Cherry - planting and care. Proper pruning of wood. The benefits and harms of the main varieties (80 photos)

The favorite of most gardeners is the beautiful cherry. She has long conquered the hearts of their families. Sweet cherry belongs to the Pink family and is officially called bird cherry. All varieties of the species are characterized by rapid growth. The trees reach a length of 10 meters, and some up to 30 meters. The crown changes in the process of growth from ovoid to conical.

The color of the bark is reddish brown with silver tones. The leaves are long, elongated oval. Root formation occurs in the first 2 years of a tree's life. Usually it is straight, with a good branching.

As a rule, flowering occurs in mid-May. The cherry flowers are fragrant, in appearance resemble cherries. Berries have the most diverse color: white, yellow, all shades of red and even black. The taste is rich and full. Sweet cherry is a very juicy berry.

After 4-5 years after planting, the first crop ripens. Sweet cherry is a very fertile plant. During a season, from 5 to 6 buckets of ripe berries can be collected from one tree.

He loves warmth, and therefore grows best in the southern regions. But in general, it bears fruit well throughout the territory with temperate and temperate continental climatic conditions. Today there are varieties developed specifically for the northern regions.

Summary of the article:

Species diversity

Varieties of cherries can boast of their diversity (gardeners number more than four thousand). The most convenient will be a classification by maturity. They are divided into early, middle and late varieties.

If you just look at the photo of the cherry, it will be difficult to say which grade is better. When choosing, focus on these indicators. Description of all varieties is difficult, so consider the most popular of them.

Early grades

Iput. The most common early ripe variety. Resistant to frost, early-growing, medium-yielding cherry. An adult tree reaches medium size (8-10 meters).

Ripe berries acquire a dark red, almost black color and have an impressive mass (9 grams). The variety is immune to coccomycosis. Ideal for transportation. Suitable pollinators are Tyutchevka, Ovstuzhevka, Bryanskaya Pink.

Yellow backyard. Sweet cherries are quite resistant to frost and drought. Reaches large sizes. A self-made tree with a high yield. Ripe yellow fruits have a sweet, slightly sour taste. Unsuitable for transportation.

Raditsa. The earliest representative of the species. Needs pollinators (Bryansk pink, General's, Iput). The berries have a burgundy color and a rich sweet taste. The tree is small in size, has a neat crown.

Medium-ripening varieties

Jealous. A medium-sized tree that tolerates frost. Ripe berries are almost black. They are suitable for transportation, and in the rainy period they do not become watery. Partially self-fertile, but the presence of Ovstuzhevka or Raditsa in the neighborhood contributes to an increase in yield.

Esperina (Napoleon Pink). Recommended for cultivation in the southern regions. The berry is well separated from the seed, has a yellow - pink color. Pollinator - Drogana Yellow. Due to the tendency to crack in the rainy season, unsuitable for long storage.

Fatezh. Frost-resistant, high-yielding, medium-sized variety. The berries are red, but the flesh is pink. It tolerates transportation. Pollinators include Iput, Crimean, Tyutchevka.

Late ripening varieties

Tyutchevka. High-yielding cherries withstanding frosts.A medium-sized adult tree with a well-developed crown. Large berries have a sweet taste, dark red color predominates. Varieties - pollinators Iput and Revna.

Bryansk Pink. The variety is very late in ripening. Resistant to coccomycosis and fungal diseases. Growth of an adult tree is 10-12 meters. The fruits are pink, juicy and very sweet. Needs pollinators (Tyutchevka, Revna, Iput, Ovstuzhevka).

Cherry cultivation and care

Planting seedlings can be made in spring and autumn. The main thing is not to get into frosts. It is worth taking the choice of landing site seriously. It is best to produce it in places where the tree will be protected from the winds (near fences, next to other trees).

You can not plant cherries in the shade. When planting, soil should be watered and mulched. To combat coccomycosis, it is recommended to plant lilies of the valley around the trunk.

For the most part, cherries are hardy to drought, but in particularly arid areas it is worth periodically watering the tree. Herbicides are used to prevent weeds. Fertilize should be in the spring, in late April - mid-May.

In flat and especially windy areas, most gardeners resort to warming cherries for the winter. It is necessary to cover the cherry before the first snow.

Not everyone knows how to cut sweet cherry. Although the growth of the tree is fast, the ability to shoot is weak. Therefore, in the process of crown formation, it will be useful to leave 4-5 branches for each tier.

The tiered distance is permissible up to half a meter. Active pruning should be carried out in the first years of seedling growth. After the beginning of fruiting, it should be stopped and carried out only for sanitary purposes (getting rid of old, dry branches). Correct and timely pruning will help in creating the exact shape of the tree and facilitate harvesting.

Diseases and parasites, methods of dealing with them

Cherry has the diseases and pests to which it is most affected. The most common ailments are coccomycosis, moniliosis and perforated spotting. Coccomycosis is a fungus that affects mainly leaves. Brown spots appear on them, which grow over time and lead to leaf decay. As a result, tree productivity is significantly reduced. The disease is especially dangerous in rainy seasons.

Unlike coccomycosis, perforated spotting (or kleasterosporiosis) progresses both on the leaves and on the shoots, flowers, branches and buds. This fungus got its name due to the fact that holes appear on the affected leaves, then they fall off. The flowers that suffer from the disease dry up, and the shoots die off.

Monoliasis or gray rot causes the flowers to dry out and the berries to rot. The disease behaves actively throughout the summer, which leads to the drying of many branches and damage to the crop.

Today, there are many drugs for the prevention and destruction of these diseases.

The second name for the cherry is “bird tree” and this is no accident. Another “pest” of the fruit is precisely the birds. As soon as the ripening of the fruit is nearing completion, flocks of birds literally attack the trees. To combat them, a lot of tricks were invented.

Gardeners install stuffed animals, mirrors, CDs, etc. on branches. These methods are good, but the birds do not respond to them for long and again continue to sweep the berries. This has become another reason why you should not delay the harvesting of fruits.

Beneficial features

The amount of vitamins in cherries just rolls over (vitamins of group B, vitamin A, H, C, etc.). The berries also contain potassium, calcium, phosphorus, iron, iodine, zinc, manganese and copper. But that is not all. In cherries there are acids necessary for the human body.

Berry is recommended for anemia and low hemoglobin. It normalizes metabolism, the digestive system, improves appetite. Cherry will also be good in the treatment of acute respiratory viral infections.

Nutritionists recommend eating sweet cherry to people who are overweight. This is due to the presence of fiber and low calorie fruit. Decoctions of flowers and leaves of cherries are used as an anti-inflammatory agent.

As you can see from the proposed article, cherries are a real treasure. It is easy to care for, resistant to weather and, importantly, grows quickly. Berries make excellent desserts and winter preservation. The species diversity of cherries will help to please any gourmet, and its benefits are great and obvious.