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13.07.2023
- Sweet cherry origin
- Sweet cherry care and location
- Cut sweet cherry
- Watering sweet cherries
- Fertilizing sweet cherries
Sweet cherry origin
The sweet cherry (Prunus avium) is a deciduous tree and belongs to the rose family. It comes from the port city of Kerasus (now Giresun) in modern-day Turkey and reaches a height of 15 to 20 m.
It was brought to Rome in 74 BC by the Roman general Lucius Lucinius Lucullus and from there it spread throughout much of Europe. The German word Kirsche developed from the Greek kerasos and the Latin cerasus.
In Japan, the beginning of spring has been celebrated with the cherry blossom festival for about a thousand years. In traditional Chinese medicine, cherries are considered "warm and sweet" and have an influence on the heart, stomach and spleen meridians. They strengthen the circulation and are used for "cold" disorders such as rheumatism and arthritis.
The hermaphrodite white to light pink flowers of the cherry appear in April to May and are 2,5 to 3,5 cm, five-petaled and with a double perianth.
Shortly after flowering, the cherry leaves appear. They are elliptical to ovate and serrate at the edge. The leaves are alternate, turning yellow in autumn and falling in winter. The two honey glands on the petiole, which excrete a sugar-rich nectar, are clearly visible.
The cherry fruits are spherical to egg-shaped, up to 3 cm in size and ready to harvest from June to July. The flesh is juicy, sweet and dark red. When perfectly ripe, up to 20 kg of cherries can grow on one tree. The fruits should always be picked with the stem, otherwise they will rot very quickly at the base of the stem and cannot be stored for long. This also promotes flower formation for the next season if the stems are not left on the branches.
Sweet cherry care and location
Planting a sweet cherry in an airy and sunny spot is ideal and the best time to plant is in autumn. The soil should be rather heavy, deep, moist and loamy with a high lime content. When planting, it makes sense to add mature compost to the planting hole. Due to the early flowering, locations that are endangered by late frost are not suitable, as the entire harvest can fail. For fertilization, another plant is needed close to the bees, as they cannot fertilize themselves.
Cut sweet cherry
Maintenance pruning is recommended in late summer after harvest. Due to the late cutting date, the strong natural growth is slowed down and rapid wound healing is promoted. The crown is thinned out by removing old and unfavorable side branches. Regular pruning ensures a bountiful harvest.
Depending on the variety, cherry trees develop heart-like or shallow root systems. A distinction must be made between main, secondary and fibrous roots. To protect the roots in winter, it is a good idea to cover the soil with leaves and mulch.
Fertilizing sweet cherries
In the spring, it makes sense to work a layer of compost into the soil. With a green manure in summer, the quality of the soil is optimized.
Regular mulching will help keep the soil moist and provide the sweet cherry with nutrients.
Watering cherry trees
Climate change is causing temperatures to rise and there are always longer dry periods. The impact on the environment and especially on the trees is noticeable. They suffer in the extreme conditions Drought stress. Depending on the location and the climate-related situation, more frequent watering than in previous years may be necessary.
Cherry trees have a high water requirement. Basically, you can expect about 30 liters of water per square meter of area under the tree.
While with conventional watering a lot of water seeps or evaporates before it can be absorbed by the roots, watering cherry trees is tree bath watering bags very efficient. Two small holes release the water evenly and over several hours as drip irrigation to the ground.
This achieves even moisture penetration and the water is better absorbed by the surrounding soil and the roots. The soil under the irrigation bag is protected from the sun and remains moist during the irrigation period. The moist soil is ideal for allowing the tree to absorb water and fill its water reservoirs throughout the watering period.
Attaching and filling the water bags is easy and uncomplicated.
The bag is placed around the tree trunk like a jacket, closed with the zipper and filled according to the instructions.
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Great idea, easy handling and everything from ordering to delivery.
Michael K.