What needs to be done so that the cherry bears fruit. cherry blossom

When choosing a cherry variety for a garden, gardeners select a variety that is suitable for a given region. They are interested in how much the cherry will grow to the first fruits, and what type of pollination the seedling belongs to. The description of the variety has all this information.

When do cherries begin to bear fruit?

It is believed that sweet cherries begin fruiting 4-5 years after planting. But each variety has its own period, sometimes depending on the quality of planting and caring for the seedling. Yields are low on young trees. At the age of 10 years, sweet cherries have a formed crown and from that time on give good yields - from 10 to 30 kg, depending on the variety.

Why don't cherries bear fruit?

Sweet cherry is an unpretentious tree that bears fruit annually for many years. There are old-timers among them, who are almost a hundred years old. Such is their biological feature. Cherry is less susceptible to attacks by various pests than cherries. But there are cases when a tree, according to its characteristics, is fruitful, for some reason refuses to bear fruit and stands without a crop, as decorative tree. Novice gardeners are concerned about this fact. Cherries do not bear fruit, what should I do? It is necessary to analyze the most common reasons for the lack of flowering and try not to repeat them.

Bloom time has not come

The fruiting period depends on the variety zoned in the region. Therefore, buyers need to ask what variety they take, as well as what year the purchased cherry of this variety will bear fruit.

cherry blossom time

Drop off location

The reason that the cherry does not bloom may be the wrong place. You can expect flowering if the tree is planted in the southern or southwestern section of the garden. The tree does not like drafts, so it should be protected from them and from the cold north wind. Cherry planting guidelines tell you how to plant a tree. If the planting technology was violated, and the root neck was deepened into the ground, this will slow down fruiting. The root collar should be at ground level. Flowering and fruiting is influenced by the proximity of the roots to groundwater. Cherry does not tolerate wetlands and lowlands. In this case, it is recommended to pour drainage before planting in the hole.

Root neck deepened into the ground

Soil where cherries grow

The tree “lives” well on fertile soil with neutral acidity, prefers moderate watering, followed by loosening the soil to allow air to reach the roots. It is generally recommended to do three waterings during the summer if the season is too dry. After harvesting, the tree is watered once at the end of September.

Poor tree lighting

Cherries should be sufficiently illuminated by direct sunlight, from morning to evening or at least until noon. It should not be in the shade of taller trees. It is recommended to keep the distance between trees up to 5 meters.

Fertilization

Improper care can affect the lack of flowering - the tree is not fed with fertilizers on time. Experience shows that the following will be correct: top dressing in autumn with potash (70 g) and phosphate (200 g) fertilizers, top dressing with urea (70 g) in spring.

Attention! With an excess of nitrogen fertilizers, sweet cherries can start forcing branches and leaves - fattening.

The cherry may bloom, and even the ovary appears on the branches, but then the tree sheds the ovary. This occurs with infertile soil, with a lack of potassium and calcium. This situation can be corrected by adding complex fertilizers into the soil.

Many gardeners fertilize the tree with green fertilizers, to which the sweet cherry responds with abundant flowering and fruiting in the future. To obtain these fertilizers, gardeners plant peas around the crown of sweet cherries in summer, which are mowed down and buried in the ground in autumn.

Fertilization

pruning

Too thickened crown is the loss of part of the crop. For flowering and fruiting, a tree needs sunlight, which cannot break into the middle of the tree through the dense crown and foliage. The crown is formed in the form of a bowl for several years. Sunlight will freely penetrate into it, the cherry will bloom and bear fruit. In the future, pruning is not done, only dried and damaged branches are removed.

Pests and diseases

So that pests do not deprive gardeners and summer residents of the cherry crop, even before the leaves bloom, it is recommended to spray the plants with 3% Bordeaux mixture. During the growing season, the treatment is repeated, but the concentration decreases, a 1% solution is used.

If the consequences of the shortcomings that were made when planting sweet cherries are eliminated, in 2-3 years the owners of the gardens will be able to enjoy it delicious berries. In the future, they will be able to take measures to increase the fruitfulness of sweet cherries.

