Top dressing of cherries is the main component of general crop care to increase yields and protect against diseases. Thanks to fertilizers, fruit trees can tolerate winter cold more easily. Useful substances are introduced in the spring, summer and autumn.
Why do we need cherry top dressing?
The yield directly depends on the composition of the soil, the level of moisture at all stages of cherry growth, including in autumn (fertilizers affect the number of spring ovaries and the frost resistance of the tree). What are top dressing for:
- ensuring growth and development;
- strengthening the plant's immune system against diseases;
- increased productivity;
- improving the taste of fruits;
- an increase in the size of berries;
- color saturation of the fruit.
When to apply top dressing?
Cherry is fertilized in all seasons except winter, but the amount and type of nutrients added is an important factor. For example, a young seedling requires a lower dosage of fertilizers. It is important to know exactly when to process the culture.
In the spring
Spring top dressing prevents the incidence of fruit tree, protects against the aggressive effects of sudden temperature changes.
Regardless of the climatic conditions, fertilizers are applied in early spring (air temperature should be at least +5 ° C), when the snow completely melts, and the tree shows signs of sap flow.
This is an important process in which the root system pushes fluid, directs it to the top of the crown, after which the juice comes back (resembles the functionality of the circulatory system). This awakening of the plant from hibernation allows the distribution of nutrients throughout the tree.
There are 3 ways to determine the onset of sap flow:
- Cut a thin branch with a knife, separate the bark. If the plant is still asleep, the bark will hardly come off.
- Examine the color of the bark - when the liquid moves, it takes on a warm hue (in winter, the bark has a cold tone).
- Feel the places of formation of the kidneys - they should swell.
What and how to feed:
- Apply nitrogen fertilizers for the first time (100-120 g). Spread dry around the trunk, dig up the ground to a depth of 10 cm and slightly moisten the soil.
- Follow the next 3 dressings from April 20 to May 30. Use nitrogen again. To do this, dilute 25 g of the product in 10 liters of water and pour over the trunk circle.
- In April, treat the crown with fungicides (the dosage is described on the packaging of the preparations). You can use a mixture of 0.05% zinc sulfate, 0.005% boric acid and 0.5% manganese and urea.
After flowering begins, Superphosphate (350 g) or potassium sulfate (200 g) is applied under the root. This is true for the South, as the cherry ripens very early.
Summer
Many gardeners do not pay attention to summer dressing, mistakenly believing that this tree is no longer needed. But after flowering and fruit formation, the plant loses a lot of strength, weakens and needs nutrients. If fertilization is not applied, the crop will bear poor fruit the next year.
Rules and timing of fertilization in the summer:
- The first feeding is carried out immediately after the fruits ripen. To do this, make holes around the trunk to a depth of 20 cm, pour compost or rotted humus into them, sprinkle with soil and moisten.
- After 1-2 weeks, apply nitrogen fertilizers by foliar method. Next, use the same drugs another 2-3 times, starting in mid-July.
- When the crop is harvested, the tree needs minerals - potassium, calcium, phosphorus.
- After 2-3 weeks, add mullein (8 parts), chicken droppings (1 part) to 20 parts of water.
Fall
In autumn, buds begin to develop, from which fruits are formed in spring. Before feeding, carefully dig up the near-stem zone, apply the following fertilizers (only in dry form):
- 70-80 g of potassium preparations, 170-200 phosphorus;
- organic matter - rotted manure - per 1 sq. m - 7 kg;
- furnace ash - per 1 sq. m - 230-250 g;
- iron sulfate or another iron-based drug (necessary to protect the plant from fungal damage).
Recommendations for autumn feeding:
- Fertilize the fertilizer no earlier than mid-October (for the Central regions). Otherwise, the development of shoots is activated, and this during hibernation will lead to their freezing.
- The air temperature should not be lower than +6 ° C.
- Before the onset of frost, be sure to wrap the tree and the root zone with non-woven fabric. This will not allow fertilizers to freeze, otherwise the level of effectiveness of their action will decrease.
Fertilizers and dosage
The type of top dressing is selected on the basis of a deficiency of a substance in the soil, as evidenced by signs on the tree. Therefore, you can independently determine which fertilizer you need to apply.
How is mineral deficiency manifested:
- Phosphorus. The brightness of color from the leaves disappears, the fruits crumble before they ripen, there are too few buds on the branches.
- Magnesium. The leaves become edged brown, the crown becomes dull. New shoots and foliage do not form on the tree.
- Potassium. The fruits appear shriveled and tasteless. Leaves - turn yellow, covered with red spots (like burns), become small.
- Calcium. Sweet cherry is exposed to curvature of shoots, leaf twisting and spotting, slow growth and development is observed.
