Cherry propagation by cuttings

Some gardeners would like to have many cherry trees on their property. You can, of course, buy seedlings, but it can hit your pocket. In addition, sometimes it is not so easy to find the variety you like. In this situation, there is a solution. You can propagate cherries yourself using cuttings. This is done quite simply. If you follow the rules, you will soon be able to get young cherry trees. Cherry propagation by cuttings is an interesting and exciting process.

Cherry propagation by cuttings: pros and cons

There are advantages and disadvantages to propagating cherries by cuttings. By cuttings the process of rooting is called the rooting process of cut shoots of small size with 3-4 buds. In order to get a larger number of trees of the varieties you like, you can multiply the trees on the site.

Propagation of cherries by cuttings is not as difficult as it might seem at first. Cuttings root well and grow quickly. Ease is the first plus of this breeding method.

Another big plus is that the plants obtained from cuttings fully retain all the properties and qualities of the mother tree from which they were cut. Rooted cuttings grow very quickly. After three years, fruiting can be expected.

Naturally, the advantage of cuttings is its low cost.

However, this method of breeding cherries is not without disadvantages... Of all planted cuttings, half do not take root at all. Planted cuttings require microspray irrigation.

In addition to grafting, there are other ways of vegetative propagation of cherries. One of such methods is cherry propagation by root suckers.

Reproduction of cherries by cuttings: choosing the right material

For reproduction, take the tops of last year's shoots or shoots of the current year with a diameter of several millimeters. It is recommended to cut the cuttings from the branches that are on the south side of the tree. The shoots should not have time to get stiff. Take shoots, the lignification of which has just begun.

Before proceeding with cutting the cuttings, the tree must be carefully examined. On the branches from which the cuttings will be taken, there should be no traces of diseases and pests. Careful selection of planting material is the key to healthy, abundantly fruiting plants in the future.

In addition to cuttings, root shoots can be used. It is important not to confuse them with suckers, which are already small trees.

Root shoots are small areas of the root that have a growth bud.

Root shoots are more convenient than cuttings in that they do not require rooting, the root is already there. It is important that the mileage increases. Good seedlings are obtained from the root shoots.

The search for root shoots is a very long and laborious process. To get just a few seedlings, you will have to disturb the root system of many trees and work pretty well with a shovel.

Cherry propagation by green cuttings

Green shoots will grow well. They are so named because their top is green in color. They are easier to plant than root shoots. Cut green cuttings preferably from young trees. The older the tree, the worse the survival rate of cuttings will be.

Some people are often interested in whether it is possible to take cuttings from the overgrowth growing near the mother tree for propagation.This can only be done if it is known for sure that the mother bush did not grow from a graft. This method of reproduction is unacceptable for grafted trees.

Harvesting cuttings

Harvesting cherry cuttings is an orderly process. During harvesting, it is not recommended to cut cuttings from several bushes of different varieties at once, cuttings can be easily confused. Therefore, you first need to finish with one tree, and then move on to the next.

It is recommended to harvest cuttings early in the morning or in the evening. It is advisable to do this in cloudy weather. Having chosen a good, healthy branch, it is cut into several parts. To cut the cuttings, you need to take a sharp knife or razor. Cutting off the cuttings with a blunt knife will damage the vascular system.

All cut cuttings must be tied in bunches and hung on each bunch a tag on which the variety is indicated.

Propagation of cherries by cuttings: the right time to harvest cuttings

Cuttings can be cut from cherry trees throughout the summer. Many gardeners do this from early spring to fall. The most favorable time to start cutting shoots is the end of May. By this time, the cherry blossom ends.

The first spring cuttings are cut from the tops of last year's shoots. It is desirable that they do not have ovaries. In summer, it is preferable to cut cuttings from the shoots of the current year. Autumn cutting of cuttings is carried out after the leaves have fallen from the cherry. This usually happens at the end of October.

Selection of ready-made seedlings

When buying seedlings, looking carefully at their roots, you can determine in what way they were grown.

If the root is straight, rod-shaped, then this plant was grown from seed. The root system of the seedling is fibrous - it was obtained through vegetative propagation. And if a bend of the trunk is visible a little higher than the root collar, then the seedling was grafted.

Features of harvesting cuttings

Harvesting seedlings has its own characteristics. Before you start harvesting cuttings, the mother tree must be watered abundantly. This is done a couple of days before harvesting, the cherries are watered abundantly. This is necessary so that the fabrics of the tree are well saturated with moisture.

If the cuttings are cut in the summer, then after cutting they must be soaked for one and a half or two hours in clean water. After soaking, their lower ends must be treated with Kornevin's solution. Then the cuttings can be planted in the seedling department. Cuttings cut in the fall are processed and stored.

The cuttings should be about 10 cm long on average. Each cutting should have three or four buds. Under the kidney, 5 mm lower, it is necessary to make a straight cut so that the first roots begin to form. An incision is also made over the upper kidney, it should go in the direction that the kidney is facing.

All leaves must be removed. Then the cuttings must be put in water. To speed up rooting, you can add some agent to the water to accelerate the formation of roots.

If the cuttings cannot be planted immediately, then you need to spray them with water, it is advisable to do this with a spray bottle, and pour them into a plastic bag, or wrap them in foil.

Storing cuttings

Cherry cuttings cut in the fall can be stored during the winter. To do this, after cutting, they need to be prepared. Preparation of cuttings is that first they are put in water at room temperature for a day. After that, they are processed for half an hour in a 3% solution of copper sulfate. Then the cuttings need to be transferred to a plastic bag and put into the refrigerator. It is best to put them on the vegetable shelf, where they can lie until February.

Cherry propagation by cuttings in summer - rooting

In the summer, cuttings are rooted in the open field. Rooting can be done directly in the soil, or in water. It is better to do this in the soil, there are more nutrients, there is access to air, so the cuttings root better and faster.In winter, you can root cuttings in an apartment or on a heated balcony.

For rooting at home, you need to prepare containers and fill them with pre-prepared soil. It is necessary to plant cuttings in these containers. Containers with cuttings should be covered with a transparent film. This is done to create a greenhouse effect. It is important not to forget to regularly lift this film and air the cuttings.

Planting cuttings

Humidity is of great importance for rooting cuttings, so it is advisable to immediately stock up on glass jars and plastic wrap. They will be needed in order to create an optimal microclimate for the cuttings.

If you plant cuttings in June, then in September they will take root. However, not every cutting after rooting can please with fast growth. Often their growth processes are severely inhibited. Therefore, they need to be transplanted to a permanent place no earlier than two years later. For the winter, to protect the cuttings from frost, you need to cover them with vegetable tops.

The growth and development of cuttings that are planted in February is much faster. By the spring, they will already sprout, and they can be transplanted into the open ground.

Lightweight soil is best for rooting cuttings. To prepare the potting mix, you need to take one part of ordinary garden soil, two parts of river sand and part of peat. A little fertilizer can be added to this soil mixture, for example, 20 grams of superphosphate per kilogram of soil mixture. Everything needs to be mixed well.

Choosing a landing site

Do not plant cuttings in the open sun, it can burn them. It is better to choose a partial shade landing site. Cuttings should be protected from the wind. A shaded spot on the south side of the house will do. In order for plants to grow and develop well, they must have enough nutrition. Do not plant them too close to each other. The more free space between them, the better they will grow.

Cherry propagation by cuttings: how to plant correctly

Cuttings should be planted in the soil to a depth of no more than 3 centimeters. When planting, the cuttings should be placed vertically. The lower kidney should be completely in the ground. The soil around the cutting should be lightly tamped and then watered. As soon as the water is absorbed, mulching is carried out with peat.

Care of cuttings

The faster the cuttings grow, the sooner you can wait for the first fruits to appear. To stimulate plant growth, you need to regularly fertilize them with complex fertilizers, spray them with growth stimulants. This should be done 3-4 times a season, alternate preparations.

The first feeding of the cuttings should take place about a month after planting. For the first feeding, urea, potassium chloride or superphosphate are suitable.

After rooting, one must not forget about the cuttings, they require constant care. Every other day, plants need to water, it is impossible for the soil to dry out, but excess moisture is also harmful. The optimal amount of water for the first time will be 10 liters per square meter. Watering can be gradually reduced. Once the cuttings become small trees, they can be watered several times per season.

During the first 2-3 weeks after planting, the cuttings must be kept under the film... The film must be lifted every day in order to ventilate the cuttings.

Young cherry trees can kill pests or diseases, so seedlings need to process... Fragile plants especially need care and attention. Preventive treatments for diseases are simply a must.

To combat insect pests, some gardeners set up traps consisting of special sweet, sticky mixtures. These mixtures are capable of luring insects.

Other ways of breeding cherries

Another vegetative propagation method for cherries is propagation with root overgrowth... This method is only suitable for propagating trees that have not been grown on rootstock.

This is done in the spring. For reproduction, it is advisable to take root shoots that grow as far as possible from the mother tree. Such processes will take root better in a new place. Also, if you start digging root shoots too close to the mother tree, you can harm its roots.

First you need to select suitable shoots, then at their base you need to carefully remove the ground and use a sharp knife to separate them from the root system of the mother tree. The place of the cut is coated with garden pitch, the roots are sprinkled with earth. Due to the presence of their own roots, such seedlings take root very quickly.

If you separate and plant them in the spring, by the fall they will already be full-fledged plants with their own root system.

Cherry seed propagation

Cherries can also be propagated by seed. When propagated by seeds, the properties of the mother plant may be lost. Before sowing, the seeds must stratify... Low temperature treatment of seeds is called stratification. The seeds should be mixed with slightly damp sand and put in the refrigerator for 1-2 months.

Seeds are planted in April. Planting depth is 3-4 centimeters. Most often, cherries are grown from seeds in order to then use these seedlings as a rootstock.

In production nurseries, the popular method of propagating cherries by grafting. This method is much more effective than cuttings. Plants develop and grow faster, grafting allows you to quickly increase the number of plants.

Reproduction by layering

A simple way is to propagate cherries by layering. Cherries are propagated by horizontal and vertical layers.

When propagating by horizontal layers, a branch is taken and bent to the ground. In this position, it is fixed with a special hairpin. The place of fixation is covered with earth and watered with water.

During reproduction by horizontal layers, the ground part of the bush is cut down. This should be done when the cherry is dormant. When the first shoots begin to appear, they will need to be hilled. This is done repeatedly, the height of the piled mound of earth should be within 15-20 centimeters. When the shoots are in the ground, they will start to take root. After a year, it will be possible to separate the shoot and plant it in a permanent place.