The Latest Cherry Cultivation Techniques and Methods Tutorial
Cherries began to be cultivated in China in the 1990s, mainly distributed in Shandong, with small amounts also grown in central provinces such as Beijing, Liaoning, and Shanxi. Qingdao's climate is particularly suitable for cherry growth, making it one of the earliest cherry-ripening regions in China, with a planting area of over 60,000 mu, of which 70% of the cherries are large cherry varieties introduced from Europe. The United States holds a leading position in cherry production worldwide, with over 70% of American cherries coming from the Northwest.
The Growing Environment of Cherries
Chinese cherries have weak cold resistance and prefer a warm and moist climate, suitable for cultivation in areas with an annual average temperature of 15-16°C. Sweet cherries prefer cool and dry conditions. Cherries have a natural dormancy period of about 80-100 days. The chilling requirement for sweet cherries to complete dormancy is 1100-1300 hours below 7.2°C. Sour cherries require 1200-2500 hours. Chinese cherries have a relatively short dormancy period and tend to sprout when temperatures warm up in late winter and early spring. If a “late spring cold snap” (frost or snow) occurs, causing damage to the flower organs from freezing, it can severely affect yield, or even result in total crop failure. Therefore, when developing a plantation, attention must be paid to whether the timing of local annual spring cold waves coincides with the flowering period. Locations that experience adverse weather (frost, snow, strong winds) during the cherry flowering period year after year should not be planted. Even in areas where severe weather rarely occurs, suitable micro-topography should be selected when establishing an orchard.
The suitable annual rainfall for cherry growth is generally 700-1000 mm. In some southern regions, full consideration should be given to solving the “spring drought” problem when establishing an orchard. This is because drought during the early stage of fruit growth can cause severe fruit drop and affect fruit growth and development.
Cherries are a light-loving tree species. Chinese cherries are relatively shade-tolerant, but with good lighting, the fruit matures earlier and develops better color.
Cherries are suitable for cultivation in fertile, loose, deep sandy soil. Soil pH is generally 6.0-7.5.
The vertical distribution of Chinese cherry roots is generally concentrated in the soil layer about 20 cm deep. Loose soil quality and good drainage and irrigation conditions are required. Heavy clay soil is not suitable for growing cherries. Since cherries do not tolerate transportation well, orchards should be established in locations with convenient transportation.
Planting density should vary according to variety, rootstock, and soil conditions. On fertile flat land, Chinese cherries using Y-shaped training and close planting can be spaced at 1×3 m, with 220 trees per mu. If using natural clump form or natural open-center training, spacing can be 2-3 m × 3-4 m. During the young stage, density can be appropriately increased, and thinning measures can be taken after the orchard matures.
Planting time is generally divided into two periods: autumn and spring. In areas with cold, dry, and windy winters, spring planting is preferable, and spring planting should be done before the seedlings sprout. In warm winter areas, autumn planting can be done. Before planting, the soil should be deeply plowed and aged, and large planting holes should be dug. Apply 25-50 kg of organic fertilizer per hole. After mixing the fertilizer with the soil, plant the seedlings and immediately water them to settle the roots.
Cherry Planting Conditions
1. Temperature
Cherries are a warm-loving but not cold-tolerant deciduous fruit tree. Chinese cherries originated in the Yangtze River basin of China and are adapted to warm and humid climates with weak cold resistance, so they are more commonly cultivated in the Yangtze River basin and areas of northern China with relatively warm microclimates. Sweet cherries and sour cherries originated in West Asia and Europe, adapted to relatively cool and dry climates, and are more suitable for cultivation in North China, Northwest China, and southern Northeast China. However, high temperatures and dryness in summer are unfavorable for sweet cherry growth. The minimum winter temperature should not be lower than -20; excessively low temperatures can cause vertical cracking of large branches and gummosis. In addition, flower buds are susceptible to frost damage. If the temperature drops below -3°C during the flowering period, the flowers will suffer frost damage. Therefore, when developing cherries, excessively cold areas are not suitable.
2. Water
Cherries are very sensitive to water conditions; they are neither drought-resistant nor waterlogging-tolerant. In Chinese cherry cultivation areas, except for southern provinces with abundant rainfall, northern areas mostly choose hillside and valley locations with relatively humid microclimates for cultivation. Looking at the distribution of sweet cherry cultivation worldwide, most are chosen near river systems or coastal areas. China's main sweet cherry cultivation areas are currently mostly distributed in Shandong Yantai and Liaoning Dalian around the Bohai Bay. These two locations are near the sea, with annual rainfall of 600-900 mm and relatively humid air. However, this does not limit sweet cherry cultivation in low-rainfall areas. For example, in the sweet cherry production areas of Washington State in the United States, Yakima and Wenatchee receive no more than 250 mm of annual rainfall, with no more than 150 mm during the growing season. Ukraine's sweet cherry production areas are mainly distributed in summer drought areas along the Black Sea coast, with annual rainfall not exceeding 300 mm and little rainfall from July to September. However, these areas have suitable temperatures, ample sunlight, and good irrigation conditions, so sweet cherries grow well with high quality and high yield. Cherries, like other stone fruits, have roots that require high oxygen levels. If there is excessive soil moisture and insufficient oxygen, it will affect normal root respiration, and the tree cannot grow and develop normally, causing root rot and gummosis, and in severe cases leading to tree death. If rainfall is heavy and drainage is not timely, and cherry trees are submerged in water for 2 days, the leaves will wilt but not fall off. If the leaf wilting cannot recover, it may even cause the entire tree to die.