- Nitrogen. Signs are manifested even in early spring by the subtlety and lethargy of the shoots, low branching. Further, the color of the foliage changes to a yellow tint.
It is strictly forbidden to exceed the dosages of drugs indicated in the instructions - this leads to burns and hypermineralization (overdose), which entails unpleasant consequences.
Superphosphate
This is a mineral fertilizer that has a versatile effect on the plant. The active substance is phosphorus, additional - sulfur, magnesium, calcium.
Regular use of the drug helps to accelerate metabolic processes, increase productivity, improve the quality of berries, accelerate the formation of buds and ovaries.
Superphosphate is of 2 types:
- Usual. Available in granular and powder form. In autumn, around the trunk, it is applied dry to a depth of at least 15 cm. In May and June, it is advisable to water with a solution (for 1 sq. M - from 500 to 600 g).
- Double. High degree of phosphorus concentration (50%). In addition to the main substances (magnesium, calcium and potassium), phosphates of iron and aluminum are included in the composition. It is introduced in spring and autumn at 300 g per 1 sq. m.
If the soil is very depleted, the dosage can be increased.
Potash fertilizers
Potassium is found most of all in clay and loamy soils (up to 3%), in other soils it is very little, therefore it is so important to add the mineral. With its shortage, the growth of shoots and buds stops, the shoots wither, the tree weakens and becomes sensitive to frost and drought.
Fertilizers for cherries:
- Potassium salt. The amount of basic substance reaches 40%. Small crystals have a dirty pink tint. The drug is highly concentrated, as it is obtained by combining sylvinite and potassium chloride, so it is applied to the soil in small doses - per 1 square meter. m 15 g
- Kalimagnesia. It is based on potassium (29%) and magnesium (9%). It is a gray-pink solid substance that dissolves quickly in liquid. Feeding is carried out in autumn and spring. For 1 square. m need 8-10 g. If necessary, the dosage is allowed to increase by 2 times.
- Cement dust. Potassium contains 36%. The powdery mixture easily dissolves in water, quickly penetrates into the fibers of the plant, and additionally neutralizes the increased acidity of the earth. Recommended dosage for 1 sq. m - from 150 to 300 g.
- Ammofoska. Consists of 30% potassium, 5% nitrogen compound, 25% phosphorus. For 1 square. m requires from 25 to 35 g.
- Potassium nitrate. Contains the most active substance - 50%, supplemented with nitrogen (13%), produced in the form of yellowish crystals. m is consumed 20-25 g.
Ash
Wood ash is actively used by gardeners since it contains potassium, calcium magnesium, sodium in the form of silicates, sulfates, chlorides, orthophosphates, carbonates. It is applied at any time of the year in dry form. m requires 1 kg of ash.
Urea
Another name is urea. It is a water-soluble white granules, odorless. Feature - no sediment remains. It is considered a nitrogen fertilizer, since this substance contains 49%.
Due to the high concentration of the element, it is necessary to strictly observe the proportions: per 1 sq. Km. m is applied no more than 60-70 g. The best time for feeding with urea is March, April (during the formation of green mass).
In the fall, fertilizing with urea is not recommended (with the exception of very depleted soils). Due to the decomposition of soil microorganisms, ammonium is released and the active substances of urea penetrate into the deep layers of the soil, without lingering on the root system.
Ammonium nitrate
The substance consists of 35% nitrogen. Most often used to build greenery and speed up the fruiting process. Ammonium nitrate has a light yellow tint, is sold in the form of granules of medium fraction.
Feature - it is not recommended to spray, as delicate leaves are burned. m requires 1 kg of substance.
Compost
It is the most popular organic matter for fruit and berry crops, as it contains large quantities of phosphorus, nitrogen, potassium and other minerals. Fertilizer is given to the owners of vegetable gardens completely free of charge (compost is obtained from mowed grass, fallen leaves, food residues, etc.).
As a result of composting, harmful microorganisms are destroyed, so the fertilizer carries only useful substances into the soil. m requires about 40 kg of compost.
It is forbidden to feed with liquid compost or fresh manure, as they still contain pathogens, which is why the tree is exposed to diseases.
Dolomite
Dolomite flour is obtained by crushing carbonate minerals, resulting in the formation of crystals of different shades - white, gray, brown.
Dolomite consists of potassium and magnesium, plays the same role as lime - alkalizes the soil, but acts on the soil sparingly (does not change the composition of the earth). It is applied dry in the amount of 70-80 g per 1 sq. m.
Lime
The substance is necessary to eliminate excessive acidity. The dosage depends on the pH of the soil, but on average for 1 sq. m will require 150 to 300 g of powder.
You can recognize the increased acidity on your own - study the plants that grow there. These are buttercups, horsetail, sorrel, clover, mustard and other herbs that prefer an acidic environment.