Cherry blossoms but does not bear fruit

Gardeners and summer residents are no less concerned about the fact that cherries are in bloom, but do not bear fruit, what to do in this case? This happens when there is no pollination, that is, a self-fertile cherry seedling was purchased, and there is no tree in the garden that would serve as a pollinator. There is a way out of this situation. You still need to plant pollinators - 2-3 more trees, if there is a place in the garden.

Pollinators

If novice gardeners had carefully read the description of the variety before planting the garden, they would have paid attention to the type of pollination, which varieties are compatible for pollination, and would have acquired several cherry seedlings at once. For sweet cherries grown in central Russia, the Iput and Chermashnaya varieties are considered universal pollinators. They are partially self-fertile and, when cross-pollinated, give the berries a pleasant cherry flavor.

But while pollinating trees grow, if there is a place to plant them, summer residents want to get the harvest that they have been waiting for so long. Alternatively, they can graft several branches of sweet cherries of other compatible varieties of the same maturity into the tree. The grafted branches will bloom in the second year, and this is faster than the newly planted seedlings in the garden will grow and bloom. Thus, the issue of pollination will be positively resolved, and a miracle tree with branches will appear in the garden. different varieties and fruits that have different colors and different, but original taste.

Bees can help the tree to pollinate. To do this, you need to spray flowering branches honey solution (for 1 liter of water, 1 tsp of honey). They will also be helpers in calm weather for self-pollinated cherries.

Weather conditions affecting fruiting

Sweet cherry loves the heat of the sun very much, rainy weather and winter cold greatly affect the yield. If the weather is rainy during flowering, the harvest can not be expected. The bees do not fly around in such weather, and the pollen on the flowers is sterilized.

Rainy weather

Frost, in which trees can freeze slightly, is no less harmful. For gardens located in central Russia, it is recommended to choose varieties of cherries that are resistant to frost. If earlier it was believed that this tree could only grow in the southern regions, now, thanks to the work of breeders, it has adapted perfectly and annually produces crops in regions with severe winters. You just need to choose the right type of tree for your region:

• high winter hardiness of wood - Bryansk pink, Veda, Odrinka;
• good winter hardiness of flower buds - Iput, Bryansk pink, Bryanochka, Fatezh;
• both signs are present - Fatezh, Veda, Iput, Bryansk pink and others.

In the bred varieties, breeders managed to make the cherry blossom later, after the return frosts, which are detrimental to the awakened tree.

It is good if frost-resistant varieties of sweet cherries grow in the gardens of summer residents of central Russia. But there are also gardens where ordinary cherries grow, planted a few years before the winter-hardy varieties bred. They can freeze when unexpected weather oddities occur, in the form of severe frosts, return frosts, or winters that come too early. And they can freeze flower buds, or the wood is frozen. Therefore, gardeners are interested in the question: “The cherry has frozen, what should I do?”

Frost-resistant varieties of cherries

Signs of freezing cherries

In May - June, you can accurately determine how frozen the tree is. Experienced gardeners determine it by appearance tree. Its shoots darken, the bark dies and becomes dark brown. You should look at the cut of the core of the trunk and branches, if they are brown, this indicates a slight freezing of the branches. To make sure that the branches are not frozen, you need to cut the branch and put it in water for a week, covering it with a film. If a branch is damaged, its buds will not swell or bud. This suggests that the tree is damaged by frost. What to do if the cherry is still frozen? Experienced gardeners, sharing their practice, believe that the following measures can help in this case:

• If the freezing is weak, it is necessary to prune the branches with obvious signs indicating this, before the buds open; in case of severe freezing, you need to wait for the moment when the tree starts to grow, and then prune the frozen branches;
• Spray on frozen trees cold water before sunrise. Timely spraying allows the branches of the crown to thaw for a long time, removing small ice crystals from the cells under conditions of slow heating by the sun's rays. Cannot be sprayed warm water- this dooms the tree to death.

Severe frosts can freeze the trunk and skeletal branches, and frost holes appear from sudden changes in temperature. They are cleaned and disinfected with blue vitriol. garden var"wounds" are sealed.

Frozen cherry stems

There are cases when severe frosts the cherry froze and sprouted from below. This suggests that the roots of the tree were not affected. The tree is cut down, leaving the strongest shoot from which a new tree grows. Sometimes sprouts appear only when the tree has already been cut down. Two of them are selected and as they grow, one, the strongest, is left. Trees obtained from such shoots do not need to be grafted, as they retain the properties of the mother tree.

