When ripens and how to pick cherries correctly, especially varieties and regions
Like all stone fruit crops, cherries have their own dates of reaching technical maturity. The tree is also grown for the sake of tasty and juicy berries, which can be enjoyed fresh or used to prepare compotes and juices for the winter. It is impossible to unequivocally answer the question of when the fruits ripen on cherries. It all depends on the type of tree, the conditions in which it grows, care.
Ripening dates of cherry fruits
Cherries are classified as crops that can grow both in the southern regions and in areas where the climate is cold, summers are short with rains and winds. The climate affects the ripening time. Even early ripe cherries will mature faster in the Central region than in Siberia or the Urals.
Already in the second half of June, berries of the varieties Shpanka, Molodezhnaya, Malyshka are ready for use. Mid-season varieties: Lyubskaya, Schedraya, Turgenevka, are covered with ripe fruits in the first decade of July. And only in August, cherries of the Zhuravka and Rusinka varieties will ripen. But if trees of these varieties are in the gardens of the Siberian region, then fruiting will come later by 1-2 weeks. The berry ripens later if the summer weather brings more rainy and cloudy days. It must be borne in mind that the tree will bear fruit faster when the berry ripens in the sun. A growing bush will take longer to ripen in the shade. Does not like culture and low-lying places with groundwater occurrence close to the surface of the earth. From the boggy soil, rotting of the root system will begin, the growth of the bush will stop, and later flowering and fruiting will begin.
The ripening time is affected by the condition of the soil. The soil on the site should be loose, nutritious, neutral in acidity.
Weakens and delays ripening of fruits a large amount of wild growth in cherries. Therefore, those root suckers that are not needed for the formation of a bush are removed. To exclude infection of the tree after the procedure, the wounds are treated with pitch after stripping the cut with a garden knife. Under the heat, the wounds will grow faster, and the wood will not oxidize and collapse. Garden var is purchased in a specialized store or prepared independently from 10 parts of rosin, four autol and two wax. The wax with rosin is heated over a fire, after a slight cooling of the mixture, part of the autol is poured.
A tree prone to fungal infections: moniliosis, coccomycosis, anthracnose will recover longer after an illness, and fruiting will move for several weeks. The attack of pests on the garden has a negative effect on flowering and ovaries. Only with proper care and creating comfortable conditions will the cherry give juicy sweet berries on time, in accordance with the terms.
Collection time
When to pick cherries, they will tell gardeners the berries that become soft and juicy. The color of the skin also indicates the degree of ripeness. It usually turns dark red, burgundy. Although there are varieties with light red fruits. But having tasted one berry, you can be sure of its ripeness to taste. The pulp gives off sweetness, there is a lot of juice in it, it does not knit the tongue.
Usually, ripe berries appear faster on cherry bushes that grow in sunny areas. The harvest begins to be harvested gradually so that it does not get to the birds or rot, falling to the ground. Removing only ripe fruits, unripe ones are left. If it is planned to transport the crop, then the berries are picked 2-3 days before their ripeness comes.
It is impossible to remove the fruits from the trees too early, as they will not be able to ripen indoors, like apples or pears. So you can stay without cherry berries.
The quality of the harvest for the season depends on:
- air humidity;
- average temperature of the year;
- the month in which the berries were picked;
- stopping watering 2-3 weeks before harvest;
- climate of the growing region.
If in the Moscow region they are already starting to pick cherries, then in Kazan the harvest will be ready later. Here the gardener himself determines the condition of the fruits, their readiness for collection. When weather conditions negatively affect the taste of the berries, and the fruits begin to rot, then you need to collect the cherries for making compotes or jam. In this way, at least part of the stone fruit crop can be saved.
How to collect correctly
Cherries are harvested in different ways:
- Leaving the stalk makes it possible to increase the storage time of fresh berries. Pruning shears cut the cutting so that half of it remains with the fruits.
- Also plucked with cuttings. These berries can be put in the refrigerator. They will keep their presentation for a long time.
- When berries are cut without cuttings, this method is called milking. It is used when cherries are needed for culinary processing or canning.
Collect cherries from a tall tree not easy. You cannot do without devices. Hooks come to the aid of the gardener, with the help of which they tighten the branches. Ladders are also used to get berries from the top of the bush. Among the tools used to pick berries are garden shears, pruning shears, fruit pickers. All methods of picking cherries are carried out in cotton gloves. After all, berry juice is poorly washed off the skin.
After the cherries are correctly picked, they are placed in baskets. It is better to weave containers for fruits from willow vines or from birch bark. You can prepare special trays for a large harvest, in which cardboard boxes with a sweet harvest are made. Cherries are also stored in bags. Air access to the berries is important here.
Trees after picking cherries need special care, consisting of:
- processing with Bordeaux mixture;
- abundant moisture;
- anti-aging pruning;
- feeding with humus or compost.
Spraying trees with fungicidal preparations in autumn, they give them the opportunity to bloom in time in spring and prepare for the formation of fruit ovaries. Cutting off the excess growth that forms on the rootstocks, they help the stone fruit culture to grow stronger, to stock up on nutrients in sufficient quantities for timely fruiting. Only with proper care for the next year, fruit trees will give a lot of delicious berries and even survive the Siberian winter with severe frosts.
