Cherry (Cerasus) is a subgenus of the genus plum of the rosacea family. The Russian and German names for such a plant come from the same base "Weichse", which translates as "sweet cherry". Moreover, the Russian name comes from the Latin word "viscum", meaning bird glue. As a result, the original meaning of the name "cherry" can be determined - it is a "sticky sap tree". “Cerasus” is the Latin name for cherry, which comes from the name of the city of Kerasunda, it was on its outskirts that a large number of delicious cherries grew. The Romans called such trees "Kerasund fruits", from which the Spanish "cereza", and the English "cherry", and the French "cerise", and the Portuguese "cereja", and the Russian "cherry", while the Romans called it "bird cherry ". Below will be described in detail about the common cherry ((Prunus cerasus), or sour cherry, this species belongs to the subgenus cherry. Such a plant can be found in gardens of almost any region. Some experts are sure that this type of cherry is nothing more than a hybrid of cherry steppe and sweet cherry, which was the result of natural selection, and it could be born in the Dnieper region, in Macedonia or in the North Caucasus. This type of cherry cannot be found in nature.
Content
Cherry features
Cherries grown in the garden can be a shrub or tree, which can be up to 10 meters high. The color of the bark is brown-gray. Elliptical pointed leaf plates have petioles, their length is about 8 centimeters. The front surface of the leaves is dark green, and the wrong side has a paler color. Umbrellas consist of 2 or 3 flowers of pink or white color.Flowering begins in the last days of March or the first in April. Cherry blossoms are among the most beautiful plants in nature. The fruit is a juicy spherical drupe, reaching about 10 mm in diameter and has a sweet-sour taste. The beginning of fruiting is observed in the period from mid to late May.
Planting cherries in open ground
What time to plant
Cherries are planted in the spring, due to which, before the onset of winter frosts, it manages to take root well and start growing. The seedling should be planted in a heated soil, while the buds should not have time to open. In this regard, experts believe that planting cherries in the garden is best in mid-April, while this should be done in the evening after sunset.
Cherries planted in autumn will most likely not have time to take root before the first frosts, because no one can determine exactly when they will begin. In this regard, if the seedlings were harvested in the autumn, then it is recommended to dig them in the garden, and plant them in a permanent place in the spring.
Planting cherries in autumn
In the event that the seedlings turned out to be at the gardener in late autumn, you should try to save them until the next spring. Choose a shaded spot in your garden where snow lasts the longest during spring. It will be necessary to make an oblong hole, the depth of which should be in the range of 0.3–0.35 m, while taking into account that it must be dug with a slope of 45 degrees. In the resulting short trench, seedlings should be laid, with their roots directed to a deeper side. Then the seedlings need to be covered with soil so that the root system of the plants and 1/3 of their trunks are covered with it. Then that part of the cherries that is covered with earth must be well watered. Then, on top of the seedlings along their entire length, lay pine spruce branches, while its needles should be directed outward, so you protect the plant from rodents. When snow falls on the ground, it must be thrown over the shelter of the seedlings, while the thickness of the layer should be from 0.3 to 0.5 m. The plants are removed from the trench just before planting.
Spring planting
If you want to plant cherries in the spring, then experts advise buying seedlings in the autumn months. They will need to be saved until spring, how to do this is described in great detail above. It is best to buy two-year-old seedlings, the height of the boles of which is 0.6 m, while the diameter of their trunks can vary from 20 to 25 mm. It is very good if the seedling has skeletal branches longer than 0.6 m.Immediately before planting, an inspection of the root system of the plants should be carried out, while all injured or rotted areas are cut out to healthy tissue, the wounds should be sprinkled with crushed charcoal. 3-4 hours before planting, the root system of the seedlings must be placed in a container with water, this will allow the roots to get saturated with moisture and straighten out.
The soil for planting should also be prepared in the autumn. For planting, you must choose a sunny area with drained sandy loam, sandy or loamy neutral soil. Areas with a high groundwater table are not suitable for planting cherries, and you should not choose a lowland for this purpose, in which stagnant melt water is observed in spring. You can fix acidic soil by adding lime or dolomite flour, for this, 0.4 kg of the substance should be distributed on the surface of each 1 square meter of the plot, then the soil is dug to the depth of the shovel bayonet. Lime should not be applied to the soil at the same time as organic fertilizers. From the moment lime is added to the ground, count 7 days, and then add rotted manure or compost to it (15 kilograms per 1 square meter).