Experienced gardeners do not stop caring for trees in the garden in winter time. So that the trees do not freeze in winter, you need to take preventive measures. If the branches are covered with snow in winter, it is good for the trees. But we must not allow snow to lie on them during the thaw. At this time, he sticks to the branches, turning into ice. As a result, buds under ice can freeze or, worse, even strong branches can break. Gardeners monitor this, and wet snow is always shaken off the trees, and snow is trampled under the trunk to protect it from rodents.

Answers to common questions

Quite often, novice gardeners have a question about fruiting cherries if they grow alone. Experts based on own experience, explain that a single cherry, no matter what variety it is, does not give a big harvest, even if it belongs to self-fertile varieties. It forms only 50% of the possible harvest. If a tree with cross-pollination grew nearby, the yield would be 100%. If a single tree grows with cross-pollination, then the likelihood of fruiting is even less. What to do in this case is indicated in the article above.

Cherry formation

The question that worries both summer residents and gardeners about poor tree growth and poor fruiting is associated only with poor tree care and violation of agricultural technology. A detailed answer is given in the article.

Summarizing the above, in order to get a good harvest of the selected cherry variety, you must:

1. Have several cherry trees in the garden that meet the needs of gardeners and summer residents for good pollination. Varieties should be winter-hardy, high-yielding, fruitful, large-fruited, with separating stones;
2. Correctly fulfill the agrotechnical requirements regarding the choice of location and soil;
3. Carry out timely feeding, mulching, pruning and watering;
4. Monitor the condition of trees and take preventive measures to combat pests and diseases;
5. Try to prevent frostbite of trees by taking measures to protect against frost.

As a result, sweet cherries will delight summer residents, novice gardeners and homeowners with a good harvest.

Cherries are precious berry culture. Sometimes gardeners face an annoying problem: why don't cherries bear fruit? What to do if the tree produces a meager harvest? There is no single answer, in each case there may be a reason or a whole range of reasons. A persistent and thoughtful gardener will certainly achieve a stable harvest if his region is in principle suitable for growing sweet cherries.

Factors affecting the fruiting of cherries

Consider the factors that directly affect fruiting.

Assortment (incorrectly selected variety)

Cherries - thermophilic culture adapted to the Mediterranean and temperate climates of southern Europe.

In cold regions, you need to grow specialized varieties of sweet cherries adapted to local conditions.

Some varieties are comfortable in Moldova, in many regions of Ukraine, in the North Caucasus, in Krasnodar Territory. Breeding novelties are mastering the regions of Russia with a continental climate - the Middle Volga region, the Moscow region, Leningrad region, Far East, separate regions of the Urals and Siberia. Feature " winter-hardy variety» for the Caucasus and for the Moscow region - absolutely different concepts ; when choosing cherries for your garden, you need to familiarize yourself with detailed descriptions, reviews of experienced gardeners.

The main reason for the poor fruiting of cherries is poor choice of varieties. Cherries are less hardy than cherries or plums. For areas with cold winters and springs, special varieties with winter-hardy wood, whose buds withstand winter frosts and return spring frosts. Forms with late flowering are also promising (this saves flowers from recurrent frosts).

Varieties

Cherry Bryanskaya Pink is a winter-hardy variety with a stable yield, recommended for Middle lane Russia.

A modern assortment of cherries for Central Russia: Bryanochka, Bryansk pink, Veda, Gronkavaya, Dawn, Iput, Beauty, Red hill, Lena, Leningrad black, Folk, Ovstuzhenka, Odrinka, Oryol pink, Orlovskaya amber, In memory of Astakhov, Victory, Gift from Ryazan, Gift to Stepanov, Raditsa, Revna, Rechitsa, Motherland, Pink sunset, Sadko, Northern, Symphony, Teremoshka, Tyutchevka, Fatezh.

Many of these varieties (Fatezh, Ovstuzhenka, Teremoshka, etc.) have proven themselves well in the North-West, Siberia and the Urals.

Pollination

For most types of cherries, “neighbors” are needed - other varieties that bloom at the same time, which will pollinate each other.

