Content
- 1 Is it possible to grow a cherry from a stone
- 2 How to grow cherries from a stone at home
- 2.1 Selection and preparation of cherry seeds for planting
- 2.2 Cherry pits stratification
- 2.3 When and where to plant cherry seeds
- 2.4 Planting cherry seeds
- 2.5 How to germinate a cherry pit
- 2.6 Cherry sprouts care
- 2.7 Transplanting cherry seedlings into open ground
- 2.8 Rules for growing cherries from a stone
- 3 How to grow cherries from a stone in the country or on a plot
- 4 Do I need to plant cherries grown from the bone
- 5 Conclusion
Pitted cherries are a tricky gardening project that requires a lot of patience. It will take years before the tree begins to bear fruit.
Is it possible to grow a cherry from a stone
Sweet cherries need cross-pollination, so new trees don't just grow from seeds. Grafting and budding are the best ways to grow a tree, and a nursery is a good source to find a plant that is already on its way to fruiting. However, if you provide the planted seed with proper care, it will be possible to grow a tree from it. First you need to choose a cherry kernel that was grown in natural conditions, and not from a supermarket.
To select the variety of cherries that is suitable for a particular region, you just need to find any growing cherries nearby. You can pick a berry from a tree at a friend's dacha or buy it on the market from people who grow fruits in this area.
Pitted cherries can be grown both in the garden and at home. The main thing is to provide the plant with proper care.
Benefits of growing cherries from stone
Despite the many difficulties and nuances, growing cherries from seeds also has advantages. This way of breeding the plant will make it more hardy and possibly even more fruitful. Its advantages include:
- Increased winter hardiness of the tree.
- Good adaptation to local conditions.
- Reduced sensitivity to common diseases of stone fruit plants.
Young trees grown from seeds will bear fruit, but they are much more profitable to use as rootstocks to create hybrids.
Will the cherry grown from the stone bear fruit?
Cherries grown from the kernel are more likely to start yielding. However, it should be remembered that this method of breeding a plant is always a lottery. You can get both a tree with large and tasty fruits, and a wild game on which small sour berries grow.
A seed tree is uniquely capable of bearing fruit. However, for successful pollination, at least two varieties must be grafted. Thanks to this, the plant will begin to bear fruit after about 5-6 years of life.
How to grow cherries from a stone at home
Getting a cherry tree from a bone at home is a very real goal.With proper care, the seeds of the fruit will hatch and turn into small sprouts, which will later grow into large fruitful trees.
Selection and preparation of cherry seeds for planting
To grow cherries, the first step is to choose seeds from those berries that are already fully ripe. The fruit of a plant that grows in the area should be used. Imported cherries are torn off even before the stage of full ripeness, so that they can be successfully transported.
In order to prepare the fruit kernels for planting, you must perform the following steps:
- Pour and wash the seeds with ordinary running water, clean them well from the remaining pulp. Since the probability of getting a sprout from a cherry kernel is about 70%, they need to be taken with a margin.
- Pour out the water and blot the seeds with a paper towel. Spread them out in a room that is well ventilated.
- Put dried fruit kernels in a paper bag and wrap with polyethylene. The protective film must be strong, if it is damaged, the bones dry out, and the likelihood of sprouting will decrease.
- Store seeds at + 20 ° C until winter begins.
- At the beginning of December, the kernels of the fruit must be placed in water for 3-5 days. Change the fluid every day.
Cherry pits stratification
The soaked seeds should be mixed with absorbent material, placed in a plastic container and refrigerated for 3 months.
In addition, freezing cherries is an effective method of stratification. In winter, the fruits are used in the cooking process, and their kernels, which are removed before heat treatment, can be washed and stored in the same way as described above.
When and where to plant cherry seeds
Planting of cherry pits in most cases is carried out in the spring after stratification. The seeds must be placed in flower pots, the volume of which is about 500 ml. You can also use a plastic container with a small height.
If the soil in which the mother plant was located was fertile enough, then it is best to take the soil from there, if not, buy a substrate.
Planting cherry seeds
To plant cherry seeds you need:
- Spread the drainage material evenly over the bottom of the dish and pour the nutrient substrate onto it.
