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One of the most popular inhabitants of gardens in Russia is the cherry. An unpretentious low-growing tree, originally from Asia Minor, belongs to the Plum subgenus. Its sour-sweet fruits can be eaten fresh, frozen, made into preserves and jams, dried and used in cooking. Despite its southern origin, cherries have successfully taken root in the Moscow region, Siberia and the Urals. It is not afraid of frost, resistant to spring and autumn frosts, and the short northern summer is enough for it to produce abundant fruit. Planting cherries in the spring in the Moscow region does not present any particular difficulties if you follow the advice of agronomists and experienced gardeners. The seedlings take root well and will delight you with a small harvest the following year.
In spring, cherries are strewn with flowers that emit a subtle, slightly bitter aroma.
Features of growing cherries in the Moscow region
Growing cherries in the Moscow region in open ground has its own characteristics.First of all, you need to choose a place on the site. Cherry loves a lot of sun, so it should be planted in well-lit places protected from the wind on the south side. The soil suitable for it is light, loamy and sandy loam, flavored with compost or humus, well drained, without stagnant water. If the groundwater is located close to the surface, above 1.5 m, then the tree will have to be planted on a mound of at least 0.5 m in height.
If the soil has a pronounced acidic reaction, which is not uncommon in the Moscow region, it should be neutralized with lime or dolomite flour to pH 6 in the fall or 15-30 days before planting, at the rate of 2 kg per 5 m2.
How to choose a cherry variety for planting in the Moscow region
So that your work does not go in vain, and the new inhabitants of the garden delight you with abundant harvests, you must approach the choice of planting material with all responsibility:
- Seedlings must be purchased from trusted suppliers and nurseries.
- Zoned trees are suitable, frost-resistant and winter-hardy, resistant to diseases characteristic of the Moscow region such as coccomycosis and moniliosis.
- You should pay attention to the timing of flowering and the yield of the variety, as well as taste, because trees are purchased for the sake of tasty, juicy berries.
The most popular in the Moscow region, as well as throughout central Russia, are the following varieties of cherries:
- Chocolate girl. It has an average yield and high resistance to diseases.
- Turgenevka. Tolerates northern winters well, the berries are juicy and sweet and sour. Resistant to diseases characteristic of cherries.
- Apukhtinskaya. A high-yielding variety, but does not tolerate frost well. It is a self-fertile variety, but to increase the yield, you can plant the Shchedraya, Malinovka, Lyubskaya, and Zhuravka varieties nearby.
- Volochaevka. Frost-resistant, high-yielding, resistant to coccomycosis. The variety was bred in the 80s of the twentieth century and is classified as medium-sized.
- Youth. Gives annual abundant harvests and tolerates harsh winters. The berries have good shelf life, retaining their presentation for up to 15-20 days after picking.
- Lyubskaya. Self-fertile, winter-hardy and practically not susceptible to disease. Known since the 19th century, it was originally grown in the Kursk province and belongs to the varieties of folk selection.
It is recommended to plant several different varieties suitable for cross-pollination.
When is the best time to plant cherries in the Moscow region?
The most optimal time for planting is spring. This gives young trees time to take root and strengthen before winter frosts. The timing of planting cherries in the spring in the Moscow region is limited: it is necessary to choose a moment when the air and soil have already warmed up, but the buds have not yet hatched. As a rule, this is the period from the end of March to the tenth of April.
Autumn planting of cherries in the Moscow region is also possible, but strict deadlines must be observed so that the seedlings have time to take root before the first frost. Typically, planting work is carried out in September, no later than the beginning of October. However, it is necessary to monitor weather forecasts as frost may begin earlier. If in doubt, it is better to bury the cherry with a slope of 45O into a trench, pour it well and cover it with spruce or pine spruce branches, sawdust, and straw.This way they will survive the winter well and be ready for a less stressful spring planting.
How to plant cherries in the Moscow region correctly
If the planting technology is followed, cherry seedlings take root well. They are not picky about the soil composition and do not require abundant watering. When choosing a location, it is necessary to take into account that the cherry tree does not like stagnant melt or rainwater; its roots begin to get wet and rot, which leads to the death of the tree.
How to plant cherries in spring in the Moscow region
To plant cherries in spring in the Moscow region, preparation of pits begins in the fall. It is necessary to dig holes according to the number of seedlings with a side size of 60x60 cm and 100 cm in depth. The walls of the pits must be strictly vertical, and the bottom horizontal. The distance between them is at least 2.5-3 m, since the tree needs space and sunlight to develop the root system and crown. Place a layer of drainage on the bottom - pebbles, expanded clay, fragments of bricks. Then drive a stake at least 2.5 m long - so that it does not wobble. Pour humus or compost mixed with fertile soil, ash, lime in a heap, add a layer of clean soil.
Carefully inspect the selected planting material. Cut off broken, rotten, moldy roots with a sharp knife or pruning shears, put them in a clay mash or sprinkle the cut area well with ash. Plant the cherry so that the graft faces south and north of the garter stake. The grafting should be located at a height of 5-8 cm above the soil level. Spread the roots and place them evenly over the soil mound.If necessary, lightly dig up the wall of the hole, but the roots should not twist, bend, or lie in a tangled ball.