If you decide to plant several seedlings at once, then you will need to maintain a distance of 300 centimeters between them. If you are planting cross-pollinated seedlings, then you will need to plant at least four varieties next to each other, while planting them using a 3x3 meter scheme (for tall varieties) or 2-2.5 meters (for low varieties). If the variety is self-pollinated, then it will not need pollinators.
The planting hole should be 0.8 m in diameter and 0.5–0.6 m deep. The nutritious topsoil must be removed and combined with humus (1: 1). In the resulting mixture you need to pour from 30 to 40 grams of superphosphate, 1 kilogram of wood ash and 20-25 grams of potassium chloride. If the soil is clayey, then you need to add 1 bucket of sand to it. A high peg is driven in the center of the pit, while its height should be such that it protrudes 0.3–0.4 m above the surface of the plot. Around the peg, you need to pour the soil mixture mixed with fertilizers so that you get a cone-shaped slide. A seedling is installed on it, it should be placed on the north side of the peg, while its root collar should rise 20–30 mm above the surface of the site. Then you need to carefully straighten the cherry roots. Further, soil is poured into the pit in parts and compacted well, make sure that at the end of planting there are no voids in it. Around the planted plant at a distance of 0.25–0.3 m, you need to make a hole with a soil roller, pour 10 liters of water into it. After the liquid is completely absorbed into the soil, the root collar of the plant should be at the level of the surface of the site. Then the surface of the trunk circle will need to be covered with mulch (sawdust, peat or humus), after which you need to tie the seedling to the peg.
Cherry care
Cherry care in spring
A cherry sapling planted in open ground will not need additional fertilizing, not only this year, but also over the next 2 or 3 years. It is relatively easy to care for a young plant, it needs to be watered, weeded, cut on time, and also shallowly loosened the surface of the trunk circle. Those cherries that have already begun to bear fruit should be watered abundantly in the heat. So, for 1 watering, at least 30 liters of water should be consumed per plant. At the same time, you need to water the cherry during the active growth of the stems, during the flowering and ripening period of berries. If the spring is cool and damp, then in order to get a good harvest, it will be necessary to attract pollinating insects to the garden, for this you need to treat the plants with a solution consisting of 1 liter of water and 1 large spoonful of honey. During the season, the surface of the trunk circle will need to be loosened 3 or 4 times. Pruning is carried out at the very beginning of the spring period before the buds open, at the same time all root shoots are cut out, and the surface of the trunk circle is covered with a layer of mulch (compost or sawdust). In spring, it is also imperative to spray these trees in order to prevent diseases and pests.
Summer cherry care
In the summer months, cherries will need to be watered, fed, weeded in a timely manner, and they will also need protection from various diseases and pests. During this period, special attention should be paid to watering, especially in the heat. In summer, such a plant sheds part of the ovaries, after this happens, a nitrogen-containing fertilizer will need to be applied to the trunk circle. If the tree is fruitful, then 20-30 days after the first feeding, the plant will need to be fed with potassium and phosphorus.
In summer, the fruit is harvested. If the variety is early, then fruit ripening is observed in the second half of June, in mid-ripening - in the last days of July, in late ones - in August-September. Fruits are harvested as they ripen.
Cherry care in autumn
In autumn, cherries that are already bearing fruit should be fed with mineral and organic fertilizers.They are brought into the trunk circle for digging to a depth of 10 centimeters around young plants and 15–20 centimeters around trees that have begun to bear fruit. Top dressing should be done at a time when the foliage begins to change its color to yellow, 2 days before this, the plant needs to be watered, or it is done a couple of days after the rain. At the same time, plants are treated in order to prevent diseases and pests, and they also produce water-charging irrigation for the winter. On the surface of the site, bait with poison for rodents should be laid out, they do this in October. At the same time, the surface of the trunk, as well as the base of the skeletal branches, should be whitened, this will help protect the plant from various pests. When the ground freezes, as a rule, this time falls on November, it will be necessary to remove loose leaves from the site, and cover the surface of the trunk circle with a layer of mulch (peat). The trunks of young plants need to be insulated by tying them with spruce branches.
