Cherry is a popular fruit plant. I love this culture for its unpretentiousness and high resistance to frost and weather extremes. To keep its yield from year to year, I adhere to some care rules.
Features of cherry care in autumn
Autumn is an important period for cherries. The plant stops the growth of young shoots and activates the formation of buds for the next year, lignification of the branches and trunk occurs.
It is at this moment that it is important to carry out a number of events:
- the introduction of the necessary nutrients;
- pruning;
- disinfection;
- water charging irrigation;
- tillage.
Fertilization
Since cherries have used up a lot of nutrients in the current season, they need to be replenished.
I advise you to start feeding the plant at the end of September, after the tree has shed its leaves.
In the autumn, I recommend minimizing the compositions containing nitrogen. Since the element stimulates the growth of young shoots. The plant will wake up, spend a lot of energy on the formation of new branches, which will not have time to woody by winter and will freeze out.
For autumn dressings, formulations with a high content of potassium and phosphorus are best suited. Potassium helps to strengthen the root system. Phosphorus increases the plant's resistance to weather extremes.
I add the following formulations per 1 m2:
- superphosphate - 100 g;
- potassium magnesium - 55 g.
I use granular fertilizers. Spread evenly around the perimeter of the root circle and spill thoroughly with water.
Pruning
After the leaves have completely fallen, I recommend starting pruning. In the fall, I carry out sanitary, removing branches:
- broken;
- dry;
- with signs of illness or various injuries.
- improperly growing.
I start the procedure on a dry day, no later than 2 weeks before the onset of frost, so that the plant has time to recuperate.
If necessary, I clean the areas with a metal brush:
- with mold;
- moss;
- exfoliated bark.
First, I spread a tarp under the tree so that the dead parts fall on it. They can be infected with fungal and other infections, and insect larvae often find refuge under them.
I clean it to a healthy tissue. I disinfect the wound with copper sulfate and close it with garden varnish.
Disinfection
After pruning, I recommend starting the preventive treatment of cherry trees. The purpose of disinfection is to protect the tree from pathogenic microorganisms and larvae of insect pests that winter in the bark and upper layers of the soil.
The procedure is carried out as follows:
- I dig the root circle onto the bayonet of the shovel.
- I spray trees with Bordeaux liquid or copper sulfate.
Moisture-charging irrigation
If the autumn is dry, without heavy rains, I advise you to carry out water-charging irrigation. Its purpose is to enrich the soil with moisture well, so that it freezes longer and warms the root system of the plant.
For adult cherries, I add 50 liters of soft, settled water with a temperature a couple of degrees higher than the environment.
I water it in parts. I wait until the soil has completely absorbed moisture, and I add the next part. This technique avoids stagnant moisture and the formation of puddles at the roots, which can provoke the appearance of fungal infections.
Tillage
I recommend thoroughly cleaning the root circle from fallen leaves and plant debris, since insect pests can hibernate in them.
Then mulch using one of the materials:
- straw;
- peat;
- humus;
- wood shavings and sawdust.
Mulch allows the soil to retain moisture longer and prevents weeds.
This is not the first year I have been holding such events to prepare cherries for the winter season. The plant easily tolerates the most severe frosts, in spring it quickly grows.
Read also: All do not care! How to deal with blackening and curling of pear leaves?
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