When the buds (leaves) bloom at the cherry in spring

Buds do not bloom on cherries in the spring for a number of reasons that depend not only on the gardener. In order for the plant to feel comfortable on the site and give a stable harvest, varieties are chosen that are specially bred for the region and adapted to weather conditions.

Normal condition of the kidneys in early spring

When cherry leaves bloom in spring

Cherry belongs to the fruit crops of early fruiting. The beginning of sap flow – in the spring – from the moment the snow melts and the daytime temperatures rise to a plus mark. The first stage of the biological cycle is flowering, flowers are formed before the vegetative buds fully bloom, or simultaneously with them. Time depends on the variety and region of growth:

• approximately in the middle lane – from the second half of May;
• in the Leningrad region – two weeks later;
• in the south – in April;
• in Siberia – the end of May – the beginning of June.

Duration of flowering – 14 days at a temperature not lower than +10⁰, if the weather conditions do not meet the biological requirements of the culture, the dates are shifted. This means that vegetative buds should bloom in late May or mid-June. Each climate zone has its own timing. At an early stage of the growing season, it is difficult to determine the problem, since on the cherry the buds may look green on the outside, but do not bloom at the proper time.

When there are no leaves on the tree during the formation of flowers, this is a normal phenomenon. If ovaries appeared, and the vegetative buds did not start growing, something is wrong with the tree. You can identify the problem by flowering: it is weak, most of the ovaries crumble. Those that remain are unlikely to survive to biological maturity.

The main reasons why cherries do not bloom buds

The fruit crop is unpretentious in care, grows throughout Our Country, except for the Far North. Calmly reacts to drought and temperature changes. For the most part does not create problems for the gardener. But, like any plant, a tree needs proper care. There can be several reasons why cherries do not bloom after winter: from improper planting to the inconsistency of the variety with the climate of the region.

Violation of the landing rules

With improper planting, leaves do not bloom, mainly in young seedlings. An adult tree will have a different problem. A few examples of errors when placing cherries on a plot:

• the composition of the soil does not correspond – for the culture it must be neutral;
• the place was chosen incorrectly – the north side with the presence of drafts;
• the seedling is shaded by tall trees with a spreading crown – there is not enough ultraviolet light for photosynthesis;
• the soil is constantly wet – the site was chosen unsuccessfully, located in a lowland, in a wetland or groundwater is close;
• the size of the landing pit does not correspond to the volume of the root system – air cushions are possible, the absence of a drainage layer;
• the wrong time was chosen – in the spring the cherries were planted too early, when the soil did not have time to warm up enough. In autumn, on the contrary, the work was carried out late, the plant did not have time to take root well before the onset of frost.

It looks like a nodular seal above the root; when planting, the neck is left on the surface – about 6 cm from the ground level.

Violation of the rules of care

If the planting is carried out on time and in compliance with all requirements, the cause may be incorrect or insufficient agricultural technology. In this case, they are also guided by the peculiarities of the climate of the region. If in the south the reason, for example, will be in irrigation, then in a temperate climate this is the wrong preparation for winter.

Method of protection against frost and rodents

Watering

For an adult cherry that has entered the fruiting stage, watering is not the main condition for agricultural technology. The culture is quite drought-resistant. She needs two plentiful waterings from the second half of summer, if there are abnormally high temperatures without precipitation.

The cherry has a well-developed and deepened central root, it replenishes the moisture deficit from the soil. For an adult plant, autumn moisture-charging watering is more relevant. Fruiting occurs at a time when the temperature index does not rise much even in the south.

Seedlings up to three years of vegetation are watered with a small amount of water twice a month in spring. Look at the weather in summer. The plant will tolerate a lack of moisture more easily than its excess. But it is also impossible to allow the soil to dry out.

The root circle is mulched – this method protects the root from burns and retains moisture in the summer

With moist soil and a sharp drop in temperature, part of the root may die, in the spring the buds will remain at rest from a lack of nutrition, the leaves on the cherry will not bloom.

Additional fertilizing

When planting, a nutrient substrate is introduced into the pit, it is enough for a seedling for three years of growth, young cherries are not fed during this period. If the tree, subject to this condition, did not bud, the reason is not in feeding. Without a nutrient mixture, plants are fed in the spring with organic matter: over the summer, phosphate and potash fertilizers are applied in accordance with the instructions. The following season, cherry leaves will appear at the right time.

An adult tree is fertilized before flowering, before the formation of berries and in autumn. If an adult cherry does not bloom in the spring with timely top dressing, the reason may be a soil mismatch. Once every 3-4 years, the composition is normalized in accordance with the indicator.

Dolomite flour is added to acidic soil, alkaline soil is neutralized with granular sulfur

Trimming

This technique of agricultural technology is mandatory for cherries at any age, starting from the moment of planting. The seedling is shortened to 4-6 fruit buds to direct the vegetation to the development of the root system. Failure to comply with the conditions may cause the absence of leaves in the spring. If the seedling is poorly rooted, then it cannot fully provide for itself food, the kidneys will remain underdeveloped.

An adult plant begins to form a shape by pruning from the fourth year of growth. A measure necessary to prevent thickening of the crown. Cherries can react to overload with ground mass by drying out part of the kidneys.

