How to propagate chokeberry.

Chokeberry is very fond of both adults and children. In addition, there are many useful properties in its berries, for example, it is chokeberry that helps to lower blood pressure, therefore, hypertensive patients often use these medicinal berries. However, after you plant the first rowan bush, you immediately ask yourself the question of how to get several from one plant. We are glad to inform you that even a beginner can propagate this culture. This plant is considered unpretentious, not very picky, therefore it is grown in many regions of our country, and today we will tell you how to propagate this shrub.

Breeding methods for chokeberry.

It is best to propagate this crop in the fall. However, you can do this work in the spring. You should immediately make a reservation, due to the fact that in different regions, different climatic conditions, the timing of work on the reproduction of shrubs, of course, will be excellent. That is why, first of all, you should take into account the weather conditions and coordinate them with the gardening calendar. If you propagate chokeberry in the fall, then it is best to do this in September or October. It is not difficult to take care of the plantings in the future, and if you propagate the shrub in the spring, it is better to carry out planting work in March or April. However, consider the climatic conditions of the region where you live. Therefore, everything must be done in a timely manner. Chokeberry is propagated by many methods. Firstly, this is cuttings, and secondly, the removal of cuttings, as well as the division of shrubs. You can propagate the black chokeberry by seeds, through grafting, and also through the formation of root suckers. It should be said that multiplication by seeds and grafting are the least effective in comparison with the previous proposed methods, therefore, if you are a novice gardener, then it is best to do, for example, cuttings. But only experienced gardeners can plant a plant or plant seeds. If we talk about cuttings, then it can be carried out both in spring and in autumn. In order to cut off the desired branches, it is best to choose young shoots. Cuttings are cut in late May or early June. And then they are grown in greenhouses or hotbeds. It should be said that they also winter there. But it will be possible to plant cuttings on a permanent habitat only next season. Very often, gardeners are engaged in cuttings in the fall. For this, already lignified annuals are used, it is such shoots that are better adapted to new conditions. Moreover, these processes are immediately planted in a new place. In principle, they take root normally. If we talk about dividing the bush, then it should be noted that it is best to divide the old plants. They must have strong shoots and a good root system, it is better to do this in the spring, before this procedure, it is recommended to water the chokeberry intensively, after transplanting the plants are also watered abundantly with water, and the soil around is loosened. Layers are rooted mainly in the spring. For this, both one-year and two-year-olds are used. It is these shoots that take root best in the soil and form roots. In order to propagate the chokeberry by the layering method, you will need to dig out a kind of grooves, bend the shoots to the ground, cover with loose soil and wait for the formation of the root system. But it will be possible to separate the shoots from the mother bush only next season. It should also be said that sometimes new plants do not take root. A lot of shoots are usually formed near the chokeberry bushes, therefore, root suckers are often transplanted to new habitats, separating them from the mother bush. And they do it throughout the season. However, it is most effective to carry out these procedures in summer and spring. New plants need to be given time to adapt to new conditions. But to propagate black chokeberry with seeds for a very long time, in addition, such planting material will need to be stratified, but, despite this, the germination rate of seeds is still very low, the plant develops for a very long time. The chokeberry can be propagated faster by grafting, this must be done in the spring, however, in order for the cutting to take root well on the new plant, you will need to provide the shrub with favorable growing conditions and take care of it properly. However, in this case, the vaccine does not take root very well. Well, we have described the main breeding methods for black chokeberry, and now we will proceed to a more specific description of the presented breeding methods.

Cuttings.

