Fertilizers for cherries in the fall: feeding rules for a good harvest

Abundantly fruiting cherries deplete the soil quite strongly. To replenish the supply of nutrients, during the season it is necessary to apply organic and mineral fertilizers several times under it. At the same time, it is very important to feed the cherry in the fall, since this will not only increase its frost resistance before the upcoming winter, but also lay the foundation for the next year’s harvest.

The importance of autumn top dressing of cherries

During the growing season, the cherry actively absorbs nutrients from the soil. In addition, microelements necessary for growth are actively washed out of the soil layer by melt and rain waters. Nutrient deficiency negatively affects the development of trees, they slow down growth, bear fruit worse, become more vulnerable to diseases, and freeze more often in winter. Naturally, soil fertility recovers very slowly, so the only way to help the plants is to fertilize.

Autumn top dressing of cherries is the key to a good future harvest

Autumn top dressing is very important for cherries. It performs several functions:

1. Helps to quickly restore strength after fruiting.
2. Increases next year’s yield by increasing flower buds.
3. Increases frost resistance.

What fertilizers can you feed cherries in the fall

A feature of the autumn top dressing of cherries is the timing of fertilizer application. Its fruiting ends quite early, as a rule, by the middle of summer the crop ripens even on the latest varieties. After that, they stop using any nitrogen-containing mineral fertilizers for feeding, as well as fresh organics. Until the end of the growing season, various potassium-phosphorus fertilizers, their combinations, as well as some folk remedies, such as wood ash, are used.

Rules and methods for fertilizing cherries in autumn with fertilizers

In addition to early fruiting, cherries are one of the first to finish the growing season and go into hibernation. Therefore, all top dressing is done quite early, in early autumn. Fertilization at a later date will be ineffective, since with a high degree of probability the nutrients will not have time to be absorbed by the tree before it goes dormant. And over the winter, these top dressings will partially disintegrate, partially washed out of the soil by melt water, which will have almost no positive effect on increasing soil fertility.

All fertilizers are applied to the near-stem circle

In the autumn period, only the root method of feeding is used, that is, all fertilizers are applied to the soil. It is pointless to use the foliar method at this time, since there are no leaves on the cherry at this time. Top dressing is applied to the root zone simultaneously with digging up the near-stem circle, while all substances are dissolved in water for better digestibility. This technique allows you to quickly and completely saturate the soil with fertilizers, ensuring their rapid absorption by the entire volume of the root system of the tree.

When can you feed cherries in the fall

The terms of autumn top dressing of cherries are purely individual and are calculated by gardeners independently, based on the climatic conditions of the region. It is very important that the trees have time to assimilate the nutrients that have been applied before the growing season ends. In the southern regions, autumn top dressing is done in early October, in more northern regions – in mid-September.

How to feed a young cherry in the fall

When planting a seedling in the soil, a certain amount of various fertilizers is introduced along with it. They are quite enough for several years, because in the first years of life, a young tree does not need enhanced nutrition. You can start feeding young cherries from the 3rd year of life. From organic matter, you can use humus or old rotted manure, which is evenly embedded in the soil of the near-stem circle during its autumn digging. From mineral complexes, potash and phosphorus fertilizers can be used, such as Superphosphate, double superphosphate, potassium sulfate, potassium chloride.

Mineral fertilizers are applied to the soil of the near-stem circle in dissolved form. For 10 liters of water, add 2 tbsp. l potassium sulfate and 3 tbsp. l superphosphate. For uniform distribution of top dressing, it is advisable to make a shallow annular groove around the cherry trunk and evenly pour 7–10 liters (depending on the age and size of the cherry) of dissolved fertilizer into it.

How to feed cherries in the fall after harvest

After fruiting, and especially plentiful, the cherry is greatly weakened. To help her recover faster, you can use the same mineral complex as for young trees, while the amount of fertilizer must be increased by 1,5 times. An excellent result is obtained by feeding fruit-bearing specimens with a solution of wood ash (1 cup per 10 liters). Mature trees in the fall, after harvesting, you can feed the cherry with balanced complex mineral fertilizers with a low nitrogen content. These include such well-known compounds as nitrophoska and diammofoska.

Balanced fertilizers with a low nitrogen content can also be applied in autumn

The nitrogen content in them does not exceed 11%, so such fertilizers do not provoke excessive growth of shoots and do not weaken the winter hardiness of trees.

