How Are Cherry Seeds Dispersed? A Full Breakdown of Dispersal Methods

After the cherry fruit is eaten by birds, the seeds are excreted along with the bird droppings; the birds carry the seeds to other places, and the droppings also provide fertilizer. This is how cherries disperse their seeds with the help of birds.

1. What conditions are needed to grow cherries?

1. Temperature

Large cherries are warmth-loving plants with strict temperature requirements, and are suitable for cultivation in areas with an annual average temperature of 10—12°C. During the year, the period requiring a daily average temperature above 10°C is 150—200 days. The critical temperature for winter freeze damage is around -20°C.

Large cherries bloom early in spring, and the factor affecting yield is late-spring frost (late April to early May). The damaging temperatures during this period are -2.8—-1.7°C at the bud stage and -2.1—-1.1°C at the flowering stage.

The suitable temperature at the bud-break stage is around 10°C, the suitable temperature at the flowering stage is around 15°C, and the suitable temperature at the fruit-ripening stage is around 20°C. In Jinzhou and Yantai, from petal fall to fruit ripening, the effective accumulated temperature required by Dazi is 200°C, and that required by Naong is 290°C.

2. Water

Large cherries take only 40 days from flowering to harvest. They are very sensitive to soil moisture conditions, being neither drought-tolerant nor waterlogging-tolerant. They are suitable for areas with an annual precipitation of 600—800 mm. Especially during the fruit development period, as the fruit grows, the leaf area increases, leaf transpiration increases, and the water demand becomes greater.

The root system of large cherries has a high oxygen demand for respiration. Too much water will cause insufficient oxygen in the soil, the roots will be unable to carry out normal respiration, and waterlogging damage will occur. Large cherries cannot be cultivated in plots with a high groundwater table.

Large cherries also have poor drought resistance. When the soil moisture content is 7%, the leaves wilt and change color; when the soil moisture content is 10%, aboveground growth stops. Especially at the end of the pit-hardening stage of fruit development, premature yellowing and fruit drop are most likely to occur under water-deficient conditions.

During the second rapid growth period of large cherry fruit development, occasional rainfall often causes fruit cracking and reduces fruit quality. Fruit cracking mostly occurs on the medium and long fruit branches and mixed branches on the outer part of the canopy.

Summary: The above content is an introduction to the methods by which cherries disperse their seeds, compiled by the Tuliu.com editors, in the hope of helping those who need it.