A Detailed Guide to American Sweet Cherry Planting Techniques and Management Methods

The American sweet cherry has thick, plump fruit with a deep, vivid red color and a sweet taste, and many people enjoy eating it. How can American sweet cherries be grown in China? Let us take a brief look at American sweet cherry planting techniques.

1. The pH of the soil in the planting site should be kept neutral, and the soil should be sandy loam with a thick layer, loose texture and fertility.

2. American sweet cherries are generally cultivated by grafting. Suitable grafting periods are late March, late June and September, and the methods that can be used include top single-bud side grafting, T-shaped budding and budding with wood (chip budding).

3. Use dwarfed high-density planting. Plant somewhat deeply so that the original root crown is about 15cm below the ground surface, but when covering with soil, cover shallowly and gradually add soil with each hoeing; by the time the rainy season arrives in July, the covered soil should be level with the ground surface, so that the rootstock portion can produce roots, expand the absorption area and strengthen the tree's lodging resistance. Be careful not to cover with too much soil at one time, otherwise the roots will have difficulty breathing and tree growth will be affected.

4. In the 1-2 years after the saplings are planted, fertilizer and water should be applied frequently to promote rapid tree growth. After entering the full production period, apply more organic fertilizer and less chemical fertilizer.

5. Carry out reasonable pruning of branches and trunks on the fruit trees. Young trees have many large branches, and the large branches that need to be removed should be gradually removed year by year. Sweet cherry branch forks split easily, and branches with a small angle should not be used as main branches. Therefore, those with a small angle should be thinned out promptly and early.

6. The arrangement of pollinizer trees can be decided according to the actual size of the orchard. When the main cultivar and the pollinizer cultivar each make up half of the saplings, row planting can be used. When there are fewer saplings of the pollinizer cultivar, scattered or central arrangement of pollinizer trees can be used.

7. During the fruit enlargement period, combine watering with topdressing potassium sulfate compound fertilizer and pure potassium fertilizer to promote fruit enlargement.

8. Pay attention to tree vigor management after fruit harvest, prune branches reasonably, balance fertilization, increase the application amount of organic fertilizer and microbial fertilizer, and strengthen the tree's reserves of boron and calcium.

9. When managing the orchard, pay attention to diseases, insect pests and bird damage. Sweet cherry insect pests are relatively mild, and spraying 3-4 times per year is sufficient; diseases can be treated together with insect pests; build bird nets before the fruit turns yellow, and remove them after harvest.

The above only briefly describes the planting steps for American sweet cherries, and the specific implementation methods still need to be learned from relevant professionals.