It is easy and simple to propagate chokeberry by cuttings. Moreover, you do not need special knowledge. It is best to do cuttings in the autumn, since the result is usually always positive after that. But you don't have to take care of the plant intensively, but if you did not have time to root the planting material in the fall, then you can save it until spring, nothing will happen to the cuttings. The shoots must be long enough, within 10-20 cm. The cut must be oblique, the lignified shoots must be cut off. It is best not to use the upper parts of the branches, cut off the branches in the middle. Each cutting should have approximately six active buds. However, most often the cut is still made straight. It will be possible to plant cuttings immediately in loose and fertile soil. It is advisable to place them in a well-lit place. Above the ground, two buds should remain on each cutting. Usually, the shoots take root within a month, therefore, in early spring, already in March or April, the plants begin to grow and develop intensively. The trunk circle around the cutting is recommended to be mulched. This helps the plants to overwinter normally. If less than a month is left before the arrival of frost, then it is best to leave the cuttings until spring, for this you can sort them by type, and then tie them into bunches. The lower parts of the cuttings must be either wrapped in a damp cloth or placed in well-moistened sand. Do not allow the substrate to dry out; for this, gardeners often additionally place cuttings in a bag. So the branches will definitely not dry out. The safety of the cuttings will need to be monitored until spring, it is advisable to inspect them every week and, as far as possible, moisten the sand or fabric. Naturally, you will need to store the cuttings in a cool place. A refrigerator or cellar is quite suitable for this. You can place bunches of cuttings on the summer veranda. In early spring, cuttings should be planted in separate containers; disposable cups are good for this. After that, you will need to water the shoots well, and as soon as stable warm weather is established outside, the cuttings can be sent to the open ground. Make sure that the soil is well warmed up. Sometimes black chokeberry is propagated by green cuttings. To do this, you will need to cut off one-year-olds, young cuttings, with a length of no more than 15 cm. You can combine business with pleasure, collect the remaining tops from the branches of the shrub after pruning. The lower leaves must be cut off, two upper leaves must remain on each cutting, they must also be shortened. It is advisable to cut a small part on the bottom of the handle; roots will form in these places in the future.After that, it will be necessary to keep the cuttings in a growth stimulator for half a day, and only after that they can be planted in the greenhouse. The distance between the shoots should be about 3 cm. After planting, the ground will need to be well watered. In order for the cuttings to take root well, the air temperature in the greenhouse should be about plus 22 degrees. If it gets very hot in the greenhouse, do not forget to ventilate it. Usually, in a month, the cuttings take root, put down roots, so the protective shelter can be removed little by little. In order for the seedlings to grow more intensively, it will be possible to feed them with a small amount of organic matter or mineral fertilizer. After that, it is advisable to loosen the soil, water the plants, and mulch the top layer. Usually the cuttings take root perfectly, but if you do something wrong, the root system of the shoots may not form.

Layers.

Chokeberry also reproduces well by the method of layering. To do this, you will need to choose healthy annual shoots, preferably those that are located directly in the root part. You can add five layers at a time, however, too many shoots can deplete the bush, so the blackberry itself may not have enough nutrients, so it is better to root no more than two or three branches at the same time. The selected layers should first be shortened by a couple of centimeters, and only then tilted to the ground and broken. It is in the place of the fracture that roots will form in the future. In order to fix the shoots on the soil surface, they can be pressed down with stones or pinned with staples. The prepared grooves are covered with fertile and loose soil. In a couple of months, shoots usually take root, therefore, closer to autumn, the root system of new plants forms a good one, however, it is better to separate the layers from the mother bush in the next season.

Division of the bush.

When ripe blackberry bushes are dug up, they are often divided. Moreover, on each new plant, powerful shoots should remain, as well as a well-developed root system. Each bush should also have at least 3 young shoots. In order to prevent infection from getting into the wounds, they will need to be treated with either crushed coal or garden pitch. The landing pits themselves are also prepared in advance. To do this, dig holes of appropriate sizes, place seedlings there, cover them with fertile soil, very often add a little superphosphate and humus there. The distance between plants should be about one and a half to two meters. In the future, you will need to care for these seedlings in the same way as for mature bushes. Do not forget to moisten the soil, feed the plants. During watering, 5-10 liters of water are usually consumed per bush. Do not forget to shorten the shoots immediately after planting the plants. In late autumn, the trunk circle of bushes will need to be mulched with peat, humus or straw. In order for the plant to adapt better in a new place, you will need to carefully straighten the root system during transplantation, if you transport seedlings, then do not damage the plants. It is best to transport these shrubs by wrapping them in a damp cloth. Before planting seedlings in open ground, it is recommended to place chokeberry in water for several hours, so the root system is saturated with moisture. On the third day, the seedlings are usually planted after dividing the bush. Sometimes, before planting, gardeners prepare a special mixture of clay, grease the roots with this talker, so that rot does not develop.

Root offspring.

