.

Cherries grow best in areas with a mild, warm climate. First of all, frost damages fruit buds. They die at -26. After a cold winter, the tree may survive, but there will be no berries on it. Wood freezes at temperatures below -30.

Midland cherries are afraid of winters without snow. Without snow cover, the roots of the tree freeze. This situation can arise when the autumn warmth is abruptly replaced by severe frosts, and there is little or no snow in the root zone. November frosts in snowless years can destroy a tree.

Long February thaws are also dangerous, when the buds are preparing to emerge from dormancy and can bloom and then die from frost. Blooming buds die if the temperature drops to -2.

Reliable varieties

Fatezh

Chermashnaya

Leningradskaya black

Sinyavskaya

Tyutchevka

And the way

Tree size

Good placement.

Strengthen the trunk.

growing cherries

Cherries growing cherries

Fig.1 Cherry blossoms

2. Planting cherries

The best time for planting cherries

3. Cherry feeding

The first years after planting cherries

Carry out crown formation cherries

planting cherries.

Choosing a cherry seedling

Choosing a landing site

Soil preparation

Watering and weeding

Pollination

Preparing cherries for wintering

Autumn whitewashing of cherries

Young seedlings need shelter. You should not wrap them with artificial materials (lutrasil, spunbond). It is better to give preference to spruce branches or burlap, under which the trees breathe in winter and will not rot.

Even inexperienced gardeners can grow cherries in central Russia and other regions. By choosing the right seedling and planting site, as well as following simple care rules, you can harvest an excellent harvest of juicy and sweet berries every year.

Categories:// from 09/10/2019

10 Sep

How to grow cherries in central Russia

Once upon a time, these sweet fruits were the privilege of southerners. But nowadays, summer residents of Central Russia can also grow cherries.

IN last years the dreams of many summer residents of Central Russia about their own cherries are becoming a reality: after all, winter-resistant varieties of cherries have already been bred and successfully “tested”, and agricultural technology has been worked out.

Reliable varieties

In the Moscow region, the Fatezh, Sinyavskaya and Chermashnaya varieties bred in VSTISP (Moscow) proved to be the most persistent, grateful and attractive to gardeners. Iput, Tyutchevka, Revna, obtained at the Lupine Research Institute (Bryansk), are also good. Leningradskaya black, Mulatka, Teremoshka, and Severnaya also show good winter hardiness in our conditions.

Fatezh- the most winter-hardy cherry variety. Thanks to this remarkable quality, it bears fruit in all years favorable for cherry harvest. Produces amber-pink fruits average size(up to 4.5 g), very tasty, with sweet, juicy cartilaginous pulp.

It quickly begins to bear fruit and bears high yield in the presence of pollinators (any simultaneously flowering cherry varieties will do). The trees are quite compact, with a spreading crown, and fit well into the landscape of even small summer cottages.

Chermashnaya- the earliest ripening variety, ripens in the Moscow region already on June 15–20. The fruits are bright yellow, with juicy melting pulp, and taste like sweet grapes.

Plants with increased winter hardiness are resistant to fungal diseases. They bear fruit well only when pollinated by suitable varieties (Fatezh, Iput). Birds love this variety: a week before ripening, the trees must be covered with fine mesh.

Leningradskaya black- winter-hardy variety of medium ripening period. Needs a pollinator. The fruits are dark cherry, almost black. The pulp is dark, tender, sweet, with slight acidity and noticeable bitterness, with a pleasant taste.

A good variety for growing in the south of the Non-Black Earth Region and the north of the Central Black Earth Zone. The variety is winter-hardy, weakly affected by diseases and pests. The tree is medium-sized, productive.

Sinyavskaya- the largest-fruited variety of Moscow selection. The fruits are dark red, with colored juice, with a small seed, and a sweet, rich taste. In terms of taste and impressive fruit size, the variety is close to southern cherries.

Less winter-hardy than previous varieties, but has a high regenerative ability. IN favorable years without severe winter frosts and spring frosts and in the presence of pollinators, it shows very high yields - up to 30 kg per tree. Due to its vigorous growth, annual pruning and the formation of a compact crown are very important for this variety.

Tyutchevka- one of the most winter-hardy varieties of Bryansk selection. The fruits are quite large, dark red, almost black when fully ripe, with a sweet dessert taste, in some years with a slight bitterness. In the conditions of the Moscow region it shows good stable yield - 10–15 kg per tree from the 5th year after planting. Trees of this variety are unusually beautiful during the flowering period and when the fruits ripen.

And the way- an early variety, ripens in the Moscow region in the third decade of June. The fruits are dark red, quite large, with dense pulp of sweet taste. As with other early varieties, timely protection of the crop from birds is necessary. Heavy rains during ripening can cause massive cracking of the fruit.

Revna is a reliable variety of medium-late ripening. The fruits are medium size, dark red, with colored juice, pleasant sweet taste. Valued for its high yield and taste. Due to its late ripening, this variety suffers less than others from birds, but can be damaged by the cherry fly.

Northern cherries have the same sweet and tasty fruits as the southern ones, but they are somewhat smaller and ripen later than the southern ones. The earliest varieties of cherries near Moscow (Chermashnaya and Iput) begin to ripen in mid-June.

You can enjoy them until the end of June, and in early July they are replaced by the Sinyavskaya, Leningradskaya Chernaya and Fatezh varieties. The fruits of the Revna and Tyutchevka varieties ripen simultaneously with mid-ripening cherry varieties.

Tree size

Many potential owners are concerned that the cherry tree will grow into a very tall tree. Indeed, in the south it can grow up to 10 m and even more. But in the conditions of the Moscow region, without pruning, cherry trees can grow up to 5–6 m. Which is also a lot - the harvest from such giants is available only to birds.

If you want small-sized cherries, ask for seedlings on weak-growing clonal rootstocks LTs52 or VSL2. Next, you will have to systematically prune and form a compact crown - it is easier to harvest from trees up to 2.5–3 m high and protect it from birds.

Four conditions for growing cherries

Sweet cherries in Central Russia require more careful attention from gardeners than traditional fruit crops. To “make friends” with her, you need to fulfill 4 important conditions.

Choose the right variety and rootstock. In the garden you need to plant several mutually pollinating and simultaneously flowering varieties (at least 2-3), because it is very important that the flowers are pollinated. For successful overwintering and abundant fruiting, you need to select seedlings of recommended varieties with an increased reserve of winter hardiness, grafted onto frost-resistant clonal rootstocks.

Cherry trees grafted on clonal Izmailovsky rootstock grow well and bear fruit regularly. They do not sprout, thus do not clog the site, and their lifespan is at least 20 years.

Good placement. It is very important to choose the right place for planting: it should be located at the top of a gentle slope in a southern or western direction. There should be enough sun and protection from strong winds.

Strengthen the trunk. When planting, be sure to drive a strong stake into the soil and tie the seedling to it. In the first years, the above-ground part of the cherry tree grows very quickly, and the root system cannot keep up with it.

In the second half of summer, long shoots with large leaves enhance the windiness of young trees. Without additional strengthening, the plants bend and, with strong gusts of wind, can break at the surface of the soil (a perfectly fused grafting site does not prevent this from happening). If the planting site is poorly protected from the winds, then it is advisable to preserve the supports until the trees are 4-6 years old.

Protect from winter sunburn. To protect it from the winter sun, the trunk will have to be whitened or wrapped with white non-woven material before wintering.

Cherry is considered a fairly demanding plant in terms of light and heat. Fears cold air and favors sunny places at higher elevations. The site must be protected from northeastern and northern winds. The best place for growing cherries there will be a south and southwest side of the buildings. She will also feel comfortable among mature trees.

Cherries prefers warm sandy loam fertile soils and grows very poorly on peat bog, heavy loamy, gley soils. It is worth noting that for growing cherries Acidic soils are completely unsuitable. Neutral, slightly alkaline (pH 7-7.3) and slightly acidic are much more suitable for her. Cherry does not tolerate stagnation of water, but at the same time it loves a large amount of moisture. Does not survive well in the presence of close groundwater.

1. Cherry varieties most suitable for central Russia

Breeders have created a fairly large number of cherry varieties that grow well and bear fruit in the middle zone. It includes the Moscow, Bryansk, Kaluga, Ryazan, Smolensk, Tula, Vladimir and Ivanovo regions.

1.1 Early ripening varieties of cherries:

Iput is a self-sterile variety whose pollinators are Revna, Raditsa, Bryanskaya rozovaya and Tyutchivka. It has high winter hardiness of flower buds. The fruits are very sweet and juicy and almost black in color. Their weight reaches almost 10 grams.

Raditsa. Pollinators for it are Iput, Revna and Tyutchivka. The fruits are sweet and juicy, dark red in color, weighing up to 5.8 grams.

Sadko. Pollinators for it are Iput, Revna and Tyutchivka. The fruits are sweet and rarely crack, reaching a weight of up to 8 grams. It has a dark red color.

1.2 Mid-early and mid-ripening varieties of cherries:

Revna. Its pollinators are Iput, Raditsa and Tyutchivka. The fruits are sweet and juicy, dark red in color, weighing up to 7.8 grams.

