Pollination of cherries is an important nuance for a good harvest

Cherries can bloom very abundantly in spring, however, every gardener knows that this is not at all an indicator of a rich harvest in the future. The key to high fruiting is high-quality pollination of cherries or shrubs by insects or a pollinator.

How does pollination work?

The pollination process consists in getting ripe pollen on the stigma of the flower pistil. The pollen grain then germinates in the pistil column, penetrating into the ovary, which contains the unfertilized ovule, and thereby fertilization occurs, which subsequently leads to the appearance of ovaries. The transfer of pollen on the stigma from the flower pistils is pollination.

Typically, pollination is done by bees or other insects and wind. There are situations when pollination has to be done manually. For example, if cherries bloom too early, when insects are still insufficient, or the tree grows in a greenhouse, where access for pollinating insects is completely limited. First, they check the readiness of the pollen for fertilization by running a finger over the anther, and see if yellow lumps remain. After that, the optimal time is selected - this is the middle of the day, after several days of settled warm and dry weather. And every day until the end of flowering, it is advisable to carry out manual pollination with a brush or cotton swab.

Not all cherries are capable of self-pollination; to ensure cross-pollination, they must be planted with other varieties capable of self-fertilization with their own pollen. Different varieties of cherries have different flowering times. Only those trees whose flowers bloom at the same time are able to adapt to cross-pollination. With the help of special guides, you can get all the information you need to choose the most suitable variety. However, not all cherries belonging to the same flowering group are capable of such pollination.

In terms of pollination and flowering biology, cherry is close to cherry, its yield also depends on pollination. It is noteworthy that cherries are capable of pollinating with pollinating cherries, but cherries in very rare cases.

Conditions for pollination of cherries

Weather conditions during flowering are of great importance to obtain an optimal yield. Too hot or cold and rainy spring weather affects flowering unfavorably. At very high air temperatures, the susceptibility of the stigma of the flower decreases, and at low temperatures, its delicate part is damaged. Moreover, both at low and at too high temperatures, the years of bees and other insects stop.

Rainy weather is also highly undesirable during flowering. The rain may not completely wash off the pollen from the stigmas and anthers, but high-quality pollination will not occur and the setting of berries will be negligible. In addition, high humidity can intensify or provoke the development of various fungal diseases that negatively affect not only the harvest, but also the entire tree as a whole.

A strong wind will not give insects the opportunity to focus on high-quality pollination. In windy weather, the bee collects significantly less pollen, and, therefore, processes fewer flowers, in addition, it is difficult for the bee to return to the hive with a load in such weather.

Cherry species by pollination method

Cherries are divided according to their ability to fertilize with their own pollen into: self-fertile, self-fertile and partially self-fertile. Practically, cherry varieties are considered self-fertile, tying about 5-6% of fruits. Self-fertile cherries are capable of forming 40-50% of the total number of flowers on the plant, partially self-fertile - within 7-20%.

Self-fertile

Among the self-fertile varieties, the most popular with high yields can be distinguished - these are Podbelsky, Brunetka, Griot, Apukhtinsky, Kensky, Rossoshanskaya black, Finaevskaya and others.

Most self-fertile cherries have a very unusual flower structure: the height of the stamen with the anther, in which the pollen is located, and the pistil, from which the fruit is subsequently formed, is practically the same for them. Due to this, pollination takes place inside the flower, even before it opens. In self-fertile varieties, pollen retains the ability to germinate for 13-16 days, this contributes to a large number of ovaries. A large number of these cherry varieties have a relatively high germination rate even at 20-25 days. For comparison, common cherry varieties lose their ability to germinate in cool weather at a temperature of 10-14C.

Self-infertile

Common or self-fertile varieties include such varieties as Alpha, Chudo, Saratov, Uralsky, Vladimirsky, Chernokorka and others. This is the largest group. Cherries of these varieties are not able to self-pollinate flowers. But in order for them to bear fruit normally, they are planted together with self-fertile varieties. The hybrid between cherry and cherry also turns out to be self-fertile in most cases.

Partially self-fertile

Partially self-fertile include: Vstrecha, Malyshka, Maksimovsky, Long-awaited, Turgenevka, Rubinovy, Shpanka Donetsk, Alai swallows and others.

All of the above varieties are suitable for growing on farms and in personal plots. To obtain better compatibility, one should be guided by the zoned assortment of fruit crops and information from special reference books.

Variety compatibility

Not all varieties have good or sufficient inter-pollination. There are times when the varieties planted nearby are incompatible, so they practically do not give an ovary. It turns out that any self-infertile variety, although good in every way, can turn out to be low-yielding without a suitable cherry pollinator.

When laying a garden, you should choose several varieties. It is important that the pollinators of the cherry are close in terms of flowering, entry into fruiting, ripening of fruits and the longevity of the plant as a whole.

The approximate most optimal combination of common varieties and pollinators Alpha (Vladimirsky, Griot, Shubina), Chernokorka (Lyubskaya, sweet cherries Yaroslavna, Donchanka, Aelita), Ashinsky (Rubinovy, Altai swallow, Nochka), Zhukovsky (Lyubsky, Vladimirsky).

Small-grained Kanzan cherry, shrub type, will bear fruit well if self-pollinated varieties such as Turgenevka, Molodezhny, Podbelsky are planted no further than 10-15 meters from it. A self-pollinating cherry variety like Ashinsky requires proximity to late-flowering cherries, in this case the yield will be much higher.

Video “Pollination of cherries. Promising varieties "

The video shows promising cherry pollinators. The process of pollination and its importance in fruiting are highlighted.