Cherry processing
In spring, before the buds open, it is recommended to spray the tree with a solution of urea (7%), as a result of which pests and pathogenic microorganisms that survived the winter in the bark of the tree or in the trunk circle will be destroyed. Also, urea will become a nitrogen source for the plant. But such processing should be carried out before sap flow begins, otherwise burns may appear on the expanding kidneys. If the sap flow has already begun, then a solution of copper sulfate (3%) or a Bordeaux mixture should be used for spraying. After about half a month, the plant is sprayed with Neoron or colloidal sulfur (according to the instructions), which will protect it from powdery mildew, mites and other pests. Such processing can be carried out only when the temperature during the day is about 18 degrees.
In the summer months, during the active growth of berries, in order to prevent diseases, the plant is sprayed with copper oxychloride, and against pests - with Fufanon.
In the autumn, before the leaves begin to fall off, the cherries must be treated with a urea solution (4%), which will protect the plant from pests and become a source of nitrogen for it. Moreover, this feeding will be the last for the season.
Watering cherries
The tree should be watered so that in the near-trunk circle the soil can get wet to a depth of 0.4 to 0.45 m, however, stagnation of water in the ground should be avoided. The first watering is done after the cherry blossoms, at the same time it is fed. When the fruits begin to pour, the tree should be watered a second time. For 1 watering under 1 tree, from 30 to 60 liters of water are poured, the exact volume directly depends on the presence of rain and on the weather. After the fall of leaves in October ends, water-charging podzimny irrigation is carried out, during which the soil must be moistened to a depth of 0.7-0.8 m. This allows the soil to be saturated with water, as a result of which the cherry root system becomes more frost-resistant, besides freezing of wet soil is much slower.
Those plants that have not yet begun to bear fruit should be watered 2 times a month; in the heat, watering should be done once a week.
Cherry feeding
Organic matter is introduced into the soil for digging in autumn 1 time in 2-3 years. Also in the fall, the plant is fed with mineral fertilizers. To do this, use phosphorus and potassium fertilizers, or rather, potassium sulfate (per 1 square meter from 20 to 25 grams) and superphosphate (per 1 square meter from 25 to 30 grams). Top dressing with nitrogen-containing fertilizers is carried out at the very beginning of the spring period and after the cherry blossoms, for this use urea (per 1 square meter from 10 to 15 grams) or ammonium nitrate (per 1 square meter from 15 to 20 grams). It should be borne in mind that fertilizers must be distributed over the surface of the entire area where cherries grow. Before you start feeding, you should water the area.
Cherry also responds very well to foliar dressing.To do this, use a urea solution (for 1 bucket of water 50 grams). Spraying is carried out 2 or 3 times in the evening after sunset, while the interval between procedures should be 7 days.
Wintering cherries
An adult tree, which has already begun to bear fruit, does not need shelter for the winter, but it is better to protect its root system from freezing. After the snow falls, the trunk circle will need to be covered with a thick layer of snow, its surface is covered with sawdust. In autumn, it is necessary to make the obligatory whitewashing of the trunk and skeletal branches; for this, a lime solution is used, which is mixed with copper sulfate.
If the plant is young, then after its trunk is whitewashed, it should be tied with spruce branches for the winter.
Cherry pruning
What time is pruning
The first time the cherries are pruned in March before the buds swell. In the event that the buds have already begun to open and sap flow has begun, then pruning should not be carried out, otherwise the branches that have been shortened may dry out. In some cases, pruning is done in the summer, after all the fruits have been harvested. At the very end of the growing season, pruning is carried out in the autumn. It should be borne in mind that pruning for sanitary purposes is carried out at any time of the year, while all branches affected by the disease are cut out.
How to prune cherries
Cherry pruning can cause a lot of trouble for inexperienced gardeners, most of whom are trying to give up this procedure. But it should be remembered that thanks to pruning, you can significantly improve the quality of the fruit.
