How to grow a cherry from a stone
Sweet, early ripening cherries are loved by many. Gardeners are thinking about how to grow cherries from a stone, who, for whatever reason, do not have access to varietal seedlings or those who simply do not mind seeing how such an experiment will end.
Features of pitted cherries
Is it possible to grow a cherry from a stone? Yes, but it will only be very difficult to determine its variety. It is possible that the seed from a large sweet berry will eventually turn into a wild game with tart small fruits.
However, such a seedling, compared to purchased seedlings, has a lot of advantages that will help the gardener get a hardy, and subsequently a fruiting plant:
- with increased winter hardiness;
- with excellent adaptability to local conditions;
- with reduced susceptibility to common diseases of stone fruit crops.
Young cherry from the stone will bear fruit, but thanks to these qualities, the trees are much more profitable to use as rootstocks for cultivated varieties and hybrids.
Two varieties are sometimes grafted onto grown plants at once. This increases the likelihood of pollination, allowing you to increase the yield without spending the area for planting pollinators.
Selection and preparation of cherry seeds
The germination rate of most stone fruit crops is very good. Of the 10 drupes of cherries, 7–8 form a strong, viable sprout. Will it grow cherries from the seed, largely depends on the quality of the seed and its correct preparation.
To increase the chance, it is better to take drupes from fully ripe or already lost their presentation. The fresher the bone is, the easier it will hatch. Dried seeds stored from last season are not suitable. But what to do, because planting in the second half of summer will lead to a weakening of the shoots, which risk stretching out or even perishing during the winter?
You can preserve the germination and strength of seeds by placing them in barely moistened and pre-calcined sand. In addition, in this form, it is convenient to send drupes for stratification, which imitates wintering in natural conditions and prepares the embryos inside the shells for friendly germination.
Hardening of cherry drupes before planting
In different regions, the preparation of cherry seeds before planting them in the ground has significant differences. The farther south, the shorter the period of stratification and the greater the chances of getting strong shoots with autumn, not spring sowing:
- In the Crimea, in the south of Ukraine, in the Kuban and in the Krasnodar Territory, planting material is kept in wet sand until autumn. Then the drupes hibernate well in natural conditions, and shoots appear in the spring.
- In the south of the Chernozem region, in the Rostov region and in the Stavropol region, drupes are in a moist substrate for 5 months.And since late autumn, the bones are hardened in natural conditions.
- In the middle lane, winters are too harsh for seeds, so they are kept for 6 months at a temperature of 1–5 ° C in sand, sand-soil mixture or vermiculite, and sown into the ground after the snow melts.
Before the seeds go for hardening, they are treated with fungicides. This measure increases their safety, preventing the development of molds, which readily multiply in a closed container at high humidity.
Before sprouting cherry seeds, they are regularly examined, sorted and aired. In early spring, containers with seeds are taken out to the balcony or in the yard, where they are sprinkled with snow.
How to plant a cherry pit?
When the shells are parted and a sprout is shown between them, it is time for planting. To grow cherries from a stone at home, you will need:
- a plastic or ceramic pot with a capacity of at least 0.5 liters;
- drainage, which is poured onto the bottom with a layer of 3-4 cm;
- light nutritious soil for fruit crops.
The seeds are embedded in moist, slightly compacted soil to a depth of 1 cm, then sprinkled with a substrate and moistened again. If the drupes are planted in a common container, a gap of at least 10–15 cm is made between them. As the seedlings grow, they dive and then transferred to a larger container.
Up to one year old, young trees do not need special care, except for watering and regular, but careful loosening of the soil. The soil should be moistened as the surface dries up, and if the seedlings grow in the open air, then once every 2-3 weeks.
Crown formation begins in the second year, which is especially important if the plant will continue to be grown in a pot. The grown cherry tree is again transferred to a large container.
Grafting of pitted cherries
Growing up, the seedling turns into a young tree, which for 4 - 5 years can bloom and form the first ovary. However, neither in quality nor in quantity it can be compared with the parent. How to grow a cherry from a stone, which would give a summer resident a scattering of sweet fruits every summer?
The only way is vaccination. It can be carried out in the third year after sowing. As a scion, you can optionally choose any of the available varieties, zoned for a given area.
On small-diameter barrels, it is easiest to carry out cleft inoculation... For this, a cultivated stalk with several healthy buds is prepared in advance and cut off, making a clean oblique cut. The stock is shortened, leaving 15-18 cm from the soil surface.
In order for the grafting of the cherries grown in them to succeed, it is important to observe cleanliness. Before work, the instruments are washed and sterilized with alcohol. Smooth cuts should not get soil.
The split in the rootstock stem is made to a depth of 3-4 cm, which will ensure reliable contact and better survival. Once the wood is aligned, the graft site is secured with duct tape, sticky side out, or other similar material. Next, processing is carried out with garden var.
The fact that an important operation was successful is indicated by the appearance of young foliage above the graft site. From this point on, you need to monitor the tension of the harness and gradually tame the tree to stay in the open air. Grafted cherries are transplanted in autumn or spring, depending on the gardener's place of residence.