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Sweet, early-ripening sweet cherry is loved by many. Gardeners are thinking about how to grow a sweet cherry from a seed, for which the cultivated seedlings are not available for any reason, or those who simply don’t mind seeing how this experiment ends.
Features of cherries grown from
bones Compared with the next of kin, cherries, sweet cherries are less winter-hardy and are not found in wild form north of the south of Ukraine, Moldova and Kuban. In order to “tame” the southern beauty, to teach her to bear fruit in areas with more severe climates and to give stable yields, breeders have created cultivars and hybrids, including plants that combine the properties of sweet cherry and cherry. Pay for the acquisition of useful properties has become self-sterility. That is, for pollination in the garden, several trees are planted at once, suitable for the timing of flowering varieties.
Is it possible to grow a sweet cherry from a stone? Yes, but it will be very difficult only to determine its variety. It is possible that a seed from a large sweet berry will eventually turn into a wild fruit with tart small fruits.
However, such a seedling has many advantages compared to purchased seedlings, which will help the gardener to get a hardy, and subsequently fruit-bearing plant:
- with increased winter hardiness;
- with excellent adaptability to local conditions;
- with reduced susceptibility to common diseases of stone fruit.
Young sweet 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 at once grafted on grown plants. This increases the likelihood of pollination, allowing you to increase the yield without the cost of the landing area of pollinators.
Selection and preparation of
sweetcone seed. Germination is very good in most stone fruits. Of the 10 cherries, 7–8 cherries form a strong, viable sprout. Whether a sweet cherry grows from a stone depends largely on the quality of the seed and its proper preparation.
To increase the chance, it is better to take the drupes from fully ripe or have already lost the presentation of fruits. The fresher the bone is, the easier it will be. Dried seeds stored from last season are not suitable. But how to be, because planting in the second half of the summer will lead to a weakening of the shoots, which during the winter are at risk of stretching out or even completely dying?
The seed germination and strength can be maintained by placing them in barely moistened and pre-calcined sand. Moreover, in such a form, the stone-trees are conveniently sent to a stratification, which simulates wintering in natural conditions and prepares embryos inside the shells for friendly germination.
Hardening of the sweet cherry trees before planting
In different regions, the preparation of sweet cherry seeds, before planting them in the ground, has significant differences. The more southerly, the less stratification period and greater chances to get strong sprouts in 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 perfectly overwinter in natural conditions, and shoots appear in spring.
- In the south of the Black Earth Region, in the Rostov Region and in the Stavropol Territory, the drupes are in a wet substrate for 5 months. And since late autumn, the bones are hardened in natural conditions.
- In the middle zone of winter, they are too harsh for seeds; therefore, they are kept for 6 months at a temperature of 1–5 ° C in sand, sand-soil mixture or vermiculite, and sown in the ground after snow melts.
Before the seeds are hardened, they are treated with fungicides. This measure increases their safety, preventing the development of mold fungi, readily breeding in a closed container with high humidity.
Before sprouting the bones of the cherries regularly inspect, sort and air. In early spring, containers with seeds are carried out on the balcony or in the courtyard, where they are sprinkled with snow.
cultivar How to plant a sweet cherry stone?
When the shells diverge and a sprout is shown between them, it is time to land. To grow a cherry from a stone at home, you will need:
- plastic or ceramic pot with a capacity of at least 0.5 liters;
- drainage, which is poured to the bottom with a layer of 3-4 cm;
- is a light nutrient primer for fruit crops.
Seeds are buried in a moist, slightly compacted soil to a depth of 1 cm, then sprinkled with 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 they grow, the seedlings swoop and then transfer to a larger container.
Up to a year, young trees do not need special care, except for watering and regular, but careful soil loosening. The soil should be moistened as the surface dries, and if the seedlings grow under the open sky, then once every 2–3 weeks.
Crown formation begins in the second year, which is especially important if the plant is further grown in a pot. The grown sweet cherry tree is again transferred to a large container.
Inoculation of
grown from a stone of a sweet cherry A growing seedling turns into a young tree that can bloom and form the first ovary for 4–5 years. However, neither in quality nor quantity, it can not be compared with the parent. How to grow a cherry from a bone, which every summer would give a summer resident a placer of sweet fruits?
cherries must necessarily grow on your plot The only way is grafting. It can be carried out in the third year after sowing. As a graft, you can optionally choose any of the available varieties zoned for the area.
On the trunks of small diameter, the easiest way to do this is to inoculate the splinter. For this, a cultured stalk with several healthy buds is prepared in advance and cut, making a clean oblique cut. The stock is shortened, leaving 15–18 cm from the ground surface.
In order for the grafting of a grown cherry bone to succeed, it is important to keep it clean. Before work tools are washed and sterilized with alcohol. Soil should not fall on smooth cuts.
The splitting in the stem of the stock is done to a depth of 3–4 cm, which ensures reliable contact and better survival. As soon as the wood is combined, the grafting site is fixed with electrical tape, adhesive side out, or other similar material. Following the treatment is a garden barb.
The fact that an important operation was successful, indicates the appearance of young foliage above the site of vaccination. From this moment you need to monitor the strapping and gradually tame the tree to stay in the open. Transplanted cherries are transplanted in autumn or spring, depending on the residence of the grower.
