Cherries are one of the most common fruit trees in gardens. It can be found both in private households and in large industrial complexes. This berry is eaten fresh and dried, used for various types of preservation, together with petioles and leaves, it is used in the medical industry. But getting a large and high-quality harvest is not always easy. The basis for the abundant fruiting of cherries, like any fruit tree, is, of course, flowering. If there were any problems at this important stage, then the gardening season may not be successful.
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How and when cherry blossoms
Many different varieties of cherries are grown in our country. Depending on the timing of flowering and ripening of fruits, they can be divided into groups:
- early varieties begin to bloom in early May;
- trees bloom in mid-May, which will yield a crop in medium terms (early July);
- late-ripening cherries open their buds towards the end of the last spring month.
Depending on the climate of the region or local weather conditions, the flowering time may shift slightly.
The flowering period is short - 2 to 5 days. White or pink flowers are collected in umbrellas and usually appear simultaneously with the leaves or a little earlier.
The flowering period is at the same time the moment of pollination, which determines what percentage of the ovaries of the future harvest the cherry will give. This is influenced by weather conditions, because they determine the activity of pollinating insects and the viability of pollen. Moreover, not only cold and rainy weather can be unfavorable, but also too hot for spring (more than 30 aboutFROM).
The future harvest depends on the weather during cherry blossom
Often, gardeners can observe an unpleasant picture: after abundant flowering, future fruits are not poured on the cherry, or the tree has not bloomed at all in due time.
Cherry does not bloom
In this case, there are several possible reasons. Each of them has its own characteristics and methods of solution.
Young garden
If a year after planting you are disappointed to find that young cherries have not bloomed, do not rush to get upset. Be sure to make allowances for the fact that trees have not yet entered full force, they may not bloom even under favorable conditions. In a couple of years, young cherries will grow up and get stronger, with proper care they will definitely have flowers.
The tree is tired
There are cases when the cherry, which had been successfully bearing fruit for several years, did not bloom. If the weather conditions were good, and no signs of disease were found on examination, then most likely the tree needed rest. Probably, next year, the cherries that have gained strength will again please with a good harvest.
Trees get tired on soils that are low in nutrients.
Frost
This is one of the most dangerous reasons that can manifest itself at different times of the year. For example, if the autumn was unusually warm, then the cherry, instead of entering a dormant period at the usual time, may give new shoots. But with the onset of winter, the flowering buds will freeze on them.
Late spring frosts are also frequent, especially in central Russia. A sudden drop in temperature during the established warm weather can cause irreparable damage to the tree. -4aboutC is the critical point at which the buds die, at -2 aboutС - flowers, at -1 aboutC - ovary.
If you know that similar phenomena have been observed in your area for several years, then try to take care of your garden in advance. Create conditions in order to postpone the moment of flowering. To do this, in a period when the snow has not yet melted, it is necessary to throw it in a large volume into the trunk circle. Thus, when it gets warmer, the roots of cherries will remain in the cold, which will artificially postpone the moment of bud formation and, accordingly, flowering.
If the warm weather has already settled, the buds have formed, but suddenly forecasters promised a decrease in temperature, then it is necessary to use the smoke method or the sprinkling method. This is done in order to maintain optimal conditions for the cherries.
Table: how to save cherry blossoms
| Method | Temperature, which applies | Materials and tools | Process |
| Smoke | 1–2 aboutFROM | The basis for a smoke fire can be straw, fallen leaves, dry branches, which are laid in metal barrels or covered with a thick wet layer of earth, moss or peat. | The procedure begins before dawn and continues for 2 hours after it. During this time, the prepared fire is kept smoldering, the resulting smoke heats the trees. If the garden area is large, then it is better to use special smoke bombs. |
| Sprinkling | -1–0 aboutFROM | Garden hose with fine spray and water. | The trees are sprayed whole, simulating natural precipitation. You can also carry out the procedure at night before sunrise. Freezing, water forms an ice crust, which will generate heat. This method is effective even when the temperature drops to -5aboutFROM. |
The ice crust on the trees will provide protection, keeping you warm during late frosts.
If your region falls into an unfavorable climatic zone, select late blooming varieties in advance. There are also varieties that initially have a high resistance of flower buds to low temperatures: Generous, Rasletka, Crimson, Lyubskaya, Orleya, Apukhtinskaya, Uralskaya ruby.
Lack of nutrition
If cherries grow on poor or highly acidic soils, such as sandy or peaty, then they may be lacking in nutrients. To lower the acidity, lime or chalk is added to the soil. To enrich the land with a small amount of nutrients, fertilizing is performed with organic fertilizers. To do this, you can use humus, which must be applied to a depth of 10 cm at the rate of 1 bucket per 1 m2 crown projection. Such feeding should be carried out in April and no more than 1 time in 2-3 years.
Humus will provide trees with nutrients for a long time
Weakening cherries with diseases
Another reason for the lack of flowering can be the damage to the tree by diseases. If you find negative signs, then it is too late to carry out preventive measures and it is necessary to deal with urgent garden treatment.
