How to grow a cherry tree from a seed (photo attached) - tips

Video: How To Germinate Cherry Seeds That Works every Time - Growing Cherry Trees From Seeds

Content

Steps
Advice
Warning
What you need

Professional gardeners' cherry trees are planted using a branching method so that growers know the exact properties of the tree. This is because cherry trees grown from seeds may yield a more bitter taste. Planting cherry seeds from seeds is a project for home gardeners who want to try and grow ornamental plants. To grow cherry trees from seeds, you will plant dried cherry seeds in soil with a neutral pH and good drainage outdoors in early fall. Choose a location with plenty of sunlight and push the seeds about 2.5 cm deep into the ground. You can also plant the seeds in an indoor pot, then move them outdoors in the spring. Remember that a cherry tree is usually 7.5 meters or more tall, and you can't guarantee a lot of fruit either, so make sure you like having a cherry tree to adorn your garden!

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Prepare cherry seeds

Know the possibilities. Cherries are not a full-fledged parent tree, meaning they may not resemble the parent tree. Maybe you have a tree that doesn't live in the climate you grow, is not tolerant of local pests, or doesn't produce delicious fruit. But maybe you can plant a new and beautiful tree, and no matter what, you will have a lot of fun in the long run.
- If you want more chances of success, you should plant cherries with seedlings. The nurseries in your area can recommend a sakura tree suitable for your climate and soil.
Choose cherries. Ideally, you can find fresh cherries from local crops or sell them in farmers' markets in the middle or late summer. The seeds of early-season fruit trees do not usually germinate, while cherries sold in stores have a low success rate. Buy a full handful, as not all seeds will sprout. There are two popular types of cherries you can choose from:
- Most of the fresh cherries for sale are sweet cherries. These cherry varieties eat best, but most are only capable of growing in zones 5-7 according to USDA zoning.
- Sour cherries are usually easier to grow and can tolerate in 3-8 growing areas depending on the cultivar. Fresh fruit can be difficult to find, you should visit the farmers' markets to inquire.
Eat cherries. Fortunately for you, remove the flesh of the cherries before sowing. Enjoy the cherries and wipe off the leftover pulp with a damp paper towel.
- If it's still early summer or mid-summer, let the seeds dry on a tissue for a few days, then store in a tightly closed container and place in a cool place. Remove the seeds at the end of the summer and move on to the next step.
Consider planting trees outdoors in early fall. Cherries need to be kept moist and cold for about 3-5 months in preparation for germination. If the winter where you live is about the same length of time but the temperature doesn't drop below -30ºC, you can go with the easiest option and plant the tree in the fall. If you decide to do so, skip to the next section. If you don't live in this climate or prefer to use the method with a higher success rate, continue with the following steps.
- Sweet cherry trees thrive when spending several weeks in warm weather before cold. You will meet this need if you plant the tree in the late summer or as soon as the fall. However, warm weather happened after The already cold weather may cause some plants to return to hibernation. You can refer to the calendar or long-term weather forecast to avoid this phenomenon.
Store the sweet cherries in the warm, moist moss for two weeks (optional). Many people skip this step and still see some seeds sprouting, but this will increase germination rates for most sweet cherries. Here's how to do this process, also known as warm stratification:
- Buy sterile sphagnum moss. This material is resistant to mold, which is the greatest risk at this stage. Use clean gloves to avoid spreading mold spores into the moss.
- Place the moss in a plastic bag or container and pour room temperature (about 20ºC) water into the moss.Wait 8-10 hours for the moss to absorb water, then squeeze out excess water.
- Poke some air holes in the lid. If you are using a plastic bag, just open the top slightly.
- Add the cherries and let stand for 2 weeks at a steady temperature. Check after a day or two for any standing water, then check weekly and throw away any moldy seeds (if any).
Switch to cool, damp material. Next, you need to make the cherry trees "think" that they are going through winter. Here is the "cold stratification" approach, very similar to the one above, changing only a few details:
- You can still use sphagnum moss, but peat moss or a mixture of 50/50 peat moss and sand will work best. Vermiculite also works well.
- Add a sufficient amount of water to moisten the material but not sog, then add the seeds.
- Refrigerate or place in a place between 0.5 and 5ºC (ideally at the top within this temperature range).
Leave in the refrigerator for about 90 days. Most varieties of cherry need to be cold treated for 3 months before planting, some varieties take 5 months. Check the seeds about once a week. Drain standing water if present, or add more water if material is drying out.
- Check more often at the end of the cold stratification period. If the hard outside of the seed starts to crack, plant it immediately or lower the temperature to 0ºC until you are ready to plant.
Planting trees in the spring. As soon as the late spring frost ends, you can plant the cherry trees in the ground. Read the next section for detailed instructions.
- If you want to start early, you can plant it in a large indoor pot.
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Part 2 of 3: Sowing the seeds of the cherry tree

