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Even a beginner in gardening can propagate chokeberry. The shrub is unpretentious and is grown almost everywhere as a medicinal plant.
How does chokeberry reproduce?
The best time to propagate chokeberry is autumn. But there are many ways to plant shrubs in the spring. The timing will differ in different regions; you need to look at the weather and the gardening calendar.
In the fall, chokeberry planting is planned for September - October. Subsequent care of the bush is simple. Spring breeding must be completed before the end of April.
Chokeberry can be propagated in the following ways:
- cuttings;
- withdrawal method;
- dividing the bush;
- root suckers;
- seeds;
- vaccination.
Of these, the most effective, which give almost 100% results, are the first 4 methods of reproduction. Only an experienced gardener can practice grafting at home, and propagation by seeds is a long and ineffective process.
Propagation of chokeberry by cuttings can be carried out in spring and autumn. If green shoots are used, the work is planned for the end of May - beginning of June. Throughout the season, young chokeberry bushes are grown in a greenhouse, where they overwinter. A transplant to a permanent place is done after a year.
Chokeberry can be propagated by mature cuttings in the fall. They use annual shoots that take root better. The chokeberry is planted immediately in a permanent place.
Dividing a chokeberry bush is suitable for old plants that need to be replanted. It is better to plan reproduction in the spring. Further care for chokeberry comes down to abundant watering and loosening the soil.
It is better to plan the propagation of chokeberry by tapping in the spring. Choose one-year or two-year shoots. In the fall of this year or next summer, young chokeberry bushes are transplanted to a permanent place. The survival rate of layering with this method of propagation is 75–80%.
Chokeberry can be propagated by root shoots or suckers throughout the season, but it is better to complete the work before the beginning of summer. By autumn the bushes adapt to their new location.
Seed propagation of chokeberry is a long process; planting material must be stratified. Its germination rate is low. The shrub takes a long time to develop.
The medicinal shrub can be propagated by grafting, which is done in early spring. To get a positive result, you need to create the necessary conditions for chokeberry. The graft survival rate is average.
How to propagate chokeberry by cuttings
Chokeberry is easily propagated by cuttings. The method is simple and does not require special knowledge or skills.Among gardeners, autumn cuttings of chokeberry are especially popular, which always gives a positive result, and there is no need to make special efforts in propagation. Even if the time for planting is missed, you can save the planting material until spring.
Lignified
To propagate chokeberry, lignified shoots 15–20 cm in size are cut out. The upper part of the branch is not used, cuttings are cut from the middle part, so that each has 6 buds. The lower cut is made straight, directly under the eye.
Plant lignified chokeberry cuttings in fertile soil in a well-lit place. Only 2 buds are left above the soil surface. They take root in 3–4 weeks and quickly begin to grow in the spring. For the winter, chokeberries are well mulched.
If the cold weather comes early, it is better to save chokeberry cuttings prepared for propagation until spring. They are sorted and tied into a bundle. The lower edge is placed in damp sand or cloth, and then wrapped in a bag so that the shoots do not dry out. Every week, check the condition of chokeberry cuttings and moisten them if necessary.
Chokeberry cuttings are stored in this way for further propagation in a cold room. A cellar, a glassed-in loggia, the bottom shelf of a refrigerator or a veranda are suitable. In spring, planting material is taken out as early as possible and planted in plastic cups. Plants are kept in a cool room and watered if necessary. They are planted in a permanent place as soon as the soil warms up.
Green
Chokeberry can be propagated by green cuttings. In the spring, annual shoots are cut off, the length of which is no more than 15 cm. These can be the tops of branches remaining after pruning.The lower leaves must be completely removed, leaving only the top 2, which should be shortened by 1/3.
Make a shallow cut at the bottom of the cutting under each bud. Roots will grow from these places. Soak the planting material for propagation of chokeberry in a solution of a growth stimulator for about 12 hours, after which the cuttings are planted in a greenhouse. Leave a distance of up to 3 cm between them. After planting, moisten the soil well.
To propagate a shrub using this method, it will take about a month. During this time, the roots grow, after which the cover is gradually removed. Young chokeberry bushes are fed with a weak solution of mineral or organic fertilizers. Further care comes down to regular watering, loosening the soil and weeding.
The survival rate of cuttings during green propagation reaches 100%, rarely less than 90%.
Propagation of chokeberry by layering
Chokeberry chokeberry can be effectively propagated by cutting. To do this, select arcuate or horizontal basal shoots of the first year of life. Their quantity depends on the type of shrub and the amount of nutrients in the soil. To propagate the plant, 5 shoots are enough. There is no need to dig in any more, so as not to greatly deplete the mother bush.
Selected shoots for chokeberry propagation are shortened by 2–3 cm, then tilted to the ground and broken. New roots form in this place. The cuttings are pinned and covered with fertile soil. It will take several months to propagate the shrub in this way. Root formation does not occur quickly.During the season, chokeberry shoots will take root well. During this period, they are well looked after and watered regularly.
Propagation of chokeberry by dividing the bush
To propagate adult chokeberry bushes, they can be divided into parts. The size of the roots of each division must correspond to the planting hole. The presence of young shoots is required, at least three on one plant. All sections are treated with crushed coal.
The bottom of the holes is drained, the soil for planting is mixed with humus and superphosphate. The distance between seedlings is up to 2 m. Subsequent care for young chokeberry bushes does not differ from usual. Water them as needed, using up to 10 liters of water per plant. Immediately after planting, the shoots are shortened by a third. For the winter, chokeberry is mulched with a thick layer of humus, peat or straw.
To effectively propagate chokeberry, the plant must be immediately planted in the chosen location. When seedlings are to be transported, they may die.
Chokeberry bushes are transported in damp cloth. After which the root system is inspected for damage and dry spots. Before planting, it is better to saturate the chokeberry seedling with moisture. To do this, place it in water for three days, so that the roots are completely covered. After this procedure, even short roots should be elastic. Immediately before planting, prepare a clay mash. The roots of chokeberry are well lubricated with it to prevent the development of rot.
How to propagate black rowan by root suckers
Planting root suckers is an equally popular method for propagating chokeberry. The bushes produce a lot of shoots every year, so there is no shortage of planting material.
The young chokeberry shoots are separated from the mother plant with a shovel. Each bush must have its own roots. Before planting, the shoots are shortened by several buds and then placed in the chosen location.
For planting chokeberries, a sunny area is allocated. There are no special requirements for the soil, but the shrub does not develop well on acidified soil. Chokeberry is so unpretentious that it can easily tolerate proximity to groundwater. It is often used as a hedge.
Propagation of black rowan by seeds
If you wish, you can propagate chokeberry by seeds. To do this, select ripe berries and leave them at room temperature to allow the fermentation process to begin. After this, they are rubbed through a sieve, the pulp is separated and washed. This is the method that prepares chokeberry seeds for germination.
In order for the seedlings to appear together, the seeds are mixed with wet sand and put in a cold place for 3 months. This could be the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. Some gardeners recommend burying a container of seeds in the snow. And in the spring to engage in reproduction.
In the second half of April, prepare a bed for planting seeds 5–8 cm deep. Distribute the sprouted seeds evenly and cover with soil. Mulch the top with humus. It will take more than a month to propagate chokeberry from seeds. Young bushes are transplanted to a permanent place next fall.
Seedlings do not grow quickly; when the first pair of leaves appears, they are thinned out. Only strong and healthy plants are left, the rest are discarded. The distance between the sprouts is up to 5 cm. The plantings are thinned out a second time, when the second pair of leaves appears, the interval between them is increased to 7–8 cm.In the spring, a third thinning is done, leaving at least 10 cm between seedlings.
Throughout the season, chokeberry seedlings are fully cared for. It is recommended to keep the soil constantly moist and loosen it regularly. Crops are fed several times during the growing season. Use slurry or other liquid organic matter.
Vaccination as a method of reproduction
Chokeberry can be effectively propagated by grafting, but you need to know all the intricacies of the process. A rowan sapling is harvested as a rootstock. It is prepared in advance, thoroughly wiped from dust, and shortened to a height of 12 cm. After this, a deep split is made with a sharp tool through the middle of the rootstock. Reproduction is done only with sterile instruments so as not to introduce bacteria and pests.
A lignified cutting of chokeberry is used as a scion. Shoots 15 cm long with two to three buds take root well. They produce an annual growth of up to 50 cm with ten leaves. The lower edge of the handle is sharpened into a wedge shape so that it fits tightly into the split.
Sequence of the propagation procedure by grafting:
- Insert the prepared scion tightly into the rootstock.
- Wrap the grafting site with budding film.
- Thoroughly coat the graft with garden varnish.
To get a positive result, high air humidity must be constantly maintained above the seedling. To do this, create a greenhouse effect using a transparent bag. It is put on the seedling, the edge is fixed below the grafting site.
You can judge the success of chokeberry propagation in a month. The package is removed, by which time young leaves should appear from the scion buds.Chokeberry can be propagated by grafting before sap flow begins.
As a rule, closely related trees and shrubs with good winter hardiness are chosen for propagation.
Conclusion
Chokeberry can be propagated in different ways; it is enough to study all the subtleties and features. The autumn procedure requires less attention from the gardener, and spring plantings will have to be well looked after so that they do not dry out over the summer. In addition, it is worth considering how many seedlings you need to get in the end. In order to have a lot of planting material, it is better to propagate chokeberry by cuttings or root shoots.