How to feed cherries in the fall so that they bear fruit well

 Like most fruit trees, cherry blossom buds are formed in the year before flowering and fruiting. Thus, the foundations of the next year’s harvest are laid the day before, that is, in the current calendar year. In order to stimulate the tree to lay more flower buds, it is necessary to fertilize regularly, including in the fall.

If organic fertilizers were used during the summer, then they should not be used in the fall; in this case, preference should be given to mineral complexes. If organic matter was not used, then now it is quite possible to make it. For top dressing in autumn, for a good harvest of cherries, old rotted manure is used, evenly embedding it in the soil of the trunk circle. This is usually done when digging up the root zone, such a procedure is necessary so that as many pests wintering in the ground under the tree die as possible in winter.

Phosphorite flour – a long-term fertilizer

In addition to organics, the use of phosphate rock as a fertilizer gives a good effect. This is a fertilizer of prolonged (long-term) action, it decomposes gradually in the soil, enriching the upper fertile layer with phosphorus. Fertilizer is applied 1 time in 3-4 years, in a dry form.

A video on how to increase the fruiting of cherries can be viewed at the link:

How to feed cherries in the fall with folk remedies

Peat, compost and humus can be attributed to folk remedies for feeding cherries, they mulch the near-stem circle of cherries. Gradually decomposing, these fertilizers enrich the soil with various nutrients and microelements. Wood ash is an excellent fertilizer. Together with digging, it is brought into the trunk circle at the rate of 0,5 -1 kg per 1 sq. m. As a fertilizer for cherries in the fall, many gardeners use eggshells. Its use not only enriches the soil with calcium and other trace elements, but also reduces the acidity of the soil.

Eggshells will enrich the soil with calcium and remove excess acidity.

For a similar purpose, slaked lime or chalk is added, since cherries grow best on neutral or slightly alkaline soils.

Features of autumn top dressing of cherries in the regions

The general principles of feeding cherries in autumn apply to all regions. Features of fertilizer application in a particular area depend on climatic features that affect the timing of the work, as well as on the individual characteristics of the area, soil fertility, its acidity and other characteristics.

In outskirts of Moscow

Most of the territory of the Moscow region is occupied by poor podzolic and sod-podzolic soils, as well as loams. The only exception is the southernmost tip of the Moscow region, where the land is quite fertile. For stable growth and regular fruiting, cherries in the Moscow region need top dressing in the fall. Fertilizers are usually applied in the second half of September, and if the changeable weather near Moscow allows, then work can be carried out in early October.

It is more convenient for summer residents of the Moscow region to use mineral fertilizers

It is unlikely that it will be possible to use organic matter in the metropolitan region simply because of the difficulty of delivering it to the site, so most gardeners have to use various purchased mineral fertilizers in order to feed cherries in the fall in the country.

In the middle lane and in the Urals

Central Our Country and the Ural region are characterized by a wide variety of soils, but they cannot be called fertile. It is necessary to feed cherries in autumn in these areas, for this you can use both organic matter and mineral fertilizers, and all work must be completed by the end of September, since frosts in early October, especially in the Urals, are far from uncommon.

In Siberia

The peculiarities of the climate of Siberia make it possible to grow a very limited number of varieties of cherries on its territory. Basically, these are low early varieties and species on dwarf rootstocks, which have increased frost resistance. These trees quickly finish fruiting and fall into hibernation quite early, so in Siberia it is also necessary to feed cherries in autumn quite early, in early September, and in some northern regions, all fertilization work must be completed by the end of August.

Aftercare

Autumn top dressing is one of the last cherry care activities carried out during the season. After it is carried out, the boles of the trees are whitewashed with lime, and they are also covered from possible damage by hares. Be sure to do water-charging irrigation – this will increase the frost resistance of trees. After that, it is desirable to cover the near-stem circle with fallen leaves treated with copper sulphate before this, this is done to prevent diseases.

Spraying with urea will feed the cherry and kill pests

With the onset of frost, the trees must be sprayed with a solution of urea. This procedure not only strengthens the cherry, but also helps a lot from pests that have taken refuge for the winter in the folds and cracks of the bark. Young seedlings need to be additionally insulated by tying them with non-woven material that allows air to pass through, as well as spruce branches.

Conclusion

If you properly feed the cherry in the fall, then next season you can increase its yield. In addition, top dressing is a guarantee that the tree will successfully overwinter and confidently enter the growing season in the spring. This requires little fertilizer, the time is also minimal, and the positive effect is very noticeable.