Choose a location with good soil. Cherry trees need plenty of sunlight and good air circulation. They prefer fertile, sandy soils with good drainage and a neutral or slightly acidic pH.
- Seedlings need space for the taproot to develop. If you have potted plants, use a pot at least 20 cm deep.
- Cherry trees are difficult to grow in clay. If you really want to plant a tree, make your garden about 30 cm tall.
Sow seeds below 2.5-5 cm depth. Poke a hole about a knuckle with your finger and drop a cherry seed into the hole. Plant the cherry trees 30 cm apart, but be prepared to replant the surviving trees about 6 meters apart.
- You can plant the cherries closer together, but you'll need to remove the plants once they're about 5 cm tall.
Fill the ground depending on the season. If planting in the fall, cover your seeds with a layer of sand about 2.5–5 cm thick. This prevents the soil from freezing, preventing the shoots from growing. If you are planting in the spring, just fill in holes as high as ground level.
Protect seeds from rodents. If you plant the seeds directly into the soil in your garden rather than in a pot, the seeds will be the primary target for diggers. Place a wire mesh or metal cloth on the seeding area, bend the edges and press down into the ground a few centimeters deep to create a barrier. Release this fence when the first shoots come up.
Water occasionally after the last frost. Gently water the seeds after the last frost has ended. Water only when the soil is almost completely dry. Young cherry trees cannot tolerate wet soil, but also can not withstand drought for too long.
Wait for the plant to sprout. The cherry seeds germinate quite slowly. If you use both warm stratification and cold stratification, the plant should be able to germinate in the next few months. However, some seeds may take up to a year to germinate and emerge from the ground next spring. advertisement

Part 3 of 3: Taking care of a young cherry tree

Keep the soil slightly moist. You will need to keep the soil moist but not soaking wet. Once your cherry tree has a taproot, test the soil at a depth of about 7.5 cm and water it when you feel dry. Water drip until the soil is wet at the root depth. This won't take much at first, but make sure to make adjustments as the cherry tree grows.
Replant when the plant is hardened. Once the plant is about 15 cm tall or large enough for the roots to compete or hit the bottom of the pot, you need to provide more space for the plant. You can remove the lowest plants or plant them separately. Each tree should be planted about 6 m apart. Remember that the best time to replant is when the plant is hibernating, that is, in winter. If you replant it while the plant is growing strongly, it becomes stressed and may die.
- Don't forget that cherry trees can grow up to 7.5 to 15 meters tall, depending on the variety. You can maintain a tree's height below 15 meters by pruning.
Apply annual coating. Cover the mulch with well-decayed compost each year in early spring. Begin mulching after the plant has sprouted, as mulch can prevent the seed from coming out of the ground.
- It is best to avoid using fertilizers on the seedlings, as the plants are susceptible to burns from the fertilizer. Compost can provide a variety of nutrients to your plant.
Protect plants from pests. The most difficult thing about planting a cherry tree is that it is susceptible to disease and infestation by animals. Take the following steps to protect the tree:
- Fence the seedling with a wire mesh to prevent deer. Do this as soon as the tree starts to grow.
- Once a month, look for holes in the trunk that are leaking water or for sawdust-like shit. Insert a needle into these holes to kill pests.
- In the spring, wrap the curtain around the trunk of the plant to prevent insects from laying eggs.
- In late fall, you should put a metal mesh fence about 5 cm deep into the ground around the tree to protect against rodents. This fence should be high enough to keep rodents from falling in the winter snow.
Protect the tree from the sun in winter. In early fall, paint the southern stem with non-toxic latex paint diluted with water. The tree is very susceptible to sun damage during this time.
- Paint the northern part of the tree instead of the south if you live in the southern hemisphere.
Prune when the cherry tree is mature. The cherry tree is not too difficult to prune, but pruning also helps the tree to bear fruit and look better. In general, sour cherries only need a little pruning to create symmetrical branches. For sweet cherry trees, cut off the central branch to stimulate the plant to grow more lateral buds.
Consider grafting. If left intact, the cherry tree will usually take five years or more to bear fruit, if it can bear fruit. Grafting can be a bit risky for seed-based plants, since you don't know exactly what varieties are, but growers can recommend fruit varieties. You can graft this branch into a 2-year-old tree and be able to harvest the fruit in the third or fourth year if grafting is successful.
Pollinate flowers. The lovely flowers alone give you a reason to plant cherry trees. However, if you want to see cherries as a substitute for flowers, the plant must be pollinated. For most sweet cherries, you will need another cherry nearby and bloom at the same time. Cherry trees are often pollinated by honey bees. If you are using a pesticide, make sure it doesn't interfere with this important insect.
Chasing birds. No one can plant cherries without sharing them with birds. If you are lucky enough to see a tree bearing fruit, try to protect it before the fruit is ripe. There are many ways to distract or repel birds, including planting mulberry trees (which the birds find even better) and hanging shiny objects from cherry branches.
- Gardeners also cover plants with nets to prevent birds and other animals from eating.
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Advice

For the tree to bear fruit, you usually need two varieties of sweet cherry trees to pollinate each other. Sour cherries are usually self-pollinating.
Cherry trees can take 7-8 years to bear fruit, so consider planting a new batch each year. This will give you backup plants if some of them die before they reach maturity.
Yellow cherries are less attractive to birds, but can take up to 6 years or more to bear fruit.

Warning

Do not sow cherry seeds directly into the ground in summer or spring.Although every seed will experience winter, the lack of stratification prevents the seed from sprouting in the spring.