Cherry berries have many beneficial properties for human health and at the same time have excellent taste. One of the popular varieties is youth cherry. Knowing how to properly grow this plant in your area, it is easy to get a plentiful and healthy crop.
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Youth cherry: grade description
The variety of cherries youth refers to the early and self-fertile. With proper care, it gives a crop annually. Fruiting begins 4-5 years after planting. From one tree collect up to 12 kg of fruit. The crop ripens late, they begin to harvest it in the last days of July. In cloudy weather, fruit collection may shift to the first decade of August. Cherry grows with a bush, but if desired, a small tree can be formed from it.
- The tree or bush is medium-sized, with a rounded lowered crown. Fruiting occurs on the shoots of last year. The culture is winter-hardy, resistant to drought.
- The cherries are large, one fruit can reach a weight of up to 4.5 g. The shape of the fruit is round, the color is maroon. The aroma is pronounced, very pleasant. The taste of cherries is sweet and sour, dessert. The color of the pulp is deep red. The stone is medium, well detachable. The fruits are juicy and dense. Transportability is good. Keeping quality is not high.
- Fresh cherries of this variety are used, as well as for various desserts, preserves, compotes.
The fruit is even suitable for making wine and liquors.
Features of growing in the garden
Cherry youth is self-fertile. It is pollinated by its own pollen, and therefore the obligatory planting of other cherry trees is not required, which is necessary for most other varieties.High winter hardiness allows cultivation even in the Northern regions. The bark is resistant to cracking in the cold. If the temperatures drop very low, then you can warm the trunk of a young tree with burlap. Adult plants do not need such protection.
Outdoor landing
In order for the plant to bear fruit efficiently and develop well, it is necessary to plant it correctly in the open ground, choosing the right place and preparing the soil. It is not enough to dig a hole and, having placed a seedling in it, simply fill it with soil. If the cherry does not die from a careless planting, then it will be very ill and the harvest will not have to wait soon.
How and when to plant?
The most favorable time for planting seedlings is spring. At this time, the cherry can easily take root and grow strong enough by winter. The culture grows well on the slopes, on which the soil is quite dry. A plant needs a lot of sun. It is necessary to take into account the depth of groundwater. At the cherry planting site, their level should be at least 2.5 meters. The soil for the plant requires a neutral, light, with a slightly alkaline reaction.
For planting a cherry seedling, a pit half a meter deep with a diameter of 80 cm is dug. When several plants are planted, the distance between them should be at least 2.5 meters. During planting, fertilizers are placed under the roots. For this, a mixture is prepared: 10 kg of organics (rotted manure or compost), 500 g of wood ash and 300 g of phosphate fertilizers are needed per pit. Before planting, they are mixed with nutrient soil - with the top layer of soil selected when digging a hole or specially purchased garden soil. It is good to add a small amount of sand. From such enriched soil, a mound is formed at the bottom of the pit in the center. On it is a seedling whose roots are evenly distributed in all directions. They are covered with soil so that there are no voids left. It is very important that after the subsidence of the soil the root neck of the seedling is at the same level with the surface of the earth (not higher and not lower). To do this, immediately when planting in heavy loamy soil, the neck is left above the level by 5 cm, and with light soil - by 3 cm. To determine the level of the surface, a board is placed across the pit. The ground around the trunk of a seedling is carefully trampled over the entire area. After that, cherries are abundantly watered, spending 2-3 buckets of water. It is advisable to mulch the near-stem circle with humus, meadow peat or simply dry earth (up to 5 cm thick), leaving the neck uncovered. In dry weather, watering is repeated after a few days.
Soil preparation and location
Preparing a place for cherries is optimal from the fall. To do this, dig a plot to a depth of 1 bayonet shovel and after quality watering, fill it with ash. After winter, the ash will deepen, fill with water from thawed snow, be disinfected from harmful fungi and bacteria, but the natural processes in it will not be disturbed.
Youth Cherry: Care
Proper care of cherries can reliably protect it from diseases and ensure high-quality growth. The tree in this case will be strong and will begin to bear fruit as early as possible. With competent agricultural technology, cherries will be fruitful annually up to 16 years old. Further, the yield decreases, and fruiting occurs once every 2 years.
Read also:growing surinamese cherries
Watering schedule
Moisture is one of the primary values for all plants. For cherry varieties, youth watering, organized correctly, is necessary. Its schedule, developed for all regions, allows the plant to be saturated with moisture during those periods when it forms a crop and restores strength after fruiting.
Watering is carried out several times per season according to the dates:
- after flowering;
- end of June (the moment of rapid development of young branches);
- mid-July (active ripening of the crop);
- after fruiting.
For watering, the tree is dug and a circular furrow of 30 cm deep is formed.It is optimal to make 2 such furrows: the first - along the perimeter of the crown, and the second - at a distance of 40 cm from it. The first 3 times under the tree you need to pour 60 liters of water, the last time - 80 liters.
Feeding and wood processing
They feed the culture several times a season. In early April, nitrogen fertilizers are introduced into the soil. For feeding, ammonium nitrate is used. Also during this period, foliar top dressing is carried out, in which the crown is sprayed with a urea solution, which is prepared at the rate of 20 g of fertilizer per 10 l of water.
The second top dressing is carried out after fruiting. At this moment, the following composition is applied to the soil: 6 tablespoons of calcium chloride and 9 tablespoons of superphosphate, dissolved in 30 liters of water. In the fall, top dressing is carried out with organics - best with a solution of mullein or rotted bird droppings.
From pests, cherries are annually treated with fungicides in the spring. The processing time depends on the chosen drug.
Pruning
Pruning is carried out in the spring until the kidneys are formed. All diseased branches are removed from the plant, as well as those that grow inside the crown or vertically. Cut them to the very trunk. Places of cuts are covered with garden var.
Harvesting
Cherries are harvested as they ripen. For storage, you can leave only undamaged berries with a green stalk. They are put in a box, which is covered with food paper. The maximum layer in the box is 10 cm. You need to clean the cherries for storage in the refrigerator. There the fruits can lie up to 2 weeks. Also, harvested crops can be frozen. After exposure to negative temperatures, the taste of berries is preserved.
Preparing for the winter
In very frosty winters, it is better to prepare cherries for safety during the cold season. First you need to dig and mulch the earth around the tree, and also clear the trunk of moss and cover it with whitewash. After that, the young trees are wrapped in burlap. With the onset of heat, the burlap must be removed very early, since the condensate that forms under it will lead to decay.
Pest and Disease Control
Cherry can be affected by pests and diseases. In order to prevent this from happening, every spring it is necessary to treat it with special preparations against the main diseases and insects that spoil it. Everything you need for this is bought in a gardening store.
Youth cherry is the best solution for those who have a small plot and at the same time seeks to get an increased yield of fruits from one tree.