Mineral dressing
Cherry needs minerals found in various fertilizers. But to facilitate the work of the gardener, you can purchase a ready-made complex in a specialized store. For fruit crops, the following products are recommended:
- ROSLA. The production uses chicken manure (nitrogen source), magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sulfur. Appointment - summer and spring sweet cherry processing. If you are planting a seedling, then 1 sq. m you need to add from 200 to 300 g of the drug. For fertilization in subsequent years, 150 g is enough.
- Nutrivant plus. It is used for root and foliar fertilizer of a tree. The dosage of the working solution is 400-600 g of the product for 10 liters of water.
- Mivena. Designed exclusively for fruit and berry crops. Contains different minerals, normalizes soil pH. Used only once per season. m dosage is 160-170 g of the product.
How to apply fertilizer correctly?
Cherry is fed in three ways - by spraying the crown, watering and dry patching the granulate in moist soil. The first method is used to prevent, protect and control insect pests, the second is always used in the summer, and the third in the spring and autumn.
Foliar top dressing
This method involves the treatment of a tree with a preparation - bark, branches, leaves. With its help, productivity increases, metabolic processes in the plant are accelerated, and the quality of the fruits improves.
This is due to the compensation of the deficiency of nutrients that are supplied to the crown from the root system in insufficient quantities.
The rules of foliar top dressing:
- spraying is carried out in the absence of wind and rain;
- the procedure is best done in the evening or early in the morning (at 4-5 hours), since the scorching rays of the sun during the day can burn the plant;
- optimal temperature regime - + 20-25 ° С;
- you must strictly observe the dosage of drugs, which is indicated in the instructions for use.
Root fertilizer
Organic components and mineral preparations in dry or liquid form are added to the root. Root dressing allows you to saturate the tree and soil with useful elements, strengthen immunity, increase the absorption coefficient of potassium by 15%, phosphorus by 13%, nitrogen by 15%.
Features:
- with dry fertilization, you must first loosen the soil, make holes up to 5-10 cm deep, add granulate, cover with soil and water (it is permissible to feed before the rain);
- the liquid mixture is injected directly under the tree, without digging, since when the components are mixed, the granulate has already dissolved, therefore it will quickly penetrate to the root system.
Cherry Care Features
In order for the cherry to grow healthy and bear fruit well, it is necessary to adhere to other basic rules of care.
Watering:
- It is especially important to moisten the soil during the period of active growth of fruits (May) and during the filling of berries (June). Be sure to water in hot weather, which excludes drying out of branches and roots, as well as in autumn before frosts, making the plant easier to winter.
- Moisturizing is carried out once a week.
- Watering should be plentiful, since the root system goes into the deep layers of the soil (up to 40 cm).
- Before the procedure, you need to make an annular groove, into which the liquid is injected.
- The number of watering is reduced twice per season - when the fruits ripen (the skin will crack) and from the end of August (new shoots will begin to grow, which will reduce winter hardiness).
- For one adult tree, 10-40 liters of water is added, depending on the weather. This eliminates the formation of cracks in the soil (indicates drying out) and waterlogging (otherwise fungal diseases will occur).
- Seedlings need to be watered daily - 2-3 liters of fluid per plant.
Pruning and shaping the tree:
- So that the branches do not stretch upwards, pruning is carried out in the spring, but before the sap flow begins.
- The weather should be warm and sunny.
- Trimming level - up to 70 cm.
- Branches are removed so that the central trunk is 15-20 cm above them.
- Skeletal branches are shortened by one third and strictly along the kidney from the outside.
- The first tier should not contain more than 3-4 branches, the second one less, etc.
- If the branches do not participate in the formation of the crown, they are cut to 30-35 cm.
- Places of cuts are processed with garden varnish.
Useful Tips
Use the recommendations of experienced gardeners and specialists to properly feed cherries:
- Plant young trees in autumn or spring while adding fertilizer. At least 3 weeks before planting, make holes into which humus, compost or manure are added - 1 bucket is enough.
During planting, add 80 g of potassium and 150 g of Superphosphate to the pit. Treat the surface of the soil around the trunk with wood ash (200 g) mixed with soil.
- Fertilize adult plants in the standard way.
- Spread dry granulate or liquid mixture evenly over the trunk circle.
- The area of fertilization depends on the age of the tree and the size of its crown in width - the older and more branched the plant, the larger the circle.
- Feed seedlings only during planting.The next nutrient application is after 2 years (if the soil is very depleted, it is possible for the next season).
- Up to 5 years of age in a larger amount, add growth stimulants.
Do not forget to loosen the ground, as cherries like aeration, especially before feeding. Get rid of weeds near the trunk, watch out for leaves, changes in which may indicate disease or pests. By following simple rules, you will reap a decent harvest.