Growing cherries does not cause any particular problems, but in some cases there are difficulties associated with the wrong place to plant. For example, a plant is too close to buildings, other trees, or on inappropriate soil. In order for the cherry to easily adapt to the conditions in the new place and not get sick, the transplant must be carried out according to all the rules.
When is it better to transplant cherry
Cherry transplanting is always a stress for a tree, and its further growth, development and fruiting largely depend on how it will be done and in what time frame.
The most favorable period for transplantation is early spring or autumn, each of these seasons has its pros and cons. Most often, they are advised to do this in the fall, from mid-September to mid-October, a few months before frosts. By this time, no leaves should remain on the tree. Autumn transplant shows better results than spring:
- at this time, high temperatures are noted, which allows the tree to adapt faster to a new place;
- before the onset of frost, the cherry will have time to take root and strengthen a little, and with the beginning of spring it will immediately grow.
The best spring month for moving the tree is considered the end of March - April, until the buds swell.
A spring transplant of cherries is done only in a dormant state of the plant, before sap flow begins in it.
Moving to a new place during this period has not only its advantages, but also disadvantages:
- in spring, the plant has a lot of time to adapt, which allows you to gain strength and safely survive the cold;
- in new conditions it will hurt and adapt longer;
- with the advent of heat, pests that can destroy the cherry are activated.
It is better to transfer the plant to a new site on a sunny, calm day at an air temperature above + 10 ℃ and in the absence of night frosts.
How to transplant a cherry
In order for a plant to take root well, first of all, it is necessary to choose a suitable site. For this, a lit and elevated place is most suitable. Cherry does not like raw lowlands, since such conditions can lead to decay of the roots and its death.
All varieties are demanding on soil with neutral acidity. Sour lands are calcified with slaked lime, ground chalk or dolomite flour. The drug is evenly scattered, then shallowly embedded in the ground. The procedure is best done in the autumn, after digging the earth.
Moving trees, as a rule, is carried out in two ways:
- transplant with a lump of earth;
- transplant with bare roots.
In order for the plant to quickly adapt to new growing conditions and begin to bear fruit earlier, it is advisable to use the first method.
How to make a pit when transplanting cherries
It is better to prepare a landing pit in advance. They dig it out in the fall, if you plan to transplant the tree in the spring. With the autumn movement of cherries, the landing pit is prepared in the spring. Its depth and width should be 30-40 cm larger than the size of a clod of earth with roots.
At the bottom, compost is applied with a small amount of phosphorus-potash fertilizers and ash, a layer of fertile soil about 5 cm thick is laid on top. If the tree has already been fed, then the amount of fertilizer applied is reduced.
Fertile soil and fertilizers are introduced into the planting pit for cherry transplantation
How to dig a cherry for transplant
In order for the plant to transfer the movement to the new site as best as possible, it is dug out together with an earthen lump. To prevent soil from shedding from the roots, the soil around the cherry is moistened by pouring about 5 buckets of water under the base of the trunk.
After watering, the plant begins to dig along the perimeter of the crown. Given that the roots of the tree grow by the length of the branches, this will allow to preserve its root system as much as possible. The shape of the trench can be circular or square, the walls are made strictly vertical, with a depth of about 30-60 cm.
Digging is done so that a lump of earth forms around the roots. This will preserve the familiar environment and facilitate the survival of the tree. The diameter of the upper part of the earthen coma for young plants should be about 50-70 cm. If the age of the cherry is more than 5 years, the diameter of the root coma ideally increases to 150 cm, and the height to 60-70 cm.
Cherry should be dug up with a lump of earth corresponding to the perimeter of the crown, so as not to damage the roots
The trench along the perimeter of the crown is gradually deepened. Too long roots that interfere with getting an earthen clod are chopped off with a sharp blade of a shovel, and the sections are greased with garden var. To facilitate the extraction of wood from the pit, one of the walls of the ditch can be made inclined.
If the plant is large, put a long, strong object (iron crowbar or pitchfork) under the base of the coma. It is used as a lever for extracting a monolith with roots.
The plant is laid out on a pre-spread fabric or plastic film, an earth ball is wrapped and tied with a rope over the root neck.
Cherry roots protect from drying with a film or cloth
Transplanting Cherry to a New Place
Carry the plant as carefully as possible. Large trees are transported in a cart with sawdust to absorb strong shaking, using iron drag sheets or coarse cloth. To move the cherry successfully, the following requirements are fulfilled in the future:
- At the bottom of the pit, the soil mixture is poured in such an amount that the lump placed on it rises 5-10 cm above the soil surface. They try to plant the tree at the same depth that it had before moving it.
- The root system is freed from the film, watered so that the earth is better kept on the roots, then carefully placed in a prepared hole.
- The direction of the branches relative to the cardinal points after the transfer should remain the same as in the previous place.