Seedlings planted in open soil this year need shaping. To do this, leave 5 or 6 of the most powerful branches (if the variety is bush, you can leave about 10 strong branches), while the rest should be cut into a ring, you do not need to leave hemp. Garden pitch should be smeared with the cuts. It is necessary to choose those branches that are directed in different directions, while they must grow from the trunk at a distance of at least 10 centimeters from each other. Starting from the second year, the formation of the plant is carried out as follows: remove all stems and branches that grow inside the crown, as well as shoots grown on the trunk. If the cherry variety is tree-like, then such a plant needs to shorten the branches that grow up very quickly, otherwise the harvesting procedure will be noticeably complicated. In bushy plants, the stems should be shortened to half a meter. In tree-like plants, new skeletal branches will grow over time, while they will be approximately equally distant from other branches. An adult cherry should have 12 to 15 skeletal branches. During sanitary pruning it is necessary to remove all injured, diseased and dried branches and stems.
Cherry pruning in spring
Cherry pruning in spring is considered very important and should be done every year. If you carry out spring pruning according to all the rules, then you will not need to subject the plant to this procedure at other times of the year. Pruning must be done before the buds swell. However, if very severe frosts were observed in winter or early spring, then this procedure should be performed immediately after the buds swell. In this case, it is necessary to make not only formative, but also sanitary pruning, removing all branches and stems affected by frost. Immediately after pruning, it is imperative to process the cut sites, since after the start of sap flow, the cherry very painfully tolerates such a procedure. In the event that the length of annual shoots does not exceed 0.25–0.35 m, then they do not need to be pruned. Cut out only competing stems, as well as those that thicken the crown. Shoots growing vertically upward must be cut out at the point of their origin.Shorten the trunk, while it should rise above the ends of the skeletal branches by no more than 0.2 m. In the summer, when fruiting ends, you will need to adjust the shape of the crown, but only if necessary.
Pruning cherries in autumn
Autumn pruning of cherries is rarely done. The fact is that this procedure, carried out in the fall, can significantly worsen the winter hardiness of the plant, and as a result, significant harm will be done to the future harvest. But if you cut the plant correctly, then you can not only prevent the development of infection, but also increase the yield. It should also be taken into account that diseased and injured stems will take away nutrients from healthy shoots that they need so much in winter. Pruning in the fall should be done after the growing season is over, but before the frosts begin. If frosts have already begun, and you have not pruned, then this procedure will have to be postponed until the onset of the spring period, since the bark becomes very fragile due to frost, and if it is injured, gum will begin to flow out. In autumn, pruning of annual seedlings is not performed.
Cherry propagation
Cherries can be propagated by seed, as well as vegetative, namely by root shoots, cuttings or grafting. Such a plant is propagated by seeds, as a rule, only by specialists. But even a simple gardener can easily learn to grow cherries from seed. As a rule, the plants obtained in this way are used as rootstocks for grafting. Amateur gardeners prefer to propagate cherries vegetatively, and grafting is the most popular because it is suitable for all varieties. It should be borne in mind that only self-rooted plants can be propagated by root shoots.
Seed propagation of cherries
Sowing seeds in open soil is carried out in the autumn. In spring, after the seedlings appear, they will need to be thinned out, while the scheme of 20x20 centimeters should be adhered to. They need to be well looked after until the very frosts, while the seedlings must be watered, weeded, fed in a timely manner, and you also need to loosen the soil surface on the site. With the onset of spring, when the period of bud swelling begins, the plant can be used for replanting a cultural scion.
Cherry grafting
As mentioned above, the grafting method is quite popular among gardeners. However, before proceeding with the grafting itself, it is necessary to grow a stock from the seed, while the variety should be frost-resistant. The graft is taken from the cultivated cherry variety. Felt cherry seeds are ideal for rootstock growing as the plant does not form root growth. Growing rootstock from seed is described in detail above. There are several ways to vaccinate:
- in crust;
- under the bark;
- improved copulation;
- into the side cut.
Cherry propagation by green cuttings
Today this method of cherry propagation is relatively popular among gardeners. The fact is that for cherries grown from a cuttings, it will be possible to use root shoots for cutting cuttings in the future. Cuttings should be harvested from mid to late June, at which time there is an intensive growth of the stems of this plant.
