When planting cherries in autumn, it is important not only to plant a seedling correctly, but also to take into account the peculiarities of the local climate. If you follow the agricultural techniques of autumn planting, the tree will take root safely. We learn how to plant sweet cherry seedlings in the fall, and how to help them survive the first winter?
Features of autumn planting
Cherry, like any fruit tree, is planted in any of the seasons. It is impossible to say unequivocally when it is better to plant cherry seedlings, many factors influence the planting dates - climate, variety, weather conditions, the availability of planting material, and others.
There are circumstances in which autumn landing is preferable to spring. Features and benefits of planting in the fall:
- It is in the fall that the market is filled with varietal seedlings - at this time nurseries sell their products. You can not only find the right variety, but also choose the best seedlings. Read about the most common varieties of cherries here.
- Autumn planting is an option for the southern regions and the middle lane. In areas with a harsh climate, it is not profitable and risky - seedlings planted in the fall may not survive their first winter.
- The timing of autumn planting depends on the climate of the region. The seedling is planted 1-1.5 months before the temperature is set below 0 ° C. If the snow already lies, but the earth has not frozen, and there are still no frosts, it is still possible to plant cherries.
Seedling Selection
For autumn planting, seedlings 1-2 years old are most suitable. Signs of a good seedling:
- The height of the annual - up to 80 cm, two-year - up to 100 cm. It is undesirable to choose tall seedlings for planting, since they need more time to root.
- Healthy root system. It is on the roots that they pay the most attention. It is desirable that the seedling has many juicy, fibrous processes. The roots should not be dried or damaged.
- Leaves do not matter, even if they are, they are cut off.
- Inoculation should be visible on the seedling. This is proof that the seedling is varietal. When buying cherries, it is important to know - this culture is not customary to propagate by seeds. Unlike cherries, a seedling grown from seed can completely lose the varietal properties of the mother plant.
- Branches are welcomed - they will allow in the near future to begin the formation of a correct and convenient crown. The main thing is that the seedling has a central conductor - without it, the tree will not be able to grow and branch well. Moreover, it risks breaking apart when abundant fruiting.
If you have to transport the purchased seedling, wrap its roots in a damp cloth, and wrap oilcloth on top.
Three-year-old seedlings are not worth buying - they practically do not take root.
Variety selection for different regions
When growing cherries, it is extremely important to consider its winter hardiness. In order for the tree to survive the winter safely, you need to choose only varieties zoned in a particular region. A temperature of minus 20 degrees is enough for the cherry seedling to die.
Varieties of cherries for different regions:
central region | Far East | Siberia | Northwest region |
Bryanochka | Sweet pink | North | Teremoshka |
Valery Chkalov | Sakhalin | Michurina | Rechitsa |
Italian | Ordynka | Kozlovskaya | Dawn |
Krasa Zhukova | Francis | In memory of Astakhov | Leningrad black |
Iput | Dragana yellow | Fatezh | Bryansk pink |
Pink sunset | Ariadne | Symphony | Revna |
Training
Sweet cherry demanding growing conditions. She needs fertile soil and lots of sun. The further development of the seedling, its immunity and productivity, depends on how correctly the planting is performed.
A place
In order for the cherry to grow well and bear fruit, it is important to choose a site for it with favorable conditions. Landing site requirements:
- good lighting;
- protection from the wind;
- fertile and moisture-intensive soils;
- the best soils are loam and sandy loam;
- deep occurrence of groundwater - at least 1.5 m;
- lack of risk of spring flooding;
- the best neighborhood is cherries, cherries, plums;
- unwanted neighbors - walnut, mountain ash, peach, pear, black currant.
Dig the ground for autumn planting 2-3 weeks before planting. Under landing make humus - a bucket of 1 square. m. Along the way, adjust the composition of the soil. Sand is added to clay soils, clay is added to sandy soils. You can also make a special soil mixture - it is bought in agricultural stores.
Sour peat bogs are not suitable for growing cherries.
Pit preparation:
- Dig a hole more spacious - 80 cm wide, 70 cm deep. Do not narrow the hole - the roots should fit freely in it.
- At the bottom, pour a drainage layer - broken brick, gravel, crushed stone.
- Drive a stake into the ground - it will serve as a support for the seedling.
- 10 days before planting a seedling, fill the hole with a third of the nutrient mixture. The composition of the mixture:
- fertile soil - 2 parts;
- humus - 1 part;
- peat - 1 part;
- superphosphate - 90-100 g;
- potassium sulfide - 40-50 g.
You can fill the pit with soil mixture of the following composition:
- compost - 2 buckets;
- ash - 1 kg;
- superphosphate - 400 g.
During planting, it is forbidden to use nitrogen fertilizers and lime. They have a bad effect on the survival of a seedling, and can even burn its roots.
Preparing seedlings for planting
In order for the seedling to safely take root, it is prepared for planting:
- 10-12 hours before planting, place the seedling in water. There, if you want, add a growth stimulator - Kornevin.
- Trim all damaged roots before planting. Cut long roots as well - the roots should sit comfortably in the prepared hole.
