How to Plant Cherry Seeds (with Pictures)

Table of contents:

How to Plant Cherry Seeds (with Pictures)
How to Plant Cherry Seeds (with Pictures)

Video: How to Plant Cherry Seeds (with Pictures)

Video: How to Plant Cherry Seeds (with Pictures)
Video: 3 ways to tell when to harvest a dragon fruit. 2024, March
Anonim

All commercial cherries are grown from grafts or tissue samples so that growers know exactly what they are going to get. Planting from seeds is a task for home growers who are willing to face a challenge and see what happens. Be aware that a cherry tree can usually grow up to 7, 5 m tall or more. It's not always guaranteed to bear fruit, so make sure you really want this decorative piece in your backyard!

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Preparing the Cherry Seeds

Plant Cherry Seeds Step 1
Plant Cherry Seeds Step 1

Step 1. Know what to expect

The cherry tree planted is not identical to the one that generated the seed, which means that this tree will not be of the same variety as the mother plant. You can get a tree that doesn't withstand the local climate and disease or doesn't bear tasty fruit. However, it is possible to get a new and beautiful tree and, in any case, you will have fun during this endeavor.

If you want to have better chances, prefer to plant a young tree. A local plant nursery can recommend the most suitable hybrid plant for the climate and soil where you live

Plant Cherry Seeds Step 2
Plant Cherry Seeds Step 2

Step 2. Choose the cherries

It is best to find fresh cherries from a tree or at a farmers' fair in mid or late summer. Cherry tree varieties that bear fruit too early are often sterile, and fruit purchased at fairs and markets may work, but tend to have less chance of success. Add a good handful of seeds, as not all of them will sprout. There are two common species of cherries to choose from:

  • Almost all fresh cherries on sale are sweet. These are the best to eat, but most of them only sprout between temperatures of 12ºC to 28ºC, which do not occur in Brazil.
  • Sour cherries tend to be easier to grow and can survive temperatures ranging from 5°C to 40°C, depending on the variety. It can be difficult to recognize which fruits are fresh, so it is recommended that you ask when you are at the fair or market.
Plant Cherry Seeds Step 3
Plant Cherry Seeds Step 3

Step 3. Eat the fruit

The pulp of the fruit needs to be removed before planting the seed. Enjoy the taste of the fruit and wipe the last residues of the seed with a damp paper towel.

If it's still early or midsummer, let the seeds dry on a paper towel for two days and store them in an airtight container in a cool place. Pick up the seeds again in late summer and follow the next steps

Plant Cherry Seeds Step 4
Plant Cherry Seeds Step 4

Step 4. Try to plant the cherry tree outside in early fall

The cherry trees need to receive constant humidity and cold for three to five months for them to germinate. Even if the winter in your region is cold, it is impossible to have temperatures similar to those that occur in the autumn and winter of countries whose climate is temperate. Therefore, you can easily plant cherry seeds in the fall. If you decide to do so, skip to the next Method. If you don't live in Brazil or if you prefer to use a method with a higher success rate, go to the next step.

Sweet cherries do best with two weeks of heat before the cold weather starts. By planting them in late summer or early fall, you will be able to reach your goal. However, "an Indian summer" "after" the cold season has already started can cause some cherry trees to go into hibernation. Consult a weather website or other long-term weather source to avoid such a situation

Plant Cherry Seeds Step 5
Plant Cherry Seeds Step 5

Step 5. Leave the sweet cherry in a substrate with warm moist sphagnum moss for two weeks (optional)

Many people even skip this step and still see some cherries sprout, but doing so can increase the germination rate of this species. Here's how to do this procedure, known as hot layering:

  • Buy fresh, ground, sterile sphagnum. This product acts against mold, which is the biggest threat at this stage. Handle this moss by wearing gloves to avoid contact with spores.
  • Put the moss in a plastic bag or container and add water at room temperature (20°C). Allow it to soak up the water for eight to ten hours and then squeeze it to remove excess moisture.
  • Make some holes in the lid for air intake. If using the plastic bag, leave it slightly open at the top.
  • Add the cherry seeds and leave them there for two weeks at a constant temperature. Check the container after a day or two to remove standing water and then weekly to discard moldy seeds (if any).
Plant Cherry Seeds Step 6
Plant Cherry Seeds Step 6