If the cherry blossoms profusely, but does not set fruits (even if there were no frosts), then the reason lies in the absence of pollinators I. This culture does not have a division into males and females, but each variety requires another variety of cherries nearby for cross-pollination (by insects). Cherries are not suitable for this purpose.

It is necessary to pay attention to the possibility of self-pollination of cherries.

Most sweet cherries are self-infertile, and must be planted in groups of several different varieties (2 is not enough, preferably 3-4) with simultaneous flowering times. There are partially self-fertile varieties, but even they independently set only 5–10% of the berries from the potential (Ovstuzhenka, Revna, Euphoria, Ariadna, Krasa Zhukova).

Wintering

Cherries are getting ready for the winter.

Even in hardy varieties, flower buds and entire branches can die in severe winters, and then the tree almost does not bloom in spring. How can a gardener help cherries to minimize the risk of winter freezing?

1. Increase winter hardiness (mandatory).
2. Winter shelter with snow (as a possible option).

Increased winter hardiness

The harvest depends on how the sweet cherry survives the winter!

Healthy cherry plants that develop in comfortable conditions better prepare for winter and survive it more successfully. During the season, the wood ripens, the active laying of fruit buds.

Events:

• landing NOT in a cold lowland; groundwater not closer than 4–5 meters;
• placement of plants without shading;
• with increased soil acidity (pH less than 5.5), deoxidation with dolomite flour is necessary: ​​500 g in a pit when planting, then applying every 3 years 300–500 g per 1 sq. m trunk circle for digging;
• good cutting and shaping(necessarily!);
• watering only in dry weather and in the first half of the season;
• nitrogen fertilizing irrigation (water infusion of manure 1:10) is appropriate at the beginning of the season, phosphorus-potassium foliar top dressing - in August and early September (a tablespoon of potassium sulphate and superphosphate per 10 liters of water);
• sub-winter moisture-charging irrigation(October or early November) 60–100 liters under one tree);
• treatment and prevention of fungal diseases weakening plants (coccomycosis and moniliosis are especially dangerous): late autumn (after leaf fall) and early spring (strictly before the buds swell) spraying (300 g iron sulphate per 10 liters of water); during the growing season, fungicide treatment ( Horus, Skor, Plantenol, Bordeaux liquid - according to the instructions). Majority modern varieties is disease resistant.

snow shelter

By nature, cherries are tall trees. Northern experimental gardeners are trying to artificially reduce their height, using bush and fan formations, grafting onto undersized cherries.

Problems with regular and timely cherry blossoms in your garden can be associated with various factors - from age and climate to care. We will try together to understand all the possible causes and find methods to correct the situation.

Cherry blossoms - what could be more beautiful than these spring white and pink clouds? In Japan, there is a whole national holiday of admiring cherry blossoms, Hanami. It dates back to the 3rd century AD, but even today the tradition is alive - a huge number of Japanese and foreign tourists fill parks and squares with only one goal - to see it. air miracle. However, on its own garden plot fruit trees do not always please with abundant flowering.

Why won't cherry blossoms? Cherry blossoms well in spring, but the flowers fall off - what is the reason? How to help cherry blossoms? What to change in care so that the cherry finally blooms? Can a tree be saved? The answers to these and many other questions are in our article.

Reason 1: improper planting of a cherry seedling

Incorrect planting is the very first reason that you should pay attention to for any problems in the garden. How to avoid it?

First, before "populating" your site with new trees, make sure that the selected cherry varieties are suitable for your climate and soils. Cherry will do sunny plot with light sandy loamy soil, which has a reaction close to neutral, and with a groundwater table no higher than 1.5 m.

Secondly, follow the planting technology and do not ruin the tree already on initial stage his life. Cherry seedlings are planted in the spring in such a way as not to expose and deepen the root neck, not to "rest" the roots in a dead soil horizon and not to "drown" them in groundwater. After planting, the seedling is mulched with sawdust and watered with warm, settled water.

Reason 2: too young tree

Oddly enough, this is one of the fairly common causes of "non-flowering". Inexperienced gardeners may start to worry as early as 2-3 years. It seems that the tree has taken root well, beautiful and healthy, but still does not bloom! Don't worry at this stage - your cherry may just be young. Depending on the variety and growing conditions, some cherries, even with proper care, begin to bear fruit in the 4th, 5th, or even only 6th years. Specify the qualities of the variety you have chosen and make sure that you are caring for the tree correctly.