Take a not very deep box (from 10 to 12 centimeters), while its size should be 25x50 centimeters. It is also necessary that there are small drainage holes at the bottom of the container. The container should be filled with a substrate consisting of coarse sand and peat (1: 1). Next, it must be spilled with a solution of potassium permanganate of a dark pink color, then the substrate is watered with plenty of water.
For cutting cuttings, you should choose not drooping stems growing upwards, located on the southwestern or southern side of a tree or shrub that is 3-5 years old.The cuttings should be sprayed with water and cut off their upper part, on which the underdeveloped leaf plates are located, because it takes root rather poorly. In length, the cuttings should reach from 10 to 12 centimeters, while each of them should have from 6 to 8 leaf plates. In finished cuttings, all the leaves located below should be cut off. The upper cut is made directly above the kidney, and it should be straight, the lower cut is made 10 mm below the node. The cuttings should be stuck into the soil, deepening them at the same time by 20-30 mm, the distance between them should be from 5 to 8 centimeters, the soil should be tamped around them. A wire frame should be put on the top of the box, while it should rise 15–20 centimeters above the container. On this frame, you need to stretch a polyethylene film. The homemade greenhouse should be removed in a well-lit place, but at the same time it should not be exposed to direct sunlight.
After the leaf plates on the cuttings return turgor, this will mean that rooting was successful. From this time on, they begin to lift the film for a while in order to ventilate the plant and at the same time harden them. For wintering, these cuttings should be buried in the garden. With the onset of spring, they will need to be planted in a permanent place or for growing.
Cherry propagation by root shoots
This propagation method is applicable only to a self-rooted plant, and it is also used for growing rootstocks. In order to propagate cherries, you should choose a two-year-old root growth of self-rooted high-yielding trees with a well-developed root system, while their aboveground part should be branched. Only those offspring that are far from the parent tree should be cut off, otherwise, you can injure its roots. In autumn, the root that connects the tree to the offspring should be chopped off, stepping back quite a bit. At the same time, the offspring is not deposited, it must remain in the soil. With the onset of spring, the offspring must be dug up, then they are sorted. So, a plant with a well-developed root system should be planted immediately in a permanent place, and weak plants should be planted on a training bed for growing.
Diseases of cherries with a photo
Cherry can get sick with diseases such as: brown spot, clotterosporia, cherry mosaic and mosaic ringing, dying off of branches, scab, fruit rot, coccomycosis and moniliosis, root cancer, gum disease and witch's broom. Below will be discussed in detail about those diseases that occur most often.
Brown spot
If spots of a light yellow, brown or pale red color appear on the leaf plates, this means that the plant is infected with brown spot. Such spots may or may not have a border, as the disease progresses, fungal spores form on their surface, which are black dots. Over time, the tissue in these places dries up and falls out, from which holes appear on the plate. Infected leaf plates die off. To cure the affected specimen, first you need to tear off all the infected foliage from it, which must be destroyed. Then the plant and the surface of the trunk circle should be treated with Bordeaux mixture (1%), while the cherry will need to be sprayed 3 times: when the buds just begin to open, when the plant has bloomed, and 15–20 days after the second spraying.
Clasterosporiosis
Cherry, like other stone fruits (plum, peach, sweet cherry and apricot), can get sick with perforated spot or clotterosporium disease. At first, small (about 0.5 centimeters in diameter) specks of brownish color with a light red border appear on the leaf plates of the affected specimen. After half a month after their appearance, these spots begin to crumble, from this holes appear on the leaf plates.Then the foliage begins to dry and fall off prematurely. On the surface of the berries, depressed spots of purple color appear, the diameter of which gradually increases to 0.3 cm, and then they take the form of warts. Gum starts to flow from these spots. On the surface of the branches, cracking specks of light color with a dark border appear, from which gum flows. The affected kidneys turn black and look like varnished. Infected branches must be cut and burned. Then the wounds are disinfected with a solution of copper sulfate (1%), and then they are rubbed with fresh sorrel foliage 3 times, the interval between such procedures is 10 minutes. At the very end, the wounds are coated with garden varnish. The plant itself should be treated with Bordeaux mixture (1%) in 3 stages, in the same way as during the treatment of brown spot.
