Propagation of cherries - both ordinary and felt - in a suburban area is possible in different ways. But most often this culture is bred with green cuttings. Sometimes bones are also used for this purpose.
How to choose planting material
The best survival rates are distinguished by cherry cuttings taken from the top of annual green shoots. They should be cut in early June - during the period of active growth. Checking whether the shoot is suitable for cutting planting material is simple. If during winding onto the finger the selected shoot does not break, you can safely cut the stem from it. The optimal length of the branch intended for rooting is 5-7 cm.
There should be two kidneys on the handle. Of course, the cut branch should be healthy, without damage. After trimming, about 1.5 cm of the stalk length should remain under the lower kidney. Leaflets should be cut in half. From above, a branch is cut directly above the kidney.
Propagation of cherries with seeds - the procedure is generally simple. In this case, planting material is taken from the best fruits.
Preparatory measures for propagation by cuttings
Dry cut branches of cherries should not be. Otherwise, in the future they will be poorly rooted. Propagation of cherries by cuttings in the summer implies only a preliminary soaking of the latter in a fresh solution of indolylbutyric acid (50 g / l during the day). Immerse the planting material in it should be about 2-2.5 cm. The solution must be poured into glass or porcelain dishes. Of course, he should not be too cold. It is better to dilute acid in settled water at room temperature.
Propagation of cherries with green cuttings: methods of rooting
It is best to plant twigs processed in this way in small greenhouses made of plastic film. With this method of rooting, they need to be watered and aired periodically. Cuttings should be planted to a depth of about 2.5 cm. The soil itself should be very warm (25-30 g).
Sometimes cuttings root and a little different technology. In this case, use transparent plastic bags. A pre-prepared substrate is poured into them. Two cuttings are planted in each bag. Then, air is blown into the bag with a mouth and tied.
Rooted cuttings of cherries usually within two weeks. At this time, the film from the greenhouse should be removed. After 14 days, planting material placed in packages begins to gradually accustom to fresh air, opening first for half an hour a day, and then for a longer time.
Propagation of felt cherries by cuttings is carried out according to the same technology as usual. This variety can also be rooted in a greenhouse or bag. The survival rate of green cuttings of cherries of all varieties is pretty good. Rooted usually 50-80% of the planting material.
Soil Composition Recommendations
Of course, the propagation of cherries will be more successful when planting cuttings not just in soddy soil, but in a special substrate. A very good mixture of garden soil with humus in a 1: 1 ratio is suitable for rooting cut branches. Peat with perlite or expanded clay can also be used.
Pour a mixture of a slightly different composition into the bags. It is usually prepared from garden soil and sand in a ratio of 1: 1. In each bag, such a mixture is poured with a layer of 9 cm. From the top, it is desirable to add another 2 cm of ordinary washed sand.
At what age to transplant
Continue such a procedure as the propagation of cherries with green cuttings, the transfer of planting material to a permanent place. Trees rooted in greenhouses are usually left to grow in the beds for a year or two. In any case, before transplanting, their root system must reach a length of at least 15 cm, the root neck - at least 4 mm in diameter, height - 80-100 cm, and the stem thickness - 1-1.2 cm. You can transfer the grown seedlings to a permanent place as autumn and spring. They should be kept wet until disembarkation.
Cuttings rooted in packages, about 3 weeks after planting, are transferred to beds for growing. The next year (or two) they are seated.
Propagation of cherries by cuttings in the summer: selection of a planting site
You can place the grown trees almost anywhere. However, it is still worth observing some requirements when choosing a landing site on a site:
- The groundwater level at the cherry growing site should not be less than 2.5 m.
- This crop feels best on sandy loamy or loamy podzolic soils with a good level of drainage.
Do not plant this crop on peaty, very swampy or crushed stone soils. If the underground water on the site comes too close to the surface, it is worth planting cherries on a previously mound mound.
Propagation of cherries by cuttings has another feature. When choosing a place for a plant, it is worth considering such a factor as the compatibility of different garden crops. This plant feels best of all near apple trees and pears. Neighborhood with cherry plum, plum and apricot cherry does not tolerate too well.
How to plant
From the greenhouses and from the beds, the grown cherry is transferred to previously dug pits with a diameter of 60 and a depth of 80 cm. The soil removed from them is mixed with two buckets of manure, as well as a small amount of sand and peat. A kilogram of wood ash, 120 g of potassium sulfate and 300 g of superphosphate are added to the resulting substrate.
