How to Grow Greenhouse Cherries? The Latest Cultivation Techniques and Methods Tutorial
Greenhouse cherries require low investment and yield high returns. Cultivating them in greenhouses in early spring allows cherries to reach the market earlier and achieve considerable economic benefits. Through greenhouse trials, all achieved a yield of fruiting in three years and over a thousand jin per mu in five years, with income per greenhouse exceeding 30,000 yuan, offering extremely high economic value. Now let us take a look at greenhouse cherry cultivation techniques together!
Cherry Tree Growing Environment
Cherry is a fruit tree that prefers light, warmth, moisture and fertilizer. It is suitable for growing under climatic conditions with an average annual temperature of 10-12°C, annual precipitation of 600-700 mm, and annual sunshine hours of more than 2600-2800 hours. It can grow well and bear fruit normally in places where the period with a daily average temperature above 10°C lasts 150-200 days and the extreme minimum temperature in winter is not lower than -20°C. If the local area has frost damage, the cherry orchard site can be chosen on a northwest slope where the temperature rises slowly in spring and air circulation is good. Considering that the cherry root system is shallow and prone to windthrow, the orchard site should preferably be in a section free from wind damage, and the soil should preferably be loose sandy loam with deep soil layers.
Cherry Orchard Greenhouse Construction
1. Site selection: When building the greenhouse, choose loam or sandy loam that is sheltered from wind and facing the sun, with sufficient light, flat terrain, convenient drainage and irrigation, and loose soil. According to the heat dissipation conditions of the greenhouse, the greenhouse area should preferably be 300-400 sq m, and it should generally be built as an east-west oriented single-slope greenhouse.
2. Greenhouse construction: To reduce costs, the north wall can be made of earth. The east and west walls are 3 m high, and at 2 m from the north wall the height is 3.5 m, supported by gypsum strips (with steel bars inside). The south wall is 2.5 m high, and the east and west walls each leave a working door and ventilation windows. The windows are 1.5 m above the ground. The inner sides of the north and south walls are both sealed with mud coating (except the windows) to prevent cold and preserve heat. Inside the greenhouse, gypsum strips (with steel bars inside) serve as the main columns, with row spacing and column spacing of 3.5 m. Above the columns, moso bamboo is used as the frame, connecting the south wall and north wall, tied into 50 cm square grids, covered with anti-drip film, and then a layer of straw curtain is laid over the film. The time for covering the greenhouse should be controlled between late December and early January.
Cherry Tree Variety Selection
1. The purpose of establishing greenhouse cherries is to bring cherries to market earlier and obtain higher economic benefits, so in variety selection, excellent varieties with early maturity and a high self-pollination fruit-setting rate should be chosen. Such as Hongdeng, Dahong, Zhusha, Jianye and other varieties. At the same time, pollination trees should be arranged at a ratio of 4:1 (such as Lapins or Stella) to prevent situations such as low self-fruit-setting rate and low quality.
2. In order to use land more economically and see benefits earlier, cherry saplings should be selected as strong seedlings with robust root systems, many fibrous roots, thick stems and plump buds, or 5-8 year old early-fruiting trees that are relatively short with more inner-canopy branches. The rootstock should be selected as wild cherry seedling rootstock, and dwarfing rootstock (such as Laiyang dwarf cherry) should be used as interstock.
Cherry Tree Pruning Techniques
1. For young trees, remove excessively vigorous upright main branches on the central leader and excessively vigorous water sprouts on the main branches. For the retained main branches and lateral branches on the main branches, focus on bending branches to open the angle and notching buds. The opening angle of main branches should preferably be 60-70 degrees, and the opening angle of lateral branches should preferably be 70-80 degrees. When bending branches, they should be pulled into a line, and must not be pulled into a bow shape. Notching is generally carried out in early March before buds sprout, mainly on the main branches to promote the emergence of lateral branches.
2. For trees in the initial fruiting stage, 4-7 years old, adjust the tree structure and pay attention to the cultivation of fruiting branch groups on the main branches. First, gradually remove main branches that are too low or too dense, so that the main branches do not affect each other. Second, appropriately retract branches without branching to promote branching. Third, retract or shorten overly weak lateral branches to rejuvenate them, and for overly vigorous ones, open the angle to moderate growth and promote flower formation.
3. For trees in the full fruiting stage, adjust the tree structure well and improve light and air conditions within the canopy. Excess upright branches, overly dense branches, overlapping branches, crossing branches and so on that emerge within the canopy should be resolutely removed, and the spacing between layers should be opened to avoid disrupting tree shape and consuming nutrients. If the tree is too tall, promptly drop the top and open the center, using weak branches as the leader to control canopy height.