Cover the soil in layers, covering and additionally spreading the thin roots as they are located on the rhizome - in tiers. Press lightly with your palms to compact the soil. Fill the hole and press it down with your hands. Hill up - pour a circular roll of soil up to 20 cm high, pour out a bucket of water at room temperature. You can dissolve a drug in it that stimulates the formation of the root system. Mulch the surface around the tree with pine waste, peat, sawdust, humus or straw. Tie the cherry to the peg with sliding loops made of soft material.
Cherry grows well on light sandy and loamy soils, typical of the Moscow region
How to plant cherries in the summer in the Urals
In order for the crop to produce a good harvest, it is necessary to choose varieties adapted to the climatic conditions of the Urals. The best choice would be early and mid-season varieties that will have time to ripen during the short, cool summer. The best varieties for this region are Sverdlovchanka, Uralskaya Rubinovaya, Tagilka, Mayak, Standard Ural, Ashinskaya and Bolotovskaya.
The holes for planting must be prepared in the fall, or, as a last resort, take care of this in early spring, as soon as the snow melts. Summer planting differs from spring planting in that in hot weather young seedlings require shelter in the form of a canopy or net, as well as additional watering. However, weather conditions in the Urals are such that planting during the summer is quite acceptable. The trees take root well, especially in the case of cloudy, rainy weather in the first ten days after planting.
The soil for planting cherries is light, sandy loam, mixed with humus or compost.In the selected places you need to dig holes measuring 60x60x100 cm and drive in a garter stake. Place a 10 cm layer of drainage at the bottom, then pour a mound of soil mixture in such a way that the grafted tree placed on it rises 5-10 cm above ground level.
Cover the roots with soil, pressing down lightly. Hill up the seedling, pour a bucket of water on it and be sure to mulch it - this procedure will reduce moisture loss due to evaporation and protect the delicate roots from overheating. If hot weather is expected, it is necessary to stretch a net over the trees and cover them with spruce branches or reeds on poles.
Seedlings can be watered again 7-10 days after planting
How to plant cherries in the fall in the Moscow region
Autumn planting in the Moscow region is no different in technology from spring planting. The pits must be prepared at least 15 days before planting. The planted planting material must be mulched in a thick layer. If severe frosts are expected, the trees can be wrapped in non-woven material.
Seedling care
The health of the cherries and the future harvest depend on proper care of the plantings. The tree is unpretentious, however, it still requires the gardener's attention. It is worth considering the following recommendations:
- Watering is required extremely moderate. If the summer in the Moscow region and the Urals is rainy, then additional moisture is not required. Cherries consume the maximum amount of moisture during flowering and fruiting. If the soil is dry, it needs to be watered once a week.
- Organics are added to cherry trees in the Moscow region once every 3-4 years.Apply compost, rotted manure, watering with diluted bird or cow manure. Mineral fertilizers can be applied every year in the fall. If you don’t want to use chemicals, you can use folk remedies. The tree responds well to watering and adding ash, liming, and dolomite flour.
- Cherry requires regular pruning, otherwise the crown becomes too thick and the yield decreases. It should be done in the spring, before the buds begin to swell. Remove branches that grow deep into the crown, are dry, diseased, or damaged. Vertically directed shoots and part of annual branches are cut out.
- Prevention of fungal diseases and pest control is also important. If signs of the disease appear - spots on the trunks and leaves, or pests - aphids, cherry flies, sawflies, it is necessary to urgently take measures so as not to lose the harvest and prevent the death of the tree.
A year after planting the seedlings, the garter stakes can be carefully pulled out or broken off at the base - the remainder in the ground will simply rot.
Cherries respond to proper care with abundant harvests of juicy, sweet and sour berries.
Advice from experienced gardeners
The agricultural technology for growing cherries in the Moscow region is not too complicated and is accessible even to novice gardeners. The unpretentiousness of cherries, as well as the benefits of its berries, determine the popularity of this tree in Russia. Experienced gardeners share the secrets of successfully growing cherry trees in risky farming areas with harsh winters:
- Seedlings must be zoned, grown in a nursery specifically for the Moscow region.
- An excellent solution would be to plant on the southern slopes of hills, as well as on the southern side of the fence, at home, retreating from it at a distance of at least 2.5 m so that the roots do not damage the foundation.
- Snow is an excellent protection against frost. Young seedlings tolerate harsh winters well under a cushion of spruce branches and snow.
- If possible, it is better to purchase seedlings with a closed root system, in pots or special bags. In this case, the seedling is carefully transferred into the prepared hole, trying not to disturb the lump.
- Proximity in the garden is very important: this way the trees get sick less and bear fruit more abundantly. Cherry does not tolerate planting next to cherries, apple trees, pears, and black currants.
- Seedlings must be 1-2 years old. Older trees do not take root well.
Scheme of proper planting of cherries in the Moscow region
Conclusion
Planting cherries in the spring in the Moscow region does not present any particular difficulties if the timing and technology are followed. Planting material must be purchased from trusted nurseries. Cherry varieties must be adapted to the conditions of the region. Proper planting and care guarantee abundant harvests within 2-3 years. Cherry will delight the gardener with its fruits for 15-25 years.
How to properly plant cherry seedlings in the spring in the Moscow region can be seen in this video:
