If you want to grow a fruiting tree, the easiest option is to buy seedlings from trusted horticultural associations . But despite the financial opportunities to purchase them in any quantity, many are simply not interested. If you want to watch how the life of a tree is born, then you need to know how to grow sweet cherry from a stone. At the same time, keep in mind that you can get a culture on which there will be inedible fruits if you do not comply with the established planting rules. But even if their taste is not bad, the size of the sweet cherry may be smaller than that of the mother tree.
You can plant seeds in the summer, autumn and spring. In the latter case, stratification is necessary. She concludes in order to withstand the material for planting in the necessary conditions: it is important to observe the temperature and aeration conditions, do not forget about humidity. This contributes to the maturation of the bone, because it is at rest and, even while in the ground, may not germinate for years. That is why it is better not to rush to the planting if you want to learn how to grow sweet cherry from a stone.
For this
fruit tree, stratification should last from 90 to 180 days, depending on the variety, therefore, it is necessary to start work taking into account the characteristics of the selected species. To ripen the seeds you have to find a cold room that will not freeze. An ideal option is a basement in which the temperature will fluctuate at a level of +2 ... + 6
0 C. Only under such conditions there is a high probability that the cultivation of sweet cherries from the stone will be successful.
So, pre-washed material for planting must be mixed with a disinfected substrate in a ratio of 1: 4 and watered. As a suitable soil, washed, calcined sand, sawdust (in which there is no bark) or peat. The latter, by the way, increases the level of germination, because it holds moisture well, gives free access to air and accelerates ripening.
It is not enough to learn how to grow sweet cherry from a stone. In addition, you should make some efforts, because after mixing the material with the substrate, the work does not end. Now it is important to ensure that the soil always remains moist and the seeds do not begin to mold. To do this, periodically, the substrate with bones must be poured onto a clean surface, carefully review everything, moisten and pour back into the box. If you notice the appearance of sprouts, then the boxes must be put on ice or frozen ground - this will stop the further growth of the culture.
Of course, if you want to learn how to grow sweet cherry from a seed, but you don’t have the opportunity to do stratification, then just dry the seeds at the end of the summer in moist sand, and in October, sow them in open ground to a depth of about 3 cm. During the winter the bones can ripen, however, one should not expect high germination, because the conditions in the earth will be far from ideal. The following autumn, the grown sweet cherry is ready for a major transplant. You will get fruits somewhere after 3-4 years of active growth.