- The root neck of the tree should rise 3 cm above the soil level.
- For a fragile plant, a support is gently driven into the hole, being careful not to damage the roots. The stake is tilted in the direction of the wind; a cherry trunk is tied to it in the future.
After transplanting, the tree should be supported so that it does not tilt after subsidence
- The space between the walls of the pit and the earthen lump is covered with fertile soil mixed with humus, and rammed. Unlike planting, when transferring cherries to a new place, the soil can be densely compacted, because the left earthen lump protects the root system from damage, while the roots of a young seedling are not protected, they can be damaged.
After transplanting a tree into the prepared landing pit, the earth is rammed
Near the transplanted tree form a watering circle with a height of 5-10 cm, which prevents the spreading of water. The plant is abundantly watered with 2-3 buckets of water, the trunk circle is mulched with foliage or sawdust. This will protect the soil from drying out and cracking, and during the autumn transplant, it will protect the roots from the first frosts.
After transplanting to a new place, the tree must be abundantly watered and then mulched
Crown pruning for cherry transplant
Before moving the tree or immediately after the procedure, pruning of branches is carried out in order to compare the volume of the crown with the size of the root system. Due to this, the bulk of the nutrients will be sent to the root. Skeletal branches shorten by about 1/3 of the length. Another pruning option involves thinning the crown by removing 2-3 large branches. Slices are treated with garden var.
Cherry crown cut off before or after transplant
Video: how to transplant a fruit tree
Cherry transplant by years
The cherry tree is very sensitive to environmental changes, so without good reason, you should not move it from one section to another. If this still needs to be done, carefully consider the age of the transplanted tree, since it is impossible to guarantee fruiting to an adult plant.
Moving cherries older than 10 years is not recommended.
Strict adherence to tree transplantation guidelines will help not only to preserve the plant, but also quickly restore fruiting.
How to transplant a young cherry
If the cherry has grown close to the mother tree, it is recommended to plant it, as it takes away nutrients and interferes with the fruiting of an adult plant. When buying or replanting a young tree:
- it is carefully examined, dry and damaged branches are cut off;
- try to dig so that a lump of earth forms on the roots;
- to improve contact with the soil, the exposed root system is lowered into a special clay solution before planting;
- dried roots are immersed for several hours in water to nourish them with moisture and revitalize.
Subsequently, the transplant is carried out according to standard technology.
How to transplant adult cherries in spring
In the spring, the movement of adult cherries to a new site is carried out according to the above instructions. In this case, it is necessary to take into account all the pros and cons of spring transplantation in order to ensure good survival and early fruiting of the tree.
How to transplant an old cherry
Sometimes a transplant is necessary for an old tree. The technology is very similar to moving a young plant, but there are important differences:
- When digging up, the roots should not be exposed; they must be hidden in an earthen coma.
- The root system must be dug up very carefully, trying to preserve as much as possible the majority of the roots without damage.
- Pruning of branches should be carried out more carefully than with young cherries in order to balance the volume of the crown and root system. The procedure for the old tree is carried out immediately before digging to facilitate its transportation to a new place.
Compliance with these recommendations will minimize stress when transferring a middle-aged plant to another site.
Features of cherry transplantation depending on the type
When moving a tree, first of all, they pay attention to the type of cherry, since in some cases the technology needs to be adjusted:
- Ordinary cherries tolerate movement well, transplant it according to the above instructions in autumn or spring, choosing the most favorable period.
- Bush (steppe) cherries are not recommended to be moved due to the high probability of tree death. If necessary, the procedure is carried out according to standard technology.
- Felt cherry is characterized by an underdeveloped root system, as a result of which it practically does not tolerate transplants. As an exception, doing this is better in the spring, after the snow has melted and only at a young age. Fruiting of felt cherries lasts for 10 years. With a late transplant, it may not take root or, taking root, will not produce berries.
Photo gallery: features of transplantation depending on the type of cherry
- Common cherry tolerates transplant well
- Felt cherry does not like transplanting
- Shrub cherry is better not to move
The main subtleties of cherry transplantation in various regions
Cherry tree is unpretentious to the growing environment and feels good in different regions. However, depending on climatic conditions, its transplant will be slightly different:
- Harsh climate zone, including the Urals. When moving a tree to a new site in autumn there is a big risk of freezing of the roots, because before the onset of cold weather it will not have time to take root. For this climate zone, spring is the most favorable time for a plant transplant.
- Warm southern areas. Moving cherries is best done in the autumn, not later than a month before the frost, so that the plant has time to adapt to new conditions.
- The middle zone is temperate. The transfer of an adult tree is possible both in autumn and spring, however, the chances of settling in a new place in the autumn are still higher.
A properly selected time for transplanting cherries, as well as following all the recommendations of specialists, will allow you to safely adapt the tree to new growing conditions and get a good harvest of berries.
