The cherry tree is a widely cultivated deciduous fruit tree, especially for, of course, its fruits: cherries. These can be eaten fresh picked from the plant or as an ingredient in a dessert. But in addition, it has a very high ornamental value, since in spring its branches are covered with numerous white flowers, and in autumn the leaves turn from green to orange-red.
All in all, it is one of the typical garden plants which will also be used to decorate your garden. That’s why we want you to know what is the care of the cherry tree.
Contents
What does the cherry tree need?
To get to the heart of the matter, we are going to tell you what the basic needs of the cherry tree are and then we will talk more about each of them so that your tree can enjoy good health:
- direct sunOtherwise, it will not grow well.
- Fertile, well-drained soil. In these heavy, compact and poor soils, it has great difficulty rooting.
- Between 800 and 1800 hours of cold; that is, it must spend this time at temperatures between 0 and 9 degrees Celsius.
- If in the region some 1000-1200mm rainfall per yeardistributed over the seasons, it will not be necessary to water it.
- It is sensitive to late frostsso if there is one in your area, it may need to be protected a bit with an antifreeze cloth if it has already started to bear fruit.
And now it’s time to find out how to take care of the cherry tree, a tree that can pleasantly surprise us all year round.
Cherry Tree Care Guide
Image – Wikimedia/H. Zelle
Know the climate in your area
It is a tree that does very well in a wide variety of climates as long as they are temperate and have cold winters. So, for example, in my region – the south of the island of Mallorca – it is a bit difficult for him to produce a lot of fruit, because we do not have the cold hours he needs, but in the north of the Peninsula, it doesn’t have so many problems.
For it, The first and most important thing to know before even wanting to buy one is the climate we have.know the maximum and minimum temperatures, when it rains and how many liters fall, and if the wind is generally blowing hard or not.
prepare the terrain
The cherry tree is a fruit tree which it needs fertile land, which is also able to absorb water quickly. If this is not the case with the one you have, it is worth installing a drainage system, or when planting it, fill the hole with a mixture of perlite and universal substrate ( on sale here) in equal parts.
It can grow in alkaline or clay soils, as well as those with a slightly acidic pH., so we don’t have to worry about that. But if it is a soil that tends to erosion, it is strongly recommended to make a large planting hole, 1 x 1 meter, and mix the soil with organic fertilizer, such as guano or dry chicken manure (you shouldn’t use one that’s fresh, as it will burn the roots as it’s very concentrated).
Related article:
How to make organic compost?
plant it in the ground in the spring
Image – Wikimedia/Uoaei1
The ideal time to plant it in the orchard or in the garden is in the spring, but can also be done at the end of winter if the frost has passed. And the fact is that if it was planted, for example, in February and shortly after a heavy snowfall, it will suffer damage and it will surely take longer to germinate.
Find a place where it will grow well, comfortable, and put it one meter away from walls or walls. It has no invasive roots.
watering the cherry trees
Our protagonist is one of the fruit trees that needs less water per year. If they fall by about 1000mm/year, irrigation will not be necessary. But if it rains less or several months pass without rain, it will have to be watered about 3 times a week in summer and less the rest of the year.
It’s important to keep the soil from cracking, but it wouldn’t be good if it remained waterlogged, so feel free to pour water whenever you feel it’s necessary.
Fertilize it in spring and summer
It is important to fertilize the cherry tree so that it blooms and produces its cherries. For it, We recommend fertilizing it with natural and ecological fertilizers., such as guano, which is very rich in nutrients, or the manure of herbivorous animals. In addition, if you wish, you can also fertilize with specific fertilizers for fruit trees like this. But no matter which one you use, you should follow the instructions on the package.
cherry tree pruning
cut will take place in the fallwhen the leaves have already fallen. At this time, it should be used to clean the crown of the tree, that is, to remove broken branches and bad-looking ones. In addition, those that grow too much must be pruned in order to maintain a more or less rounded and tidy crown.
hardiness
The cherry tree withstands frosts up to -20ºC.
I hope he has the form.