Soil prepared in this way is poured into the pit with a knoll. Sapling roots are preliminarily kept in a clay-manure mixture.
Seed cultivation
Propagation of cherries is possible using this planting material. But it is used quite rarely. The fact is that varietal qualities are not preserved in cherries grown from seeds. Such plants usually do not tolerate cold well and do not have high yields. However, they are very well suited as stocks. Most often, this cultivation method is used for felt cherries. Some summer residents consider it even more preferable for this species. Subject to the established technology, the propagation of felt cherries with pits can be really very successful.
When using this method of breeding, planting material should be taken from local trees. It is best to plant seeds in the ground in the fall. Unfortunately, their germination is not one hundred percent, and therefore it costs more to take them from the fruits. Planting material of this variety should be placed on the bed in increments of about 25 cm.
It is allowed to use this breeding technology in the spring. However, in this case, the successful propagation of felt cherries with seeds is possible only with the correct stratification. This procedure is performed as follows:
- Planting material is poured into a jar, previously mixed with peat and moss.
- The container is covered with a polyethylene lid with holes made in it and placed in the refrigerator for 6-8 weeks.
Propagation of cherries with seeds is also possible according to another technology. Such planting material can not be stored in winter, but planted in pots. In spring, young seedlings will just need to be transferred to the garden.
Felt cherry propagation recommendations
In this case, choose the bones as carefully as possible. Felt cherry, the propagation of which is an absolutely simple procedure, sometimes has such a drawback as sagging branches. Of the fruits of trees with such a bone defect, of course, it is better not to take it. Also, do not use planting material from trees that have too large branches.
The best solution is to take seeds from the berries of compact plants with dark green leaves and strong wood. Of course, when selecting planting material, among other things, one should pay attention to the yield of the tree, the taste characteristics of its fruits, the speed of their ripening, etc. Of course, much better felt cherries will grow from good seeds. The reproduction of this culture, in comparison with ordinary varieties, has another feature. Its bones are planted to a depth of not more than 2 cm. For ordinary cherries, this figure is 3 cm. In both rows, in both cases, 25-30 cm of free space is left.
Recommendations for the care of young plants
Propagation of varietal cherries, as you might have noticed, is a simple matter. However, to root the cuttings and properly plant them in a permanent place - this, of course, is only half the battle. To get good harvests, trees should be properly looked after.
Watering cherries should be done four times per season - during the period of bud swelling, after flowering, some time after shedding the extra ovary and during the period of fruit growth. In wet years, it is possible to moisten the soil under the trees less often. Due to overflow, the trunk and branches of this crop may begin to crack.
Of course, cherries should be fed annually. As fertilizer, manure, compost and ash are usually used. This garden culture responds very well to liming. This procedure is preferably carried out once every 5-6 years. Depending on the pH level of the soil, 200-300 g of slaked lime, chalk or dolomite flour should be added under the trees .
About the same technology is carried out, including for such a variety as felt cherry, care. Its reproduction is a simple procedure even for an inexperienced summer resident. However, many believe that caring for felt cherries is even easier than for ordinary varieties. For example, such trees do not even have to be fed during the season. In order for the felt cherry to receive the amount of nutrients it needs, its trunk circle should simply be mulched with manure.
Pruning young trees
This procedure is usually performed once a year - in the spring. There are no special pruning rules. Most often, the crown is simply thinned out slightly and all dried out, frozen and incorrectly growing shoots are removed from it. Skeletal branches usually do not touch during pruning. Sometimes gardeners practice propagation of cherries by shoots. This, by the way, is also a very simple way. In this case, the processes simply dig out along with a piece of the root and are transferred to the desired location. If the shoot for cultivation of cherries in the area is not used, it, of course, should be periodically removed. And it is worth doing this more often, since cherry grows very quickly and can easily drown out plantings of other crops.
Conclusion
Propagation of felt cherry by cuttings, as well as the usual, as you see, procedure is relatively simple. The main thing is to prepare good soil for the cut branches and create a suitable microclimate for them. It’s quite simple to propagate this culture using seeds. In spring planting, in this case, it is important to properly stratify. The transfer of seedlings obtained using both of these technologies to the soil is carried out in a standard way.