Will photosynthesis still work if the leaves are upside down?

[micky]

I planted a sweet cherry tree last year, after reading what I thought was a lot about cherry trees. This winter I read that I need bird netting or the birds will eat all my cherries.

So I put the netting on and now some of the leaves are upside down. I tried to get them right side up, but can't get them all so far.

Will photosynthesis still work if the leaves are upside down?

Or will my cherry crop be less because I did this?

Last summer I had about 2 cherries, but this year there are about 40 or 50, about 1/2" in diameter now. I'd hate to lose many. (I knocked 2 off while putting the netting on.)

[Ed Pawlowski]

It will work as long as they get light, direct or indirect.. You don't need the netting until the fruit is nearing ripeness. If you don't net, chances are, you will find the put hanging from the stem or just a bite or two that will ruin the fruit.

[recyclebinned]

Something I?ve been wondering about: Do you have hummingbirds where you are, and if so how will you keep them fr om being trapped and killed by the netting? Yes photosynthesis will work by the way.

[micky]

Good. Turning some leaves upside down certainly hasn't cut down on how much light they get.

It's probably early to put the net on**, but I'm going away for 9 days, and if there is no net, I'll be imagining all day long that they are being eaten. I'm still mourning my two apple trees so I would like a decent harvest of cherries.

**Although I bought the tree last April or May and it had 3 or 4 ripe cherries on it already. I went back to the nursery and others there had even more by the middle and end of May. I don't know how long it takes from 1/2" to ripe. I'll be back by late May 30 and I was thinking of telling my neighbor to eat them if they ripened before then.

BTW, I ate one of the little cherries that fell on the ground. All green, no pit yet, didnt' taste very sweet, but didn't taste bad. OTOH, not good enough to pick up the other one.

As to humming birds, I think I've seen one around here in 30 years, and when I had a humming bird feeder with liquid food made according to the directions, I don't think I got any. So I'm hoping for the best as far asa they're concerned. Are they more vulnerable than other birds?

Thanks to Ed and Rec.

[micky]

BTW. I remember a sketch I saw, maybe in the 7th grade, about photosynthesis, and that's what made me thing maybe right-side up mattered. That wasn't the topic of the sketch, but I wanted to be sure.

[mike]

won't the leaves do whatever it takes to face the sun?

[krw]

It probably doesn't matter all that much to photosynthesis but it might matter to water loss or cooling of the tree. If the leaf bottoms are forced to be sun-facing, the tree might shed them.

[Robert]

Don't worry about it !! Trees are smart... they will figure it out and do the appropriate action...

In fact, except for Ohio and Georgia, not one single tree voted for Obama.....

[Danny D]

Even the bark on some plants is photosynthetic (e.g., scotch & spanish broom).

[Lane]

Hummingbirds don't eat fruit (if that's what you're thinking).

Lots of other birds do, though. Not to mention deer, squirrels and raccoons, if you have those in your neighborhood.

[duncan]

Oh dear. See who they vote for if you leave them upside down.