In order to separate the young shoots from the chokeberry bush, you will need to use a shovel. Do not forget that this growth should have good roots, before planting the offspring in a new place, you will need to shorten their length a little, literally by a couple of buds.Only then will you be able to root the shrubs in the new area. It is best to choose a well-lit place for planting. If we talk about the type of soil, then there are no fundamental requirements. However, on saline soils, plants do not develop well. But the groundwater may well lie close to the surface of the earth, the chokeberry does not impose special requirements on soil moisture. This is why these shrubs are often planted as hedges. A beautiful green fence is obtained from black mountain ash, and healthy and tasty berries are formed on its branches.

Seeds.

You can propagate the chokeberry rowan seeds, but it's not easy. To do this, you will need to be patient. It will take a long time to grow shrubs from seeds. First, you should select the most ripe berries, leave them in the room in order for them to ferment. Only after a few days, the berries can be rubbed through cheesecloth, the pulp is usually removed, and the remaining seeds are washed with clean water. Thus, you can prepare the chokeberry for cultivation. In order for the seeds to enter together, they should be mixed with wet sand, removed for several months in a cool place, for example, in a basement. Sometimes this substrate is also stored in the refrigerator. Many professionals simply drop a container with this substrate in the snow, and after winter they germinate the seeds. The seed beds are prepared in mid-April, do not cover them too deeply, otherwise the plants may not grow. Seeds are distributed evenly over the site, covered with loose and fertile soil. In order for planting to appear faster, you can mulch the top layer of the earth with humus. However, the seeds will sprout for a very long time, the first shoots will appear no earlier than a month later. But it will be possible to transplant young shoots to a new habitat only in a year. As you understand, it will take you a very long time to grow black chops using seeds. Do not forget that the seedlings will still need to be looked after, which is why gardeners are not very fond of this breeding method. When the first pair of leaves appear on the plants, the beds will need to be thinned out. All sick and weak sprouts are recommended to be discarded. Leave a distance of 5 cm between the bushes. When a second pair of leaves appear on each stalk, the plantings are thinned out again. The final thinning is carried out when the shoots are the strongest and healthiest. The distance between seedlings should be no less than 10 cm. Chokeberry needs a little space for growth and development. Do not forget to water the seedlings in a timely manner, feed them. The land around the beds will need to be loosened, weeds removed from the site. For top dressing, organic fertilizers are most often used, previously diluted in water. In this case, organic matter is introduced into the soil several times per season, this is done so that the seedlings gain strength and grow more intensively.

Graft.

Chokeberry is often propagated through grafting. However, in order to properly graft the plant, you will need to follow some guidelines. The stock is prepared in advance. To do this, the seedling is watered abundantly, dust is removed from the leaves, and also cut off. The cleavage should be deep enough. Moreover, all work should be carried out carefully, the garden tool must be sharp and sterile. In order to graft plants, you will need to use a sturdy stalk. It is best to choose the upper shoots, the length of the cutting should be about 15 cm, there must be 2-3 active buds on it. For a year, the foliage will grow, at the bottom the twig is sharpened like a wedge, so that the stalk fits tightly into the formed split. After inoculation, the stock should be wrapped with foil, and all wounds should be lubricated with crushed coal or garden varnish. The stock takes root well if the air humidity is high outside.For this, gardeners wrap the grafting sites with a plastic bag, thus creating a kind of greenhouse. Usually this shelter is fixed below the vaccination itself. After a month, the film can be removed if young leaves appear on the scion, which means that the reproduction was successful. Do not forget that this should be done before the start of sap flow. If you are a little confused in the concepts, we will explain to you: the rootstock is the seedling on which you will graft this or that culture, and the graft is called the stalk itself. It's simple. In order to propagate black chokeberry in this way, you will need to choose varieties that are related, winter-hardy, in which case the grafting will be successful.

Conclusion.

Chokeberry is propagated, as you understand, in a variety of ways. Therefore, before engaging in this event, you will need to decide on the method and study the features of a particular procedure. In the fall, it is easier to propagate the black chokeberry, if you do this in the spring, then in the summer you will have to take care of the plantings especially qualitatively. Chokeberry is perfectly propagated by cuttings or by separating the root shoots from the mother bush. These plants are not bad and share. But black chokeberry is usually propagated by seeds only by experienced gardeners. Which way to choose is up to you. We, in turn, told you about each, so you are at least theoretically prepared, and now it's up to practice.