- Bury the kernels of the fruit about 2 cm inside the substrate. If a common container is used, the seeds should be at least 15 cm apart.
- Pour the soil with water, cover the dishes with a plastic or glass cap and leave on the windowsill.
How to germinate a cherry pit
To quickly notice the sprout, you can mark the places in which the seeds are buried using pegs. The first shoots appear in about a month. If the seeds were already hatched, they will germinate a little earlier.
The future cherry does not require special personal care. All you need to do is water and loosen the soil regularly.
Cherry sprouts care
Taking care of sprouts also does not present any problems and difficulties. The main thing is to carry out the following activities on time:
- Regular soil moisture.
- Fertilization every two weeks.
- Spraying the leaves of the sprout (while covering the soil with polyethylene).
- Loosening the soil.
Transplanting cherry seedlings into open ground
Mix 2 buckets of earth, 2 kg of ammonium sulfate, 3 kg of superphosphate, 1 liter of wood ash, 1 kg of potassium and 36 kg of humus and fill the pits by a third. If the soil is clay, then two buckets of sand should be poured into the pits, if sandy - two buckets of clay. And only after that the soil mixture is poured into them.
Before planting, you need to strengthen a special support for the seedling. In the middle of the hole, you need to make a small slide and place a seedling on it.Then it is attached to the support and the soil is poured. The root collar of a young tree should be located several centimeters above the soil surface.
After transplanting, all that remains is to water the plant well and mulch the soil.
Rules for growing cherries from a stone
Since cherry seedlings are planted in most cases in the fall, the main danger for the tree is the low temperature and the coming frosts. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare the plant for climate change:
- Wrap the tree trunk in burlap. However, it is necessary to ensure that he does not rebuff.
- Protect the tree from frost and winds by burying the lower part of it with snow.
- On top of the burlap it is worth wrapping spruce branches.
- Spread pesticides from rodents around the plant.
It is necessary to water the tree about once every 30 days through the hole. For the first 3 years, cherries can only be fertilized with nitrogen fertilizers.
To protect the plant from birds, unwanted discs or cans can be tied to its branches.
How to grow cherries from a stone in the country or on a plot
By choosing the right time for planting seeds and providing all the conditions for the successful growth and development of the plant, you can get a strong tree that brings a good harvest.
When and where to plant cherry seeds
You can plant seeds in an unprotected area in summer or autumn. If you do this in the spring, the planting material must be stratified, observing the required temperature and humidity.
Cherries are best planted on the south side of the plot, where a lot of sunlight gets in. Also, the plant needs protection from the winds.
How to grow a cherry from a stone in the open field
Thoroughly washed bones must be planted in the ground. Too severe frosts in winter can kill sprouts. To preserve cherries, you can plant them in the spring after seed stratification.
The plant needs to be watered and fed regularly. You should also moisturize its foliage every day.
The soil needs constant loosening.
Do I need to plant cherries grown from the bone
The only way to transform seed-grown cherries into a fruit-bearing tree is by grafting.
Terms of vaccination
Vaccination should be done three years after planting. The spring period is most suitable for this procedure, when the likelihood of splicing of plants is quite high.
You can also graft a tree in the summer in cloudy dry weather or in the fall before the severe cold sets in.
What can be grafted onto a cherry stock
Any kind of grafting is possible on a cherry stock. The main thing is that it is suitable for this region. It is advisable to choose a variety that is resistant to diseases, pests and temperature changes.
In addition, the cherry stock can be vaccinated cherry, cherry plum and plum. However, in the case of plums, this will be quite difficult, since these trees do not grow together as well as in the case of plum and cherry.
Cherry grafting methods
There are several ways to vaccinate:
- Copulation.
- Improved copulation.
- On the bark.
- Into the cleft.
- Into the semi-cleavage.
- In the corner cutout.
- Side cut.
- The bridge.
Conclusion
Pitted cherry is a laborious and time-consuming process. However, if you work hard and give the plant the necessary care, the results are bound to be impressive. The main thing is to follow all the rules and take into account the characteristics of the plant and the conditions in which it develops.