Reason 3: bad year for cherries

Is your cherry tree not blooming after winter, although everything was fine before? Perhaps the reason was an unfortunate year in terms of weather.

For example, we can talk about too warm autumn. Prolonged sunny autumn days with a positive temperature can make the cherry, instead of entering a dormant period, “wake up” again before winter. And then new weak shoots with flower buds freeze with the inevitable sharp onset of cold weather. In this case next spring with a high degree of probability, ovaries are not formed.

Another common cause of cherry blossom problems is late spring frosts. Even a temperature of -1 ° C can cause irreparable damage to a tree that is ready to bloom, and with a thermometer reading of -4-5 ° C, even formed buds and flowers can die.

If such frosts are not uncommon in your latitudes, choose late flowering varieties ( Generous, Beauty of the North, Crimson, Ural ruby, Orlais, Lyubskaya etc.) or take care of curbing early flowering (for example, whitewash the trunk and bases of skeletal branches, which will prevent the tissues of the tree from getting very hot in the sun). In early spring, cherries can be pre-treated with special stimulants to increase resistance to adverse weather (Epin Extra, Novosil, etc.).

Also, with already established warm weather, but a sudden forecast of sharp frosts, methods of smoking or sprinkling are used. In the first case, before dawn and within a couple of hours after it, the tree is fumigated with warm smoke from smoldering bonfires or special smoke bombs that have been laid out nearby in advance. In the second, simulating natural precipitation, the garden is sprayed with water from a fine sprinkler at night before sunrise to keep the frozen water warm on the branches.

Very cold or hot temperatures in spring, excess rain and other weather disturbances can also interfere with flowering. All this negatively affects both the very viability of pollen and the activity of pollinating insects.

Or maybe your cherry is just tired and is now resting. She could get tired of a difficult climate or, for example, poor soil. Quite often, to save the strength of fruit trees, nature provides for such a mechanism: they bear fruit in a year, resting from time to time, in order to please again with a good harvest.

Reason 4: improper care of cherries

How to create conditions for cherry blossoms? To a large extent proper care. Consider the errors leading to poor flowering, which you can ignore due to inexperience.

Wrong watering. A constant excess of moisture in the same way as its lack or high level groundwater at the planting site can be detrimental to the health of your tree. Cherry should be watered several times a season, offering her 2-6 buckets of non-cold water, depending on the size of the tree. The first - immediately after flowering (simultaneously with top dressing). The second - after the formation of berries. Further watering is carried out depending on temperature, abundance of precipitation, soil characteristics. The last (pre-winter) watering is carried out on the eve of autumn frosts, after the leaves fall - this period usually falls in early October.

a lack of nutrients It can also negatively affect a tree preparing for flowering. If the cherry is planted on a meager or little suitable soil, it must be systematically and competently fertilized. The acidity of the soil, if possible, should be close to neutral (acidic peat lime, add organic matter and clay to the sandy one). To improve the quality of the soil - carefully dig it up, add ground eggshell or chalk, mulch the trunk circle. To enrich the soil - apply top dressing in the spring organic fertilizers(humus, rotted manure, wood ash).

Untimely pruning. We have repeatedly mentioned that competent and timely pruning of any fruit tree- one of the conditions of his health, prolonging the productive period of life. Cherry is no exception, rather the opposite, because its crown quickly thickens. Do not forget about the timely shaping and rejuvenating pruning of your garden.

Cherry weakening can also cause excessive gum disease, which is formed due to mechanical damage to wood or improper maintenance conditions. In this case, you should carefully examine the tree, find all the wound surfaces, remove the resin from them and treat with a 1% solution of copper sulphate. The damaged area should then be cleaned to a living tissue, and cuts and cracks should be "sealed" with garden pitch.

Reason 5: fungal diseases of cherries

Also, a possible reason for the lack of cherry blossoms can be a weakening of the tree by diseases. For example, fungi. The most common of them are coccomycosis and moniliosis. Carefully inspect your fruit trees and if you find the following negative signs take appropriate treatment measures.

Visually manifested by the presence of yellow-brown spots different size on the outside leaves. On the lower one, fungus spores ripen at this time, carried by the wind to neighboring flowers and leaves, as well as to nearby trees. It can end with a massive (up to 80%) fall of leaves and flowers.