Tyutchivka. Its pollinators are Iput, Raditsa, Revna and Ovstuzhenka. The fruits are sweet and juicy, dark red in color, weighing up to 5.4 grams. In the years since high humidity fruits may crack.

Astakhov's favorite. Its pollinators are Iput, Raditsa and Tyutchivka. It is also considered partially self-fertile. The fruits are sweet and juicy, dark red in color, weighing more than 5 grams.

1.3 Late-ripening varieties of cherries:

Lena. Pollinators for it are Iput, Revna and Tyutchivka. The fruits are sweet and obtusely heart-shaped, dark red in color, weighing up to 8 grams.

Bryanochka. Pollinators for it are Iput, Revna and Tyutchivka. The fruits are sweet and juicy, dark red in color, weighing up to 7 grams.

Bryansk pink. Pollinators for it are Iput, Revna and Tyutchivka. The fruits are sweet and juicy, Pink colour, weighing up to 5 grams.

All varieties begin to bear fruit 3-5 years after planting. They are also winter-hardy and resistant to coccomycosis and some other fungal diseases. For full fruiting, it is necessary to have at least 3 varieties of cherries in one area.

Fig.1 Cherry blossoms

2. Planting cherries

The best time for planting cherries It is early spring, until the buds open. Thanks to this, the seedling will have time to take root well and gain vitality to survive the first winter.

The planting hole should be dug 10-12 days before planting in the spring or prepared in the fall. The optimal depth is 60-75 cm, and the width is 70-80 cm. The dug-out fertile soil layer is mixed with humus and superphosphate (200 g) and potassium sulfate (100 g) are added to it. The hole is then filled with this mixture.

It is very important to remember that cherries do not tolerate deepening of the root collar. Therefore, when planting, it is worth raising it by 3-4 centimeters, because in the near future the soil will settle and the root collar will deepen a little.

After planting, you need to form a moat around the cherry seedling and water it generously with a bucket of water. It is advisable to re-water after a week.

Fig. 2 How to properly deepen the root collar of cherries

3. Cherry feeding

The first years after planting cherries there is no need to apply fertilizer, since everything necessary was placed in the hole along with the soil. Phosphorus-potassium fertilizing begins in the 3rd year after planting. Superphosphate (40-60 g/m2) and potassium chloride (20-30 grams) are added once every 3 years when digging the trunk circle no later than mid-September.

Nitrogen fertilizers are applied every spring, starting from the 3rd year after planting cherries. These include ammonium nitrate (20 g/m2) or urea (15 g/m2). You can learn more about mineral fertilizers here.

Organic matter should be added once every 2 years, 3-4 kg per m2. This is best done in the spring when loosening the tree trunk circle. If you apply these fertilizers later, the growth of new shoots may stop, and they will not have time to get stronger before the onset of cold weather.

Also, after fruiting, you can sow green manure plants around the tree trunk, which, together with the soil, will be dug up in the spring and, thus, all the necessary substances will begin to nourish the tree much earlier, especially considering the fact that they will begin to overheat under the snow. You can find out more interesting information about green manure plants from this article.

4. Pruning cherries and crown formation

Carry out crown formation cherries expedient in early spring, until the buds swell. At the same time, one should not forget about processing all sections garden varnish. This must be done in order to prevent gum growth, which can lead to infection with various kinds of diseases and even death of the tree. Also, don’t forget about whitewashing the tree trunk in spring, and you can find out how to do it correctly here.

Cherry trees have a natural crown shape - from pyramidal to round, but when pruning it is most often made into a sparsely tiered crown with a trunk height of 60 to 80 centimeters. The first pruning of shoots should be carried out a year after planting cherries.

During this period, a crown of 5-6 skeletal branches (first order) is formed. In the first tier, 3 branches are left, 2 of which can be placed adjacent, and the third is 20-25 centimeters higher than the first two.

In the third year, it is advisable to lay the second tier of skeletal branches at a distance of at least 60 cm from the upper branch of the first tier. In the same year, 2 second-order branches should be formed on each first-order shoot. To form second-order branches, it is necessary to shorten the first-order branches by approximately 20 centimeters after their length reaches 70 centimeters. Second-order branches are located at a distance of at least 50 centimeters from the trunk and from each other.

The third tier is usually formed from a single shoot at a distance of at least 30 centimeters from the second tier. In this case, it is recommended to cut the central conductor above the branch of the third tier no earlier than a year after its formation.

Cherries are valued by gardeners for their high yield and unsurpassed taste of the berries. Many people consider this crop to be too demanding in terms of growing conditions, but this is a misconception. In order for cherries to develop well and bear fruit abundantly, the planting and care of which are covered in detail in our material, you only need to choose the right variety, protect it from frost and ensure timely watering and fertilization.

Sweet cherry is the closest relative of the sour cherry. Thanks to new, cold-resistant varieties, it is possible to grow cherries in central Russia and northern regions, despite the southern origin of the crop.

Choosing a cherry seedling

To plant on the site, you should select several varieties of cherries for cross-pollination. In the middle zone and the Moscow region, the following varieties produce good harvests: Cheremashnaya, Krymskaya, Iput, Bryansk pink, Fatezh, Tyutchevka.

Externally, cherry seedlings are very similar to cherries, but upon closer inspection, it is not difficult to distinguish them:

Cherry trees are taller with erect branches;
The bark of cherry seedlings is brown with a reddish tint, while the bark of cherry seedlings is gray-brown.

Growing cherries will be successful if the seedling for planting is chosen correctly. His age should not exceed three years (optimally two years). The recommended height of the purchased seedling is at least 80 cm, and it has 3-4 strong shoots. There must be a grafting site on the trunk, which indicates the varietal identity of the seedling. The bark of a healthy plant is smooth, without signs of disease or freezing.

Cherry seedlings from the nursery prepared for transplanting

The root system of cherry planting material is well developed and has 3-4 branches 20 cm long. Specimens with dried, rotten or frozen roots should not be purchased - they are not viable. If the root system of the seedling is very dry—a light brown core is visible when cut—the seedling can be revived. To do this, the roots are placed in a container with water for a day.

Choosing a location and planting cherries

Improper planting of cherries can lead to the death of the seedling, so this stage must be approached responsibly.

Choosing a landing site

Cherry prefers areas on the south or southwest side, not blown by north winds. It is allowed to plant trees near the southern walls of the house and on gentle slopes.

Sweet cherries bear fruit well sunny area from the south side

This fruit crop does not tolerate stagnation of moisture, even short-term. Planting cherries in central Russia should be carried out in areas with deep groundwater. Otherwise, soaking the roots will lead to a delay in the development of the tree, and subsequently to its death.

Soil preparation

Cherries develop and bear fruit well on fertile loams and sandy loams with neutral acidity. The soil should be well aerated and saturated with moisture. Peat bogs, deep sandstones and heavy clay soils are not suitable for growing cherries.

It is necessary to prepare the area where you plan to plant the tree in advance. The site is dug up in the fall, adding organic matter (manure or compost) and mineral fertilizers (superphosphate and sodium sulfate). If you need to reduce the pH level of the soil, add about 500 g of lime or chalk.

Planting seedlings in open ground

Sweet cherries take root and develop well, the cultivation and care of which are planned in advance, and the rules and planting dates are followed. In the southern regions, planting is done in the fall and they have time to get stronger before the onset of cold weather. In the conditions of the Moscow region and the middle zone, transplantation should be postponed until spring. Optimal timing of spring planting in open ground- end of April, before the buds swell.

When planting a cherry orchard, a distance of at least 3 meters must be maintained between plants. A hole for planting is dug two weeks before planting so that the soil is sufficiently settled. The fertile layer of surface soil is tilted in one direction, and the deep layer in the other. The size of the hole should ensure free placement of the root system in it - a depth of approximately 60 cm and a width of 60-100 cm. landing hole It is not recommended to apply nitrogen-containing fertilizers and lime, which can cause burns to the roots.

Preparing a planting hole for cherries

At the bottom of the planting hole, a mound of fertile soil is formed, on which the seedling is placed. The root neck of the cherry tree should not be deepened. It should be at ground level or slightly higher. After planting, you need to water the tree abundantly and mulch the tree trunk.

Cherry - care after planting and before harvesting

Caring for cherries in the first year of planting does not take much effort. It is enough to water the plant in a timely manner and remove weeds in the tree trunk circle. In the future, the tree needs additional care.

Watering and weeding

Watering an adult tree is carried out three times a season, adding 20-30 liters of water. In dry summers, the amount of watering can be increased. You should avoid excess moisture, as cherry roots are prone to rotting. The growth of weeds in the tree trunk circle is unacceptable, so they are regularly removed, the soil is loosened and mulched.

Pollination

For fruiting, you need to ensure good pollination of the cherry during flowering. Cherries of other varieties or cherries will become cross pollinators. To attract bees, cherry flowers can be irrigated with honey or sugar dissolved in water.

It is recommended to grow several varieties of cherries for cross-pollination.

Fertilizing cherries in spring and pre-winter

If the soil was well fertilized when planting, additional fertilizing is not needed for the first 3-5 years. Caring for cherries in central Russia in the future includes the application of organic fertilizers, which are applied in the spring: 10 kg of compost or rotted manure. Mineral fertilizers (superphosphate) will help the tree prepare for winter. They are brought in no later than September.