Coccomycosis
If small red dots appear on the surface of the foliage on the underside of the plate, covered with a bloom of pink, this means that the cherry is affected by coccomycosis. Affected foliage becomes brown and dries up. Most often this disease occurs in regions with a humid climate. The treatment of the plant should begin after the petals have flown from the flowers, it is treated with a Horus solution (for 1 bucket of water, 2 grams of the drug). This treatment is repeated 20 days after the end of flowering. The third spraying should be done 20 days after harvest.
The withering away of the branches
If the plant becomes infected by the death of branches, then small warty growths of pinkish color will appear on the surface of its bark, which can be located singly or in groups. Also, garden crops such as currants, plums, apple trees, cherries and apricots are susceptible to this disease. The affected branches need to be cut off and destroyed, the place of the cut is sprayed with a solution of copper sulfate (1%), and then it is smeared with garden pitch.
Scab
If brown-olive velvety specks appear on the leaf plates and berries, this means that the plant is infected with scab. Cracks appear on ripe fruits, and green berries stop developing and wrinkle occurs. This disease is fungal, therefore it is necessary to treat the plant in 3 stages in the same way as described above.
Moniliosis
Due to gray rot, or moniliosis, the plant begins to dry out. Its stems and branches wither and outwardly look like burnt, the berries rot. On the surface of the bark and fruit, small, randomly located growths of gray color appear. You can distinguish fruit rot from gray rot by the location of these growths, so, in the first case, they are located in concentric circles. Cracks appear on the branches, from which gum flows, resulting in sagging. In order to cure gray or fruit rot, use a Bordeaux mixture. However, it should be borne in mind that fungal diseases can also be cured with drugs such as: Nitrafen, iron and copper sulfate, Oleocobrite, copper oxychloride, Captan, Phtalan and Kuprozan.
Gum therapy is most often a symptom of other diseases. At the same time, a thick resinous substance of a light color begins to flow out of the cracks located in the bark, which solidifies in air. Often, such cracks form in the bark of plants affected by perforated spots, as well as in cherries that have received a sunburn or suffered from frost. If nothing is done in the near future, the branches from which the gum flows will dry out, and this can lead to the death of the entire plant. The edges of the cracks should be cleaned using a sharp tool. After that, the wound is sprayed with a solution of oxalic acid (100 milligrams per liter of water) or impregnated with gruel made from fresh sorrel leaves. Then they are smeared with garden var.
Witch's broom
A fungus like the witch's broom parasitizes fruit trees. It promotes the formation of a large number of sterile thin shoots. On affected specimens, foliage becomes faded and takes on a pale red hue.The leaf plates become smaller, become brittle and wrinkled. At the end of the summer period, on the seamy surface of the foliage, you can find a bloom of gray color, in which there are spores of the fungus. Cut off all affected stems with emerging thin shoots. The plant itself must be sprayed with a solution of ferrous sulfate (5%).
Root cancer
Root cancer is a bacterial disease. The affected specimen has small soft growths on the roots. As the disease progresses, they become large and can reach 10 centimeters in diameter, and such growths also harden. As a result, the roots weaken, they do not grow well on sandy soil. The root shoots appearing from them do not form their own roots. An adult specimen cannot be cured. If the seedling gets sick, then it should be dug out and all the small growths that are present are cut off with a tool, which is pre-treated with a formalin solution. Then the root system is disinfected with a solution of copper sulfate (1%).
Mosaic disease
Mosaic ringing and mosaic disease - these diseases are caused by a virus. If a cherry is affected by a mosaic, then clear strokes and stripes of yellow appear on its leaf plates, which are located parallel to the veins. The affected foliage curls up, changes its color to red, then to brown and eventually dies off ahead of schedule. If the plant is affected by ringed, then whitish circles form on the surface of its foliage, in these places the plate begins to crumble, holes may even appear. Such diseases cannot be cured. Affected specimens are removed from the soil and destroyed.
Cherry pests with photo
The following pests pose the greatest danger to cherries: plum moth, cherry and bird cherry weevils, slimy, public and pale-footed sawflies, subcrustal leafworm, cherry aphid and hawthorn.