The event for the formation of skeletal branches is carried out in early spring or autumn, along the way, dry and twisted shoots are removed

The plant forms fruit buds at the tops, they cannot be shortened by more than 50 cm.

Poor preparation of cherries for winter

Preparatory measures for winter are a prerequisite for a temperate climate. If the branches are allowed to freeze, they can be cut in the spring. During the season, the cherry will recover. In case of violation of the root or trunk, there is a risk of death of the culture, especially a young one. Often it is poor preparation for winter that is the reason for the lack of leaves on the cherry. For the winter, a young tree is spudded, the trunk is wrapped with a cloth to the lower branches, and the layer of mulch is increased.

After icing, there will be no leaves on the cherry

Freezing of roots, trunk and crown

In early spring, you can determine the problem by the state of the crown and wood.

Cut several branches in different parts and determine the severity of the problem by the cut

In a healthy cherry, the cambium (a layer of tissue near the bark) is green, it is well defined on the cut, the wood is white with a creamy tint.

If the color of the cambium is black, the fabric is brown with a pronounced border of the core – the branch has died, it will not be able to recover. How serious the damage can be determined at the time of flowering. Viable branches are left, the rest are drastically cut off.

If viable areas remain on the tree, it means that the trunk and roots are not completely damaged. There is a chance that the cherry will get sick and gradually recover. In the case when there are no flowers, the buds have not opened, the tree is unlikely to be saved.

Weather

This cause of kidney damage does not depend on the gardener. The only thing to consider is the frost resistance of the variety when buying. In winter, the vegetative buds are not afraid of a drop in temperature, they are covered with a scaly, tightly fitting protective layer. The main threat to an unadapted variety to a temperate or temperate continental climate in early spring is the time of frost.

spring frosts

Returning spring frosts are common in temperate climates. They become a serious reason that the buds do not open. When the plant enters the vegetative phase, sap flow begins. Low temperatures cause the juice to freeze: it stops, increases in size and breaks the wood tissue.

After climate stabilization, the supply of nutrients is insufficient due to damaged areas, the kidneys dry out and crumble. These are internal problems. In early spring, the buds start to grow, the top layer opens, the cherry becomes vulnerable to frost. The buds freeze, and the leaves do not have to wait.

disease

Infections during the growing season weaken the cherry, during the season the young shoots do not have time to ripen, in the spring the buds will not open on them.

Cherry leaves do not bloom when affected by coccomycosis

Spores of the fungus are in the bark of trees in winter, the active phase occurs at the time of sap flow, the growth of a colony can completely destroy the kidneys.

Cherry leaves do not bloom with a bacterial burn

The disease causes blackening of the branches, the bark becomes soft, gum flows out intensively. The buds die without having time to bloom.

Pests and rodents

Buds do not bloom due to the presence of pests. Most of the parasitic insects are a threat to cherries. They overwinter in the pupal stage in tree bark. In spring, adults lay eggs, depending on the species, caterpillars appear after two weeks.

Of particular danger are:

1. Brown tick, its larvae feed on kidney juice. With a mass accumulation, most of the crop will die. You can determine the defeat by the drying of the leaves.
2. The bud mite lays eggs. Outwardly, the cherry in the spring looks quite healthy: the buds are swollen, increased in size, but do not bloom. The larva, until it reaches the required mass, is inside the kidney, so the size seems normal. But upon closer inspection, the pest is determined.
3. The black cherry aphid also feeds on the juice of the buds – they decrease in size and dry up.

Adult brown fruit mite

Young cherries do great harm to rodents. They feed on young root shoots. In the spring, the damaged system cannot provide food for itself, the cherry is left without leaves. If the bark is damaged, the plant will not only not produce leaves, but may die in winter.

What to do if cherries do not bud at the right time

First of all, it is important to try to determine the causes by eliminating all possible options. After taking measures to eliminate them:

1. If the planting conditions are violated, the tree is transferred to another site or groundwater is drained if the reason is high humidity.
2. They adjust the requirements of agricultural technology – increase or decrease watering, apply top dressing in accordance with the schedule.
3. If the roots of a young tree are frozen, the leaves do not bloom – the cherry is removed from the ground, the damaged areas are cut off. Treated with a disinfectant and placed for 12 hours in a drug that stimulates growth. Then the tree is returned to its place.
4. If the branches are damaged by frost, they are cut off, the cuts are smeared with garden pitch.
5. If the bark is damaged by more than 60%, it will not work to save the cherry.
6. In case of damage by spring frosts, the tree will recover on its own, but will not yield a harvest. Change the variety to a more winter-hardy one.

The same goes for infection. This cause is easy to eliminate, the next year the leaves of the cherry will appear in due time.

Preventive measures

Preventive measures include:

• loosening the soil near the cherry in the fall so that pests wintering in the soil die;
• removal of weeds, collection of dry leaves;
• whitewashing the trunk;
• shelter plants for the winter;
• treatment for infection;
• the location near the cherry of drugs toxic to rodents;
• sanitary and forming crown pruning.

Conclusion

Cherries do not bud for many reasons. The main thing is to identify and eliminate them in a timely manner. This problem often occurs with young trees if agricultural practices and planting requirements are not followed. The reason for the absence of leaves on an adult tree can be pests, diseases, and incorrect pruning.