Formative and sanitary pruning of cherries

In the year of planting, you need to shorten the side branches to 40 cm. The intensive growth of cherry shoots needs to be restrained. To do this, formative pruning is carried out in the spring before the buds swell.

Cherry trees are pruned in the spring before the buds swell.

In subsequent years, pruning is carried out to form a tiered crown, shortening last year's shoots. At a height of 3-3.5 m, the growth of the main conductor is restrained by pruning. In the spring, sanitary pruning is also carried out, removing damaged and improperly growing branches.

Harvesting and subsequent care of cherries

Cherries begin to bear fruit 3-4 years after planting. The ripening period of berries may vary depending on the variety. Berry picking often occurs in June and July. Berries with stalks are picked in dry weather.

During the ripening period, starlings and other birds like to feast on the berries. To deter them, you can buy special nets for fruit trees; summer residents also attach rustling and shiny objects to trees. More reliable means of protection are non-woven material or electronic repellers.

Protecting cherry fruits from birds using old computer disks

Caring for cherries after harvest is not difficult. It is necessary to monitor the health of the tree and regularly clean the tree trunk from fallen plant debris. During this period, the amount and rate of watering can be reduced.

Diseases and pests of cherries, and their control

To protect cherries, early spring (during bud swelling) spraying with a urea solution is used as a preventive measure. Prepare a solution from 10 liters of water and 500-600 g of urea. They treat not only the branches, but also the soil in the tree trunk circle, thereby destroying the insects wintering there.

To combat fungi and moss, treat the trunk and crown with a 5% solution of ferrous sulfate before sap flow begins. Such treatment is sufficient once every few years.

Cherry affected by clasterosporiosis

To combat the main pests: sawfly, mites, aphids, they are treated with Karbofos, Askarin, Fitoverm, Novaktion. Spray the trees during the period of bud opening and bouquet separation. During the same period, prevention of clasterosporiasis, moniliosis and other diseases is carried out with a 5% solution of Bordeaux mixture.

After flowering, prevention of flying pests begins. To do this, spray with Karbofos or Novaktion. The last treatment should be carried out no later than 20 days before the crop ripens.

Preparing cherries for wintering

Mature cherries, planted and cared for according to the rules, tolerate winter well without shelter. It is enough to whiten the base of the trunk and skeletal branches, add 150 g of superphosphate to the soil in September, and mulch the tree trunk circle with peat. Also in the fall it is necessary to carry out abundant saturating watering.

Growing cherries attracts gardeners with a harvest of sweet and ripe berries. Despite the heat-loving plant, there are varieties intended for the middle zone, Leningrad region, Urals and Siberia. If agricultural practices and care are followed, the crop will bear fruit in 3 years.

The tree is vigorous and loves warmth, so it is important to consider its location. It is recommended to remove cherries from neighboring plantings by 2 meters. Proper planting of cherries includes:

Preliminary digging or plowing of the site.
Immerse the seedling in water for 6 hours to replenish the roots with moisture.
Cut branches by a third.
Preparing the planting hole. Dig a hole 80 by 80 cm and 60 cm deep.
Creating a nutritious soil mixture based on 2-3 buckets of humus, half a kilo of superphosphate and a kilogram of ash.
Mixing the ingredient with the top layer of soil.
Formation of an embankment and placement of a seedling on it without deepening the root collar.
Distributing the root and filling the cherry tree with soil.
Watering and tying the plant to a pre-prepared stake.
Mulching the tree trunk circle with dry grass, peat, straw, humus.

Sweet cherries love fertilizing, but exceeding their quantity provokes autumn shoot formation. Optimal time fertilizers - in spring (complex minerals) and autumn (superphosphate and potassium).

Ash can be replaced with 120 g. potassium sulfate.

Site requirements

Cherries are light-loving, so it is better to plant the tree in the south or southwest of the garden. The planting site must be protected from the north wind and drafts, which will harm even winter-hardy varieties.

The tree can be planted near the southern wall of the building or on a gentle slope.

Agronomists note several points for successful tree survival.

Soil type

The culture takes root on fertile soil with good aeration and the ability to absorb moisture:

the optimal soil type is light or medium loam, sandy loam with neutral acidity;
on peat bogs and clay soil the tree will not grow;
mandatory application of organic matter and minerals in the fall;
In a planting hole on clay soil you need to add 2 buckets of sand, on sandstones - clay in the same amount.

Cherry grows on slopes, small hills, and artificial embankments 50 cm high.

To lower the soil pH, add lime or chalk in an amount of 500 grams.

Neighboring plantings

The culture is characterized by cross-pollination, so 2-3 other varieties or cherries are planted near the cherry. Reception increases fruiting, especially if the flowering dates of the trees coincide.

Humidity

The plant is moisture-loving, but stagnant water can harm the root system. It will rot in an area with a high groundwater level.

Planting dates and scheme

The optimal time for planting a crop is spring, before bud formation begins. Preparatory work is carried out in the fall - they dig a hole and fertilize it with humus. In spring, add 300 grams. superphosphate, 100 gr. sodium sulfate (the mixture can be replaced with 1 kg of ash).

Exceeding the fertilizer rate will lead to increased growth of stems, which simply will not ripen by the time of the growing season.

The exact planting dates depend on regional characteristics:

in the middle zone and Moscow region, planting is carried out at the end of April;
in warm areas - in autumn, before the ground freezes;
in Siberia - before the buds begin to bloom.

The landing scheme provides:

Keeping the cherry tree 4 meters away from other green spaces will prevent mutual shading. Columnar varieties are spaced 3 meters apart;
digging a hole 14 days before spring planting - for soil shrinkage;
soil sorting - the fertile layer is separated from the deep layer, tilting it in the other direction;
selection of pit sizes taking into account root growth - the width should be 60-100 cm, and the depth should be 60 cm;
Cherries are not planted deeply; the root collar is slightly raised above the ground line;
making a hole and forming a cushion around the edges, watering (1 bucket of water) and mulching.

It is recommended to shorten the crown of a two-year-old seedling along the central axis, but only during early planting.

Do not add nitrogen compounds to the planting hole to avoid burning the roots.

Pit preparation

Type preparatory work depends on the timing of planting and soil type.

Autumn planting

When placing cherries in the ground in the fall, the area is prepared in 14-21 days. It needs to be dug deep, add 10 kg of compost, 180 g. superphosphate and 100 gr. saltpeter per 1 sq.m. You can do liming of acidic soil or tillage special means for cherries and cherries 10 days after the main additives.

Spring planting

If planted in the spring, the hole is also prepared in the fall, taking into account the weather. From October to November, the area is dug up and humus or compost is added. After the snow melts and the soil dries out, minerals, including nitrogen, are added. Cuttings are planted after 7 days.

The first set of fertilizers applied during planting is enough for 3 years.

Preparing clay and sandy soil

The organization of a planting pit for soil saturated with clay or sand has been carried out over several years:

in the first year, digging is carried out, clay or sand is added;
Over the course of 3-4 years, the site is fertilized in the fall or spring.

14 days before planting, prepare the hole.

Parameters and preparation of the seat

Due to the growth of tree roots, the planting hole is made wide (up to 1 meter) and deep (from 60 to 80 cm). A support peg is placed in the center. A nutrient substrate is poured into the bottom of the pit in the form of a slide around a support. The soil mixture is compacted and covered with deep soil, which is leveled. 2 buckets of water are poured into the ground and left for 14 days to shrink.

Choosing a cherry seedling

Cherry seedlings resemble cherry trees, but differ in several ways. They are tall, have erect branches, and reddish-brown bark. To successfully grow a tree, you need to take a responsible approach to choosing seedlings.
The optimal plants would be two to three year old plants, 80 cm in length, with 2-3 strong shoots, smooth and healthy bark. When purchasing, consider:

appearance root system. Formed, branched roots without damage and dry shoots will take root in the soil faster;
appearance of the central trunk and side shoots. The central trunk should be clear, straight, with lateral branches. The more there are, the easier it will be to mold the crown;
presence of a vaccination mark. High-yielding varietal plants have a mark on the trunk.

Vigorous seedlings take longer to acclimatize.

Buy plants in a container or wrap them in a damp cloth and plastic bag when transporting.

Planting cherries

Planting work is carried out in stages:

In the spring, 60 grams are added to the prepared hole. potassium sulphide, 100-120 gr. superphosphate and mix them with soil.
A support for the tree is placed in the hole, and unfertilized fertile soil is poured into its center, forming a hill.
A prepared seedling is installed in the middle of the hill (can be planted with container soil) and the roots are carefully distributed.
The cherry is tied to a support peg and earth is gradually added, compacting it with hands.
The tree is watered abundantly.
The tree trunk circle is mulched with peat, leaves, and humus.

When planting, do not forget that the root collar should not be lower than 3-5 cm from the ground.

Watering and removing weeds from cherry trees

An adult tree and a young seedling require regular watering. During the growing season, water is added at least 3 times:

before flowering;
in midsummer;
in the fall along with the last feeding.

Applying water in winter before the onset of cold weather helps saturate the soil with moisture.

It is worth watering cherries so that the water goes into the soil 70-80 cm. After watering, the tree trunk circle is loosened and mulched.

