When cherries ripen in different regions and how to harvest them properly

Before purchasing a seedling, a gardener should study its characteristics: adaptability to the local climate, ripening time, yield, and taste. It's impossible to say definitively when a cherry tree will ripen, as the same variety can produce different results in different regions. Much depends on climate conditions: even in the same growing region, ripening will occur at different rates in cold and hot summers.

When the cherry ripens

The crop can grow in various regions. Its ripening occurs in the summer and depends on many factors: the region where it is grown, the variety, and the climate. In cool summers, the ripening period shifts.

Additional information! Many cherry varieties are not self-fertile, so pollinator varieties should be planted nearby.

Depending on the growing region

The growing region has a significant impact on the ripening speed of cherries. Cherries will undoubtedly ripen much later in the Urals than in the south. Kazan's moderate continental climate favors harvesting in late June or early July. Siberian weather is harsh, so cherries ripen there in late July or early August, requiring frost-resistant varieties for this region.

Depending on the variety

Cherries are classified by ripening time as early, mid-season, and late. By planting varieties with varying ripening times, gardeners can enjoy delicious berries almost all summer long. They are used not only for fresh consumption but also for canning, drying, and freezing.

Early ripening

Harvesting of early-ripening cherries begins in late June. Popular varieties:

• Annushka;
• Youth;
• Shpanka;
• Baby.

Early ripening varieties of the crop are recommended for cultivation in northern regions so that they have time to ripen during the short summer.

Mid-season

Mid-season cherries ripen in early July. The most famous varieties are:

• Turgenevka;
• Generous;
• Zhukovskaya;
• Vladimirskaya.

The varieties are characterized as frost-resistant, producing large fruits and an abundant harvest.

Late-ripening varieties

Ripening occurs in late July and early August. The following late-ripening cherry varieties are cultivated:

• Robin;
• Lyubskaya;
• Crane;
• Rusinka.

Please note! Cherry ripening times depend not only on the variety but also on the climate.

How to speed up the ripening process

Experienced gardeners use techniques every season to speed up cherry ripening. These include:

1. Pruning branches. Thinning the crown allows more light and air to reach the fruit, causing it to ripen faster.
2. Tree fertilization. Mineral fertilizers applied several times per season help the gardener harvest earlier.
3. Tie the branches. By tying a rope tightly around the base of a branch, the gardener retains organic matter that promotes fruit set.

Cherry trees will ripen quickly if planted in a well-lit area. Shade from other trees or outbuildings will hinder the tree's growth and development.

How to tell if berries are ripe

Cherry color isn't an indicator of ripeness. Depending on the variety, the fruit can range from dark burgundy to light red. Pay more attention to the stem: when a cherry is ripe, it easily separates from the stalk. Cherries located on the sunny side of the garden plot ripen first. If the berries are being harvested for long-distance transportation, it's best to pick them without removing the stem.

Why is it necessary to select different ripening periods?

Cherries are a treasure trove of nutrients essential to the body. They strengthen the cardiovascular system, increase hemoglobin levels in the blood, and cleanse the bronchi. The longer the fruit is eaten, the greater the health benefits. For this reason, it's important to plant trees with different ripening times in your garden.

Why untimely harvesting is undesirable

The harvest is gradual, as the fruit ripens unevenly on the tree. Ripe cherries are easily preyed upon by birds, so they should not be left on the tree. Unripe cherries are not picked, as they do not ripen in containers. After sitting for several days, they will not develop color or flavor, but will begin to rot.

It is better to store cherries in breathable containers: wicker baskets, cardboard boxes, small wooden boxes.

Methods of cherry picking

Cherries can be harvested manually, using various tools, or mechanically. Depending on how they are used, they are picked with the stem, with part of the stem, or without the stem. The latter method is used only if the fruit is immediately going for canning, as they cannot be stored for more than a day without damage.

Manual cleaning and homemade devices

Cherries are usually picked by hand in garden plots. Private homes have few trees, so they can be harvested at their leisure, selecting the ripest berries. If the trees are tall, ladders are used. To make the harvesting process easier, gardeners use various homemade devices.

From a plastic tube

For this method of harvesting, a tube that's neither too narrow nor too wide is selected, and one end is cut at an angle. A cut is made in the protruding part, then the horns are bent inward, forming a hook. This is easily done by holding the tube over a flame. The other end of the tube is also heated, formed into a flare, and placed on a bottle. During harvest, a bag for storing cherries will be placed on this end.

From a plastic bottle

To use this method, cut a 5-liter plastic bottle in half and use the bottom half. Drill a hole in the bottom of the container, and insert a light stick into it so that its tip is aligned with the top of the bottle. The diameter of the hole should match the diameter of the neck of a 1.5-liter container, which is also cut in half.

The top of a 1.5-liter bottle is threaded through a stick and placed upside down in the center of the first container. A comb-like device is made from thick wire and attached to the top of the stick with screws. The device is inserted under the tree branches, and the fruit is plucked, falling into the bottle.

From a fishing net

This The device is convenient for picking ripe cherriesTo make it, bend a wire hoop so that it's perpendicular to the handle. When the gardener runs a net over the cherry branches, the fruit falls easily into it.

Mechanical assembly

Machines are used to harvest the fruit from large areas where trees grow in neat rows at least 2.2 meters apart and 4 meters between rows. Varieties with easily detached stems are grown for automated harvesting. The harvesting process involves shaking the tree mechanically or passing it between two drums fitted with plastic runners that knock off the fruit.

Important! Stop watering two weeks before harvest. This is necessary to prevent the cherries from becoming waterlogged.

Caring for the tree after picking berries

After harvesting, the cherry trees continue to be cared for.To do this, perform the following steps:

1. Water the root zone. Use about 30 liters of water per square meter. If the summer is dry, the soil may absorb more water. To conserve moisture, you can apply mulch.
2. Loosen the soil and remove weeds. Loosening allows air to reach the roots.
3. Fertilize the plant. Phosphorus-potassium fertilizers are needed at the end of summer to help the tree survive the winter. To do this, use 1 tablespoon of superphosphate and 1 tablespoon of potassium salt per square meter.
4. Spray against diseases and pests, repeating every two weeks. Fungicides and insecticides are used for this purpose.
5. Sanitary pruning is performed. This involves removing downward-growing, broken, and dry branches. Formative pruning is left until spring.
6. The trunks are whitewashed in late autumn. This procedure is necessary to prevent shoots from being scorched by the bright rays of the late winter sun and to prevent the appearance of harmful insects.

Cherry trees are mulched for the winter, after thoroughly watering the soil. If necessary, frost-sensitive varieties can be covered with burlap. Post-fruiting care will help the tree gain strength for wintering and future fruiting.