Cherry blossoms are a wonderful natural spectacle! Not only because of their beauty - the opening of the flower buds is a promise of enjoying delicious cherries. With a lack of flowering, the hope of a harvest dwindles.

Young cherry trees without flowers is not a problem

If a young cherry tree does not bear any flowers for the first 2-3 years after planting, there is still no reason to worry. In young trees, shoot formation takes precedence over blossom formation, until a strong, stable crown structure has developed. Only then does the cherry tree begin to blossom and bear fruit.

Missing flowering in older trees

After a certain age, the tree is expected to flower and bear fruit. Various factors such as variety, climatic and site conditions, supply of nutrients, etc. play a role in flower formation. Some types of fruit, including sour cherries, are extremely willing to flower, i. H. that they set flower buds early without any special incentives. The sweet cherry, which begins to bloom as early as mid-April, is defenseless in some springs when the late frosts occur.

encourage flowering

It is not uncommon for gardeners to report that their cherry trees only bloom every 2nd or even every 3rd year. Leaving aside the characteristics of the variety, every cherry tree of productive age can be stimulated to flower by various measures. The following must be observed:

  • regular pruning at the right time promotes flowering,
  • too many nutrients lead to increased shoot growth and thus reduced flower bud formation,
  • Lack of nutrients causes excessive flower bud formation at first, but later premature exhaustion,
  • Cherry trees on slow-growing rootstocks are more floriferous,
  • Restriction of nitrogen fertilization hinders shoot growth and promotes the formation of fruit shoots with flower buds.

tips and tricks

Even if blossoms appear on a young cherry tree in the first year, it is better to break them out. The tree should first be given the opportunity to grow properly, since flowering and subsequent fruiting are at the expense of growth.

Category:

Vegetable garden