Cherry is a cultivated plant that is contraindicated in the presence of weeds. They are removed with a hoe, annually expanding the trunk circle from 20 to 50 cm. For a one-year-old tree it is 80 cm, for a two-year-old tree it is more than a meter.
In the first year of planting, the soil should be kept in a state of black steam, completely destroying weeds. The cleaned area is covered with mulch.

Pollination

The tree is cross-pollinated. To ensure good and regular fruiting, 2-3 other varieties of cherries or cherries are planted. You can lure bees with sugar or honey dissolved in water. The composition is sprayed with a spray bottle or a broom from a bucket.

Cherry feeding: spring and winter

In the case of good pre-planting fertilizer, the tree does not need subcortex for the first 3-5 years. In the future you will need to enter:

organic matter - 10 kg of manure, poultry or compost in the fall;
minerals - superphosphate in September to prepare the plant for wintering;
nitrogen supplements - for two-year-old plants in dry form and in liquid form in May;
phosphorus and potassium - in the 4th year of growth in mid-summer.

During the last feeding, you need to focus on external signs - yellowing and falling leaves. Fertilizers are embedded in the soil when digging with a 10 cm deepening.

Cherry care

Maintenance work is carried out annually.

Spring care

Activities begin with spring warming. The insulating material is removed from the trunks, and the branches are inspected for damage. The wounds are treated with garden varnish, and the dead material is cut off.
After the end of frost, for a tree 3 years old, urea (120 g) is added, which must be scattered near the tree and buried to a depth of 10 cm. It is allowed to water the tree trunk in May - you will need 20-25 g. urea per 10 liters of water.
Trees over 3 years old are fed with ammophoska and humus. To strengthen the bark, granulated potassium sulfate and superphosphate are used.

Sweet cherries are demanding when it comes to fertilizing, so the dosage must be calculated taking into account the age of the tree:

1-3 summer plant 40 gr is enough. ammophoska per 1 sq.m.;
4-5 summer trees 120-150 gr is enough. superphosphate per 1 sq.m.;
A 10-year-old cherry tree requires 150-200 grams. urea, 100 gr. potassium, 200 gr. superphosphate per 1 sq.m.

An adult tree requires 30-35% more additives than a young tree.

In spring, it is advisable to carry out preventive treatment against pests with fungicides and urea. The last component in the amount of 500 g. per 10 liters of water is used before bud formation begins. The procedure helps to delay flowering, which preserves fruit ovaries during return frosts. Faded cherries are sprayed with a 1% solution of Bordeaux mixture according to the instructions.

Caring for cherries in autumn

Fall care activities include:

adding superphosphate during digging (60 g) and ash (500 g) per 1 sq.m.;
fertilizing before frost with organic matter - humus in the amount of 20-30 kg per tree;
sanitary pruning – broken, diseased and weak branches with an angle of less than 45 degrees are removed;
processing of cuts with garden varnish.

Pre-winter watering must be carried out between the end of October and the beginning of November. Adding 6-10 buckets of water percolating 50 cm into the soil increases winter hardiness and yield.

When feeding, focus on the projection of the crown, imagining it in the form of a square.

Spraying cherries in autumn

The first autumn treatment should be carried out 3 weeks before the harvest ripens. The second, in October-November, helps prepare the garden for winter. After leaf fall, you can start spraying with chemicals. Gardeners recommend copper or iron sulfate, urea, urea, diesel fuel or ZOV.
Chemicals are sprayed evenly from a compressor or pump. The substance should cover the cherries in the form of an even dew. Spraying requires careful treatment of the entire tree. Before harvesting, the leaves must be coated with a fungicide (insecticide) on both sides.

Preparing cherries for wintering

An adult tree overwinters without shelter. It is enough to whiten it, feed it, add water and mulch the tree trunk circle.
Young seedlings must be covered. This will protect them from freezing. Artificial materials They are not suitable for winding - the cherries rot in them. Spruce branches and burlap will ensure normal air circulation.

Autumn whitewashing

Painting cherries with lime in the fall promotes:

protecting the bark from burns by the February and March sun;
preventing frost damage and cracking of the bark surface during temperature fluctuations;
destruction of pest larvae hidden in the bark.

Both young and old crops are whitened in October-November. The trunk of the tree is processed from the root collar to the skeletal branches. You can cover the lower skeletal branches by a third. The solution is prepared from 2 kg of lime, 400 g. copper sulfate, 1 kg of clay, 1 kg of fresh manure. There should be enough liquid so that the composition resembles low-fat sour cream.

Collection and storage of cherries

The berries are removed from the tree after they appear characteristic features ripening, but in a solid state. To preserve juiciness, work is carried out in the morning. The fruits are removed together with the “tails” - this way they are stored longer and are not damaged during transportation.

Use buckets and pour the berries out of them onto a cloth - this makes it easier to sort them.

Before storage, cherries are not washed so as not to remove the wax. How the blanks are made:

placed in a paper bag on the bottom shelf or fruit compartment in the refrigerator (temperature plus 1 degree);
dried in an electric dryer;
stored in trays covered with a lid;
put in the freezer, packaged in plastic bags, from which the air is first removed;
canned - stays in the cellar for up to 1 year;
make jam - store in a dark place.

Fresh berries are stored from 48 hours to 5 days in a cool place, 3 days without refrigeration, subject to storage conditions - from 5 days to 3 weeks.

GOST notes the optimal environment for storing fresh cherries: temperature from minus 1 to plus 2 degrees, humidity 90-95%.

Growing cherries in the country or in the garden requires certain care rules. Only if you follow them will you receive good harvest, you can pamper your family with delicious berries or sell them.

Every third summer resident has cherries on his plot. But planting cherries, its closest relative, is much less popular, although many people like its juicy and sweet berries. The reason for this is the established opinion about the exceptional heat-loving culture. For a long time it was true: trees bore fruit generously only in southern gardens.

Summer residents whose plots are located in the middle zone do not dare to grow cherries, considering this activity unpromising due to the high risk of its freezing. But not all crop varieties are susceptible to it. Its zoned varieties are successfully cultivated in the cold climate of the Leningrad region, in the Urals and even in the gardens of Siberia.

Site requirements

Cherry loves the sun and does not tolerate drafts. It is better to place its seedlings in an area that is maximally illuminated and not blown by cold winds. The tree will be comfortable near a fence or near the southern walls of buildings. But tall varieties of cherries have a spreading crown, so it is important to leave them enough free space to develop. A hole for the seedling is dug at a distance of at least 3-4 m from the building.

Trees grow best on small (up to 0.5 m in height) hills that can be artificially landscaped, and in areas slightly inclined towards the south, southwest or southeast.

Here they do not experience a lack of light and warmth. You should not plant cherries in lowlands and in places where water stagnates for a long time in the spring. In such conditions, trees quickly die. The roots of the cherry tree are deep (up to 2 m long), and some of them are located vertically in the soil, so it does not tolerate close proximity to groundwater.

The crop grows and bears fruit well in loose soil. Light and fertile sandy loam or loamy soils are ideal for it. They should be fairly moist, but not waterlogged. On peat bogs, in heavy clay soil, on quickly drying sand with a meager supply of nutrients, planting cherries will not be successful.

Planting dates and scheme

The timing of placing trees on a site depends on the climate of the area. In the southern regions, autumn planting is more often practiced, carried out several weeks before the soil freezes. In Siberia and the Urals, it is better to postpone the procedure until spring. If the seedling does not have time to take root, severe frosts will destroy it.

Cherry is a cross-pollinated crop. It will bear fruit abundantly only if there are neighbors. It is recommended to plant 2-3 trees on the site, representing different varieties of crops. You can get by with just one, but only if you place a couple of cherries with the same flowering time next to the cherries. This guide also applies to partially self-fertile varieties.

Leave 4-5 m of free space between neighboring trees. Saving space is not the best option here. When planted closer, the trees will shade each other. Caring for them will also become more difficult. If the cherry tree is columnar, the distance between plants is reduced to 1 m. When planting such trees in rows, the interval between them should be 2-3 m.

Pit preparation

When planting cherries in the fall, the site is prepared 2-3 weeks before the procedure. The soil is dug deep and enriched with fertilizers:

compost (10 kg);
superphosphate (180 g);
potassium nitrate (100 g).

These dosages are calculated for 1 m² of surface area. You can add a special complex preparation intended for cherries and cherries to the soil. Soil with an acidic reaction is limed. It is recommended to do this in advance - 7-10 days before adding nutrients. Clay or sandy soil for growing cherries is prepared over several years. The first is dug up, scattering sand over the surface of the site, clay is added to the second. In the next 3-4 years, fertilizers are added to the soil. This can be done in spring or autumn.

The planting hole is dug 2 weeks before the tree is placed in it. It should be deep (60-80 cm) and wide (1 m). A support is installed in the center. Correctly, if it rises 30-50 cm above the ground surface. Fertile soil is poured into the bottom of the hole, adding the following components to it:

rotted compost;
superphosphate;
potassium sulfate;
wood ash.

The thoroughly mixed substrate should form a small mound around the support.

Adding nitrogen-containing compounds and lime into the planting hole can cause burns to the roots of the seedling; at this stage it is better to do without them.

