Management Techniques for Sweet Cherry Trees from 1 to 3 Years Old
The root system of sweet cherry trees is relatively shallow, and the root system of young trees from 1 to 3 years old is even shallower, generally around 5 to 40 cm. In winter, the frozen soil layer reaches 40 to 60 cm deep, and the entire root system of the tree is within the frozen soil. In the Beijing area in early spring, the aboveground air temperature rises quickly and high; in mid-to-late March, the temperature sometimes reaches as high as 2...
The root system of sweet cherry trees is relatively shallow, and the root system of young trees from 1 to 3 years old is even shallower, generally around 5 to 40 cm. In winter, the frozen soil layer reaches 40 to 60 cm deep, and the entire root system of the tree is within the frozen soil. In the Beijing area in early spring, the aboveground air temperature rises quickly and high; in mid-to-late March, the temperature sometimes reaches above 20°C. However, the lower soil temperature rises slowly, and sometimes in early April there is still a frozen layer below 20 cm in the soil. At this time, the tree roots are still in a dormant state, while the buds on the aboveground branches have already begun to swell. This causes an imbalance between the upper and lower parts of the tree's nutrients and water, and coupled with frequent cold wave invasions, if no protective measures are taken, it can easily cause tree death and branch desiccation. Based on the above climatic characteristics of the Beijing area, certain technical management measures should be taken to ensure the safe overwintering of 1- to 3-year-old sweet cherry trees.
1. First, improve the cold resistance of the tree itself, increase the storage of organic matter, and apply additional phosphorus and potassium fertilizer in September, 2 to 3 liang per tree (p:k ratio of 1:2). The potassium fertilizer is best as potassium sulfate fertilizer.
2. Foliar topdressing: spray potassium dihydrogen phosphate, 2 to 3 times, once every 7 to 8 days.
3. Around October, perform pinching by removing the growing tips of the autumn shoots to force the branches to stop growing early.
4. After leaf fall and before the soil freezes, water once with freezing water, and irrigate thoroughly.
5. Young trees must be protected for overwintering. After leaf fall, around mid-to-late November, first use newspaper, then plastic strips to wrap the trunk in two layers. Build up soil around the base of the tree to about 30 cm, and pile slightly more soil on the north side of the tree. Branches that are not wrapped can be protected with antifreeze. Antifreeze can be methyl cellulose, Jingfang No. 1, wax emulsion, etc. Apply antifreeze generally 3 to 4 times, requiring two times before the soil freezes and two times from the end of February to early March of the following year, and make sure to brush each branch evenly. Remember to remove the plastic strips and newspaper only after there are no more cold waves in the following spring.