3. Light
Cherries are a light-loving tree species, especially sweet cherries, followed by sour cherries and downy cherries, while Chinese cherries are relatively shade-tolerant. When light conditions are good, the tree is robust, fruit branches have a long lifespan, flower buds are well-developed, fruit set rate is high, fruit matures early, color is good, sugar content is high, and acidity is low. When light conditions are poor, the tree tends to grow excessively, branches inside the canopy weaken, fruiting branches have a short lifespan, the fruiting zone moves outward, flower buds develop poorly, fruit set rate is low, fruit color is poor, maturation is delayed, and quality is poor. Therefore, when establishing an orchard, sunny slopes or semi-sunny slopes should be selected, planting density should not be too high, branch angles should be opened up, and light conditions inside the canopy should be ensured to achieve ventilation and light penetration.
4. Soil
Sweet cherries are suitable for cultivation in sandy loam or gravelly loam with deep soil layers, loose texture, good aeration, and strong water retention. When cultivated in heavy clay soil, the root system is shallow, not drought-resistant, not waterlogging-tolerant, and not wind-resistant. Cherry trees are very sensitive to salinity, with a suitable soil pH of 5.6-7. Therefore, saline-alkali areas are not suitable for growing cherries.
Cherries are highly susceptible to crown gall disease. If crown gall bacteria and nematodes are present in the soil, crown gall disease is easily transmitted. Old orchards where cherries, peaches, plums, and apricots have been planted have abundant crown gall bacteria in the soil and are not suitable for planting cherry trees, let alone serving as nurseries for cherry development. If seedlings have crown gall disease, it will cause even more serious consequences.
5. Wind
Cherry root systems are generally relatively shallow and have poor wind resistance. Strong winds in severe winter and early spring can easily cause branch desiccation and flower bud frost damage; strong winds during the flowering period can easily dry out the sticky fluid on stigmas, affecting insect pollination; typhoons in summer and autumn can cause branch breakage and tree toppling, resulting in even greater losses. Therefore, in areas prone to strong winds, windbreaks must be established, or locations with good microenvironments should be selected for orchard establishment.
Cherry Cultivation Techniques
1. Cultivation and Soil
Large cherries are suitable for cultivation in loose, fertile, well-aerated sandy loam.
2. Soil, Fertilizer, and Water Management
Water and Fertilizer Management: Large cherry plants have a water content of about 70%, so they are particularly sensitive to water requirements. Under normal circumstances, when there are many branches and leaves and temperatures are high, watering should be frequent; otherwise, excessively dry orchard soil will affect growth, flowering, and fruiting. The principle of applying thin fertilizer frequently should be followed. It is recommended to spray New High Lipid Film to enhance fertilizer utilization efficiency.
For cherry soil management, based on our experimental observations, the management method of spring irrigation plus mulching, with mid-season tillage and weeding in other seasons, is better. Because mulching reduces the impact of spring drought on plants, it has a good effect on fruit growth. After cherry harvest, remove or plow under the mulch. According to calculations, a mature orchard should generally be mulched with 2000-2500 kg of wheat straw per mu. Cherry trees should be fertilized 3-4 times a year. Namely:
① Fertilization after fruit harvest: Mainly to restore tree vigor, promote flower bud differentiation, and increase next year's yield. Immediately after harvest, apply barnyard manure and poultry/livestock manure, with an appropriate amount of chemical fertilizer added. Apply 30-60 kg of poultry/livestock manure per tree depending on the amount of fruit set.
② Fertilization before sprouting and flowering: Apply a topdressing mainly of quick-acting nitrogen fertilizer. Apply 15-20 kg of poultry/livestock manure water per tree, or 0.5 kg of urea.
③ Fertilization during rapid fruit growth: After petal fall, the fruit enters development. For large fruiting trees, apply a topdressing of quick-acting chemical fertilizer once, along with an appropriate amount of phosphorus and potassium fertilizer.
④ Apply base fertilizer well: In autumn from September to October (October to November in warm southern regions), apply base fertilizer before leaf fall to rejuvenate tree vigor and increase stored nutrient content in the plant. Since cherries take only just over 40 days from flowering to fruit maturity, the amount of stored nutrients largely affects fruit size and quality. Therefore, the application of base fertilizer is very important, needing to account for 50-70% of the annual fertilization amount. It should be mainly organic fertilizer, such as compost, pen manure, chicken manure, decomposed soybean cake, etc., with an appropriate amount of superphosphate or calcium-magnesium phosphate added.
In addition to the above soil fertilization, from early flowering to full bloom, at 10-day intervals, spray twice continuously with 0.5% urea, or 600 times dilution of potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution, or 0.3% borax solution, which helps improve fruit set rate.