Cherry care in summer, autumn and spring after harvest: pruning and watering

Cherry trees are frequent "inhabitants" of suburban areas. The secret of their popularity among our gardeners is their unpretentiousness and good harvest. To receive it every year, it is necessary to surround the trees with care. Cherry care requires knowledge of its physiology and biochemical processes. Activities to increase fruitfulness begin from the moment of planting and are carried out at a certain time.

What does a full tree care include

Caring for cherry trees is easy, even for beginner gardeners. The main activities that need to be carried out annually in a garden where cherries and sweet cherries grow are regular and moderately plentiful watering of trees, pruning and protecting them from diseases and pests, as well as removing weeds and adding nutrients to the soil.

To achieve good fertility rates, you need to know the intricacies of the care that old and young plants require, as well as what months are best to carry out certain activities.

Irrigation

Cherry trees are especially in dire need of regular watering in the first years after planting in the country. It is believed that in one season the plant should be watered, on average, 12 times. In this case, one should be guided by weather conditions and, depending on them, increase or decrease the frequency of irrigation.

After the end of the calendar year, the first watering should be done after the tree has faded, the second - at the time of pouring berries.

The amount of moisture should be such that the soil is moistened to a depth of about 40 centimeters. Watering each tree requires about 3 to 6 buckets of water. To determine exactly how many times you need to water the plants, you will have to take into account the amount of natural precipitation.

In autumn, after the leaves fall, winter irrigation is carried out, during which the soil is spilled to a depth of 80 centimeters. Thanks to this moisture, the root system is preparing for a successful wintering, and the soil does not freeze as quickly as dry soil.

Feeding

To get a good harvest from a cherry tree, it must be fed regularly. Like other green inhabitants in the garden, these plants need mineral and organic fertilizers.

Fertilization work begins in early spring, before flowers bloom on the tree. As a top dressing, urea or calcium nitrate is used. 60 grams of urea or 2 tablespoons of s altpeter are scattered over the entire surface of the near-stem circle, then the soil is loosened. Such procedures are correct and favorable for growth and flowering.

When flowers appear, it is time to apply nitrogen and organic fertilizers, such as bird droppings or cow dung. After flowering is complete, cherries can be sprayed with urea. For this, 40 grams are diluted in 10 liters of water. Such sprays help preserve the ovaries and improve the nutrition of the trees.

Cutting

Pruning helps make cherry blossoms grow more vigorously. The first time this procedure is carried out after swollen buds appear on the tree. If you miss this moment, it is better to completely cancel pruning so as not to injure the plant. In the spring, first of all, the removal of frozen shoots is performed. After it, slices should be processed.

Shoots that are less than 40 centimeters long do not need pruning. So that the crown is not too dense, it is enough to eliminate competing branches, as well as get rid of shoots that are directed vertically.Crown pruning can be done during the summer months, after berry picking.

Pest control

Cherry, like most other representatives of the Pink family, is prone to many diseases. Most often, the tree is affected by fungal and bacterial diseases. Therefore, care involves the regular use of insecticidal and fungicidal preparations.

The basic rules for the prevention of cherry diseases are:

• whitewashing trunks in spring;
• multiple treatments for disease protection during the season;
• compliance with sanitary standards.

Seasonal nuances

Cherry trees need to be cared for from the moment they are planted. At the same time, the nature of work changes during the season. Each period has its own subtleties.

Spring

Cherry care activities carried out in the spring help to get a rich harvest. During this period, trees are pruned, getting rid of:

• withered or frozen branches;
• too long shoots;
• damaged by pests and diseases.

In March, cherry trunks must be whitened, and the wounds on the bark should be treated with copper sulphate. This creates protection against parasites and bark damage.

In the near-stem circle, dried grass should be removed, soil should be dug up so that the root system receives oxygen. And, finally, fertilization is a mandatory item of spring care.

Summer

Features of summer care are due to the fact that berries ripen at this time, gardeners harvest. Trees of early varieties bear fruit already in June, other representatives of the species delight with a harvest in July.In the same month and in August, it is time for the highest activity of the sun. Therefore, plants experience an increased need for moisture. They need to be watered regularly.

In addition, to prevent the soil from drying out, gardeners resort to mulching. This prevents the evaporation of moisture, and also prevents infection by various diseases and pests.

Autumn

Autumn is the time when cherries need to be prepared for wintering. Caring for her is pruning and feeding, disease prevention.

You can prune before the first frost. But only after the tree enters a dormant period. It is aimed at removing dry or diseased shoots. All cuts, cracks and wounds should be treated. The soil in the trunk circle must be cleaned and loosened. During these events, it can be enriched with potash and phosphorus fertilizers.To protect against rodents, the trunks can be whitewashed.

Features of care

The nuances of proper cherry care take into account not only the condition of the tree and weather conditions in a particular region, but also the age of the plant.

For young seedlings

In the first year after planting, seedlings need careful watering. In the hot months, each cherry needs 5-6 buckets of water. In addition, plants need protection from pests. Their bark is very thin, it cannot serve as a reliable protection against harmful insects.

For prevention in spring and summer, cherries should be sprayed with Bordeaux liquid or blue vitriol.

Fructifying cherry

In order to get rich harvests of berries from a fruit-bearing tree, during the period of their formation, you must adhere to the following care tips:

• sprinkle cherries with a solution of water and honey in rainy spring - this will help attract insects to the garden plot;
• during drought it is necessary to provide cherries with plenty of moisture;
• monitor the acidity of the soil to keep the ovaries;
• after the completion of the harvest, at the end of September, pour abundantly on the cherry, pouring 8-10 buckets of water into the near-stem circle;
• potash and phosphate fertilizers should be applied in autumn;
• it is also necessary to monitor the condition of the crown, thinning it out from time to time;
• during the growing season, prevent the reproduction of pests.

When harvesting fruit-bearing cherries, it is worth remembering that plucked berries do not ripen and remain sour and tasteless.

Old tree

Caring for old cherry trees includes peeling, burning dead bark, whitewashing, and pruning. The age of the cherry gives out the appearance of coppice basal shoots. The more intensively they grow, the lower the viability of the plant becomes.This growth must be removed regularly. Diseased, dried and damaged branches should also be disposed of.

How to prepare a tree for winter

Cherry refers to frost-resistant plants. Nevertheless, protection from frost, in most regions, is necessary for her. Prepare for winter ahead of time. To do this, in the fall, the ground around the trunk can be covered with straw or sawdust. This will protect the root system from freezing. The pre-winter strait of soil serves the same purpose. After it, the soil is mulched with peat or manure.

Experienced gardeners recommend, in anticipation of the winter cold, to "wrap" the trunks of young cherries with pine spruce branches.

The cuts and wounds remaining after pruning must be treated with garden pitch. And woven materials can be used to protect the trunks. This prevents rodents and other animals from damaging the bark. Knowing the basic rules of care and their timely application will allow you to enjoy the pinkish caps of flowering cherries in your own garden in the spring and the harvest of fragrant berries in the summer.

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