Sweet cherries are delicious but challenging to grow, especially due to the problem of low fruit set. To ensure a good fruit set and avoid poor pollination, proper pollination management is essential. Let's explore the methods of pollination during the cherry blossom period.
Pollination Methods during Cherry Blossom Period
1. Bee Pollination
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Release Orchard Mason Bees: Orchard mason bees are one of the most commonly used bees for pollination. They start activity at temperatures above 12°C, have strong adaptability, high flower visitation frequency, and are easy to breed and release.
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Timing of Bee Release: Release bees one week before cherry blossoms open. Take the bee cocoons out of the refrigerator and place them in a cardboard box in an open area of the orchard. The peak period of bee activity is around 5 days after release, so ensure that the activity period of the bees aligns with the cherry blossom period.
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Quantity of Bees: Generally, release 150-200 bees per acre. Stop using pesticides in the orchard 10 days before releasing the bees, and cover the pesticide containers to prevent bee poisoning. Place one bee box per acre, and elevate the bee boxes with bricks.
2. Hand Pollination
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Pollination Tools: Hang a small bottle containing pollen around your neck during pollination. Use a pencil or brush with a rubber head as the pollination tool, dip it in pollen, and gently apply it to the stigma of the pistil. Alternatively, use a chicken feather or brush to lightly sweep pollen onto the flowers of the pollination and main cultivars.
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Timing of Pollination: The stigma of cherry flowers can only accept pollen for about 4-5 days. Therefore, artificial pollination should be done as early as possible, starting when 30% of the flowers are open. Pollination can be carried out after 8 a.m. when there is no dew, and should be done 2-3 times within 3-4 days.
Above are the methods of pollination during the cherry blossom period. Proper pollination is essential for high-quality and high-yield cherries, so farmers need to pay attention to pollination work.