Step 6. Transfer them to a cool, damp material

After that, you'll need to make the cherry trees believe they're going through a winter. This "cold layering" treatment is very similar to the last Step, with a few different details:

  • You can use crushed sphagnum again, but peat moss or a mixture of one part peat moss and one part sand may work better. Vermiculite also works well in this case.
  • Add enough water to moisten the material without soaking it, then add the seeds.
  • Put them in the refrigerator or in another place that has a temperature between 0.5 °C to 5 °C (ideally closer to 5 °C).
Plant Cherry Seeds Step 7
Plant Cherry Seeds Step 7

Step 7. Keep them refrigerated for 90 days

Many cherry seeds need three months of cold therapy before they are ready for planting, and some may take up to five months. Check the seeds every week or so. Remove standing water, if any, and add a little more water if the material is dry.

Check the seeds more often when you are at the end of this period. If the hard layer covering the seeds has started to crack, plant them immediately, or else reduce the temperature to 0°C until you can plant them

Plant Cherry Seeds Step 8
Plant Cherry Seeds Step 8

Step 8. Plant in spring

Once the harsh winter is over, the cherry trees can be planted in the ground. See the next Method for detailed instructions.

If you want to start early, you can plant the cherry tree in a large pot indoors

Part 2 of 3: Planting Cherry Seeds

Plant Cherry Seeds Step 9
Plant Cherry Seeds Step 9

Step 1. Choose a location with good soil

Cherry trees need lots of sunlight and good air circulation. They prefer sandy, fertile soil with excellent drainage and a slightly acidic or neutral pH.

  • Young trees need space for the primary root. If you plant them in a pot, it should be at least 8 inches deep.
  • It is very difficult to grow cherry trees on clayey soils. If you want to give it a real try, make a bib 30 cm tall.
Plant Cherry Seeds Step 10
Plant Cherry Seeds Step 10

Step 2. Plant at a depth less than 2.5 cm

Make a hole by sinking your finger into the first joint and putting a cherry seed in it. Plant each cherry tree 30 cm apart at this time, but get ready to transplant the ones that survive by separating them 6 m apart in the future.

You can plant the trees closer together, but you'll need to separate them once the shoots reach 5 cm in height

Plant Cherry Seeds Step 11
Plant Cherry Seeds Step 11

Step 3. Cover the seeds depending on the season

If you use the autumn planting method, cover them with 2.5 to 5 cm of sand. This prevents a possible freezing of the soil, which prevents the sprouts from being able to emerge. If you plant the seeds in spring, just spread a light layer of soil and water over them.

Plant Cherry Seeds Step 12
Plant Cherry Seeds Step 12

Step 4. Protect seeds from rodents

If you plant them directly in the ground and not in pots, the seeds will be the main target of burrow-digging animals. Cover the area with a cloth or wire mesh, bending the ends and sinking them a few inches into the ground to form a protective barrier. Remove this barrier as soon as the first shoots bloom.

Plant Cherry Seeds Step 13
Plant Cherry Seeds Step 13

Step 5. Water occasionally after the end of winter

Water the seeds lightly after the last spring frost. Do this only when the soil is almost dry. Young cherry trees cannot stay in wet soil, but they shouldn't stay in dry soil for too long.

Plant Cherry Seeds Step 14
Plant Cherry Seeds Step 14

Step 6. Wait for germination

Cherry trees take time to germinate. If you have taken the steps of both hot and cold layering, you can expect to see some shoots within the next few months. Even so, some seeds can take all year to germinate, appearing the following spring.

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

Plant Cherry Seeds Step 15
Plant Cherry Seeds Step 15

Step 1. Keep the soil a little moist

It's good to keep the soil moist but not soggy. When the cherry tree has developed the primary root, check the soil to a depth of 7.5 cm and water whenever that portion is dry. Water very slowly until the soil is wet to the depth of the root. This won't take long at first, but remember to adapt as the cherry tree grows into a tree.