Plum moth
Caterpillars of the plum moth damage the berries of the plant, they eat away the kernels from the seeds, and also eat the pulp. If such a pest was detected in a timely manner, then plums and cherries, and the surface of the trunk circles, should be sprayed with solutions of such agents as: Ambush, Anometrin, Citkor or Rovikurt.
Cherry weevil
The cherry weevil is a small crimson green-bronze beetle that emerges from the pupa from mid to late May. This beetle eats the buds, foliage, buds and ovaries of the plant. A female weevil lays eggs in a bone shell, and one individual can harm about 200 berries. Larvae emerge from the eggs, which eat the core of the bone. Those fruits that have been damaged by the larvae fall off. To get rid of such a pest, you need to spray the plant after it fades, re-processing is carried out after 1.5 weeks. For processing, use Rovikurt, Ambush or Aktellik in a dosage that is indicated in the instructions.
Bird cherry weevil
The bird cherry weevil is a small brownish-gray beetle that behaves in much the same way as the cherry weevil. His appearance occurs at the same time, while he is able to cause the same harm to the cherry. The same means are used to spray the plants. The first spraying is done before the cherry blossoms. After flowering, re-processing is carried out, but only if necessary. Best of all, Actellik copes with such a weevil.
Sawflies
Absolutely all varieties of sawflies eat up the leaf plates of the plant, of which often only a skeleton of veins remains. If there are a lot of pests, they will be able to destroy about 70 percent of all leaf plates, this will have an extremely negative effect on the yield and frost resistance of the plant. Affected cherries after they have bloomed should be sprayed with Karbofos or Aktellik.
Subcortical leaf roll
In June, the subcrustal leafworm lays eggs in the cracks in the bark, which covers the branches or stem of the plant. Caterpillars hatch from eggs, which begin to gnaw their passages under the bark. During the summer of butterflies, cherries should be sprayed with a solution of Karbofos (10%) or Actellik (50%).
Hawthorn
Hawthorn is a large white butterfly. The appearance of its caterpillars occurs in the last days of April or the first days of May. They are chosen from spider nests, have a black head, and there are 2 yellow-golden stripes on their back. The tracks can be up to 45 mm long. Most of these pests are usually eaten by birds, but the small part of individuals that remains can significantly harm garden crops. As soon as the caterpillars are seen on the cherry, it should be sprayed with Rovikurt, Ambush, Aktellik or Corsair.
Cherry aphid
The cherry aphid is a small insect that can damage cherries a lot. Because of these pests, young shoots are curved and their growth stopped, as well as twisting, blackening and drying of leaf plates. Young plants become less frost-resistant, and in winter they freeze. The secretions of aphids are eaten by ants, so they also settle on cherries in large numbers. The first processing should be done at the very beginning of the spring period. For spraying, you can use Actellik, Ambush, Rovikurt or Karbofos. Treated cherries will require a systematic inspection. If you even notice a few insects, re-spray the plant.
How to limit cherry overgrowth in your garden
Cherry often has root growth. It takes some of the nutrients from the parent plant, which negatively affects the yield. Root offspring will begin to bear fruit relatively soon, and the parent plant will weaken at this time. To prevent this, you should resort to the following methods of dealing with overgrowth:
- To get rid of cherries altogether, it is necessary to cut down the tree that gives the growth. Several holes should be drilled in the saw cut surface. Saltpeter is poured into them, and the stump itself is covered with roofing material. After a few months, the stump should completely rot, after which all root suckers should be uprooted.
- 2 times a month root suckers should be sprayed with a herbicide, for example: Hurricane, Glyphos, Regent, Pruner or Tornado. This will lead to death and overgrowth, and the plant from which it comes.
- If you do not wish to destroy the cherry tree, then you will need to excavate the cuttings up to where they attach to the root of the parent plant. They are cut at the root, while stumps should not remain.
Experienced gardeners recommend getting rid of those plants that are prone to overgrowth. Instead, it is recommended to plant seedlings on seed stocks on the site, since root shoots do not appear on them. At the moment, buying such a seedling is quite simple. If you do not know for sure whether this cherry gives root suckers or not, pieces of roofing material or slate should be dug in within a radius of half a meter around it, burying them into the soil half a meter. The fact is that cherry branches appear at a depth of 0.3 m.
