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Propagation of cherries by cuttings in the summer is a procedure that allows you to increase the population of cherry trees in the garden at no extra cost. Cherry responds well to cuttings, the main thing is to follow the basic rules for growing shoots.
Can cherries be propagated by cuttings?
Cherry is a hardy and unpretentious crop that lends itself perfectly to vegetative propagation. It is not recommended to grow new trees only from seeds, since in this case varietal characteristics are lost.
But cherry reacts very well to vegetative propagation. And the most popular method remains cuttings, which offer several advantages:
- ease of cultivation and care;
- preservation of the traits of the variety;
- rapid growth and early fruiting of plants, already in the third year;
- high endurance cherries from the cuttings.
An additional advantage of the method is the fact that reproduction can be carried out almost throughout the year.
Cuttings are one of the most convenient ways to propagate fruit crops.
Cherry varieties suitable for propagation by cuttings
Cuttings are one of the easiest and most reliable ways to propagate a cherry culture. However, not all varieties show the same high survival rate. Nadezhda Krupskaya, Shubinka, Vladimirskaya, Zakharovskaya, Rastunya are best suited for propagation by root and green shoots.
The survival rate of these varieties is about 80%, which practically guarantees the successful development of the shoot under the basic growing conditions.
Harvesting cuttings
In order for reproduction to be successful, it is necessary to prepare the material in a timely and correct manner. Cherry propagation is carried out not only with the help of green shoots, but also through root processes.
How to propagate cherries with green cuttings
Young healthy shoots are best suited for propagation, they grow quickly and get used to new conditions well. Cuttings are called green because they are cut from annual shoots, in which the apical part still retains a green color and continues to grow actively, and brownish bark already appears in the lower part.
Harvest green cuttings in late spring or summer in June. From strong and healthy shoots, shoots are cut 9-12 cm long, 3-4 buds should remain on each of the cuttings. A straight cut should be located 5 mm below the kidney, another cut, but at an oblique angle, is made above the upper kidney.
Green shoots are ideal for summer cuttings.
It is recommended to root green branches immediately after harvesting, after shortening the leaves by a third. But if this is not possible, you can properly moisten the shoots with a spray gun and wrap in a plastic bag for short-term storage.
How to propagate cherries from root cuttings
Another option for propagating culture suggests using root cuttings. Such processes are sections of a long healthy root 12-15 cm long with a growth bud.
The advantage of root cuttings is that in fact they are a ready-made root system, all that remains is to grow a central shoot from it. But the planting material also has a drawback, in order to cut the cuttings, it is necessary to carefully dig out the surface roots of the cherry and at the same time try not to damage the plant.
How to grow cherries from cuttings
Reproduction of cherries by cuttings is recommended in the summer, this period is considered optimal. At the same time, shoots can be successfully rooted both in spring and autumn, although a little more effort will have to be made for this.
You can grow a cherry tree from a shoot throughout the year.
How to propagate cherry cuttings in spring
Root cuttings are best suited for spring propagation, although healthy ground shoots are sometimes used as planting material. It is necessary to harvest planting material immediately after the snow melts – before the sap flow begins, while the cherry is still in a dormant state.
Landing in the ground during this period is not carried out for the cutting. In early spring, seedlings with a developed root system can be rooted in the garden, but the cutting needs to grow roots first. Therefore, for the first time, the shoot is planted in a closed container at room conditions and covered with a tall jar or film on top.
After new green leaves appear on the branch, it can be transferred to a temporary bed in the garden. This should be done only when the soil warms up qualitatively, and return frosts pass. You also need to remember that cuttings germinated in room conditions are hardened before being taken out into the open air, put out on the street for half an hour first, and then gradually increase the duration.
How to grow cherries from cuttings in summer
Summer is considered the best time to propagate cherries with green cuttings. In warm weather, you can root a cherry branch directly in the ground, bypassing home germination, and after 1-2 seasons, transfer a small seedling to a permanent place:
- Before cutting the cuttings, the cherry tree is properly watered so that its tissues are saturated with moisture.
- After a couple of days, several cuttings about 12 cm long are cut from a young shoot with a green top and placed in clean water for 2 hours.
- After that, the lower sections are treated with special root stimulants, for example, Kornevin, and planted on a temporary bed.
In summer, fruit crops can be propagated by cuttings directly in the ground.
The soil for the cutting must be nutritious, the soil on the site must be mixed with humus in equal proportions, nitrogen fertilizing, superphosphate and ash must be added. Immediately after deepening in the bed, the stalk is watered abundantly and covered with a jar or plastic wrap to create high humidity.
How to root a cherry cutting in the fall
The beginning of autumn from September to mid-October is well suited for harvesting green and root cuttings. However, shoots intended for propagation in the autumn period are no longer planted in the ground. For such a procedure, the plant needs a developed root system, but the cutting does not have it yet, and before the onset of frost it will not have time to grow roots and take root properly in the ground.
Branches harvested in autumn are most often placed in small boxes filled with wet sand and stored in a cool cellar. You can also just bury the box shallowly in the area, and with the establishment of heat, plant shoots.
