When the cherry is ripe

Any crop has a state of technical and then full ripeness. The harvest of stone fruit crops, which include cherries, is harvested after the fruits are ripe completely. In addition to being consumed fresh, compotes and juices are made from cherries, jam and jam are made, dried and frozen. It is impossible to unequivocally determine the exact time for picking cherries, since the period of time when the cherries ripened depends on various factors: climatic features of the area, cherry varieties, as well as on how well and correctly you care for the tree.

Ripe cherries in the garden

Cherries can grow equally well in the southern regions with a warm climate and short mild winters, as well as in the north of our country, where summers are cold and often rainy. The weather has a great influence on what time the harvest will ripen, the same cherry variety will ripen faster in the Moscow region than in the Urals. Therefore, it is very important to choose a variety for planting, taking into account the climatic characteristics of the area in which you live, then there will be no problems with the harvest.

In the Central District, by the end of June, you can harvest cherries from the varieties "Shpanka", "Malyshka", "Molodezhnaya" - these are early varieties. Then at the beginning of July comes the turn of mid-season varieties "Lyubskaya", "Schedra" and "Turgenevka". And already in August, late varieties ripen, such as “Zhuravka" and "Rusinka". But if any of these trees are planted in Siberia, the harvest will be delayed by 10-14 days.

Also, the ripening time is shifted if it is rainy and cloudy.
Another important role is played by the location on the site. Of two trees of the same variety growing in the same summer cottage, the harvest will ripen faster on the one that is located in a sunnier place, since the cherry needs a lot of light. In addition, when planting, it is necessary to avoid lowlands, heavy and dense soils, as well as closely located groundwater - all this will negatively affect the health of the plant, which means it will slow down its development and ripening of berries.

Root growth takes a lot of energy from the main plant, which must be removed regularly if it is not needed for the formation or reproduction of the plant. In this case, it is very important to perform all work with sharp and disinfected instruments, and then process the sections with pitch. If this is not done, then an infection can get through the wound and the cherry will start to hurt.

It is not difficult to prepare a garden var, you need to warm up the rosin and wax, after these two components combine and cool down a little, pour in the autol. The ratio of rosin, wax and autol should be 10: 4: 2. If it is not possible to cook a var yourself, then you can buy it at an agricultural store or garden center.

If the circumstances were unfavorable, and the cherry fell ill with any fungal disease ("moniliosis", "coccomycosis", "anthracnose"), then after treatment it will take time to recover and the ripening of the berries will move away for a while. The invasion of harmful insects will have the same effect. So compliance with the deadlines that we talked about above is only in the case of proper care and no adverse effects on the trees.

When the cherry is ripe

Do not wait until the berries ripen on all the trees, harvest as they ripen, otherwise the berries will crumble, rot, and some of them will probably be pecked by birds. As soon as the cherry has ripened, namely, it has acquired a burgundy or rich dark red color - it's time to pick it. The pulp at this time becomes sweet and juicy, the sourness practically disappears, the ripe cherry does not knit your mouth.

If you do not plan to eat or process the berries right away, then try to pick them with the stalks, or do it 3-4 days before the onset of full ripeness. This will increase the chances of favorable transportation. And of course, you need to harvest in dry weather, this will allow the harvested berries to be stored a little longer.

The quality of the berries also depends on several factors: the amount of precipitation and humidity, the air temperature during the summer, the general climate of the area, the timely termination of watering (usually this is done 15-20 days before the start of berry picking). But even if the weather is unfavorable, the summer is cool and rainy, the cherries are small and sour, there are still a lot of vitamins in it, so it is definitely worth using and preparing compotes and jam for the winter.

Berry picking rules

Collecting cherries can be done in three ways:
- pick berries with a stalk, perhaps even with a small piece of cutting, so they are better stored.
- cut small cuttings with berries with pruning shears or garden shears, so they are well stored and remain in a marketable state.
- they pick berries without stalks and cuttings, this method is only suitable for immediate processing of berries, since in this form they can be stored for no more than 24 hours.

Depending on the variety, cherries can be quite tall and spreading, making harvesting difficult. Gardeners use ladders, special hooks that pull branches closer, secateurs, fruit pickers (both factory-made and home-made) as accessories. Cherry juice is difficult to wash off the palms and it is not washed very well from clothes, therefore it is recommended to use work clothes and gloves (cotton or medical gloves - whichever is more convenient for you).

You can store and transport cherries in baskets, cardboard boxes, plastic or wooden boxes - it is important that there is good ventilation.

And it is important to remember that after the harvest the season does not end, it is necessary to continue caring for the cherry trees and carry out a number of restorative and preventive procedures.
First, the trees must be treated with fungicides and insecticides. These are drugs that protect plants from the development of fungal diseases and from the invasion of parasites. Trees treated in autumn will bloom luxuriantly and in a timely manner in spring, and form ovaries well.
Secondly, apply organic fertilizer (compost or humus) to the trunk circle. Perform formative and sanitary pruning by removing excess growth and lower branches that practically do not form fruit buds, which means that future yield will not be affected. Well, in the fall, be sure to carry out moisture-free watering, for which at least five ten-liter buckets of water are required for each cherry.

Trees that are well cared for can survive even a very frosty winter, and this will not be the last year when the cherry is ripe, because next summer it will again delight you with a magnificent harvest.