How to prevent and control flower drop and fruit drop in cherries

After cherries flower, the fruit set will definitely be reduced, but even so, fruit drop sometimes still occurs, which brings great losses to fruit growers. If this phenomenon has not occurred, you should learn about and understand prevention; if this problem does occur, you can carefully read the content below, which will briefly introduce the causes of flower and fruit drop and preventive measures.

I. Causes of flower and fruit drop

1. Pollination and fertilization

Heavy rain during the flowering period causes incomplete flower development, such as defects, deformities, and missing styles, resulting in failure of fertilization or poor fertilization. Rainwater causes pollen to lose vitality and lose its pollinating function, so pollination cannot be completed; pollen is washed away and sticks together, and cannot rely on wind for pollination.

2. Malnutrition

Flowering and fruiting require most of the nutrients, especially nitrogen fertilizer supplementation. If fertilizer is insufficient and nutrients are limited, the ovary will drop and no longer continue to expand and develop. No fruit will set; young fruit lacking fertilizer will stop growing, and at the same time physiological flower and fruit drop will occur. The growth of spring shoots or summer shoots consumes a large amount of nutrients, and flowering and fruiting drop due to insufficient nutrients.

3. Improper management

After spring shoots are damaged by red spider mites, large-scale leaf drop or leaf yellowing is caused, photosynthesis cannot be carried out, and reduced nutrients lead to flower and fruit drop. Sunburn and scorching are triggers of fruit drop. Using too much fertilizer, or using fertilizer with high concentration and hot properties, or prolonged waterlogging after rain damaging the roots, reduces absorption capacity and causes flower and fruit drop. Abnormal tree growth and disordered hormone secretion, without timely use of growth regulators, will cause the fruit stalk to form an abscission layer and drop.

II. Solutions

1. Artificial pollination

Pay attention to the weather in real time. Before continuous rain, first collect enough pollen. After the continuous rain stops, artificial pollination can be carried out in time, so as not to miss the development period and to increase the fruit-setting rate. If it rains during flowering, plastic wrap can be used as a cover to prevent rainwater from entering the tree canopy.

2. Supplementing nutrients

Apply nitrogen fertilizer once before flowering or after fruit set to ensure fertilizer supply and avoid nutrient deficiency. Apply some phosphorus and potassium fertilizer to help the fruit expand rapidly and set firmly, making it less likely to drop. For physiological flower and fruit drop, gibberellin must be sprayed at this time to protect flowers and fruit.

3. Management

Do not apply only nitrogen fertilizer, which makes leaves dark green and attracts pests. After damage by red spider mites, promptly spray pesticides such as abamectin, azocyclotin, and fenbutatin oxide. Each fertilization should be just right, not too much, and do not apply poultry manure with strong hot properties. After rain, clear drainage channels for the water and drain it promptly.

In addition to physiological fruit drop caused by fertilizer deficiency, cherry flower and fruit drop also has various other causes. Based on the symptoms shown by the tree, you should be able to determine the cause, and then find a suitable method to solve this problem that troubles everyone. Then our goal is achieved.