Read below the step-by-step guide to grow and propagate cherry tree from cuttings including cherry blossom tree cuttings, weeping cherry tree cuttings and other cherry cuttings. Growing cherries from cuttings is an easy way to propagate them and grow new plants to produce delicious, homegrown cherries, year after year.
Cherry tree can be propagated by semi-hardwood and hardwood cuttings and also from seeds (how to grow cherry tree from seed). |
| Cherry Tree with Fruit |
It is important to mention that grafting is the best method for cherry trees, but it can be done only by skilled gardeners, whereas cherry tree propagation from cuttings can be achieved easily.
Steps for Growing Cherry Tree from Cuttings
When to Take Cherry Cuttings
Taking cherry cuttings at the right time is important for successful cherry tree propagation. In the semi-hardwood cuttings, which are taken from the tree in the summer, the wood is slightly soft and partially firm and have full-size leaves. The semi-hardwood cuttings bend easily but will not break.
In the hardwood cuttings, the wood is hard and fully mature and snap easily when bent, and taken when the tree is dormant.
Selecting Cuttings
Choose a healthy cherry tree and select a thin one-year-old branch that has leaves and two to four nodes.
Using sharp, sterile pruning shears, make clean diagonal cut just below a node and take a cutting about 4 to 8 inch (10 to 20 cm.) long section of the tree at a horizontal angle.
Remove the lower leaves. Enclose the cuttings in a damp paper and seal in a polythene bag when you carry them to your home and prepare for other things for planting them. keeping the cuttings moist is important because if they dry out, they may not root.
How to grow cherry tree from seeds youtube video, How to germinate cherry seeds youtube video
Can the cherry cuttings be rooted in water?
The cherry cuttings prepared as mentioned above will not root in water as the needed oxygen is not available in water. the cuttings will easily root in water.
Pot
Take a small pot having drainage holes at its bottom.
Prepare Potting medium
Fill the pot with equal parts peat moss or coconut coir, perlite or coarse river sand, and vermiculite in a bowl. Water the rooting medium thoroughly and place the pot in shade to drain excess water.
Planting the Cuttings
- Use a pencil to make small hole, about 2 inch deep in the rooting medium.
- Rooting hormone: Apply rooting hormone powder at the cut end and up to bottom 2 nodes. The hormone will help your cuttings to grow roots. You can use a chemical rooting hormone or use an aloe vera gel as rooting hormone. Shake off excess powder to avoid over-application.
- Insert the cutting in the hole to about one-third its length (do not push) and firm the rooting soil around it.
- Similarly plant more cuttings in the same pot, keeping more than an inch separation, so that they can be separated easily after rooting without damaging the roots.
- Do not water again, as soil is already damp.
Creating a Humid Environment
The cuttings need a humid environment to root. For this cover the pot with a plastic bag or plastic wrap to create a greenhouse effect.
Place the pot in a warm, bright location, avoiding direct sunlight.
Open the bag every week and check the soil moisture and water when the top inch feels dry. Avoid over-watering, the cuttings may rot. It is better to spray some water to maintain the moisture level without adding too much water to avoid rot.
You may see new leaf growth on the cuttings in 6-8 weeks, but the roots may have yet not grown. Continue the cuttings in the bag to grow the roots.
Check for root development by gently tugging on the cuttings. But resist the urge to tug on your cuttings before they grow leaves as this can damage the roots. You may see the roots coming out of the drainage holes of the pot.
You need to acclimatize the new cherry plants to outdoor temperatures and sunlight.
Remove the bag and place the pot in shade for a week, then expose them to morning sun for another week. After that, you may transplant them.
Transplanting to the Garden
Once roots are established, transplant the young cherry plants into the garden or larger pots. When you see roots coming from the drainage holes or the cuttings grow 3-4 sets of leaves, you can transfer the cuttings to their final growing place.
Plant the cuttings at the same depth at which they were growing in the original pot.
Caring for Young Cherry Trees
Provide adequate sunlight and water to your new cherry plants for their healthy growth. Mulch around the base to retain moisture and avoid weeds.