Cherry growing and seedling care

• How to choose a place for planting cherries
• How to plant a tree
• Pruning shoots
• Ways to protect crops from birds

How to choose a place for planting cherries

The first thing that will be required is to determine the place where the tree will be planted. In any case, they will feel more comfortable in an area protected from the north wind, the southern slopes of the hills may be an ideal place. Dispose seedling in the most protected place should be even if the variety is frost-resistant. Cherries should be planted in an elevated place, even if the elevation has to be created artificially. It should be remembered that good illumination is very important for cherries.

The tree is not indifferent to the fertility of the soil, it should be light, moisture-permeable, preferably medium-loamy, aerated. Landing on heavy clayey or peaty soils is not desirable. Sweet cherries will not tolerate wetlands, therefore, areas where groundwater is close should be avoided.

Experienced gardeners suggest: in order to get a good harvest, 2 or 3 different varieties of cherries should be planted on the plot. You can also place cherries not far from sweet cherries with the same flowering period as sweet cherries.

How to plant a tree

Hole for landing should be prepared in the fall. The bottom of it is dug up - the diameter should be 80 cm, the depth - 60 cm. The soil is well crushed, mixed with ash (1 kg), humus (a couple of buckets will be enough), superphosphate and sodium sulfate. The hole is left open for the winter. It is not recommended to sprinkle too much fertilizer - the tree can give numerous young shoots, which by the fall simply will not have time to get stronger and will freeze over the winter.

If it seems to you that the roots of the tree have dried up during transportation, then they should be placed in a bowl of water for the whole day.

It is not recommended to deepen the roots too much when planting - the root collar should rise 4-5 cm above the ground. A hole should be immediately made around the tree - this will make it easier to water the tree. A freshly planted tree should be watered immediately after planting.

So that the earth in the hole does not crack and does not dry out, you can resort to mulching it with humus or old straw. If the spring planting is late, the seedlings should not be cut. The trees should be planted at a distance of 3-5 meters from each other. The tree should be fertilized only in spring - no later than May. Finish tillage in the hole around mid-September. At the beginning of this month, superphosphate is introduced into the soil - up to 60 grams per square meter of area. This will help the tree grow stronger and better prepare for winter.

Pruning shoots

The cultivation of sweet cherries involves the obligatory annual formative pruning - the growth of its shoots is very intensive. It is performed in March, immediately after the snow melts, when the buds have not yet begun to swell. It is not recommended to perform this procedure in the autumn-winter period. Throughout the entire period of growth until the beginning of fruiting, it is customary to shorten all young shoots by 1/5 of the length. It is very important for the gardener to learn how to keep the tree in a certain state.

When a tree reaches 5 years of age, it is rarely thinned out, only if necessary. Branches that go deep into the crown or those that have an unsuccessful location are subject to removal. When pruning, broken off branches, dry or those on which diseases have been noticed, should be removed. Places of cuts are cleaned and treated with garden putty. Early spring tree trunks are desirable whitewash... For the winter, the tree can be wrapped with spruce branches or roofing felt - this will prevent the possibility of damage by rodents.

Ways to protect crops from birds

Some gardeners have had to deal with the fact that a rich cherry crop can be destroyed in just a couple of hours. It's not for nothing that cherries are called bird cherries: starlings flock from all around to feast on its sweet berries. To scare off birds, gardeners resort to various methods: they hang Christmas tree garlands, mirrors or rattles on trees, hang strips of foil, CDs, install stuffed animals, hang blue flags (the birds are supposedly afraid of this color). But the result is short-term - the birds quickly cease to be afraid of the scarecrows and again attack the trees.

More effective is a mesh shelter that can be purchased at any gardening store. The use of a propane gun is also effective.