Correct planting of a cherry seedling and its subsequent care is an important step in the future to get a good and healthy tree that gives a bountiful harvest of tasty and juicy fruits.
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The choice of a seedling and the time of planting young cherries
To be sure of the high quality of the cherry seedling and the conformity of the variety, you can buy it in a specialized nursery. It is best to choose an already grafted sapling, 1 or 2 years old. Because cherry is a thermophilic crop; when choosing a variety, the climatic conditions of the region of its planting should be taken into account. In the north of Russia, it is best to plant frost-resistant varieties.
In regions with a frequently changing climate, cherries are recommended to be planted in early spring before the buds swell, and in the southern and central regions of the country - in the fall. Also, in cold regions of the Russian Federation, it is not recommended to plant young trees in the autumn months, because after the very first frosts, their annual growths will quickly freeze, causing the death of the entire seedling.
Where can you plant cherries
Sweet cherry loves sunny places, protected as much as possible from cold winds. The soil should be as nutritious and loose as possible. For this, loam or sandy loam soils are suitable, because on dense clay, peat or sandy soils, the seedling may not take root.
Having chosen a landing site, it is necessary to dig a hole, at least 80-90 cm deep and about 1 m wide.Then retreat from it 4-5 m and dig 2 or 3 more of the same holes from several sides for seedlings of other varieties with a similar period flowering. They will act as pollinators.
How to properly plant a cherry seedling
In the fall, holes 35-30 cm must be covered with a special composition of 10 kg of rotted humus and 20 kg of fertile soil. Leave them in this form before planting seedlings. If the groundwater on the site lies close to the surface of the earth, drainage should be poured at the bottom of the holes, which will prevent stagnation of water.
At the beginning of spring, a mixture of potassium sulfate and superphosphate (60 and 120 g, respectively) must be added to each pit and mixed well with the soil.
Install a thin wooden or metal post on the side in the hole, and in the center fill a small hill of soil without fertilizers. Place a seedling on it and gently spread the roots. Gradually pouring soil around them, it must be well tamped. After the end of planting a young tree, its root process should be about 3-5 cm above the ground level. Then you need to take a bucket of settled water, water the planting site and cover it with peat, fallen leaves, straw or humus.
When all the water is absorbed into the soil, and it settles a little, the tree must be carefully tied with a "figure eight" to the post. The loop should be as free as possible so that as the tree grows, it does not squeeze its trunk.
Care of young cherries
The planted tree must be pruned at a height of 100 cm so that new shoots begin to develop from the sleeping side buds next year. In the fall, after 2 years, only 3 or 4 properly growing and healthy skeletal branches should be left on a young cherry, cutting them by 1/3. The main shoot must be cut at a distance of about 80 cm from the lowest row of branches in order to establish the next tier.
In the future, 2 or 3 shoots should be left on it, and the rest should be removed. Cut the main trunk again at a distance of 80 cm, stepping back from the branches of the previous tier. After a year, the last row should be laid, which will consist of only 1 or 2 of the healthiest branches.
Sweet cherry does not get along well with weeds, therefore, until the end of autumn, they must be constantly removed, weeding the area around the young seedling. It needs to be watered regularly so that the roots get enough moisture. But you do not need to fill the seedling, because stagnant water can negatively affect its root system, and it will begin to rot.
In September, the cherries must be fed with complex fertilizers containing phosphorus. For 1 m2 of soil, 40 to 60 g of dry superphosphate are applied. This will help the seedling survive the winter by absorbing elements useful for it from the soil.
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