After lightly compacting the soil mixture, sprinkle it with infertile soil on top. Having leveled it well, pour a couple of buckets of water into the hole, after which they forget about it for 2 weeks. During this time the soil will settle.

If cherries are planted in the spring, the plot and pit are prepared in the fall. Humus or compost is added to the soil. It is recommended to do this from October to November depending on weather conditions. In the spring, when the snow has melted and the soil has dried out slightly, mineral fertilizers, including nitrogen, can be added to the pits. They begin placing seedlings in them within a week.

Selection of seedlings

Cherry seedlings take root best when they are 1-2 years old. The height of the former should reach 70-80 cm, the latter – 1 m.

When choosing a seedling, you need to pay attention to the following signs:

characteristics of the crop variety (winter hardiness, immunity to diseases and pests);
appearance of a young tree.

A high-quality seedling must be grafted. This indicates that it belongs to varietal plants. Such a tree begins to bear fruit earlier, and its berries will taste better.

It is worth choosing a seedling that has many branches. It will be easier to give the correct shape to its crown. The tree must have a well-developed and straight conductor. Young cherries grow quickly. If the conductor is weak, stronger branches will compete with it. The presence of several guides is extremely undesirable: if there are too many berries on a tree, it may break between them, and the cherry will die.

The roots of the seedling are also carefully examined. There should be no dry or damaged areas on them. A viable seedling has a developed and strong root system. If it is open, after purchase it is placed in a damp cloth and wrapped with oilcloth (polyethylene) on top. This will protect the roots from drying out. Leaves from the branches of the seedling are immediately removed to prevent dehydration.

It is better to buy a seedling in the fall. At this time, the range of varieties in nurseries is the widest. For the winter, the tree is dug in, and in the spring (April) it is planted permanent place. You can do this directly into the dirt. There is no point in delaying planting cherries. It is important to carry it out while the buds on the tree have not yet awakened. This way it will take root faster. Seedlings growing in containers can be planted in May and even June.

How to plant cherries

Before being placed in the planting hole, the cherry roots are carefully inspected again. Diseased and injured areas are cut out. You can shorten shoots that are too long if they do not fit into the prepared pit. Then the underground part of the young cherry is dipped into a bucket of water, where it is kept for 2 to 10 hours, depending on the degree of dryness of its roots. Planting begins when they swell.

The tree is placed in a hole so that its root collar protrudes from it by 5-7 cm. Carefully spreading its roots over the mound, they are sprinkled with infertile soil taken from the bottom of the hole. This should be done gradually, lightly shaking the cherry by the trunk from time to time. This way, there will be no air-filled cavities near its roots.

Having completely filled the hole, pour 1 bucket of water into it. When it is absorbed and the soil settles, the tree trunk circle is well compacted. A hole with a radius of 30 cm is made around the tree, fencing it from the outside with a rampart of soil. On the inside, a shallow (5 cm) furrow is made near it and watered well again. As the soil settles in the tree trunk circle, it will have to be added. The final stage is mulching the surface of the hole. Peat or humus is usually used for it.

If the buds on the tree have not yet begun to bloom, it is pruned after planting. 2-3 skeletal branches are left on the cherry tree, and the rest are removed into a ring. This should be done flush with the trunk so that there are no stumps left. The wounds are covered with garden varnish. When placing a cherry tree on the site that has already begun to flow sap, pruning its crown is postponed until next year.

Feeding and watering

For summer residents who already have fruit trees in their garden, caring for cherries will seem familiar. It includes the usual activities:

watering;
loosening the soil;
weeding;
removal of root shoots;
feeding;

If cherries are planted correctly, the need to re-apply potassium-phosphorus compounds to the soil will arise only after 3 years. They begin to feed the tree with nitrogen fertilizers earlier, when they enter their second year of life on the site. They are applied in dry form in the spring, as soon as it gets warmer. At the end of May, fertilizing is repeated, but in liquid form. When the tree is 4 years old, the soil under it is enriched with phosphorus, potassium and other microelements. Compositions containing them are applied in mid-summer.

Closer to autumn, trees are watered with organic fertilizers - mullein dissolved in water or bird droppings. IN last time During the season, cherries are fed before winter - in September-October. Here they focus on the appearance of the trees: if the leaves turn yellow and begin to fly off, the time has come to add nutrients. They are embedded in the soil during the digging process, going 10 cm into the soil.

Carefully monitor the cleanliness of the soil under and between the trees. When loosening, you need to treat an 8-10 cm layer of soil. This care is repeated 3-5 times per season. It is advisable to carry it out the next day after each watering or rain. It is convenient to use a garden hoe or cultivator for loosening.

During the growing season, cherries need at least 3 waterings:

before flowering;
in midsummer, especially if it is dry;
in the fall, simultaneously with the last feeding.

Before the procedure, it is recommended to loosen the soil under the trees, and after it, mulch. Autumn watering is required. It should be abundant so that the water saturates the soil to 70-80 cm. This will protect the cherries from freezing. Cold-resistant crop varieties do not tolerate drought well. In extreme heat, such cherries often dry out. Having discovered such symptoms, you cannot hesitate, otherwise you will not be able to save the tree. Regular and abundant watering will help it withstand adverse weather conditions.

Crown formation

Gardeners have the most questions about pruning cherries. Professional guidance will help you do it correctly and as painlessly as possible for the tree. Whatever the purpose - sanitary or formative - pruning is pursued, it is better to do it in early spring, before sap flow has yet begun. In summer and autumn, you can continue what you started, getting rid of shoots that thicken the crown and pinching the tops of improperly growing branches. Root shoots are removed throughout the growing season so that they do not draw strength from the tree.

Annual pruning of cherries allows you to:

increase its productivity;
improve the quality of berries;
prevent the development of diseases;
increase the lifespan of the tree.

In the gardens of Siberia, cherries are shaped into bushes. This makes it easier for the tree to withstand harsh winters. The optimal number of trunks is 3-5. The top of an annual seedling is shortened above the 5-6 bud. This pruning stimulates the development of lower lateral branches. Cherries are naturally prone to tillering. If you do not get rid of the strong shoots growing above the graft, it itself will quickly acquire the desired appearance.

A young tree is formed during the first 5-6 years. During this time, you need to lay several tiers (usually 3). In the future, pruning is carried out for sanitary purposes. The height of the tree is maintained within 3-3.5 m, and the length of its skeletal branches is maintained at 4 m. Chopping the berries and forming ovaries only on the periphery of the crown indicates the need for anti-aging pruning. It is carried out at the end of winter and beginning of spring.

Features of autumn care

With the arrival of autumn, it is necessary to take preventative measures against diseases and pests. Fallen leaves are raked and burned. Trees and the soil under them are sprayed with special preparations, their trunks are whitened to the level of the trunk. It is advisable to treat the bases of the skeletal branches as well.

When the trees are completely exposed, the last pruning of the season is carried out. In order for cherries to withstand frosts more easily, they are removed from weak, injured and improperly growing shoots. Annual shoots are cut to ⅓ length. Non-skeletal branches are shortened to 30 cm. At this time, it is better to use a saw instead of pruning shears. The remaining cuts heal faster. The procedure must be completed by the end of September. Late pruning is fraught with long-healing wounds, which will make it difficult for the tree to winter. Seedlings are subjected to it in the second year of life on the site. It is dangerous to prune younger trees before winter; it is better to postpone the procedure until spring.

A cherry tree damaged by frost dries out in the spring, and its trunk may become covered with cracks, through which infection can easily penetrate. To protect the seedlings, they are fenced with a kind of fence made of stakes and, after carefully pulling the branches together, they are placed under covering material.

With a competent approach to choosing a variety, growing cherries in orchards in the middle zone, the Urals and Siberia will not be difficult for their owners. If you care for it correctly, the tree lives on the site for a whole century, entering the fruiting period early. A recent seedling will bear its first berries in 5-6 years. Another 4-5 years will pass, and the harvests will be full. Watering, fertilizing and regular pruning of the tree will allow it not to reduce their volume until the end of its long life.

Sweet cherry, like cherries, belongs to the Rosaceae family. And it’s not for nothing that these cultures are so similar in appearance. So, in some countries they even have the same names, for example, the British call both cherries and cherries “cherry,” and the French call them “cerise.” Even the famous work of A.P. Chekhov " The Cherry Orchard", many abroad call it the "Cherry Orchard". However, although cherries and cherries are related crops, they still have several differences, both in the method of growing trees and in the taste of the fruit (cherries have a sweet taste, cherries have a “sour” taste). Next, we will tell you in more detail about the characteristics of cherries, planting and caring for this crop.

Characteristics of crop varieties

In order for cherries to produce a plentiful and tasty harvest, proper tree care is needed. If all planting and care conditions are met, the tree can grow up to 18-19 meters in height. In addition, each year you can collect 40-45 kg of berries from each of them. However, it is worth saying that the tree does not begin to bear fruit immediately after planting, but must take 4-6 years. Cherries please gardeners with an abundant and full harvest only in the 9-10th year after planting.