Cherry varieties
Cherry varieties for the Moscow region
For planting in the Moscow region, cherry varieties should be chosen that are resistant to coccomycosis, have high winter hardiness and yield. The best varieties:
- Lyubskaya... This variety has been cultivated for a long time, it is self-fertile and gives a rich harvest. The plant is about 250 centimeters tall, making it easy to pick berries. The shape of the crown is spreading, the color of the bark is brownish-gray. The dark red fruits have a sweet and sour pulp.
- Apukhtinskaya... Late self-fertile variety of shrub type. Plant height is about 300 centimeters. Large fruits of dark red color are heart-shaped. The sweet-sour pulp has a slight bitterness.
- Youth... A frost-resistant variety with a high yield, which was obtained using the varieties Lyubskaya and Vladimirskaya. Plant height is about 250 centimeters. The form can be tree and shrub. It is resistant to fungal diseases. Sweet and sour juicy berries are colored dark red.
- In memory of Vavilov... This tall, self-fertile variety is frost-resistant. The berries are deep red and have a sweet and sour taste.
- Toy... This hybrid between cherry and sweet cherry has a high yield. The fleshy deep red fruits have a refreshing taste.
- Turgenevka... This variety is distinguished by high productivity and resistance to coccomycosis, it is common in the Moscow region. Plant height is about 300 cm, it has a crown shaped like an inverted pyramid. Heart-shaped large burgundy fruits have a sweet and sour taste. However, for pollination of such a variety, pollinating varieties must be grown on the garden plot, for example: Lyubskaya or Molodezhnaya.
Even in the Moscow region, you can grow such varieties as: Almaz, Generous, Crystal and Shubinka.
Early varieties of cherries
Early maturing varieties ripen in the second half of June. Popular varieties:
- Orlovskaya early... The variety is resistant to coccomycosis and frost. The red berries are of medium size.
- English early... This variety, which appeared in England, has been known for a very long time. He is tall, has moderate frost resistance. The dark red juicy berries are very sweet.
- Consumer goods... A small variety with large, juicy, dark brown dessert berries. They are sweet in taste and slightly sour.
- Memory of Yenikeev... It is a self-fertile, medium-sized variety. Plant height is about 300 cm, it has an average yield and universal berries.
- Expectation... The variety has a high yield. The berries are dark red, almost black. They can be eaten fresh or used to make stewed fruit, preserves and liqueurs.
- Early dessert... This variety is ultra early. Fruit color is red-yellow.
Medium cherries
Popular mid-season varieties:
- Robin... Self-fertile medium-sized variety, distinguished by its yield and resistance to frost and coccomycosis. The sweet-sour berries are dark red in color. The following varieties are used for pollination: Shubinka, Lyubskaya, Vladimirskaya, Bulatnikovskaya.
- Chocolate girl... Low-growing self-fertile variety, characterized by resistance to drought and frost. The berries are dark red.
- Morozovka... A medium-sized self-fertile variety resistant to frost, coccomycosis and drought. Dessert sweet berries have a deep red color.
- Vladimirskaya... Self-fertile tall variety. Small, slightly flattened, flat-rounded berries have a sweet-sour taste and a dark red color.
- Rossosh black... This medium-sized variety is highly productive and resistant to drought and frost. Large sweet-sour berries have a maroon, almost black color.
- Blackcork... Self-fertile medium-sized variety, hardy. The sweet berries are almost black in color and have a slight sourness.
Late varieties of cherries
Popular late varieties:
- Belle... The variety is distinguished by its yield and winter hardiness. The medium-sized dark red berries have a juicy, tender sweet and sour pulp.
- Fertile Michurina... A medium-sized variety, characterized by yield and frost resistance, is susceptible to fungal diseases. The crown is spreading. Medium-sized glossy deep red berries have a rounded shape.
- Nord Star... Weak self-fertile variety. Possesses resistance to fungal diseases and high frost resistance. The berries are dark red.
- Memory... The variety is frost-hardy and has a high yield.Large sweet and sour fruits are dark red in color.
- Rusinka... Self-fertile variety of shrub form. Has a high frost resistance. Plant height about 200 cm. Sweet and sour berries are dark red, almost black.
- Erudite... The variety has appeared recently. The fruits are large dark red.