Control measures. Initially, choose varieties of cherries that are resistant to coccomycosis. If there are signs of the disease, treat with special preparations: before flowering, spray with 3% Bordeaux liquid or a solution of ferrous sulfate (300 g of the substance per 10 liters of water); after the end of flowering - with Fundazol, Horus or Skor preparations; after harvesting, spray with 1% Bordeaux mixture. Timely collect and burn the affected parts of the tree - leaves, ovaries, fruits.

Moniliosis (monilial burn) cherry

Cherry moniliosis is also manifested by massive damage and fall of foliage and flowers, rotting of berries, cracking and drying of wood. The affected parts look like they have been severely burned. At this time, there are no varieties of cherries resistant to moniliosis.

Control measures. If there are signs of the disease, treat with special preparations: before flowering, spray the tree and the soil under it with 3% Bordeaux liquid; after flowering, treat with 1% Bordeaux liquid. If necessary, additionally apply the appropriate drugs: Ftalan, Horus, Kuprozan. Timely collect and burn the affected parts of the tree - branches, leaves, flowers, fruits.

Healthy cherries, which are properly cared for, can bear fruit for up to 15-20 years! Do not let the development of your garden take its course - this is a guarantee that there will be no problems with flowering and good harvest.

Cherries have been cultivated since Ancient Greece, and in the Middle Ages in Germany there were whole cherry orchards. In Europe, this tree has been grown for 2000 years. Wild cherries grow in the Caucasus mountains. Greek colonists in the Crimea were also engaged in its cultivation. IN Kievan Rus they even wrote songs about cherries.

The sweet taste of cherries is loved even by birds. There is a legend that it was birds that brought it in ancient times.

Now in the world grow up to 4000 varieties of cherries. In many countries it is sold in stores all year round and it's always fresh. The French make wine out of it.

Sweet cherries are very healthy, contain sugar that is easily digestible, minerals and various vitamins, a small amount of vitamin C and nicotinic acid. This berry has a wonderful taste, it is widely used in cooking. Its fruits strengthen blood vessels and are considered an excellent cure for anemia.

The cherry tree usually bears fruit annually. Different harmful insects it is less attacked than a cherry. However, there are periods when the cherry does not bear fruit. One of the reasons for this is the lack of flowering. Why the cherry does not bloom, let's try to figure it out now. Let's find out the most common causes of this phenomenon, and why the tree does not produce a crop.

One of the possible reasons for the absence of flowering buds in sweet cherries is poor root system tree or seedling. The reason for the underdevelopment of the root system of a fruit tree may be the wrong planting technology.

If the tree is too young, this causes the cherry tree to not bloom. There is a certain variety of sweet cherry that flowers and bears fruit after planting only after three years, and many other varieties produce a crop only after five years. You should not worry, just when buying a seedling, be sure to find out the variety and ask how quickly the tree will yield.

Another reason that the cherry does not bloom is that the gardener has chosen the wrong place for planting. What needs to be done to fix the error:

• tree is planted on south side dachas;
• the area where the cherry grows should be protected from wind and drafts;
• it cannot be planted near other trees, they will create a shadow, and the cherry loves the sun;
• the tree must be rooted in light, air-saturated soil;
• it cannot be planted close to groundwater, this will rot the roots, and as a result, the tree will not produce a crop.

One more possible reason- the landing was carried out incorrectly. If the gardener has no experience, then it is likely that he will plant the tree incorrectly. To get a good harvest when planting, you must follow the instructions:

• make a hole for a cherry seedling 60 cm deep and 80 cm wide. Add a little humus and fertilizer to it;
• root neck should be at ground level. It cannot be buried very deep;
• around the seedling it is necessary to make a shaft and water the soil well where the cherry will grow.

Much or little moisture is also one of the reasons that the tree does not bloom and does not bear fruit. IN summer period the tree is watered three times, you need to loosen the ground a little, and in autumn period irrigation needs to be done.

The tree may still not be pollinated, which is also worth noting as a reason. Many varieties of sweet cherries need to be planted next to cherries, as they do not self-pollinate and must be near other trees to do so. When there is no cherry near the cherry, it will not bloom and bear fruit.