In our area, garden cherries are widespread. In the spring, after awakening, the tree gives people its beauty - its color was praised by writers and poets of different eras. Every self-respecting gardener must have this tree in his garden. But it happens that some owners of these plants have problems - cherries cease to produce crops. In our article, we will consider all aspects of why cherry does not bear fruit.
Cherry features
Most often in our gardens ordinary cherries grow. A wide variety of varieties allows the gardener to choose the most suitable tree for him. However, when choosing, one very characteristic feature of this tree must be taken into account.
A large number of varieties of cherries are self-infertile. If trees of the same variety are planted in the garden, you won’t get a harvest from them. Such trees must be planted in a group of different varieties. In this case, the trees should be in close proximity to each other.
Self-made varieties of cherries, such as Molodezhnaya, Bulatnikovskaya, Rusink, are also recommended to be planted in groups. The acquisition of several zoned seedlings with varying degrees of ripening is considered optimal. Cherries are early, middle and late. Acquisition of non-zoned varieties jeopardizes the full existence of a tree in inappropriate climatic conditions, which is why cherry blossoms but does not bear fruit. We will discuss this in more detail below.
Weak pollination
Insufficient pollination of the flowers of the tree is a significant reason why cherry does not bear fruit. The absence of a tree of a different variety next to the non-self-fertile cherry leads to the fact that no more than 5-7% of potential fruits are tied on the cherry.
But self-made cherries without a pollinator are capable of forming only 40% of the berries. Many gardeners, being sure that they planted the right tree, do not even realize that this is the main reason why the cherry fruit poorly. If it is not possible to plant an additional pollinator in the garden, you can go in another way: for this, its shoot must be grafted into the crown of a tree. But until this happens, you can quickly solve the problem in the following way - put flowering branches cut from a tree of another variety in the immediate vicinity of the problem tree. At least this season, one can already count on the harvest.
Fungus
Such a fungal disease of a tree as coccomycosis can be the reason why cherry does not bear fruit or very few fruits. The peculiarity of the fungus is that it damages the foliage of the tree.
Immediately after the color has spread, pink-red bloom covers the foliage. Some leaves are covered with brown spots. As a result, the leaves wither, fall, the tree is noticeably depleted. Frosts that the variety previously tolerated, with this disease, can become fatal to the tree.
Already next spring, the tree will bloom poorly, but there is no need to talk about fruit set.
Molinal burn is also a very common cherry disease. During spring flowering, the pathogen penetrates the peduncle into the buds and fruit shoots, which leads to their premature wilting. A characteristic feature of the disease is that the affected leaves and flowers do not fall from the tree even during the winter cold, remaining on the branches of the tree until next spring. The fruits of the affected tree are rotting long before ripening.
In this case, the tree will save only the complete and timely removal of the affected areas.
Climatic conditions
Many gardeners in the capital's suburbs in recent years have been preoccupied with finding the reason why cherry does not bear fruit. In the Moscow region, which is located in the middle zone of the country, the last years of winter are rich in unexpected surprises. This once again confirms that when buying seedlings, it is necessary to take into account the winter hardiness of the varieties.
Varieties of steppe cherries and its selection hybrids with common cherries are most adapted to winter loads. In addition to high resistance to low temperatures, these varieties are famous for their productivity. However, all these varieties are slightly inferior in taste to the fruits of ordinary cherries.
When hardening (a gradual decrease in temperature), varieties of this variety can also tolerate 35-degree cold. The greatest danger to the health of the tree is the daily temperature fluctuations. Large differences carry the risk of damage to the flower buds, as well as the high probability of getting a sunburn on the trunk and skeletal branches. It is necessary to radically deal with the problem of why cherry does not bear fruit. What should a gardener do? It remains only to update the trees in your garden for more winter-hardy varieties.
Soil nutrient deficiency
With increased acidity of the soil, one does not have to rely on a large crop. The location of groundwater close to the surface (1.7 - 2 meters) may also be one of the reasons why cherry bears fruit poorly. In such a situation, there is only one way to solve the problem - the creation of a bulk hill with a diameter of at least three meters. This will allow to plant a tree seedling at an optimal distance from groundwater.
The tree will yield the maximum possible yield only on sandy loam soil with neutral acidity. But if acidity is increased, then what should I do? If cherry does not bear fruit for this reason, then you can correct the situation by liming the soil. The main thing here is not to overdo it - the lack of boron that accompanies calcareous soils can cause a decrease in the formation of ovaries.
In any case, making a digging of the near-trunk zone, it is necessary to regularly and timely add mineral fertilizers.
Complex state of the tree
One of the reasons why cherry does not bear fruit is the thickening of the crown of a tree or shrub. Regular removal of dead wood, thinning will save the tree from weakening and possible diseases, will favorably affect the growth of new shoots.
The optimal black-and-white mode, provided by the timely correction of the inner part of the crown, will allow the tree to thank the gardener as much as possible with a plentiful harvest.
Why doesn't felt cherry bear fruit
This variety has high tolerance to low temperature and phenomenal resistance to coccomycosis. This shrubby tree came from the Far East. The dense covering of foliage and shoots with fibers, reminiscent of felt, gave this cherry its name.
Varieties of this tree give an abundant harvest of delicious berries. The type of this tree is self-infertile. Therefore, without another tree in the garden can not do if you want to rely on a rich harvest.
With excellent resistance to the main fungal parasite of cherry trees, this variety often becomes a victim of moniliosis. To save a tree, and the whole garden from fruit rot, is possible only by urgent removal of the affected areas and treatment with a drug such as Fungicide. If these measures do not stop the disease, it is necessary to part with felt cherries as soon as possible before the spores of the fungus migrate to neighboring trees.
Why does the cherry blossom, but not bear fruit
Proper feeding can help with this problem. When spring digging, it is recommended to apply up to 80 grams of potash and 220 grams of phosphorus fertilizers. During the growing season, it is necessary to carry out an additional several dressings of the tree.
The first is necessary at the end of flowering. Do it this way: dissolve in 10 liters of water up to 16 grams of urea, potassium chloride and up to 28 grams of superphosphate. The procedure is recommended to be repeated after two weeks.
Every two to three years, but by no means more often, bring ash infusion and rotted manure into the soil around the tree. The procedure is carried out in the autumn period and will significantly affect the well-being of the plant and the abundance of the crop.
Preventive actions
Regular harvesting of last year's leaves will exclude one of the factors why cherry does not bear fruit. Old foliage contains the primary foci of fungal diseases. Thin out the crown in time.
Conducted processing of wood with chemicals will prevent the disease from various diseases. The first spraying is carried out at the end of flowering, in no case is it recommended to do this earlier. Two weeks after harvesting, you must repeat the procedure. If you missed the time, then the tree can be processed no later than 20 - 25 days before harvesting.
If the gardener fulfills all these recommendations, surrounds his tree with timely care and care, the result will not be long in coming. The very next year, questions about why cherry does not bear fruit will disappear by themselves. A plentiful harvest will be a good reward for your efforts.