Another option suggests rooting cherry cuttings in water and propagating the plant at home in the same autumn. However, the biological cycle of the culture may be affected, so spring or summer planting is preferred.
When harvesting shoots in the fall, they must be stored until spring or rooted at home.
How to root a sprig of cherries at home
If cherry breeding is planned for early spring or autumn, then the only option is to germinate a branch at home. The algorithm for home growing is quite simple:
- First of all, it is necessary to prepare a pot or container for the plant if you plan to plant several cuttings at once.
- The container is filled with nutrient soil, consisting of soddy soil mixed with humus, and complex mineral top dressing is added – superphosphate, nitrogenous fertilizers, ash.
- The earth is properly moistened, and then the cutting is buried vertically to a depth of about 3 cm. The distance between individual shoots should be about 10 cm.
Immediately after planting, the shoots are covered with polyethylene to create a greenhouse effect and grow cherries from a twig, and put in a warm place. From time to time shoots need to be watered and ventilated. With proper care, it will take about 2 weeks for the roots to appear, and the same amount of time will be needed for the shoots to take root properly.
After that, containers with cuttings can be put in a lighted place and continue to care for them until the end of spring, water and feed once every 2 weeks. The film after the appearance of the roots from the shoots can be removed.
Cuttings can be carried out at room conditions in a container
Planting a cutting in open ground
If the cutting was germinated at home, then it is transplanted into the garden in May or early June, after the soil has fully warmed up. 2 weeks before transplantation, the stalk begins to harden, they take it out into the street from the house, first for half an hour, then for several hours, and then for a full day.
The soil in the temporary area before planting is mixed with humus and complex fertilizers are added. The depth of the hole for planting material should be about 30 cm. For the first time, the shoot can be covered again with polyethylene so that it quickly gets used to the new place.
Summer green branches can be planted in the garden immediately without wasting time on home cultivation. They also do this no later than mid-June, so that until autumn the shoot takes root.
Tip: if the branch develops well and quickly, then in the fall in October it can be transferred to a permanent site and planted before winter. But usually propagation by cuttings suggests that within 1-2 years the cherry will grow in a temporary place until it is fully strengthened.
Rules for caring for cuttings of cherries
Propagation by cuttings is popular because it does not pose any particular difficulties for the gardener. But any video on how to propagate cherries by cuttings will recommend following a few simple procedures when growing a crop:
- Watering. Cherry is a fairly drought-resistant plant, but young cuttings need an increased amount of moisture. Therefore, the soil in a closed container or on a temporary plot in the garden should always be lightly moistened. At the same time, it is important to prevent waterlogging, if the water begins to stagnate, the roots of the cuttings may rot.
- Top dressing. For rapid propagation, the cuttings of the cherry tree need to be fertilized regularly, preferably once every 2 weeks. Top dressings use standard ones – urea, superphosphate, potassium salt, ammonium nitrate. Nitrogen is especially important for growing shoots, which contributes to the early appearance of fresh green shoots and leaves. Fertilizers in a small amount are applied to the soil along with irrigation, it is also possible to spray the ground part of the branch.
- Draft protection. For the first month of germination, it is customary to cover the cuttings with plastic wrap or a glass jar, if we are talking about one shoot. A transparent shelter helps maintain a stable microclimate – drafts and sudden changes in temperature are dangerous for a young shoot. But at the same time, the shelter needs to be removed for a short time every day so that the plant receives oxygen.
Grown shoots require proper care
If the shoot planted on the site has to spend the winter in the open air before transplanting to a permanent place, you need to take care of high-quality insulation. It is customary not only to mulch low cherry plants for the winter with a dense layer of peat or sawdust, but also to throw spruce branches, tops of vegetable crops or other materials. Although most cherry varieties tolerate frost well, young plants can suffer from the cold.
Tips from experienced gardeners
Experienced gardeners know a few secrets that increase the chances of successful propagation of cherries by cuttings:
- If reproduction is carried out by green shoots, then 2 weeks before harvesting the material, you need to select a specific branch and mark the cut point on it. In this place, the shoot must be wrapped with an opaque material, for example, black electrical tape, to a width of 4 cm. Since the closed area of u30buXNUMXbthe bark will no longer receive sunlight, the cells in this place will be reborn, and after deepening into the ground, the cutting will give roots faster. According to the observations of gardeners, this method increases the likelihood of rooting by XNUMX%.
- Shortly before cutting the planting material, it is recommended to pour the cherry abundantly with water. The stronger the shoots of the tree are saturated with moisture and useful substances, the faster the cuttings will start growing.
- Despite the fact that even mature cherry trees produce strong root shoots and green shoots, it is better to use young plants for propagation – planting material taken from them takes root better.
Gardeners recommend remembering that for successful propagation, cuttings must be cut accurately, neatly and evenly, with a well-sharpened blade. Previously, the garden knife should be sterilized in a solution of potassium permanganate.
It is better to take planting material from young plants
Conclusion
Propagation of cherries by cuttings in the summer allows you to quickly and without hassle to root the shoot of a cherry tree. Reproduction can also be carried out in early spring or autumn, although in this case the cuttings will have to be germinated first at home at room temperature.