In total, gardeners know about 3,000 varieties of cherries, the most popular among them:

Bigarro. The berries have dense and crispy pulp. They can be eaten fresh, as well as during the preparation of various dishes and preserves, jams. The juice obtained from the berries of this variety is slightly colored. Various drinks and compotes made from bigarro cherries are very good, because these berries do not lose their elasticity, even after cooking.
Guinea. These berries, unlike the fruits of the bigarro variety, have soft and juicy pulp. Due to these properties, these fruits are rarely used in cooking and are poorly transportable. However, it is recommended to eat them fresh, as they are very tasty and healthy.

If 50 years ago this crop was grown only in southern latitudes, today, thanks to specific care and planting, it can be planted in colder regions of Russia. However, do not forget that this crop is cross-pollinated. Therefore, pollinating trees should be planted next to it. IN in this case Cherries will delight you with a tasty and abundant harvest.

The following crop varieties are most often grown in Russia:

Here we go. This tree variety is quite resistant to cold winter conditions. Gives a harvest in medium quantities, up to 30 kg. Refers to mid-early varieties. The culture is resistant to some dangerous plant diseases, for example, coccomycosis and klyasterosporioz. The berries of this variety are quite large, weighing on average 7-8 grams. The color of the fruit is bright or dark red. Ripe berries have an almost black tint. They taste very sweet.
Variety "Fatezh". These trees reach a height of 2.7 meters. Every year this crop variety proper care gives a rich harvest - up to 45 kg. The fruits appear 5-6 years after planting the tree. The color of the fruit is red. The berries taste sweet. In addition, this crop can also be grown for decorative purposes, since trees of this variety have a very beautiful, neat crown.
Cheremashnaya. With proper care, this type of tree survives the winter well. Fruits with berries yellow color. The fruits are sweet, with a slight sourness. Suitable for use for culinary purposes for making jams and compotes. The trees of this variety themselves are very tall, so they periodically need crown pruning.
Crimean. This variety of trees survives the winter cold well. It belongs to the early varieties, as it begins to bear fruit in early summer. The fruits have juicy pulp. The color of the berries is pink. Great for homemade preparations for the winter. Crimean cherries bear fruit abundantly; up to 40 kg of berries can be harvested annually. It belongs to the decorative varieties, since the trees grow short and have an original “drooping” crown. The berries themselves are medium in size. The weight of each fruit does not exceed 5 grams.
Tyutchevka. The variety is resistant to winter cold. The trees bear fruit abundantly and produce up to 45 kg of harvest annually. The height of this variety of cherries grows up to 3 m. The berries are dark red in color. Their sizes are quite large. Weight from 4 to 7 grams. The taste of the fruit is sweet. The berries are used both for fresh consumption and for making compotes, jams, and marshmallows.
Bryansk pink. Belongs to late varieties. It survives cold winters quite well. It bears fruit 5-6 years after planting. The berries are medium in size. Their weight varies around 4-5.5 grams. They have a pink tint. The fruits are juicy, with a slight sourness. Used fresh and after cooking. So, compotes made from cherries of this variety are quite good.

Planting cherries

Cherry is a light-loving plant. Therefore, sunny meadows are suitable for planting trees. The soil for planting the crop must be sufficiently fertile, well aerated, and moisture-absorbing. Light, medium loamy or sandy loam soils are suitable for this. Trees should not be planted in windy places where there are frequent drafts. Since cherries are a cross-pollinated crop, it is recommended to plant them next to cherries of another variety or with cherries. Thus, the flowers of the trees will be perfectly pollinated, and the trees themselves will bear fruit abundantly.

It is worth saying that cherries do not like abundant watering and stagnant water, so try to select a site for planting the crop that is located far from groundwater.

In the northern parts of our country, cherries are planted in the spring, and in the southern parts - in the fall.

The procedure for planting cherry seedlings:

It is recommended to thoroughly plow the soil first.
Next, planting holes are made. Each of them should be about 90 cm deep and 80-100 cm wide.
It is worth remembering that the root system of cherries is quite massive, so do not plant trees close to each other. The distance from one seedling to another should be at least 3-4 meters. In addition, some tree varieties have a spreading crown, so the plants can provide shade for each other. Be sure to take this into account when planting seedlings.
Before planting trees, you need to “adjust” the soil cover on the site. So, if the soil is clayey, then 2 buckets of sand are added to the planting hole; if, on the contrary, the soil is sandy, then clay is poured into the hole.
Then, a special soil mixture must be poured into each hole made for the seedling. It contains: 2 buckets of earth, 2 kg of ammonium sulfate, 2 kg of superphosphates, potash fertilizers - 1 kg, wood ash, manure (32 kg).
Next, a support post is fixed in each planting hole, to which the seedling will then be tied. When planting, try to place each tree in the very center of the hole.
Then tie the seedling to the support and carefully dig it in. After planting, each tree should be watered.
Next comes mulching. Humus, peat, and fallen leaves are suitable for this.

Cherry care

Cherry pruning

Caring for cherries involves not only timely watering and fertilizing, but also pruning the crown. The very first pruning is carried out immediately after planting the seedling in the hole. This is done in order to balance the underground and above-ground parts of the seedling. So, 4 healthy branches are selected and cut off by one third, while the remaining branches are cut off completely.

The second pruning is carried out in the second year of the tree’s life. This is necessary so that several new lateral branches appear on the seedling.

The crown of trees should have a sparsely tiered appearance. The first tier consists of 3 large branches, the second - of 2 skeletal shoots, the third tier - of one branch. Active growth of tree branches is observed in the first 5 years. It is during this period that the crown should be pruned annually.

Watering and removing weeds from cherry trees

Cherry is a cultivated plant. She does not tolerate those nearby weeds. Therefore, it is recommended to do timely weeding of the beds. There should be no weeds in the tree trunk circle. Every year the tree trunk zone should be expanded, so if in the first year it is approximately 80 cm, then by the second year of the tree’s life it should already be more than 1 meter. Then annually the tree trunk circle should be increased by 20-50 cm.

As for watering, as mentioned above, cherries do not like an abundance of water, so it is enough to water the trees three times a year. In addition, the soil should be mulched annually. Peat and foliage are suitable for this. Don’t forget to also loosen the soil in the tree trunk circle. Once you have done this, add fertilizer to the soil.

Available little secret from gardeners on how to attract more bees to a tree and increase its pollination rate. Thus, it is recommended to periodically summer period spray the tree with honey solution. By increasing pollination, you can significantly increase the amount of crop harvested.

Manure, humus, aqueous infusion of ash, as well as nitrogen, potassium and complex fertilizers are suitable as fertilizers for trees. In addition to this, in spring period 70 grams of urea are added to the ground around the cherries. In spring and autumn, tree trunks must be whitened. This will help protect the trees from cracking the bark.

Planting cherries: video

Site requirements

Trees grow best on small (up to 0.5 m in height) hills that can be artificially landscaped, and in areas slightly inclined towards the south, southwest or southeast.

Planting dates and scheme

Pit preparation

When planting cherries in the fall, the site is prepared 2-3 weeks before the procedure. The soil is dug deep and enriched with fertilizers:

compost (10 kg);
superphosphate (180 g);
potassium nitrate (100 g).

rotted compost;
superphosphate;
potassium sulfate;
wood ash.

The thoroughly mixed substrate should form a small mound around the support.

Adding nitrogen-containing compounds and lime into the planting hole can cause burns to the roots of the seedling; at this stage it is better to do without them.

Selection of seedlings

Cherry seedlings take root best when they are 1-2 years old. The height of the former should reach 70-80 cm, the latter – 1 m.

When choosing a seedling, you need to pay attention to the following signs:

characteristics of the crop variety (winter hardiness, immunity to diseases and pests);
appearance of a young tree.

A high-quality seedling must be grafted. This indicates that it belongs to varietal plants. Such a tree begins to bear fruit earlier, and its berries will taste better.

It is better to buy a seedling in the fall. At this time, the range of varieties in nurseries is the widest. For the winter, the tree is dug in, and in the spring (April) it is planted in a permanent place. You can do this directly into the dirt. There is no point in delaying planting cherries. It is important to carry it out while the buds on the tree have not yet awakened. This way it will take root faster. Seedlings growing in containers can be planted in May and even June.

How to plant cherries

Feeding and watering

For summer residents who already have fruit trees in their garden, caring for cherries will seem familiar. It includes the usual activities:

watering;
loosening the soil;
weeding;
removal of root shoots;
feeding;
pruning

Closer to autumn, trees are watered with organic fertilizers - mullein dissolved in water or bird droppings. The last time during the season the cherries are fed before winter - in September-October. Here they focus on the appearance of the trees: if the leaves turn yellow and begin to fly off, the time has come to add nutrients. They are embedded in the soil during the digging process, going 10 cm into the soil.

During the growing season, cherries need at least 3 waterings:

before flowering;
in midsummer, especially if it is dry;
in the fall, simultaneously with the last feeding.

Crown formation

Annual pruning of cherries allows you to:

increase its productivity;
improve the quality of berries;
prevent the development of diseases;
increase the lifespan of the tree.

Features of autumn care

Without good skills, you cannot grow varietal seedlings on your own, so the vast majority of summer residents purchase them at markets in the fall or spring. It is much more profitable for nurseries to sell trees in the fall, after leaf fall, so the most big choice varieties will be available at this time of year. However, it is best to plant them in a permanent place in the spring. In order for the tree to feel comfortable all winter, its root system should be buried- to do this, dig a small trench, lay out the trees at an angle and sprinkle the roots with earth, so as to completely cover them.