- If there are leaves - do not forget to cut them off, as they can cause dehydration of the seedling.
Outdoor landing
If the pit has been prepared, the land has settled in it, and the seedling is prepared, you can start planting.
Watch the video where the cherry seedling is planted in the autumn:
The order of planting cherry seedlings:
- If you did not put a support during the digging of the pit, now is the time to do it. Drive a peg 80 cm high in the center of the pit.
- Rake the soil that is buried in the pit into the hill. Set the seedling roots on it. You must place it so that the roots are straightened, and its root neck is 5-6 cm above the surface of the earth. When the earth settles, the neck will fall.
- Fill the roots with soil removed from the pit. Sprinkle gradually, occasionally shaking the seedling, and tamping the soil with your hands - so that the earth fills the gaps between the roots.
- Having fallen asleep half the pit, pour a bucket of water into it - so that the earth settles better. When moisture has absorbed, continue to fill the hole. At the end of the process, firmly compact the soil around the trunk. Tie the seedling to the support - carefully, without damaging or squeezing the bark.
- Pour the seedling. To ensure high-quality watering, dig a groove 5 cm deep around the trunk. Lay out the soil extracted when digging the grooves with a roller along the diameter of the trunk circle. Water poured into the groove will be evenly distributed throughout the hole, settling to the roots.
- Mulch the trunk circle with peat, mowed grass or other mulch.
Care in the first year for planted cherries
In the first year after planting, cherries require increased attention. Caring for a young tree begins with the onset of spring. All winter the sweet cherry slept peacefully, with the onset of spring agricultural activities begin.
Watering and weeding
During the growing season, the tree needs watering. Cherry is demanding on moisture, but its excess should not be allowed - this will adversely affect the state of the root system and the development of the whole tree.
Watering Rules:
- Cherry is watered regularly, taking into account weather conditions and soil conditions.
- In normal weather, a young tree is watered once a month, during a drought - every week.
- It is advisable to water the tree into a groove dug around the circumference. But you cannot use the hole that was dug during landing - it should be gradually expanded, reaching as a result, up to 1 m.
- The norm of watering for young cherries is 2-3 buckets per tree. When the tree grows, the rate will double.
After irrigation, the trunk circle is sprinkled with peat or humus. A layer of mulch retains moisture and inhibits weed growth. The moisture stored in the fall will help the tree survive its second winter.
Cherry does not tolerate weed vegetation - it needs regular weeding. During the entire growing season, the soil in the near-stem circle is loosened, simultaneously removing weeds.
Fertilizer
In the first year, after planting a seedling, top dressing is not needed - the plant for a long time has enough fertilizers laid in the planting pit. The principles of feeding cherry after the first year of life:
- The best fertilizer for cherries is humus. Moreover, it is enough to make it every 2-3 years.
- To stimulate the large-fruited tree, it is provided with complex mineral fertilizers - those that were applied during planting. They are usually made for 2-3 years.
- In the second year, it is recommended to feed the cherry with nitrogen fertilizers - urea. On one tree - 120 g. It is scattered on a tree-trunk circle after watering.
- In the fourth year of life, when the length of the roots exceeds the diameter of the trunk circle, fertilizers are applied over a larger diameter. In the spring, they add 120-200 g of urea, in late August - 500 g of superphosphate and 100 g of potassium sulfate.
The width of the trunk circle is increased in the second year to 1 m. And then each year they add another 50 cm to its diameter.
Do you need pruning?
In the first year of life, the seedling does not need pruning. In spring, cherries planted in the fall are examined. If during the winter some shoots are broken or damaged, they are cut off.
Formative pruning is carried out in the second year of life. First, 3 strong shoots are left on the tree, and the rest are cut out. Shortening the selected branches by a third of the length, cut off the central conductor - at a distance of 1 m from the lower tier. Then pruning is repeated annually.
Thanks to the forming pruning, in which the upper branches are shortened by a third, and all the branches growing inward are cut, they receive a crown in the form of a bowl. The cup-shaped crown provides good illumination to all shoots, increases productivity, simplifies the collection of fruits.
When and how to cut sweet cherries is described in this article.
Winter preparations
Most of the varieties of cherries are characterized by moderate frost resistance, so the young tree is carefully prepared for wintering. If extreme frosts occur, young cherries can freeze.
The order of preparation for the winter:
- Before the onset of frost, wrap the trunk of the tree with burlap - you definitely need “breathing” material that lets air through. But if the winter is warm, the tree can rub under a burlap - you must carefully monitor its condition.
- When the snow falls, throw a trunk over it - this will be a reliable warming for young cherries.
- To prevent rodent damage to the bark, spread poison near the tree. Or throw a trunk with lapnik.
Autumn planting of cherries is practically no different from autumn. It has many advantages, but only gardeners of the southern regions - Rostov Region, Krasnodar Territory, Northern Caucasus can take advantage of them. In more severe climates, this thermophilic crop is usually planted in the spring.
Posted by
12
Russia. City Novosibirsk
Publications: 276 Comments: 1