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Propagating Cherry

Started by Brad_bb, June 09, 2010, 01:01:17 AM

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Brad_bb

So my Cherry tree had cherries this year.  First time I've ever seen it have cherries.  Birds ravaged them as soon as they were right, but I got a few.  What's the best way to germinate the seeds/pits?  What do I do with the few pits I have now?  Do I just plant them in the garden now?  Do they have to go through winter first?  Do I need to germinate them in the house?
Anything someone can design, I can sure figure out how to fix!
If I say it\\\\\\\'s going to take so long, multiply that by at least 3!

BaldBob

From New Mexico State University: "The cherry, like all temperate fruit trees, requires a "chilling" period or winter to prepare the seed for growth. The hard shell of the pit does not need to be removed, but the seed should be placed in moist vermiculite or peatmoss and stored in the refrigerator for six to eight weeks before planting. Do not let the seed dry before beginning this treatment. Once the seed has been treated by chilling, it may be planted—outside if the weather is already cool, or in a pot in a window or greenhouse. If planted outside, it will experience further chilling and begin growing in the spring. If planted in a pot, it will begin growing in a few weeks. Plant several seeds because it is possible that only a few will grow. In about seven to ten years you may begin eating cherries from your tree."

If they have not already dried out, pits that have been recovered from bird droppings are better germinators.

However, most commercial cherry trees are propagated from cuttings from a productive cherry tree variety grafted onto a hardy native cherry tree root stock.

pesaventoc

The problem is many plants grown from seeds don't come true to there parents genetically. I grow olive trees . you can plant  a seed , but there is a good chance the offspring will perform nothing like their parents(not surprising). I think the cherry is classified a drupe (sp) like a peach or olive tree. It may be best to take cuttings  and propagate them to have plants that act like their parents (if that's possible). You can tell I have three sons.
EZ Boardwalk Jr., homemade log arch ,1610D Yanmar

Brad_bb

Thanks for the info.  I didn't know you can grow a cherry tree from a cutting?  I propagate grape vines from cuttings and rooting hormone.  So you're saying I could do the cherry exactly the same way?
Anything someone can design, I can sure figure out how to fix!
If I say it\\\\\\\'s going to take so long, multiply that by at least 3!

BaldBob

I don't know if you can easily propagate cherry by rooting cuttings. What I was talking about was grafting cuttings onto the root stock of a native cherry such as pin cherry or choke cherry.

pesaventoc

I looked up propagating cherry in Rodale's vegetable and fruits by the organic method(Rodale Press). Apparently propgating cherry is difficult. They recommend grafting to mazzard(a wild cherry variety) rootstock for the best trees. It states that you can plant seeds and then graft to them but its probably a waste of time. Although it's a stone fruit like the olive, it's much more difficult to propagate. The book didn't discuss how to plant the seeds themselves.  
EZ Boardwalk Jr., homemade log arch ,1610D Yanmar

SwampDonkey

Any grafted cherries I had over the years, either the root stock or the graft material out grew one another. This resulted in the bark splitting and fungal rot to do the tree in.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

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