How to grow a cherry from the stone?

In cherry there are several generally accepted methods of reproduction. This is reproduction by cuttings, branches and sprouts.Cultivation of a cherry tree from a stone is considered to be one of the most labor-intensive ways for which only enthusiastic gardeners take it. But in the end, this way can help you feel like a real Michurinist and grow the cherries of your dreams.

In this article, you will learn how to grow cherries from a stone in the simplest way.

First of all, it is necessary to understand which seeds are best suited for our purposes. Experienced gardeners believe that this is the ideal felt varieties. Saplings grown from the pits of felt cherries retain better than others the positive qualities of the mother plant. In addition, good results show varieties "Late Pink", "Vladimirskaya", "Kostychevka", "Shubinka".

For planting, you need to choose the largest and most appealing fruits. Naturally, they should be fresh, not heat treated, not compote and jam.

In addition, do not take for planting stones from cherries bought on the market. Most likely, it was harvested much earlier than ripening, in order to have time to deliver to the buyer. The fruits did not have time to ripen on the tree, which is very important for the preservation of germination. But those fruits that overripe and fell to the ground, boldly collect and plant. They fit perfectly.

At home, planting and germinating a stone is not difficult if you consider all the recommendations.

The planting of a future young cherry in the ground can be carried out both in spring and in autumn. But spring planting is considered more natural for the plant. And the percentage of luck with this method is somewhat higher. Therefore, tell exactly about him.

Remove (eat with pleasure) the pulp and rinse the bones with warm water. Then bathe them in a light pink solution of potassium permanganate and put them on paper towels for 2-3 days. Drying is done in well ventilated areas without direct sunlight.

When the bones are dry, they must be removed for storage until December. This is best done in a dark, cool place, wrapping the seeds in a paper bag. So you protect them from the deadly mold.

At the end of December, the stones must be soaked in water for three days. Water change daily. This step will prepare the seeds for the stratification process.

Stratification is the treatment of seeds with cold before sowing. It imitates the natural processes of the arrival of winter and allows future cherry trees to ripen.

For stratification, it is necessary to prepare glassware (jar) and a suitable substrate. This can be calcined river sand mixed with sawdust and moss, or clean sawdust. And modern gardeners use coconut fiber for this purpose. It is in itself a good antiseptic and has certain antibacterial properties, breathes, and at the same time does not allow the development of mold. Seeds in coconut fiber are comfortable, moist and safe. These are the best conditions for artificial winter.

Substrate should be 3-4 times more than seeds.

After filling, put the dish with seeds in the fridge on the bottom shelf for at least three months, until April. The bank must be covered with a lid with air holes.

If you use sawdust or sand as a substrate, shake up the seed container weekly.Check if there is mold on the bones.

The result of a properly carried out stratification process should be ripening seeds. Look at the condition of the bones and, most importantly, the seam. If there is a rift along the seam that is barely noticeable to the eye, then the seed has woken up and is ready for planting. Seeds that have not changed visually, try not to use.

An interesting point: After the stratification process, experts advise to place the selected bones in special growth stimulants. These are modern solutions that stimulate root growth. One of these solutions is the drug "Heteroauxin". After bathing the seeds in the growth stimulator, they must be washed in running water.

With the onset of April, we begin the process of germination. For each selected seed, prepare one small flower pot. Fill it with soil. You can take the soil from the store, you can from the site where the mother tree grew. In the second case, the ground must be sorted, shedled with a soft pink solution of potassium permanganate and calcined in the oven for disinfection. At the bottom of the pot it is desirable to make a drainage. For example, from expanded clay or crushed stone.

We place the stones at a depth of 2-4 centimeters, cover with a plastic bag to maintain the optimum level of humidity and put it on the windowsill. We maintain the soil in a moist condition and regularly loosen. As a rule, a month or a little less takes place before the first sprout appears.

The way out can be watering with a spray gun. Thus, you can moisten the soil as safely as possible.

As soon as the first leaflets are born on the seedling, feed it with mineral fertilizer, which contains phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen. Urea is ideal for this. Then continue feeding every two weeks.

The sapling is considered ready for planting in open ground when it reaches a height of at least 20 cm.

For planting, dig a hole in the ground 50-70 cm deep, put a little bit of soil mixed with humus, peat and fertilizers (superphosphate, potassium chloride, wood ash) on the bottom. Pour the seedling with the same enriched soil. Be sure to install the peg and tie the tree. Pour water with bird droppings.

In the future, take care of the young cherry in the same way as the other fruit trees. Make sure that the pests do not settle, treat if necessary, weed and loosen the ground, water it. Remember that as it grows, the tree needs less water.

The first fruits on a cherry grown from a bone will appear in three years. And the maximum yield of the tree will reach the seventh year of life.

But, most likely, waiting for the sweet and large berries from such trees is useless. The fact is that the absolute majority of cherry trees in our time are hybrids. Save all, without exception, the properties of the parent plant will not work. Multiplying cherries with stones, you save only the plant species, but not its variety.

The best time to graft cherry is spring. This is due to the fact that it is in spring that the tree best heals wounds. The ideal age of a plant for manipulation is two to three years.

Consider the two most popular grafting methods.

Prepare the tools: electrical tape, pruner and knife. Choose a future graft (a mounted stem) so that it has at least four healthy buds. Cut the stalk with a wedge. The stock (the tree on which the cuttings are placed) is cut at the required height, and then make an incision - split the cut into a couple of centimeters deep into the trunk.

Insert the wedge into the split, secure with electrical tape. Make sure that the plants are as close as possible to each other. Place the inoculation and the top of the grafted cutting with ordinary clay and then wrap it with cling film.

This method is suitable if the thickness of the scion and stock is the same.

On both cuttings with shears, make cuts at an angle, align and firmly fix with tape. On top of the tape, as in the previous method, you need to coat the tree with clay, and then close the bandage with cling film or cloth.

After a month and a half, carefully remove the tape and tie the tree again. After 4 months, the bandage can be removed altogether.

It is easy to understand whether vaccination was successful or not. The cutting which is planted in accordance with all the rules quickly enough produces green leaflets and actively begins to bloom. A couple of years from him you can get the first fruits.

You can grow a tree with very tasty and juicy fruits, and an absolutely useless game that will live like a weed in your garden. All a matter of chance.

That is why experienced gardeners advise growing several cherries from seeds at once, and then grafting each of them with branches of different varieties. Thus, by experimenting, you can eventually get the perfect combination, and grow the cherry tree of your dreams, best suited for the garden plot.

It is believed that a cherry grown in such an uneasy way, not only brings tasty fruits, but also has a number of significant advantages. It is much easier for the “purebred” varieties to tolerate the winter, better adapted to local conditions, less suffering from diseases of stone fruits. And it is not surprising: after all, at the heart of the tree you bred, in fact, enduring wild.

As you can see, growing quality cherries from a stone is a difficult path that can take several years. But the result of this work may be such that you will never regret the effort expended.

Learn more about how to grow cherries from the stone, you can in the next video.