Plant Cherry Seeds Step 16
Plant Cherry Seeds Step 16

Step 2. Transplant the tree as soon as it develops.

As soon as the plants grow about 6 inches, or are too big to have roots that touch the bottom of the pot, give them some more room. Pull out the smaller shoots or move them around. Each tree should be planted within 6 m of each other.

Be aware that the cherry tree can grow to a height of 7.5 m to 15 m, depending on the variety of the species. With pruning, you should keep it at a height of 4, 5 m or less

Plant Cherry Seeds Step 17
Plant Cherry Seeds Step 17

Step 3. Add humus annually

Cover the soil around the tree with an appropriate compost each year, but always in early spring. Start doing this one year after the sprout appears, as the humus can prevent the sprout from breaking out of the seed.

It is best to avoid fertilizing young trees as the product can easily burn them. Organic compost already provides a wide variety of nutrients

Plant Cherry Seeds Step 18
Plant Cherry Seeds Step 18

Step 4. Protect the cherry tree from pests

The hardest part of growing a cherry tree is that it is susceptible to pests and diseases. Take these steps to protect it when it becomes a tree:

  • Surround the young trees with a cylindrical wire fence to protect them from animals.
  • Once a month, look for holes in the trunk that contain slime or sawdust-like insect droppings. Insert a needle into the holes to kill the insects.
  • In spring, wrap a mosquito net around the trunk so that the annoying bugs don't lay eggs in it.
  • In late autumn, place a protective cloth in the ground (deep 5 cm) around the tree to protect it from rodents. The barrier must be high enough for them not to enter from above.
Plant Cherry Seeds Step 19
Plant Cherry Seeds Step 19

Step 5. Protect the tree from the strong sun

In early autumn, paint the trunk of the cherry tree on the south-facing side with a white, non-toxic latex paint diluted with water to obtain a fine consistency. This tree is very susceptible to sun damage at this time of year in the northern hemisphere.

In the southern hemisphere, contrary to what was done above, paint the north side of the tree

Plant Cherry Seeds Step 20
Plant Cherry Seeds Step 20

Step 6. Prune the tree as it grows

Cherry trees are not very difficult to prune, and a little pruning is enough for good fruit production and to make them more beautiful. Generally speaking, cherry trees with sour fruit only need a little pruning to keep their branches symmetrical. Sweet fruit cherry trees, on the other hand, must be pruned from the central trunk to promote lateral growth.

Plant Cherry Seeds Step 21
Plant Cherry Seeds Step 21

Step 7. Think about having a graft.

If left unattended, a cherry tree can take five years or more to bear fruit if it can. Grafting is a bit risky on trees grown from seeds as the species is not known, but a plant nursery in the area may be able to recommend a fruiting species. You can graft the latter to a two-year-old tree and harvest fruit within three or four years if the graft catches.

Plant Cherry Seeds Step 22
Plant Cherry Seeds Step 22

Step 8. Pollinate the flowers

The beautiful cherry blossoms are reason enough to cultivate the tree. However, if you want to see fruit instead of flowers, you need to pollinate them. For most sweet cherry trees, that is, you need to have a second variety of the same species nearby blooming at the same time. Bees are the most common pollinators of cherry trees. If you're using pesticides, see if it doesn't affect them.

Plant Cherry Seeds Step 23
Plant Cherry Seeds Step 23

Step 9. Keep the birds away

It is impossible to cultivate this tree without sharing it with the birds. If you're lucky enough to see the fruits begin to form, set up your defense strategy before they start to ripen. There are several ways to distract or frighten birds, including planting blackberries (which they find even tastier) and hanging shiny objects from cherry branches.

Tips

  • To obtain fruit, you need to have two varieties of sweet cherry trees so that one can fertilize the other. The sour cherry tree usually self-pollinates.
  • As the cherry tree takes between seven or eight years to bear fruit, consider the idea of planting a new bunch each year. That way, you have more assurance if some of the trees die before reaching maturity.
  • The yellow cherry tree is less attractive to birds, but it can take six years or more to bear fruit.

Recommended: