Cherry tree propagation creates a new plant from a parent source, effectively cloning a tree with desirable qualities. Unlike many plants, cherry trees require asexual methods like grafting and cuttings to ensure the resulting tree produces the same fruit as the parent. Planting a cherry seed results in a genetically different tree due to cross-pollination, meaning the fruit will likely be inconsistent or less flavorful. Asexual methods bypass this genetic variability, guaranteeing the new plant is an exact genetic duplicate of the original cultivar, which maintains the predictability of fruit quality.
Essential Preparation and Timing
Successful propagation requires precise timing and careful preparation. For grafting, the optimal time is late winter or early spring, just before the rootstock breaks dormancy. The scion wood, the segment of the desired cultivar, must be collected earlier while fully dormant, typically in January or February. This one-year-old growth, usually pencil-diameter, is stored in a cool, moist environment until grafting.
Tools, including grafting knives, must be sterilized and sharp to ensure clean cuts and minimize pathogen transfer. For cuttings, a rooting hormone containing synthetic auxins is necessary to stimulate root development.
The Grafting Technique
Grafting is the most reliable method for cherry tree propagation, combining a superior fruiting variety (the scion) with a hardy, disease-resistant root system (the rootstock). The core principle involves aligning the cambium layers of the two plant parts—the thin, green layers beneath the bark responsible for growth. When these layers are precisely matched, the cells fuse, allowing the vascular systems to connect and form a single, functioning tree.
The choice of technique depends on the rootstock diameter:
- The whip-and-tongue graft is used for rootstock about the diameter of a pencil, providing a strong, interlocking union.
- The cleft graft is employed for larger trunks (two inches or more), where two scion pieces are inserted into a split.
- T-budding is common for cherries, performed later in the summer when the bark easily separates from the wood.
After the scion is inserted, the union must be firmly secured with grafting tape or rubber bands to hold the cambium layers tightly. The entire graft site, including the tip of the scion, is sealed with a grafting wax or sealant. This sealing prevents desiccation and protects the exposed plant tissues from pests and disease until the vascular systems connect.
Propagating Cherry Trees from Cuttings
Propagating cherry trees from cuttings utilizes the plant’s ability to form roots from a severed stem. This involves taking semi-hardwood cuttings during the summer or hardwood cuttings during the dormant winter season. Semi-hardwood cuttings are taken from the current season’s growth while the wood is still slightly flexible.
A cutting should be four to ten inches long, with the bottom leaves stripped away to reduce moisture loss. An angled cut at the base increases the surface area for root formation, and the cutting is immediately dipped into a rooting hormone. The prepared cutting is then inserted into a sterile, well-draining rooting medium, such as perlite and peat moss.
High humidity is necessary to prevent wilting until roots establish, often achieved by covering the pot or using a misting chamber. The medium must be kept consistently moist but not saturated, and cuttings should be placed in bright, indirect sunlight, ideally around 65 degrees Fahrenheit.
Post-Propagation Care
After propagation, the new plant requires specific care to transition into an established sapling. For both grafted trees and rooted cuttings, the initial focus is maintaining a stable environment and keeping the medium consistently moist to encourage union or root growth.
After several weeks, success is indicated by slight resistance when gently tugging the cutting, or by new leaf growth on the scion, indicating a successful graft union. At this stage, the new plant is ready to be moved into a larger container with potting soil to continue its development.
Before permanent planting, the young tree must be gradually acclimated to outdoor conditions, known as hardening off. This involves slowly increasing its exposure to direct sun, wind, and temperature fluctuations over about a week, preparing it for transplanting into its final location in a site that receives full sun and has well-draining soil.