Despite learning to live with changes in protocols brought about by dealing with COVID-19 in a horticultural workplace, and the connected ramifications and implications taking place for the second season in a row, Nature does not stop or slow down—cherry trees are blossoming strongly, now.
Weather conditions have been rather mixed across Australia’s cherry growing regions with good rains leading to adequate soil moisture, the occasional flooding rain, strong winds, some late frosts, snow on the alps, and fine sunny days.
The quarterly outlook is basically forecasting weather conditions closer to average.
Focus on crop potential
It's now time to focus on crop potential.
Pruning
Have trees been pruned in accordance with each variety's growth habit, or the growth habit of the rootstock?
Roostocks
Varieties on dwarfing rootstocks may require extra nutrition and water to compensate for their dwarfing habit.
Perhaps allow young trees on dwarfing rootstocks to reach the desired tree height before allowing the tree to crop too much, otherwise over-cropping a cherry tree on dwarfing rootstock may lead to poor tree growth.
Fruit set
Fruit set mainly depends on pollination during good weather. The adverse effects of the weather may be ameliorated with shade cloth or bird netting, while pollination and fruit set may be improved with the timely introduction and correct placement of adequate numbers of strong beehives.
Placing hives on a wooden pallet will help stop excess moisture affecting them.
Suppressing weed growth in front of the hives enables unobstructed bee movement.
Cross pollination
Many cherry cultivars are self-fertile and do not require cross pollination from a different cultivar.
However, scientists have found that a mixed planting of self-fertile and non-self-fertile cultivars in the same block can result in an improved fruit set compared with a block of only one self-fertile cultivar.
Having got to this point in the cherry growing season, only time will reveal what lies ahead.
See this article in Tree Fruit Sept 2021
