Recommended Cherry Varieties Suitable for Planting in the South

Cherry fruit is sweet and nutritious, and the economic benefits of growing it are also high. But as the saying goes, cherries are delicious but the tree is hard to grow. So, what cherry varieties can be planted in the south?

1. Cherry varieties that can be planted in the south

You can plant Wupi cherry, Hongfei cherry, Yellow Lantern cherry, Yunwu Red cherry, Nanzaohong, and others. These varieties are all Chinese small cherries; the fruit is sweet but on the small side, and the yield is not high, which is also why the quality and yield of cherries grown in the south are inferior to those in northern regions.

2. Key technical points for growing cherries in the south

1. Choose good varieties

The first step in growing cherries in the south is to choose suitable varieties; when planting in the south, you should try to choose varieties with low chilling requirements. After choosing suitable cherry varieties, you must then choose a suitable rootstock as the cultivating stock. The choice of rootstock is also very important; you should try to choose local mountain cherry wood as the rootstock, as it can adapt well to the local growing environment. When planting in the south, never choose the rootstocks commonly used in the north, as they are not easy to survive; you can also choose the Gisela series rootstocks, which have a wider adaptability.

2. Build sheds to keep off rain

The south has a lot of rain, and the cherry ripening period coincides with the rainy season in the south, which easily causes waterlogging and fruit cracking. In addition, it easily triggers a series of diseases, such as bacterial shot hole disease, gummosis, brown spot shot hole disease, Pythium rot, anthracnose, and so on. Building sheds can not only prevent a series of diseases caused by rainwater, but during the cherry ripening period you can also put nets around the shed to prevent birds from stealing the fruit.

Besides heavy rain, another disadvantage of growing in the south is high temperature. High summer temperatures directly affect flower bud differentiation. Building sheds can also play a role in shading and cooling, reducing twin and multiple fruits caused by excessive flower bud differentiation.

3. Make ridges for drainage

Cherry roots are shallow and fear waterlogging. Especially when growing cherries on plains or in low-lying areas, ridge cultivation is essential, and drainage ditches must be dug well so water can drain quickly, preventing waterlogging and fruit cracking.

4. Improve the soil

The soil in the south is clearly different from that in the north. Southern soil is generally heavy and clayey, which is not conducive to root extension and the formation of fibrous roots. It easily becomes compacted and affects nutrient absorption. It is recommended to apply more organic fertilizer during the growing process, such as animal manure, returning crushed straw to the field, plowing in humus soil or peat soil, and growing grass in the orchard, so as to gradually increase the soil organic matter content and improve the soil.