Why the cherry does not bear fruit, what to do: causes and measures to combat the problem

Cherry is a popular plant among gardeners and fruit lovers. Juicy fruits make excellent jam, compote, jam and wine. However, it happens that a tree that is unpretentious in its care ceases to produce a crop. There are many reasons for this, ranging from bad weather to improper care. Why the cherry does not bear fruit, and what needs to be done to correct the situation, further.

Main reasons

The most common reasons for the lack of berries in cherries are:

1. Pollination deficiency or lack thereof.
2. Unfavorable climatic conditions.
3. Incorrect planting and care.
4. Self-fertile variety.
5. Incorrect pruning and tree shaping.
6. Pests and diseases.
7. Plant age.

Each of these reasons can affect fruit yield, so you need to know how to properly grow a fruit plant in order to please yourself and others with tasty and juicy fruits every year.

Lack or deficiency of pollination

When a fruit tree blooms profusely, but does not bear fruit, most likely the reason for this is the lack of pollination. Among the cherry varieties, more than half are self-fertile. This means that when a flower is pollinated by its own pollen or pollen from a tree of the same variety, then 95% of the flowers will not produce fruit.

To avoid this, it is necessary to plant different varieties of cherries nearby. However, sometimes it doesn't help. The reason is that not all varieties of cherries pollinate each other well. It is recommended to seek advice from a specialist in order to plant the desired tree nearby.

Pollinators need to be attracted, for this in the spring, during flowering, spray the flowers with water with the addition of granulated sugar (a tablespoon of sugar per liter of water).

Bad weather

Climatic conditions can also affect the formation of the fruits of the fruit tree. Even when the cherry has blossomed profusely, but frosts come sharply, heavy rains begin, or persistent heat and drought begin, there may be no harvest at all.

Smoky fires around the tree area will help in case of frost. Thanks to the smoke, the air warms up and saves the ovaries from frost. And in order to save them from drought or high humidity, plants are stimulated by treatment with a solution based on boric acid (one tube of acid per 10 liters of water).

To facilitate the evaporation of moisture, loosen the soil around the plants, and during a drought, water daily in the evening.

Incorrect fit and care

The annual yield of cherries is also affected by its location on the site. When planting a fruit tree, you need to pay attention to the following:

1. To subsequently propagate cherries on the site, it is necessary to purchase a grafted seedling.
2. Cherry grows and bears fruit in neutral sandy loamy soil. Do not plant a tree in barren marshy land or shady places.
3. It is recommended to monitor the level of the root collar during planting, it should not be deeper than the soil level.
4. An orchard needs decent care: regular watering, loosening, fertilizing, mineral supplements and pruning.

If you neglect the growing conditions of a fruit tree, over time it will weaken, the number of fruits will decrease, branches will stop appearing, and abundant gum will be noticeable along the crown.

Self-fertile variety

Most known cherry varieties are self-fertile. This quality suggests that the cherry is not able to form ovaries without cross-pollination. For the formation of fruits, a neighboring pollinator variety is needed. Therefore, the abundant spring flowering of a fruit tree does not guarantee a rich harvest.

To increase fruit production, the pollinator variety needs to be planted no further than within a radius of 25 meters. The next important point is the simultaneous flowering of two trees.

Important! Some of the cherry varieties are partially self-fertile. In principle, they can be fertilized by their own pollen, but a pollinator neighbor is needed for a bountiful harvest.

Cutting and shaping errors

Another reason why cherries do not bear fruit is a thickened crown. This is rarely observed, but it is worth considering recommendations for the timely pruning of a tree.

In early spring, in March, dry shoots, diseased, rotten and broken branches are pruned. As well as those branches that grow deep into the crown. This procedure promotes the formation of new young branches that will bloom and bear fruit.

Common mistakes people make when pruning a fruit tree:

1. Pruning shoots with flowers. The vital activity of such branches is no more than 3 years, however, if you remove them in advance, the cherry will cease to bear fruit.
2. Heavy pruning. It is not recommended to excessively remove young shoots on a tree - this leads to a general weakening of the plant, resulting in a reduced yield.

Disease and pest damage

Lack of juicy cherries provoke disease. The most common of them are coccomycosis and moniliosis.

Coccomycosis can be identified by the presence of small red spots on the leaves of the tree. The disease begins to manifest itself from the last weeks of May. As a result of infection, diseased leaves dry quickly, curl into a tube and fall off.