For this, choose a place protected from the northern winds; it’s even better if good snowdrifts form in this place in winter. In spring, it’s time to find a permanent “place of residence” for your seedlings. This area should be protected from north winds and well lit. There is no better option than the south side of the house or slope. Cherries do not like lowlands, so when planting, avoid such places or build at least a small half-meter hill from the ground.

The tree feels best on loamy and sandy soils, which provide the necessary soil aeration and breathability.

Heavy clay soils are not suitable, but if you have no other choice, then try to add more rotted manure to a decent depth ahead of time. Cherry also does not tolerate excess moisture, although it loves it, so soils with close groundwater levels are also not suitable. It is best to plant several varieties at once to ensure cross-pollination. There is an opinion that cherries can also cope with this function, but this is a mistake - cherries are not able to provide high quality pollination, which is evident from the large number of crumbled ovaries.

Planting cherries in the spring requires preparing the site in the fall. To do this, a hole is dug under each tree with a depth of at least half a meter and an even larger diameter. Its bottom should be loosened and several buckets of humus should be poured inside the hole. Over the winter it will rot, and substances that are too caustic for young roots will be absorbed into the soil, then gradually and without damage to be absorbed by the root system. In early spring, superphosphate and sodium sulfate are also added to the holes, 300 g and 100 g, respectively, and a kilogram of ash will not hurt.

There is practically no need to care for cherries planted in such a fertilized hole in the spring; the supply of nutrients is laid down for several years in advance. Before the buds swell and bloom, it’s time to plant seedlings. Having carefully dug out their roots, they should be kept in water for several hours and only then distributed among the holes. You can’t plant cherries too deep, because you still need to remember about the sedimentation of the soil. After the tree is planted, make a small trench around it and pour a bucket of water into it. When the liquid is absorbed, properly mulch the watering area.

When planting a two-year-old tree, its branches need to be shortened a little, although this should be done only before the buds swell. Did not have time? Then it’s better not to touch it - prune it in early spring next year. Pruning can also be done in winter, in December or January, the main thing is to do it before the sap begins to flow. There is a separate article on our website that you should definitely read!

Pests that transmit the disease to healthy plants, destroy, the fallen fruits are removed and the trees are sprayed with 1% Bordeaux mixture.

This disease causes cankers on branches and shoots, and also causes gum disease. The pulp of the fruit is affected right down to the seed, stopping to grow in the affected areas and gradually drying out. During formative pruning, the crown is not allowed to thicken, all unnecessary branches are cut out into a ring. At the same time, new strong main branches are laid. For tree-like cherries, the number of such branches is increased to 10, for bush-like cherries - to 15. Later, during thinning, some of them will be removed. After crown formation is completed, by switching to weak branching, the height of the tree is limited to 2-2.5 m. The tieless crown of bush-like cherry trees is formed from 10-12 evenly spaced branches. Trees prone to thickening in the first years of fruiting require thinning rather than shortening. At the first signs of dampening of growth (with a shoot length of 15-20 cm), light anti-aging pruning begins.

In the 5th-6th year, 20–30 kg of manure is applied.

The latter produce new growth formations.

It is good to sow green manure (rye, mustard, etc.) between the rows of the garden. This is done in the second half of summer, when the harvest has already been harvested. When green manure plants grow to 15-20 cm, they are mowed and buried in the ground.

The tree is usually watered 3 times, but before watering, the ground around the tree is mulched and fertilizers are applied. It is necessary to water very abundantly. It is important to water the tree before the winter cold to saturate the soil with moisture.

Hello, dear friends!

Having filled the hole 2/3, a seedling is installed in it, carefully adding 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 and flowers, then it bites into the pulp of the fruit and severely damages it down to the very seed. Females lay eggs inside the fruit, from which, after about 1 week, larvae emerge and eat away all the contents of the unripe seed. The disease causes great damage to fruit crops. In apple, pear and cherry trees, this disease has much in common, but it causes special kind fungus, characteristic of each culture separately. It affects the leaves, and a mass of brown spots appears on their outer surfaces. The infection persists until spring on fallen leaves of cherry and anemone. In the autumn, before leaf fall, the affected shoots and branches are removed. Spraying with 1% Bordeaux mixture is recommended.

Regardless of the varieties, tree-like and bush-like cherries are formed based on the same rules.

Preparation of seedlings and soil.

Cherry varieties are also divided into three groups according to their growth strength: dwarf (no more than 1.5 m in height), vigorous (7 m or more) and medium growth (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 a whitish coating forms on the back of the leaves. The fruit may also show first spots and then rot. It all ends with the leaves falling prematurely - already in August. Cocomycosis can be controlled using 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 preventative measure, trees are sprayed twice with a 3% solution of Bordeaux mixture. The first time is when flowering ends, the second time is after harvesting. And in spring and autumn, all trees in the garden (including cherries) need to be whitened with lime mortar with the addition of copper sulfate.

Once you have a good harvest, do not forget to protect it from birds. They can literally destroy the fruits of your labor in a matter of minutes. To do this, gardeners tie light blue flags, shiny disks, Christmas tree decorations, in short, everything that glitters. This saves, 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. Sweet cherries are not only a very tasty berry, they look very decorative on the plot. The foliage color varies from green to dark green, and 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 grafting several different cuttings onto a winter-hardy variety. Among the best pollinators are varieties

Features of planting cherries .

To prevent the flowers from falling off, try to follow the planting specifications:

How to care?

After 1 month they go into the soil, where they pupate and turn into beetles.

In autumn and summer, fallen leaves are destroyed and anemone plants are not allowed to spread near the cherry orchard. When rust outbreaks occur en masse, trees are sprayed with 1% Bordeaux mixture. The disease, which has become widespread in recent years, affects leaves and fruits. Especially young seedlings and trees weakened due to poor care suffer from coccomycosis. Reddish-brown small (0.5–2 mm) spots appear on the leaves; as the disease develops, they merge, and pinkish or white coating. The disease is caused by a fungal infection. The pathogens are stored in fallen leaves, so all leaves are burned, and the affected trees are sprayed with 1% Bordeaux mixture.

Rules for pruning cherries: tree-like; bushy; coppice.

Formative pruning of cherries.

After digging up from 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. Bush-like forms of cherries are planted at a distance of 2.5-3 m from each other, and tree-like forms - less often, retreating 3. 5-4 m. On fertile soils, planting holes are dug with a depth of 40-45 cm and a diameter of 50-60 cm. In any case, the size of the hole 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 would not be superfluous to add 1-2 kg of wood ash into the planting hole. On heavy clay soils also add 1-1.5 buckets of sand.

Cherry fruiting depends on a number of factors, including simple, mixed, single and group buds. Simple ones have the rudiments of flowers or growth formations; mixed - the primordia of both flowers and leaves at the same time; they are found very rarely, and only in bushy forms.

Galina Titova

So now you know how

Revna, Bryanskaya Rozovaya, Iput, Raditsa, Tyutchevka.

The distance between plants is 1.5-2 m. As a rule, after planting the soil becomes compacted, therefore it is necessary to plant to 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 potassium or 500 g of ash are added to the planting hole. Liming is carried out on acidic soils. Nitrogen fertilizers are applied in the spring, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers in the fall. 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. During dry periods, young plants are watered frequently and abundantly. In the fall, the soil is dug to a depth of 15-20 cm. During 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 is open sunny spaces with good aeration. For cherries, choose the warmest, most elevated areas and protected from cold winds.

How to increase cherry yield?

To destroy the weevil, use a solution of karbofos (15–30 g per 10 liters of water), spray it immediately after flowering, and repeat the spraying after 10 days. A good effect is achieved by using trapping belts, which are placed at the base of the trunks in early spring. In addition, the beetles are shaken off the tree onto the litter and thrown into a bucket of water, where a little kerosene is added.

The disease forms oblong ulcers on the bark, from which gum appears after turning brown. The shoots wither, the leaves dry out; small foliage occurs. The burn spreads during pruning and grafting. Mainly preventive measures are used: they select especially strictly 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 when there is waterlogging, poor oxygen supply to the root system, or mechanical damage. You can get rid of plant gummosis by eliminating the causes of gum formation.

This disease is caused by a fungus.

Cherry diseases:

Moniliosis.

Sanitary and anti-aging pruning.

A little of the prepared mixture is poured into the bottom of the planting hole in the form of a conical mound. The roots are spread around the mound and covered with soil, which is compacted. The seedling is pulled up in such a way that after planting the grafting site is 2-3 cm above the surface. After planting, a roll of soil is made around the seedling at a distance of 25-30 cm from the stem 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 in a figure eight to a peg. The planting hole around the seedling is mulched with humus, sawdust or compost crumbs in a layer of 2-3 cm. Mulch protects against excessive evaporation of moisture and cracking of the soil surface.

Smoky spot (clustero-sporiosis)

Cherry varieties can be

Caring for stone fruit crops.

Coccomycosis

properly care for cherries

Red spot.

- a beautiful and useful tree.

