How to Grow a Potted Large Cherry? Detailed Guide to the Latest Care Methods
Large cherry is also known as Yingqing fruit, cherry pearl, chelizi, etc. A potted large cherry is a miniaturized large cherry orchard, allowing you to enjoy the beautiful sight of branches full of blossoms and abundant fruit, and also to taste fine fruit while enjoying the view. In recent years, along with the improvement of potting techniques, potted large cherries are gradually making their way onto the balconies and courtyards of countless households. Let us take a look below at how to grow a potted large cherry!
Growth Habits of Large Cherry
Large cherry is a fruit tree that loves light, warmth, moisture and fertilizer. It is suited to growing under climatic conditions with an annual average temperature of 10-12°C, annual precipitation of 600-700 mm, and annual sunshine hours of more than 2600-2800 hours. It grows well and fruits normally in places where the period with a daily average temperature above 10°C lasts 150-200 days and the extreme minimum winter temperature is not lower than -20°C.
Potting and Planting of Large Cherry
1. Container selection: The container for growing large cherry should have good air permeability and no toxic effect on the root system. Fired clay pots and wooden barrels give the best results, followed by purple clay pots and plastic pots, while glazed ones are the worst, because large cherry is not easy to survive after potting.
2. Potting soil preparation: The large cherry root system has vigorous respiration and a high oxygen demand. The soil should have high permeability, with loose-textured, deep sandy loam being best. The nutrient soil mixing ratio is turf soil : barnyard manure : sand = 5:3:2.
3. Seedling selection: The seedlings for growing large cherry should be selected from varieties that grow robustly, have plump branches and buds, a well-developed root system and no pests or diseases. For perennial young trees, the trunk should be kept short, the branches should be reasonably distributed, and the taper between branches should be large.
4. Potting time: Potting of large cherry is mostly done in early spring. Before potting, first prune the damaged roots and branches to expose fresh cuts, and cut away the parts with pests and diseases. Next, check the drainage holes of the container and keep the container draining freely.
5. Potting method: Place a piece of tile upside down over the drainage hole, then spread a layer of about 20 cm of furnace ash and slag, add the nutrient soil, and finally place the sapling. After lifting the seedling and pressing the soil 2-3 times, finish when the soil surface is about 5 cm below the rim of the container.
Cultivation Management of Large Cherry
1. Fertilizer and water management: When large cherry has many branches and leaves and the temperature is high, it should be watered frequently; otherwise, soil that is too dry will affect its growth, flowering and fruiting. Fertilization should follow the principle of applying thin fertilizer frequently. From spring to autumn, it is generally required to apply decomposed rapeseed cake fertilizer water once every 10 to 15 days. In autumn, it is also necessary to spray the leaves with a 0.5% potassium dihydrogen phosphate aqueous solution 2 to 3 times to promote plant growth and flower bud differentiation.
2. Heat preservation and moisture retention: Large cherry is relatively cold-tolerant. In high-altitude cold regions, when planted in the ground, plastic film can be used to build a shed for cold protection. During the fruit-setting period, the temperature should be kept at around 25°C, and during the growing period the humidity is best kept at 50% to 60%, which helps flower bud differentiation and increases yield. If there is frost damage locally, potted large cherry must be given good heat preservation and moisture retention measures.
3. Flower and fruit management: Thinning flowers and fruits of large cherry is the key point of flower and fruit management. Thinning buds is better than thinning flowers, and thinning flowers is better than thinning fruits. The tree body has a large number of flower buds; during the bud-break period, thin out some of the flower buds. The method is to thin out 1/3 to 1/4 of the flower buds on cluster-type fruiting branches, ensure pollination between varieties during the flowering period, and thin out fruits with irregular shape when the fruits grow to the size of a soybean.
4. Training and pruning: The terminal buds of large cherry and the central buds of cluster-type fruiting branch groups are leaf buds. Flower buds are pure flower buds, mainly axillary flower buds and cluster-type ones. Axillary flower buds generally grow at the base of 1-year-old branches, so pay attention to the position of flower buds when pruning. Pruning is mainly summer pruning, supplemented by winter pruning.
① Winter pruning: Winter pruning is mainly for adjusting tree shape and balancing tree vigor. It mainly thins out competing growth branches, upward-growing branches, strong vigorous branches and slender branches. Extension branches are shortened, and fruiting branches are retracted.
② Summer pruning: Summer pruning aims to maintain tree shape and promote flowers and preserve fruits. Cut off competing branches and upward-growing branches. Pinch the tips when branches grow to 15-20 cm. This is generally completed before July, no more than 2 times a year. Around September, when the branches have just begun to stop growing, pull the branches flat.