Moniliosis. Young leaves, flowers, ovaries, and fruits dry up on an infected plant. The catalyst for the development of the disease is increased moisture during cherry blossom.

In order not to start infecting plants with diseases, it is recommended to prune damaged and dry branches in a timely manner, as well as destroy pest nests.

Often diseases are spread by pests, these include:

1. Cherry weevil. It not only contributes to the infection of the tree with a disease, but also affects the flowers and ovaries of cherries.
2. Codling moths and aphids.

To avoid the appearance of harmful insects, it is necessary to carefully inspect fruit trees. In case of detection of the first signs of pests or various diseases, take the necessary measures urgently.

Old or too young tree

Early-bearing varieties of cherries begin to yield in the third year after planting, others in the fourth. If after the specified period the plant does not bear fruit, you need to look for the cause of the problem.

Adult cherry bears fruit up to 15 years of age (with good care - up to 20 years). Therefore, when an old tree ceases to please with juicy fruits, it must be replaced.

How to make cherries bear fruit

When cherries cease to bear fruit, eliminating all possible causes of trouble, gardeners increase the yield of the plant in the following ways:

1. In the spring, when young leaves bloom, fertilizers are applied under the root of the tree.
2. During the formation of buds, the tree is sprayed with a solution with the addition of boric acid. After the flowers bloom, spraying is repeated.

Symptoms and typical causes of unripe fruit drop

Sometimes gardeners don't have time to harvest juicy cherries. The reason for this is the shedding of ovaries and unripe berries. What causes this phenomenon? There are several reasons.

Due to lack of moisture

Insufficient humidity as a result of bad windy weather and lack of rain. In view of this, the plant lacks mineral elements for the formation of ovaries and the ripening of berries. When a lump of earth taken near the crown of a fruit tree easily crumbles in the hand, this is a clear sign of water deficiency.

To remedy the situation, cherries need to be watered abundantly. The best time to water is after sunset. Grooves are dug around the tree trunk, and water is poured there. The amount of liquid should be enough to wet the ground to a depth of more than 40 centimeters. Watering can be combined with fertilizer.

Wrong fertilizer

Another reason for premature shedding of green cherry berries is considered to be improper feeding with microelements or increased soil acidity in the area.

For this reason, the plant is not able to feed all the formed ovaries and fruits, and the lack of lime provokes the impossibility of seed formation.

To remedy the situation, in the first case, you need to feed the cherry tree with mineral fertilizers or prepare a special mixture.To do this, mix potassium nitrate sulfate with superphosphate. Dosage - 20 grams per square meter (can be dissolved in water or simply scattered).

As for the acidity of the soil - you should well water the soil around the trees with a solution of ash or chalk.

Due to illness

In addition to the above diseases, the cherry tree sheds unripe fruits as a result of infection with clasterosporiosis. The disease begins with the appearance of brown spots on the leaves, then holes form and the leaves fall off. When the infection spreads to fruits or ovaries, they dry and fall off.

To avoid this, when the first signs appear, it is necessary to get rid of the affected branches. For prevention, it is recommended to spray the cherry with Bordeaux liquid after flowering.

What needs to be done to save the harvest

In order for a rich harvest of juicy cherry berries to form and ripen after the flowering period, it is necessary to systematically care for the plant:

1. Water when there is persistent drought and no rain outside.
2. Timely carry out activities for pruning dry, diseased, damaged by pests and unnecessary shoots.
3. Feed the fruit tree. The presence of various mineral fertilizers in the soil helps to increase the yield of cherries.
4. Prevent pests and diseases.

Preventive measures for good fruiting

To maintain and increase the yield of cherries, phosphorus-potassium supplements will not be superfluous. But nitrogen fertilizer needs to be limited.

If it became noticeable that the tree began to bloom poorly, bear little fruit, it is recommended to stop manure fertilizer. It does not allow the plant to prepare for the period of winter cold and provokes incomplete maturation of buds and shoots.

To prevent moniliosis, it is recommended to spray cherries with copper-containing preparations or a solution of copper sulfate (100 grams per 10 liters of water).

It must be remembered that the processing of a fruit plant with chemicals is carried out strictly according to the instructions. Also, when spraying, respiratory protection and gloves must be used.

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