Even during the flowering period, you can try spraying the cherries with 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, the day before try to spray the crown with a solution of an ovary formation stimulator or at least with plain water - 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 round spots on the fruits, where the infection is concentrated. Trees are sprayed with a 1% solution of Bordeaux mixture, 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 collected and burned, and in early spring the trees are sprayed with 1% Bordeaux mixture.

Fruit rot.

U tree varieties Upon completion of cherry formation, pruning is temporarily suspended. With weak branching, more attention is paid to shortening the branches, and in trees with pronounced branching, the crowns are thinned to a greater extent. In cherries older than 10 years, shoot growth weakens, fewer bouquet branches remain, and fruiting is concentrated on annual generative branches. In order not to reduce the yield, you should refrain from shortening annual branches, especially weak ones. Pruning 2-3 year old wood and lightening the crown have a multifaceted positive effect on the tree. As a result of shortening the extended branches, the crowns become more compact, which makes caring for the tree easier.

The basic techniques for caring for cherries are the same as for other fruits. Starting in spring, throughout the growing season, the soil under cherry bushes and trees should be loose and free of weeds. To do this, 2-3 shallow loosenings are carried out in the summer. In the fall, after applying fertilizer, digging is done to a depth of 15-25 cm. Cherry is a fairly drought-resistant crop, but watering it will not hurt. The first time it is done immediately after flowering, simultaneously with fertilizing. 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 pre-winter watering is given in early November after the leaves have fallen.

Rust.

self-fertile or self-sterile.

Cherry.

Bacterial burn (gommosis).

in the garden and grow strong and beautiful tree. See you soon!

Bitter rot

First you need to decide on the location, since cherries are very warm and light-loving. The trees self-pollinate well, so feel free to plant two or three different varieties next to each other with the same flowering period, or graft different varieties onto one trunk. It will be very good if you plant a cherry tree 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. Feed the cherries with slurry (1:6) with the addition of a tablespoon of complex fertilizer per bucket of water. During the last feeding, after harvesting, you should not use nitrogen fertilizers. Ash is well suited for fertilizing. In the spring you need to add urea.

or layering from productive varieties begged from neighbors The eggs overwinter near the 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 the buds and blossoming leaves, after which the shoots dry out. When the cherry blossoms fade, the caterpillars crawl into the soil around the tree trunk, where pupation occurs, and after 1 month butterflies appear and lay eggs.

Cherry pests and their control.

Cherry aphid

This disease is caused by a fungal infection. The leaves suddenly change color, acquiring a pearlescent hue. On them, pockets of dead tissue appear between the veins.

The disease manifests itself in the form of a white cobwebby coating on the leaves, petioles and flowers.

Cherry weevil.

Despite lush flowering of this crop, most of the flowers of this tree do not bear fruit. This is due to the self-sterility of many varieties. For normal fruiting of cherries, it is necessary to have other cherry trees in the garden or nearby that are capable of pollination. 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 the earlier flowering, cherry pollen is retained by insects, which then pollinate the cherry.

Self-fertile ones produce normal yields if the entire garden is planted with one variety. Self-sterile trees in single-varietal trees bear almost no fruit. For each variety, pollinators are selected that bloom simultaneously with the trees being pollinated and ensure the normal process of fertilization and berry set. If the varieties are of unequal value, then the number of trees and pollinators is reduced by 2–4 times compared to the pollinated ones. The soil around the trunk is compacted. Immediately after planting, an earthen roller is made around the plant within a radius of about 50 cm, so that during heavy watering, which is necessary immediately after planting, the water does not flow outside the hole.

Lyubskaya Uralskaya Large-fruited.

Cherry shoot moth.

If fruit tree 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 light-loving, a height of 50 cm can be made for planting. The distance between seedlings should be at least 4-5 meters from each other, since the crown that subsequently grows will negatively affect the yield of the neighboring tree.

In addition, due to their rapid growth, young trees require annual pruning. Remove all branches directed into the crown, as well as growth on the trunk and from the roots. The cuts must be very neat and must be made with a well-sharpened tool. After pruning, be sure to treat the cut areas with garden varnish. Inaccurate pruning can cause gum formation.

Add lime and phosphates to fertilizers.

Cherry slimy sawfly.

If a lot of caterpillars are expected, then during the period of swelling of the buds the trees are sprayed with a solution of karbofos (20 g per 10 liters of water).

Infection can be prevented by avoiding mechanical damage, sunburn and by treating cracks and wounds that arise.

Gradually the coating acquires a yellowish tint. Fruits are not produced from affected flowers.

When working with young trees, it is better not to use pruners, which, by pressing down the cut points, injure the skeletal branches.

Planting and caring for cherry seedlings. Sweet cherries are considered a close relative of cherries. Just a few centuries ago they were viewed as one culture. At the same time, cherries have many characteristic advantages: large fruits with sweet, juicy, dense pulp, a rich vitamin composition, early fruiting, and so on. But, along with this, it puts forward a number of special requirements for growing conditions.

The naturally formed crown of the cherry tree has a pyramidal-rounded shape. Similar to cherry, it has high growth vigor, even surpassing it. The height of wild cherries can exceed 25 m. Moreover, unlike cherries, its trees do not have a powerful shoot-forming tendency, and, therefore, they are not characterized by pronounced bush-like forms.

The impressive height of cherries causes certain difficulties during harvesting. Choosing seedlings on low-growing rootstocks simplifies tree care in the future. In addition, it is recommended to carry out regular pruning, thanks to which it is possible to achieve a crown reduction of up to 4 m.

Generative cherry buds are formed mainly on well-developed, strong annual growths, as well as on reduced bouquet branches. In most cases, sweet cherries produce fruit faster than sour cherries.

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Cherry is a light- and heat-loving plant. In constant shade, its trees develop poorly, become very elongated in growth, and fruiting declines. The place for cherries should be reliably protected from northern, cold winds. The best option is southwestern gentle slopes.

Return spring frosts have a particularly negative effect on cherry trees during the period of budding, flowering and formation of fruit ovaries.
Sweet cherries develop well on light sandy loam, deep, well-calmed, permeable, fertile soils. Clogged, clayey, peat and sandy soils are absolutely unsuitable for growing them.

Cherry is moisture-loving, but does not tolerate stagnant water. It is not recommended to plant it in areas with close groundwater. When over-watered, it suffers from gum development and freezes. On dry soils, cherries develop sluggishly, the fruits become smaller, the yield is reduced, and the general condition of the tree deteriorates.

Taking into account the vigorous growth of the ground part and the intensive development of the root system, the cherry tree needs to be allocated a large area of personal space.

Cherry planting dates
In the climatic conditions of the middle zone, the most suitable time for planting cherry seedlings is in the spring. They can be planted from mid-April to the second week of May.

Autumn planting of cherries is also allowed. Seedlings planted in October find themselves in favorable weather conditions, stimulating the formation of new root shoots. Thanks to this, by the time spring arrives, the plants are well prepared to start growing. At the same time, when autumn planting there is a high probability of seedlings freezing in winter.

It is recommended not to plant cherry seedlings purchased in late autumn, but to bury them in a trench. In the spring you need to try to plant them early.

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Planting cherries
The planting hole for cherry seedlings is prepared several weeks before planting. During this time, the soil should have time to dry out and settle sufficiently. The depth of the pit must be more than 70 cm, and its diameter up to 1 m. Its internal edges must be vertical. When digging up the soil, it is recommended to lay the upper and lower layers on different sides, so that during direct planting you can change the order of their arrangement.

A few days before planting the seedling, the prepared planting hole must be well filled with organomineral fertilizers. To do this, its bottom is loosened with a shovel to a depth of 30 cm. Then 2-3 buckets of rotted manure mixed with the extracted soil are added to it. 0.2 kg of phosphorus-containing and 0.1 kg of potassium fertilizers are also added there. An effective natural fertilizer is wood ash, which will require about 1 kg. Having thoroughly mixed all the contents, drive a stake (6x150 cm) into the center of the hole and lay out a mound around it.

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Basic agrotechnical measures for caring for cherries remain unchanged, as for everyone fruit crops: watering, loosening, fertilizing, pruning, protection from pests, prevention from pathogens, etc.

Watering
In dry weather, it is recommended to water the planted seedlings at least once every week and a half. At further stages of cultivation, cherries demonstrate excellent drought resistance. Trees may need additional watering during flowering and fruiting. Excess moisture during fruit ripening can lead to cracking, and in the autumn after harvest - prolonged development and loss of winter hardiness.

In dry years, the optimal watering regime in the 0.5 m topsoil layer is provided by 6-8 waterings over the entire growing season:

Mid-May-June - 1 watering;
- July - 2 waterings;
- August - 2-3 waterings;
- September - 1 watering.

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Next year, on trees with strong growth, it is possible to form the main branches of the 1st and 2nd order. As a rule, cherries begin to branch in places where they are shortened, forming 3-4 shoots. In this case, the cut is transferred to a nearby branch horizontally directed towards the periphery, stimulating its expansion. The remaining nearby branches are shortened by 12-15 cm.

The branches that thicken the crown, parallel to the skeletal branches and extending at sharp angles are cut into a ring.

In the 5th-6th year, the formation of the cherry crown is completed. The main task in subsequent years is to maintain the achieved result through gentle pruning. At the same time, overdeveloped, thickening, diseased and damaged shoots are removed.