Content
The cherry tree is the real wealth of the garden. It is very popular among summer residents. To start an ideal garden, it is important to know the plant’s propagation characteristics. As practice shows, it is not difficult to propagate cherries. There are several simple ways. With a serious approach to the matter, even a beginner can perform reproduction.
How do cherry trees reproduce?
Reproduction of cherries is possible by cuttings, grafting, shoots and layering. Some summer residents propagate it from seeds. Depending on the method of propagation, cherries are:
- Rooted. They retain their variety even after the death of the mother plant due to moisture deficiency or exposure to low temperatures. This is their main advantage. However, varietal cherries, which produce tasty and large fruits, are, unfortunately, very delicate and sensitive.
- Vaccinated. In this case, the trees consist of two elements - the rootstock and the scion. The rootstock is the lower part of the cherry, the root system.As a rootstock, zoned plants are used, accustomed to harsh conditions, which are frost-resistant and easily extract moisture from the ground. The graft is a cultural part. The yield, size and taste of the fruit, the timing of crop ripening, and susceptibility to disease depend on it.
Cherry is one of the most popular trees among domestic gardeners
How to propagate cherries
As you can see, there are many ways to propagate cherries. None of them are ideal. Each has advantages and disadvantages. To choose the appropriate propagation option, the summer resident needs to read a brief overview of each method.
How to plant cherry shoots
The easiest and most effective way of propagation is by shoots. It is popular among summer residents living in northern regions, where low temperatures combined with high air humidity prevail. It is worth noting that not all measles growth is suitable for the procedure. It is not recommended to use for reproduction:
- Seedlings that show signs of disease or mechanical damage. There is a high probability that they will not take root.
- Plants that grow closely. They won't be able to take root deep enough.
- Perennials. During propagation, the roots can be seriously injured, which will negatively affect the further development of the fruit tree and can lead to its death.
Propagation by root shoots is an ideal option for northern regions
The propagation procedure itself is carried out as follows:
- Choose a suitable sprout.
- At a distance of 25 cm from the main trunk, using a shovel, cut the root that connects the mother plant and the sprout.
- After separation, the sprout is left for the summer so that it gets stronger and forms a powerful root system. Throughout the season, weeds are removed from the sprout and the soil is loosened. To achieve the best results, fertilizers are added to the soil.
- In the fall, the sprout is dug up and transplanted to a new location. At this point, the reproduction procedure is considered complete.
How to propagate cherries by layering
Propagating cherries by air layering is not the best option, but some summer residents resort to it. They use a shoot above the grafting area and end up with a self-rooted plant of the same variety.
Propagation of cherries by layering is done as follows:
- In the spring, a lower branch (preferably thin, unbranched) is selected from a young plant (3-5 years old), leaned against the ground and pinned.
- Make sure that thin, unbranched shoots are positioned horizontally.
- The pinned area is sprinkled with soil and watered.
The formation of a full-fledged root system takes a year. After this period, the cuttings are separated from the mother plant and transplanted to a new location.
In addition, another method of propagating cherries is known by layering. The procedure is performed like this:
- For dormant cherries, the entire aerial part is removed.
- When the plant begins to produce shoots, they are sprinkled with soil. This hilling is performed several times until the layer of soil grows to 20 cm. Roots eventually grow on the part of the shoot that is hidden underground.
- A year later, the cuttings are separated from the mother plant and replanted.
Reproduction by layering allows you to obtain a plant of its own root type
How to propagate cherries from cuttings
If there are no shoots, cherries can be propagated by cuttings. This is one of the simplest ways. It is a variant of vegetative propagation. The shoots are prepared in June. Preference is given to branches that have begun to become woody and acquire a reddish tint at the base. When suitable elements are found, they are cut from the mother tree. The procedure is carried out in cool weather in the morning or evening.
Felt cherry is propagated using previously prepared branches approximately 30 cm long.
After cutting, the cuttings are placed in water. For propagation to be successful, a little simulator is added to the liquid to activate root growth (the dosage is indicated in the instructions). Most often, gardeners use heteroauxin.
The cuttings are tied in groups of 30 and placed in liquid for 18 hours. At the same time, pay attention to the fact that each branch intended for propagation is submerged by 15 mm.
While the cuttings are standing in the water, the beds are prepared. They are filled with a 10-centimeter layer of soil mixture, which includes sand and peat. Coarse fractionated sand is poured on top and leveling is performed. Before planting the cuttings, the beds are watered and superphosphate is added to them.
If propagation was carried out correctly, then within half a month the cuttings will take root. Green cuttings are not carried out later, since overgrown branches do not take root well.