Table: cherry diseases
| Disease | Characteristic signs | Treatment methods |
| Coccomycosis | Fungal disease. It is distinguished by the presence of small brown spots on the outer surface of the leaves, which eventually merge into large ones. On the underside, under the white growths, spores of the fungus ripen, which the wind carries to the neighboring trees.Leaves dry out and fall off ahead of time. Cherry fruits can also be affected, acquiring an ugly appearance. | Treatment is carried out in 3 stages:
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| Moniliosis | The crown and branches are primarily affected. The leaves look like they've been badly burned and are drying up. The trunk (cracks) and berries (rot) can be affected. |
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| Gum therapy | In case of mechanical damage or improper maintenance conditions, cracks may appear on the trunk or branches, through which resin is released. It hardens and clogs the bark, causing bacteria to grow. | For treatment, 1% copper sulfate and garden var are used. The first preparation treats the areas from which the resin is removed, the second - seals cracks and cuts. |
Photo gallery: the most common cherry diseases
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- Moniliosis literally "burns" the leaves and fruits of the cherry
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- Coccomycosis attacks cherries on all fronts: it affects the crown, berries, branches
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- Gum therapy makes cherries vulnerable to other dangerous diseases
Video: how to deal with moniliosis
Cherry blossoms but does not bear fruit
There are several reasons for the lack of a cherry crop, even if the flowering period is favorable.
Lack of pollinators or good conditions for pollination
Remember that many cherry varieties are not self-pollinating. Therefore, to ensure the ovaries, it is necessary that trees grow nearby, which will be pollinators for each other. When choosing varieties for these purposes, it is important to take into account the timing of flowering and fruiting. It is necessary that they match. Sometimes, if there is no place for planting pollinators on the site, they are grafted into the crown of already growing trees.
If there are no pollinators in the garden, then this does not mean a complete lack of harvest, but cherries will be able to use their potential by no more than 7%, and those varieties that are self-fertile - by 40%.
Pollination efficiency is also influenced by weather conditions. If the flowering period turned out to be rainy and cold, then both the quality of pollen and the activity of pollinating insects decrease. An additional sprinkle of sugar syrup will help attract them. It can be prepared by dissolving 1 tbsp. l. sugar in 1 liter of water.
The bee is the gardener's main friend and companion in obtaining a large harvest
Unfavorable conditions of detention
If initially the place for planting cherries was chosen unsuccessfully, then in the future this will be the reason for the lack of harvest. Cherries will bear little fruit in shaded areas.
As with no flowering, poor soil quality can affect yields. To preserve as many ovaries as possible, from which the berries will develop, it is necessary to support the cherry by spraying with nitrogen fertilizer, for example, with a 40% urea solution. This procedure is carried out twice: the first time 1.5 weeks after the end of flowering, the second time - 14 days after the first feeding.
Make sure to feed your cherries on time so you don't have to resort to emergency measures. Cherries are not picky and require fertilization every 3-5 years.And on fertile soils, there may be enough of those nutrients that enter the soil from a layer of mulch laid out in the root circle.
The necessary process of crown formation should also be mentioned. After all, too thick incorrect crown will prevent insects from flying up to the flowers, and also the cherry will give the main strength to the growth of foliage, and not to fruiting.
Video: how to prune cherries
Cherry dries after flowering
As a rule, the strong unnatural splendor of the flower cover speaks not of the health of the tree, but quite the opposite. At such moments, this is the last attempt by a dying tree to devote all its strength to creating a large number of seeds for subsequent reproduction.
The most effective method against the death of cherries is to prevent all possible causes:
- In wet weather, fungi develop best, leading to various diseases. Therefore, during such periods, more often remove old rotten foliage, keep the trunk circles clean.
- It will be useful to carry out sanitary spraying of trees and soil after the snow melts with 3% Bordeaux liquid, and during the vegetative period - Topsin, Abiga-Peak, Horus.
- Periodically inspect tree trunks for mechanical damage, remove broken branches. Places where cracks and breaks have arisen must be disinfected and covered with garden pitch to prevent the penetration of fungi and bacteria through them.
- Do not forget to whitewash the trunk and skeletal branches in the fall.
- Excessive waterlogging must not be allowed, which can lead to root rot. In normal weather, cherries need 4 waterings per season.
Garden var is an effective remedy that helps to protect the tree from the penetration of fungi and bacteria
If there are other farms near your garden, agree with your neighbors about parallel preventive cleaning and processing of your plots in order to prevent epidemics of fungal diseases
Even when you have met all the conditions for treatment and prevention, do not let the cherry blossoms uncontrollably. Allow the tree to focus its efforts on repairing both visible (for example, on the bark) and invisible to the eye (in the root system). To do this, be sure to thin out flowers and fruit set, minimizing the amount of possible harvest. By sacrificing one season, you give the cherry a chance to recover.
In order to only enjoy the beautiful flowering and excellent harvest of cherries in the future, it is necessary from the very beginning to fully approach the process of growing your garden - starting from the choice of seedlings and a place. The more responsible you take this, the less extra effort you will spend in the future to bring your trees to the appropriate development conditions.