Propagation by cuttings is often practiced in nurseries
How to propagate cherries with pits
You can propagate old cherries using pits. Ripe berries are suitable for this.The seeds are separated from the pulp, rinsed in water and dried. They are planted in the ground at the end of the first month of autumn. Therefore, in order for the bones to be preserved until the required time, they are buried in damp sand and placed in a cool room. The bed is prepared in advance. The process involves removing weeds, loosening the soil and applying fertilizers. Then they proceed directly to sowing. Cherry pits are placed in the soil to a depth of 4 cm. Sprinkle a 5 cm layer of peat on top.
The seeds can also be planted in the spring. However, in this case, a 200-day stratification is required. To do this, the bones are placed in sand, moistened and placed in a cellar (the temperature in it should be + 5 ° C). If there is no cellar, dig a trench 70 cm deep. Cherry pits are placed at the bottom, and peat is sprinkled on top.
Whether the seeds are ready for planting can be determined by the divergence of the seam. Cherries are propagated from seed material in early spring. They are placed at a depth of 6 cm. A gap of 7 cm is maintained between the seeds, and 35 cm between the rows. The plantings are covered with humus. Subsequent care involves moistening and loosening the soil and removing grass.
During the growth of cherries, cut off the side branches from the lower shoots. This is necessary to make it convenient to carry out budding in the future.
In autumn, seedlings are dug up. Do this carefully so as not to damage the roots. A few days before the procedure, leaves are removed from the seedlings.
Based on the diameter of the root collar, seedlings are divided into 3 types:
- Type 1 – 7-9 mm;
- Type 2 – 5-7 mm;
- Type 3 (defective, not suitable for reproduction) – up to 5 mm.
The roots of the seedlings are cut off, leaving 12 cm. To keep them until spring, they are buried in a trench (placed slightly at an angle).After the end of winter and the onset of warmth, they are planted in a permanent place. It is worth noting that it is not easy to propagate cherries using this method, since the seeds do not always germinate. In addition, a tree propagated by this method grows more slowly than one propagated by layering. Varietal species with such propagation do not always pass on their positive qualities to their offspring.
Cherries grown from pits often lack the qualities of the mother plant.
How to propagate cherries by grafting
Cherry propagation by grafting is a simple and effective way. For the process to be successful, use wild or self-grown seedlings 2 years old. It is on them that the best varieties of cherries are grafted, which have the characteristics desired by the summer resident. Shoots for grafting are cut at the beginning of winter or in spring (relevant when propagating cherries in the southern regions).
For grafting, select shoots whose trunk diameter is 0.5 cm or more. They are cut from mother trees and the sections are immersed in water for several hours. After the shoot is saturated with moisture, the required number of cuttings is cut from it (making sure that each has at least 4 buds).
To prevent drying out, the shoots are treated with a paraffin-wax mixture. If this step was skipped, the grafted part is covered with a plastic bag until shoots begin to sprout from the buds.
Grafting is a way to get a plant that is as resistant to local conditions as possible and will produce a tasty harvest.
Caring for seedlings after propagation
In order for cherry propagation to be successful, the seedlings must be properly cared for. Newly planted cherry cuttings are watered regularly. The soil must not be allowed to dry out. However, you need to remember that excess moisture is also harmful. When the seedlings begin to take root, the frequency of watering is reduced and the polyethylene is removed. They do this gradually. First, propagated cherries are accustomed to the open air for several hours, gradually reaching a full day. The seedlings are then left completely open.
As the propagated cherries grow, the frequency of watering is increased to once every 10 days. Young, grown cherries are watered during the period of swelling of the buds, during flowering, after partial fall of the fruits and after the end of fruiting. After watering, the soil must be loosened. Cherry responds well to fertilizing. They can be complex and organic. They are selected based on soil type.
Cherries also love liming. After reproduction, the procedure is carried out approximately once every 6 years. Before using lime, be sure to calculate the acidity of the soil. To prevent young shoots from disappearing, preventive treatment against diseases is carried out. Before flowering, chemicals are used, and then folk remedies. To protect propagated cherries from insects, traps are installed.
Young plants need special care
Advice from experienced gardeners
When propagating cherries, experienced gardeners do the following:
- 15 days before cuttings, the location of the cut is determined on the selected shoot. The base of the future cutting is wrapped with black electrical tape to a width of 4 cm. The area isolated from the sun becomes discolored, and cell degeneration occurs in it. Next, the protection is removed from the cut shoot and it is planted as usual.This increases the chance of rooting and successful reproduction by 30%.
- Green cuttings for propagation are cut from young trees, since rooting strength decreases over the years.
- To avoid burns of foliage on green cuttings when fertilizing after the procedure, they are watered with clean water.
- The cut is made using a sharp knife, holding the shoot suspended.
- The planting sites for root cuttings are marked with pegs.
Conclusion
It is possible to propagate cherries yourself. This does not require special skills. It is enough to follow simple rules and recommendations. Of course, reproduction takes a lot of time, but the result is worth it. As a result, the patient gardener will receive a tree that will fully meet his expectations.
